Overview
Counting macro’s or IIFYM (if it fits your macros) is a growingly popular method for weight loss or weight maintenance. In short; macros are your macronutrients- protein, carbs, and fats. On this plan you count how many grams you eat of each of these per day instead of only focusing on calories. When you focus on only calories you could end up eating all carbs and little protein or all fat and no carbs. Our bodies use each macronutrient in different ways and a balance of all three is important.
Why do we need macronutrients?
Protein is found all throughout the body- in your muscle, bone, skin, hair, tissues: virtually everything! Protein helps repair cells and make new ones. Protein forms the building blocks of muscle so eating more of it increases muscle mass and strength! It has also been found to increase bone health, boost your metabolism, lower blood pressure, assist in weight loss, help our bodies recover faster after injury, and even reduce muscle loss as we age. Bonus: it is also the most filling of all the macronutrients! (healthline.com) I would say all of those things are pretty important! Especially for us who work so hard at the gym.
Carbohydrates provide energy: they are our main fuel source. This is something we need to fuel our intense workouts! Carbs have also been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and even aids in weight loss! There are very few studies that show a high (healthy) carb diet causes weight gain. (mayo clinic)
Fats support our vitamin and mineral absorption, prevent blood clotting, and assist in building cells and muscle movement. (healthline.com) Think of it as our WD40!
There are good carbs and bad carbs and healthy fats and unhealthy fats. There are even types of protein that are better for you than others; so, do your research- but know that our bodies need all of these to function, especially when we train so hard.
IIFYM Basics
Macro counting is popular because its not limiting. Its about fueling your body with the things it needs to function while still restricting calories in the correct way. It is sustainable, and once your get used to tracking its one of the simplest nutrition plans out there! So now you know why; here’s how: Eat what you want when you want as long as It Fits Your Macros! The simplest way to get started is to find out how many grams of each macronutrients YOUR body needs. You can calculate it on your own OR you can use a calculator online (waaaay easier). I would suggest take a couple tests and average the numbers.
Calculators:
•https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm
• https://www.iifym.com/calculator-results-blueprint-women-06292018/
• http://macrofit.com/macro-calculator/
Once you calculate your macros you need in 1 day, bodybuilding.com suggests you try to hit those numbers within 5g per day. Livestrong suggests trying to hit your macros at least 5 days out of the week and to of course have fun, have cheat meals sometimes. They also suggest you eat 30% of your daily allotted carbs pre-workout (1-3 hours before), 30-40% of your carbs after your workout (1-2 hours after), and the remainder of carbs even throughout the rest of the day. Your protein should be evenly split throughout the day, and your fats should also be split throughout the day but try to keep higher fat foods away from your workout time. It doesn’t need to be exact! As long as you try to eat most of your carbs around your workout and most of your fats away from your workout you’re good!
Meal Planning
Meal planning and prep is important when following IIFYM. All food labels list the grams of macronutrients per serving. There are also several phone applications that can assist you in counting macros. Macrostax and mymacros+ are both very user friendly and have a large variety of foods. If you sit down Sunday night and plan the week; or even sit down every evening to plan the next day it takes the stress out of your day and you will have already planned what you need to meet your macros. Meal prep helps as well. At the beginning of the week make a pot of chili. Find out how many macros there are per serving and then you can just plug that chili into your meals for the week and you’re done! You will also find a ton of helpful information on pinterest. They have macro friendly recipes, macro numbers in different types of alcohol, and even lists of foods high in one macro but low in the others so you can hit your numbers.
Conclusion
I am a planner at heart, so this has been the easiest and least restrictive way for me to maintain my nutrition and weight. I don’t like being told I can’t have something; it makes me want it more! So, like I said- try it out for a month- if it doesn’t work for you; move on and try something else!