In this post, I am explaining the very basics of macronutrients and answering some questions I am frequently asked. This is macronutrients made easy!

If you’re new to the world of nutrition, macronutrients (or “macros”) can be extremely confusing. It is my goal with this post to help you understand macronutrients in simple terms so you, too, can make nutritious decisions.

When I first started on my weight loss journey back in 2020, I knew pretty much nothing about macronutrients. I had heard the word “macronutrient” before, and I could name the three macronutrients (more on that below), but that’s about where my knowledge bank ended.

Over these past three years — and with lots of research, practice, and patience! — I’ve become really well-versed in the science behind macros. These days, friends and family member often seek me out to pick my brain for diet help, tips, and tricks, when they’re just getting started.

I could talk about nutrition all day (honestly, I find it fascinating!), and now, I want to share this information with you.

This is macros made easy.

What is a macronutrient?

So, let’s start with the basics: vocabulary.

What is a macronutrient?

By definition, macronutrients are “the nutrients that your body needs in large amounts [because] they’re the nutrients that give you energy” (WebMD).

In simplest terms, macronutrients are the building blocks of food. Everything you eat can be broken down into these smaller blocks, and then these little blocks can be classified into one of three macronutrient categories.

So what are the three macronutrients?

The three macronutrients include:

• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats

Everything you eat can be broken down into one of these three macronutriets. Now, there are other categories, such micronutrients and lipids (think: zinc, fiber, sugar, trans-fat, cholesterol, etc.), but that is a whole different Goliath that we will not be Jason-ing in this post.

But when it comes to macronutrients, you can always find a food’s macro breakdown on its nutrition label. In fact, it’s been a law since 1990, when the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) was passed.

According to the NLEA, packaged food labels must include all nutrition information. This includes the single serving size, as well as the per-serving macronutrient breakdown and per-serving calorie count. (I’ll get to calories later.)

For the purposes of this post, we’ll use one of my favorite foods ever (Oikos Triple Zero Vanilla Yogurt) as a practical example so I can show you how to read and analyze a nutrition label. Let’s take a look:

From this serving label, I’m able to pull all the macronutrient information I need. One 170g serving of yogurt contains:

• Carbs: 8g
• Proteins: 17g
• Fats: 0g

I can also see that one serving equates to 100 calories.

However, I didn’t need the nutrition label to tell me that because I could’ve calculated the calories on my own simply based on the macronutrient breakdown itself. Next, I’ll show you how.

Prepare to be mind-blown.

Where do calories come from?

Now this bit of information I’m about to share with you absolutely blew my mind when I was learning about nutrition. (And no, I am not being sarcastic.)

I’m not entirely sure where I thought calories came from, but I definitely didn’t think the answer was so cut and dry. (Silly, past-me. Nutrition is science, after all, and there’s nothing random about science.)

So where do calories come from? Easy.

Macronutrients.

Each macronutrient has an assigned number of calories. Here they are:

• Each gram of carbohydrate you eat converts into 4 calories;
• Each gram of protein you eat converts into 4 calories;
• Each gram of fat you eat converts into 9 calories.

Let’s look back at my beloved yogurt. Taking these conversions into account, we can quickly see where the 100 calorie serving comes from:

• 8g carbs = 32 calories
• 17g protein = 68 calories
• 0g fat = 0 calories

Therefore, 32 calories + 68 calories + 0 calories = 100 calories

Boom. Calorie counting is that easy.

Macronutrients Made Easy – Summary

And that’s it!

Those are the very basics of macros, and this is what I typically share with someone (at first) when they come to me asking me to explain nutrition to them.

In essence, we have three key macronutrients (carbs, proteins, and fats), and it’s from the macros we eat that our calories come from.

So now, let’s get into some FAQs.

FAQ

Before we get into these next couple questions, let me preface by saying I am NOT a certified nutritionist or primary care provider. I am just some guy with a blog who’s done some research on his own and has figured out through trial-and-error what works for him personally.

So to be perfectly clear here: I am not qualified to tell anyone with 100% authority what they should or should not do, diet-wise! Before making any kind of change to your diet, especially if drastic, you should always consult your primary care provider.

Okay, now with that liability out of the way, let’s look at some FAQs, so I can give you some FGAs (frequently-given answers).

Which macros should I prioritize?

This is really up to you, your nutrition goals, and your dietary needs. Each macro has its benefits, but no macro reigns overwhelmingly supreme over another.

Personally, I try to limit my fat intake because fat is much more calorically dense than carbs and proteins, but I haven’t always done this. In fact, for years, I followed a ketogenic diet. If you are unfamiliar with keto, this diet in essence calls for you to maximize your fat while limiting carbs. (I really took a full 180 there.)

I have personally experienced weight loss success eating both high carb and high fat. However, protein is essential if you are working out frequently because you need protein to rebuild and recover after exercise.

How many fats, carbs, and proteins should I eat per day?

Unfortunately, because I am not a primary care provider, I cannot give you a personalized plan to follow!

However, there are a variety of diet apps and macro tracker out there that will give you a rough estimate of your daily macro breakdown. My personal favorite is MacroFactor, but if you’re looking for something on the more inexpensive side, I would recommend you check out Lose It! I used that app for years.

So if calories come from macros, do calories even matter?

Do calories matter? Yes (to a degree). Even if you ate the cleanest, leanest diet ever, I would probably not advise the average person make a habit of eating 5,000+ calories a day.

However, are calories the end-all-be-all? No. Let me explain.

When thinking about weight loss, a lot of people are very concerned and very preoccupied with calories. I get it. I used to be obsessed with calories and calorie-counting, too.

A lot of this obsession comes from fad diets, I think, because all the marketing you see regarding weight loss revolves around calories and calorie restriction. Personally, I think the focus of these programs (and weight management, in general!) should come from macro counting.

Here’s why:

Let’s say you are following a calorie-restrictive diet. You’re allowed 1,600 calories a day.

For reference, a bag of Ruffles chips contains 13 servings. Each serving provides 160 calories, broken down as such: 10g fat, 15g carb, 2g protein.

Now, let’s say you eat 10 servings of Ruffles chips today, and that’s all you eat for the entire day. Well, you’ve just hit your calorie count. So good job, right…?

Eh — wrong. While, yes, you did hit your calorie count, your macros for the day were, to be frank, horrendous. Here’s the breakdown:

• 100g fat
• 150g carb
• 20g protein

Again, depending on your weight goals (weight loss, weight maintenance, or weight gain) will dictate your macro breakdown. However, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academics (IOM) has what they call the “Recommended Dietary Allowance” (RDA). Per the RDA, the average person should consume 45-60% of their daily calories in carbs, 10-35% in protein, and 20-35% fat.

As you can see, from the example above, Chip Fiend did not accomplish that.

While I would say be mindful of your daily calories, I would put more focus on hitting my macro goals. (There’s a lot more to it — if you want a follow up post explaining macro calculations, let me know in the comments. I’ve got a ton to say on the topic. 😊)

“But I read you should try to limit your [insert macro here] intake???”

There are a lot of fad diets out there that claim, “If you limit X macro, you will receive Y result!”

This, my friend, is not correct.

Like most things in life, fats, proteins, and carbs alike can all be enjoyed when enjoyed in moderation. Let me give you an example.

In recent years, pasta has just been absolutely ripped apart by fad diets — simply for being a carb. Seriously, I cannot tell you the amount of fad diets I’ve come across that imply that “pasta makes you fat.”

Well, pasta lovers, I have good news for you. Pasta (in moderation) doesn’t make you fat! I promise. You can eat a single serving pasta without seeing the scale so much as budge. What you cannot do, however, is eat 15 servings of pasta and expect to see the scale maintain status quo.

This post was all about macros made easy. Was it helpful? If so, give it a Like and a Share!

Sources

https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-are-macronutrients

https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/10490/chapter/1

https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/house-bill/3562