Tracking macros (short for macronutrients) sounds simple. After all, it’s just a matter of counting protein, carbs, and fats. But it’s challenging to hit a specific target, especially if you’re from a calorie-counting background. You might be able to hit your target macros for the day, but what about calories? What if you’re not even close to the correct calorie count? You could be eating too many calories, or perhaps even more concerning, too few.
Understanding what are macros and micros and why they matter can help you get back on track. This guide will explain how hitting macros but not calories affects your progress and how you can get back on track with an AI tool for counting calories. If you’re struggling to count calories, this tool can help you get the job done faster so you can focus on what matters: hitting your macros. DietAI’s solution, AI calorie counter, uses artificial intelligence to read nutrition labels, analyze recipes, and assess your meals to provide a fast and accurate calorie count.
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Is Tracking Macros More Important than Tracking Calories?
Are Macros or Calories More Important for Weight Loss?
Reducing calorie intake is a proven method for weight loss, but many diets promise similar results with fewer restrictions. One such popular diet is “If It Fits Your Macros” (IIFYM), which offers users more flexibility in what they eat while still guaranteeing results. Instead of counting calories, IIFYM counts the daily macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins) in our foods. Many people prefer the IIFYM diet because it allows them to consume any food, as long as it fits their daily macronutrient (“macro”) requirements.
However, no scientific research has examined whether counting macros is as effective as other methods in achieving different weight goals. Past research has looked into reducing individual macros for weight loss, such as comparing the effects of a low-fat versus a low-carbohydrate diet. Ultimately, researchers found no significant, long-term difference between the diets in terms of how much weight they helped people lose. As such, this makes it difficult to know whether counting calories or macros is more useful for your different body weight goals.
Weight Loss Basics
The basic principle of achieving weight loss is simple: Eat less energy than your body requires daily, and you will lose weight. Any diet can lead to weight loss if this basic principle is applied. The tricky part is establishing what our energy requirements are. The most practical measure of indirect calorimetry is still not 100% accurate. And the prediction equations commonly used in dietary counseling and online apps to set calorie intake goals for weight loss are even more inaccurate.
This is especially true for those who are overweight or obese, as the equations are based on body weight and do not take into account fat mass. Whether counting calories or macros, you still need this starting point to work from to keep within your targets. While our actual energy requirements are uncertain and can vary greatly depending on how active we are, our requirements for macronutrients are more certain, based on government guidelines.
The Benefits of Counting Macros
An advantage of counting macros is that it ensures some essential nutrients are incorporated into your diet, instead of focusing solely on calories. Counting calories takes no account of nutrients. And while it seems evident that choosing wholesome, nutritious sources of calories is better than processed, high-sugar and saturated fat foods, you could hypothetically eat seven chocolate bars (each worth 228 calories, a total of 1,596 calories) and still lose weight if your total energy expenditure is around 2,000 calories a day. Macro calculations are estimated based on body weight, height, and activity levels and can be adjusted to your weight goal. While fewer restrictions on what to eat may be a bonus for some on IIFYM, for others, keeping track of macro intake and hitting those targets can be difficult and time-consuming.
The Drawbacks of Counting Macros
Tracking both macros and calories can be time-consuming. Whatever you’re counting, you’ll require an affinity for reading food labels and keeping a record of all foods and fluids consumed throughout the day. While numerous online nutritional databases and apps help you track macros and calories, they may not always be accurate. Plus, there’s the added complication that we may not absorb all the energy or nutrients that food labels list, making it even harder to meet specific targets.
Additionally, neither method guarantees that you meet all your other nutrient requirements. For example, as macros only focus on carbs, protein, and fats, they may overlook the importance of different vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, which is essential for staying healthy and preventing deficiencies. Unless combined with dietary advice about making permanent changes to a healthy, balanced diet, neither method is a long-term solution to weight loss or maintenance.
Muscle Gain and the Importance of Protein
People looking to gain weight to build muscle are on the opposite end of the spectrum. To gain muscle, they would need to increase their basic daily protein intake to around 1.2-1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight, which is necessary for muscles to repair any micro-damage from resistance or strength training. Protein, energy, and carbohydrate needs must also be met to ensure the body has enough fuel to work out. This is where keeping track of macros, instead of counting calories, could be helpful to ensure all protein and carbohydrate requirements are met. Timings of macros are also crucial for muscle growth. Research shows regular protein intake throughout the day and after exercise, rather than large single doses, is recommended for muscle growth and refueling.
Finding What Works for You
Ultimately, which method you choose for altering body weight and composition depends on your goals and how motivated and tech-savvy you are. If you want to learn more about the nutrients in your food, counting macros may be for you. For those who find endless counting and monitoring tedious, following more general guidance for weight loss, maintenance, or bulking up may be easier.
Reasons Why You Are Hitting Macros but Not Calories
1. The Trouble with Obsessing Over Macro Ratios
You might forget to check your total calorie intake when you're overly focused on hitting a specific macronutrient ratio. For example, if you aim to eat 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% fat, you may hit those targets exactly but still fall short on calories. Why? Because hitting macro ratios doesn't ensure that you're eating enough food. Always pay attention to your specific macro goals, too!
2. The Downside of Tracking Apps
Calorie-tracking apps are handy but not foolproof. Sometimes, they contain inaccuracies due to crowd-sourced data. Double-check the info, especially for non-verified foods. Don't trust everything you read online regarding hitting calories and macros.
3. Alcohol: The Underrated Macro
Alcohol is a sneaky one. It's a macronutrient but is often ignored in macro tracking. Like any other nutrient, it has calories too. Remember that 1 gram of alcohol contains 7 calories, just shy of fat, which has nine calories per gram. So, if you tend to have a few drinks on the weekends and don’t track them, you could be overlooking a significant source of calories.
4. The Rounding Error Problem
Tracking apps round macros to the nearest whole number. Over time, these minor rounding errors can add up and affect your calorie count. If you're trying to hit specific numbers, any deviation — even if it's just from rounding — can throw you off course.
5. Nutrition Label Rounding Rules
Food labeling rules can vary by country. Disc discrepancies between the label and actual content might exist within allowed margins. When tracking calories and macros, these slight differences can affect your progress.
6. Fiber Counting Variations
Some count fiber as carbs; others don't. Be consistent in your approach, count it or don't, but be aware of the potential impact.
7. Ignoring Calories from Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are another wildcard. They count towards carbs but often don't contribute to calorie counts. Keep an eye on these when calculating calories.
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• What Are Net Calories
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What to Do if You Are Hitting Macros but Not Calories
1. Use DietAI to Count Calories
DietAI transforms calorie counting with our AI calorie-counting app. Take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods. Whether trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
2. Pick Foods That Have Been Verified
The first step to improve the accuracy of your food tracking is to be more selective with the foods you track. If you use a food tracking app, pick foods verified for accuracy. For instance, look for a verification note, check mark, star, or something similar. This means that the app’s team has verified the food item accurately.
3. Use “USDA” Modifier When Searching Whole Foods
When searching for whole foods, perform a search using a modifier such as “USDA.” This will yield a more accurate result regarding the nutrient content of that food product since the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) food database is a reliable source for whole foods.
4. Ensure the Information Matches Actual Nutritional Facts
When tracking a product with a barcode, you would typically use a barcode scanner feature to quickly retrieve the product's nutritional information by scanning the barcode. However, you must still check that the food item in front of you matches what the app displays. This is crucial because sometimes, the first person who entered the specific food into the database might have made a mistake. Check that the app's information matches what is on the product's nutrition label. If it doesn’t match, you can update the information or create a new food item with accurate information.
5. Do a Quick Math on Food Items You Enter
For food items you enter manually or using a barcode scanner, it is always a good idea to do quick math on the macros and calories to ensure they add up. So, check that the grams of fat, carbs, and protein match the corresponding calories from those macronutrients.
6. Use Your Macro Meal Plan Spreadsheet
Lastly, you can use your macro meal plan spreadsheet with a food database with accurate nutritional information. This would allow you to create a meal plan tailored to your specific calorie and macro goals and track this information more accurately since you will enter all the data.
How to Count Macros and Calories
1. Transform Your Caloric Counting with DietAI
Count calories and macros with DietAI. DietAI transforms calorie counting with our AI calorie-counting app. Take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods.
Whether trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
2. Understand Food Labels for Shop-Bought Foods
Food labels on shop-bought foods provide a helpful breakdown of calorie information per portion, per 100g, and for the whole pack. Per-portion information may be more useful than per 100g, but remember that your portion size might differ from the manufacturer’s. This can make a big difference to your calorie intake over the day.
3. Weigh Your Portions for Accurate Tracking
To begin with, weigh your portions. This should give you an idea of how many calories you consume and whether you need to adjust your portion size.
4. Keep a Food Diary to Track Your Intake
Keeping a daily record of everything you eat and drink can make it much easier to track your calorie intake. Try it for a week or two to get a good idea of how many calories you’re consuming, and continue to keep a food diary if you find it useful.
5. Remember to Include All Your Ingredients' Calories
Don’t forget to include the calories in: the oil and spreads you have cooked with any toppings or accompaniments, like cheese or yoghurt sauces, such as mayo and ketchup.
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Download DietAI Today for 80% Off!
Macronutrients and micronutrients are the two categories of nutrients found in food. Both are essential to human health, but they perform different bodily functions. Macronutrients are the nutrients that provide us with energy. They include carbohydrates, protein, and fat. These macronutrients affect the body differently and have unique roles in human health. Micronutrients, on the other hand, are vitamins and minerals. They don't provide energy, but are crucial to human health and help our bodies process the macronutrients that do.
Tracking your calorie and macro intake during intermittent fasting can help you stay on track and reach your dietary goals. DietAI transforms calorie counting with our AI calorie-counting app. Take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods.
Whether trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
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