One of the tools we like to teach our clients is how to utilize tracking macronutrients (macros) to help them reach their goals. While tracking macros is something we talk about a lot, it may not be for everyone. If you struggle with obsessive behaviors, or are in recovery from disordered eating, this may not be a tactic that we recommend for you. However if you have a healthy relationship with food and are wanting to learn more about how macros play a role in your body and reaching your goals (whether they be to gain strength, put on muscle, maintain your physique, support your training or lean out,) then learning to track your macros may be for you! Here are some of the top 5 benefits of learning to track macros!
Learn what you are actually consuming We find that most people have a vague understanding of what they're meal is actually made up of. While you may have heard to eat your veggies and to eat well, you may not be fully aware of what a balanced meal actually entails. Learning to track your macros helps you have a better understanding of what your plate contains and how it supports your body and goals. When you learn about macros and how to accurately track them you will eventually be able to look at your plate - whether you made it yourself or are out at a restaurant or someone's house - and have a good understanding of what is present and what may be lacking. You'll be able to gauge if you have enough protein or not, or if your plate has more carbs than you're used to, and how to adjust your meal or the rest of your day accordingly.
Better understand your body Each person is unique and their nutritional needs will be different. There will be times when you'll need more food to support your activity levels, and there will be times when you may experience cravings. Learning how to utilize macronutrients will help you better understand your body, its needs and cravings. Some people's bodies operate more efficiently and effectively with a higher fat content in their day to day diet. Other's may need fewer fats and higher carbs. This is all dependent upon the individual person, and as you learn macros and pay attention to the biofeedback from your body you will begin to get a clearer picture of what your body needs to operate at its best.
Optimize your nutrition for desired results One of the best ways to help you reach whatever fitness related goals you set is through nailing down your nutrition! If you want to gain strength or add muscle to your body, you need to fuel it well and be in a caloric surplus. If you want to train for a marathon you're going to need to fuel it appropriately. And if you're looking to reduce body fat and lean out you're going to need to be in a strategic caloric deficit. But in order to do any of these you need to properly fuel your body and have a strategic plan for your macronutrient consumption. Learning to track your macros will allow you to hone in on the details that will help you reach those goals more efficiently. Optimizing your nutrition for your goal will help create a straight forward plan, and allow you an effective way to gauge progress and adjust as needed along the way.
Learn to eventually eyeball portions with knowledge When we work with clients to teach them to track their macros, the goal is NOT to track your macros in an app every day for the rest of your life. Instead the goal is to educate you and give you tools that you can utilize to make informed decisions going forward. We don't want you to feel tied to your phone or a food scale, but we want to help you be able to look at a plate and see if it is lacking in nutrients, and give you the tools to be able to adjust a meal on the fly to suit your needs. We want to give you new tools that you can utilize going forward to help you reach your goals, live a healthy life, and eat nutritiously. Once you learn to track macros you can choose to actively log and track at any point in time, or to use your eyes/best guess to just help guide you as you life a balance lifestyle, or choose not to utilize the knowledge and eat intuitively. But learning how to use macronutrients to your advantage and how to calculate them is a tool that you can put in your toolbox.
Gain freedom with food When you learn to track your macros you are no longer tied to specific foods and you gain food freedom. So many people have the mindset of certain foods being "bad" and certain foods being "good", but really this is a false way of thinking. Instead when you learn to utilize macros, you learn that foods are providing your body with nutrients. Some foods are simply more nutrient dense than others, but that doesn't make them good or bad. Food is simply fuel. We utilize macros with our clients because we never want to tell you what you can or cannot eat! Instead we want to give you the tools to help you make decisions about what you want to eat, and how to adjust your food intake to help you reach your goals without sacrificing things that you enjoy. We want our clients to experience food freedom! If you're out at a friend's birthday party - have that drink and cupcake! We want you to be able to make those decisions guilt-free and through a new set of eyes. Instead of labeling that drink and cupcake as "bad" just consider them less nutrient dense, and track their macronutrients. This also allows people the freedom to enjoy life, enjoy meals they love, and reduce risks of damaging their relationship with food.
Macronutrients are a great way to learn about food and optimizing your intake to help you reach whatever goals you set. It's a tactic that we feel everyone should learn so that they can put that in their toolbox and use in the future. Want to learn more about macros and how you can utilize them to reach your goals - reach out to us! We'd love to help! Book your free 15 minute consultation with us!
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