Whether you are looking to lose weight, increase your fitness level or improve you overall health, making friends with the macro could be the key to your success. Learning how to evaluate, set and achieve your daily macros can lead to powerful and sustaining improvements in your wellness!
What exactly are “macros?’ Macros is an abbreviation for Macronutrients. Macronutrients are the essential components of a diet. These macros are needed in relatively large amounts and support our growth, development and overall health. Easily put, macros are the amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats you consume on a daily basis.
Most of us know that in order to lose weight, the formula is: burn more calories than you consume. All calories, however, are not created equal. In fact, being mindful of the right types of calories is actually quite important. With the abundance of processed foods these days, understanding and focusing on the quality of your calories is really important to achieving your fitness goals in a healthy way.
So the question becomes, what’s the difference between counting calories and tracking macros? Calories are more focused on the quantity, whereas macros are geared towards the quality of the foods you’re eating. If you are counting calories, you could fill your calorie count with sugary foods and then not have room for healthier options.
For many years, I thought as an avid athlete and fitness instructor, I could eat whatever I wanted because I would burn it all off. Truth is, no matter how much we work out- what we eat matters. It wasn’t until I measured and tracked my food intake, that I discovered I was actually consuming too much.
There is a real personal and rewarding component to this process! Not everyone needs the same macronutrient ratio. There is more to it than you think. Working with an expert (aka my Edge Trainer) helped me to find the right mix of macros and tailor an individual plan specifically geared towards my fitness goals. Age, height, weight, body fat, activity level - these are all part of the recipe that determines the right mix of macros to consume on a daily basis. Our Edge Personal Trainers are skilled, certified, and passionate. They will help determine the perfect macro mix to help you achieve your fitness goals. Do you want to burn fat and lose weight? That would typically mean increasing your protein, while decreasing your carbohydrate intake. Regardless of what nutritional program you are already on - Keto, Paleo, Intermittent Fasting - our Edge trainers can help you determine the right macro mix for you! 😊
Now, counting and measuring calories might not be for everyone but we can all benefit from prioritizing what we put in our bodies. The effort put forth will result in a deeper connection to our food choices and to ourselves. Remember- knowledge is power and understanding macros can provide a useful framework to achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Interested in learning more and configuring your macros? Click here to get started!
