Counting Macros for Beginners: A Simple Guide

How to Count Macros for Beginners

It’s not a new concept to count calories, but what about counting macros? You may have seen fitness influencers and nutrition experts touting the benefits of counting macros as a way to lose and maintain weight, but what exactly does that mean? Let’s break it all down: what macros are, how to count them, and whether this method is the right fit for your goals.

What are Macronutrients?

“Macros” is short for macronutrients, the three main types of nutrients your body uses for energy:

Carbohydrates – 4 calories per gram
Protein – 4 calories per gram
Fat – 9 calories per gram

Unlike micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), macronutrients make up the bulk of your daily food intake and are essential to fuel your body. Counting macros means keeping track of how many grams of each you consume each day.

How to Calculate Your Macros

Step 1: Find Your Calorie Needs

To count macros effectively, first determine your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)—the number of calories your body needs to maintain your current weight.

Use the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation calculator to estimate your TDEE based on your age, weight, height, and activity level.

For weight loss: Reduce your TDEE by 15–25%
For weight gain: Increase your TDEE by 5–15%

Step 2: Choose Your Macro Ratios

Once you know your calorie goal, decide how to divide those calories among protein, carbohydrates, and fats. General macro guidelines:

Protein: 10–35%
Carbohydrates: 45–65%
Fat: 20–30%

Your ratio depends on your goals:

Endurance athletes: More carbs (up to 65%)
Bodybuilders/muscle gain: Higher protein (up to 35%)
Fat loss: Slightly higher protein to preserve lean mass

Here’s an example of a 1600-calorie-per-day diet with a ratio set at 45% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 25% fat.

Carbohydrates: 45% of 1600 calories = 720 calories from carbs, or 180 grams of carbohydrates

Protein: 30% of 1600 calories = 480 calories from protein, or 120 grams of protein

Fat: 25% of 1600 calories = 400 calories from fat, or 44.4 grams of fat

Macro Counting vs Calorie Counting

Counting macros doesn’t mean that calories don’t matter, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. You must be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, so keeping a weight loss number in mind when calculating your macros is essential if that’s your goal.

However, when counting macros, you’re also thinking about the composition of your food, and not just how many calories fit into your calorie calculator. When counting calories, you could technically eat 1500 calories a day of ice cream, cookies, and candy. With macro counting, you prioritize the three macros based on your goals and understand how much you need to meet your macro goals each day.

Pros and Cons of Counting Macros

As with any diet, there are pros and cons to think about.

Pros of Counting Macros

Body composition changes may occur

Following the recommended amount of macros based on your TDEE can support weight loss, weight gain, and body composition changes. (1). Since you’re following the calorie and macro recommendations, you will likely see the changes you’re after.

Better portion size awareness

Since you’re measuring and weighing food to track your intake accurately, you will become very skilled at determining portion sizes. Most people overestimate portions, so understanding portions will help you lose weight naturally, if that’s your goal. You will also carry this with you even if you stop counting macros.

You consider the whole plate picture and not just calories

Instead of just counting calories, you’re considering what’s on your plate and how it fits into your macros. For instance, you might be at a donut shop and know that if you eat only a donut for breakfast, it’s likely you won’t hit your protein goals for the day. Counting macros helps you stay accountable and increase the variety in your diet.

Cons of Counting Macros

Not recommended for those with disordered eating or eating disorders

Following a strict diet, like counting macros, can cause those with a history of eating disorders and disordered eating to fall back into those patterns. Since counting macros requires constant measurement and tracking, it may encourage disordered eating.

You might also feel anxious about meeting your macro goals, since it’s not always possible to measure your food or choose what you’re eating. This can lead to feelings of guilt or an obsession with food choices. Counting macros is not the ideal diet for you if you feel like you fall into this category.

Social engagements can be tricky

Eating out and gathering for meals, such as BBQs, can be challenging since there won’t be a clear breakdown of macros for the food you’re consuming. Food that may not fit into your macros or that you have no choice in might also be served. If this happens frequently, you might end up not following your macro recommendations.

Might not be sustainable in the long term

Tracking and measuring everything you eat for the rest of your life is not sustainable for everyone. Burnout from tracking food is very real, and you might find that you’re tired of counting macros after a few months. You might also be tuning out hunger and fullness cues because you’re focused on specific portions to fit your macros, which can lead to over or under-eating.

How to Track Your Macros

There are many ways to track your macros, with technology at your fingertips to make this journey easier. Some of the most popular apps for counting macros are:

MyFitness Pal

Lose It!

MacrosFirst

My Macros+

Get a food scale and start weighing your food in grams to understand portion sizes and accurately count your macros. After all, those numbers in grams are going to be your new guiding light for how much to eat and what a portion looks like.

The Bottom Line

If you’re tired of counting every single calorie and want to focus on the nutrients making up your plate, counting macros might be for you. Counting macros does involve some math at first, but once you get the hang of it, you can easily continue to count macros for as long as you need.

If you’re someone who gets tired of thinking about every single thing you’re going to eat, counting macros probably isn’t for you, and trying a gentler diet approach is best. It’s also not recommended for those with a history of eating disorders. Overall, counting macros can help you understand what your body needs and set you up for success with your goals.

Counting Macros for Beginners