What are Macros?

Who has ever heard of the word macronutrients or in short Macros?  Probably not many people unless you've been in the "fitness world" for a while.  You may hear me mention macros in some of my posts but I've never actually talked about what they are.

What is the deal with macros?  What are they?  Why do I care about them? 

To answer some of those questions, let's go over some details.

Macros are short for macronutrients.  Macronutrients are broken down into 3 categories: protein, carbohydrates and fats.  These 3 categories make up all foods (excluding water) and are the building blocks of nutrition.  These nutrients are described as 'macro' because you need them in large quantities.

The macronutrients that you eat in your food make up your calories.  We all know when it comes to weight loss, you have to eat fewer calories than your body requires, i.e be in a calorie deficit.  So it's pretty simple right, eating fewer calories than your body needs means you will lose weight, but its HOW you eat those calories that can make you lose/gain muscle or fat.  This is where macronutrients come in to play.
For example, if you're just eating fewer calories, your body will lose weight on a scale, but if you're not paying attention to exactly what is making up those calories, your body may be losing your muscle mass instead of fat; which would lead to the dreaded "skinny fat" look.  Meaning your body may be smaller, but you have little muscle mass and more body fat.  However, if you pay attention to what is making up your calories, eating sufficient protein to maintain muscle mass, carbs for energy and fat for satiety and hormone production in addition to being in a calorie deficit; you will lose body fat and keep more of your muscle mass.  Therefore your body shape will start to change, of course in addition to strength training!

Other nutrients that we need in smaller amounts such as sodium, potassium, iron, etc are needed in smaller amounts, therefore referred to as micronutrients.  Micronutrients are found in our macronutrients and also help in normal body functions, help our immune system, etc.

We now know that macros refer to carbs, fats and proteins.  But what do those exactly do for our bodies?  I will break each of these down in detail in the next few blogs (so keep on checking back for more!).  For the purposes of this blog, I will give you a quick rundown.

1.  Carbohydrates

  

         This is the biggest requirement of macronutrients we require.  It is recommended that 40-50% of your daily food intake is carbohydrates.  On average, carbs are 4 calories per gram.  Carbs provide our bodies with energy as well as provide many of our vitamins, minerals and nutrients our bodies require to thrive.  Carbohydrates are also our bodies main source of fibre and help with proper digestion. 

        However, in recent times, carbs have become the scapegoat for weight loss and obesity.  People love to blame carbs for their weight problems, but they have been terribly misinformed by the diet "gurus" of modern times.  I will discuss in a few weeks about what actually leads to weight gain.  But you can be sure that it is not directly related to eating sweet potatoes.

Great sources of carbohydrates include veggies, fruits, grains, potatoes, oatmeal, etc.

2.  Protein

         This is the second biggest category in our macronutrient breakdown.  It is important that 25-35% of your daily food intake is protein.  Protein averages to be about 4 calories per gram.  Protein is made up of amino acids and has many important functions in the body.  Protein helps build and maintain muscle which is the number one function people think of when they hear protein.  It also has many other functions such as cell growth and repair, hormone production and immune function.  

Great sources of proteins are lean meats, fish/seafood, dairy, whey, etc.  Beans, tofu and grains such as oat bran and quinoa double as protein and carb sources!

3.  Fats

 

      Fats are the smallest category of the macronutrients but are so essential to proper health!  Fats should take up 15-20% of your daily food intake.  1 gram of fat is approximately 9 calories.  As already mentioned, fats have a huge role in how our bodies function.  They assist in hormone production and regulation, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, body temperature regulation just to name a few.  It also provides a secondary fuel source for the body when carbohydrates in the form of glucose are not available.  Fat is not the number one source for energy, because it takes so much energy to use up one molecule of fat.

       Fats come from many sources, from cooking oils such as olive oil or canola oil to cheese, nuts, avocados, etc.

Those are the 3 main macros that make up all of your foods.  Some foods are made up of only one of these groups and some foods are made up of a combination of two or more of these groups.
I won't get into how to count macros and calories, that is a whole other subject that I will touch on in the future.  

What I want to leave you with is an understanding that there is more to food than just calories.  The foods we intake serve different functions in our bodies and help it to run smoothly. Each serves a different function and you need proper amounts of each to have a well-running machine.

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