Should You be Counting Calories or Macronutrients (or both)?

As I am wont to do in these posts, let’s begin with a few definitions first. I remember watching Super Size Me (a documentary about a guy who eats nothing but McDonald’s for a month) about 20 years ago. In the movie, they ask random people to define the term “calorie.” None of them were able and I was among their ranks. After it was defined, I have remembered it ever since. A calorie is the amount of energy required to heat one liter of water one degree centigrade. A calorie is simply a measurement, or unit, of energy.

Macronutrients (macros), on the other hand, are nutrients that our bodies need in large amounts to function properly. The three main macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. We need these macros as we do not produce them or do not produce them in amounts sufficient for our needs. Protein provides us with essential amino acids. Fats give us essential fatty acids or lipids. Carbs come in two forms, dietary fiber and those that are broken down into a simple form of sugar known as glucose which is a key source of energy.

Typically, when someone sought to lose weight, the formula was rather simple: eat fewer calories than you burn, and the weight will come off. Thus, if you consume 2,000 calories over the course of a day and burn 2,500, you’ll eventually lose weight if you keep it up. However, some nutritionists and diet plans advocate for the counting of macros over calories as a more efficient means for losing weight. But how does one count macros? One would count them as a percentage of our daily diet or food intake. For example, someone on a keto diet (a low-carb diet) would consume 20-30% proteins, 65-75% fats and 5-10% carbs during their daily food consumption. Obviously, these percentages can be altered.

Counting macros is a more specific method of counting our daily energy intake and this method can be tailored to one’s specific dietary needs or goals. Counting macros can also teach you a great deal about your eating habits and inform you of what is good and bad about your current diet. From there, you can make the necessary changes to meet your dietary and/or health goals. Counting calories simply gives you a single number at the end of the day while counting macros gives you a more detailed analysis of your diet. However, counting macros is also more time consuming than counting calories.

Counting macros also allows you to monitor the quality of the food you consume. For example, if you restrict yourself to 1,500 calories per day, you could simply eat 1,500 calories of mayonnaise and still hit your goal. However, 1,500 calories of mayonnaise are not going to provide many health benefits. When we are totally focused on that single number, we may overlook our body’s nutritional needs. In other words, we may be sacrificing quality (nutrients) in our pursuit of quantity (calories). By counting macros, you also monitor WHAT you’re eating and are then able to alter your diet as necessary or as requested by your doctor.

The downside of counting macros, aside from time consumption, is that it still allows you to eat unhealthy processed foods as you’re not tracking specific nutrients. Counting macros can also lead to a less varied diet as you become focused on hitting your percentage goals every day.

To sum up, counting macros can be more beneficial than just counting calories as it allows you to better track what you’re eating and better tailor your diet to your needs. However, one should still be sure to avoid unhealthy processed or fast foods and eat a varied diet in order to ensure the necessary vitamins and minerals are being consumed.