I’m still going strong on the macro counting and I love it so much! It’s interesting, the first week that I kinda sorta starting counting macros, I thought it was SOOOOO hard! Now, I don’t think it’s hard at all. I guess it’s just like learning anything new; it’s hard at first….until you learn it, figure it out, get good at it, etc.
Awww, life lessons.
The main thing I’m lovin’ about macro counting is that it takes all the guess work out. I KNOW I’m sticking within my calorie allotment and the percentage of macros I’ve laid out. It’s very organized and I always know how I’m doing.
I’m kind of an “all or nothing” kind of person. I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing. It doesn’t mean that I’m either being 100% healthy or a 100% giant pig, it just means that once I set a goal for myself, and then I snitch a treat or something (essentially fail at my goal), it’s so hard for me to stay motivated and become 100% committed again. It’s so frustrating; it somehow just messes with my head.
However, macro counting speaks right to the perfectionist side of my heart because it allows me to splurge just a little, yet still stay 100% “on track!” Wahoo. It’s so great for me! It gives me a lot of faith and hope in the process and I’m looking forward to seeing the results I’m looking for!
Anyway, a lot of you guys have been asking me questions about macro counting, so I thought I’d give y’all some more information! First off, I gave a very brief overview about what macros are and how to count them a couple posts ago. Here’s a link if you want to read it. Once you have a basic grasp of the macro counting concept, the only things you need to do to get started are….
- Figure out what your calories should be to reach your goals (fat loss, muscle gain, maintenance, etc.) There are a TON of macro calculator tools on the internet, but I found this one to be the most user friendly and informative. Sooo, click on that link, enter in your info and it will give you some helpful information.
- First, it calculates your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), which is basically how many calories your body burns every day just existing.
- It also calculates your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which is how many calories your body burns just existing + the exercise you do. Your TDEE is how many calories you should consume to maintain your current weight.
- After your BMR and TDEE are figured, you select your goals (fat loss, maintenance or bulking.) It will list how many calories you should consume for each goal. For example, I am trying to lose fat, so it recommended I eat 1542 calories.
- It then tells you to select your “Nutrition Plan” and IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) is one of the Nutrition Plans on the list. It “told me” to follow a 32% (protein), 32% (fat), 36% (carb) ratio. However, I’ve been following a 40% (protein), 25% (fat), 35% (carb) ratio, which I think is a little bit harder. For now, I’m going to stick to the macro ratio I’ve been following, but maybe I’ll switch to the other recommendation for the longer term. We’ll see….
Note: I chose the 40/25/35 ratio because I read that it’s better to up the protein and lower the carbs when trying to lose fat. Here’s a link to a great article on Bodybuilding.com that talks about how to chose your macro ratio. I really believe I’d have success with either of the ratios; the one I’ve been following OR the one that was recommended on iifym.com. I think the KEY is to keep in the calorie allotment and be mindful of what you’re eating! If you make sure to get enough protein in and watch your fat and carb intake WHILE keeping within a certain calorie allotment, you’ll see results.
I’m still learning as I go…..
- Anyway, once you’ve figured out how many calories you should consume and have decided what ratio you want to follow, then you just need a good food tracker app like My Fitness Pal. I’ve used My Fitness Pal on and off for years and it just keeps getting better and better! I really don’t know how in the world I would ever keep track of macro counting without a tool like My Fitness Pal. It would be almost impossible! I just enter in all the foods I eat and it keeps track of my calories and macros for me! You just set the number of calories and the percentage of macros you want to consume and then it tells you how you’re doing throughout the day. It’s great and so simple. I also eat a lot of the same foods often, so it makes it even easier.
- That’s pretty much all you need to do to count macros! It helps to have a basic knowledge of the protein, carbs and fats in foods so you can make good food choices though. You’ll definitely learn more about the composition of different foods as you go too!
- Foods that are highest in protein are animal products (meat, dairy, eggs), beans, lentils, tofu, nuts and quinoa.
- Your “carb-y” foods are grains, flour, bread, pasta, fruit and all the sugary junk foods out there!
- Healthy fat sources come from avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, seeds (chia, hemp, flax), fatty fish, whole eggs, and dairy products. You’ll also find fat in butter, fatty meats, processed oils and all the yummy junk food out there like chips, french fries, donuts, pastries….pretty much all the good stuff. 🙁
I think the best way to learn about macros and how to count them, is to just jump right in and do it! Even if you crash and burn, you’ll learn a lot in the process.
I’m going to definitely keep you guys posted on my progress as I go, of course. I have NO PLANS to quit! I want to take some progress pictures soon because I’ve learned that progress pictures are very motivational! When weight loss is slow (which is should be), it’s hard to see the results ourselves. We may see results on the scale, in how our clothes fit or in measurements, but it’s so rewarding to see it in progress pictures too! I’ll try to take a pic tomorrow. I’m feeling giant right now, so it’s probably a good time to take a pic. I better see some serious progress in the weeks to come!
My body has been so “whack jobby” lately! My body ballooned up about a week or two ago and I’ve been up FIVE pounds! Ya.
I just want to take moment to tell all you men out there to be grateful that your bodies are simple, stable and don’t get all jacked up with hormonal crap. When Kev tries to lose weight, he eats better, exercises more and guess what??? He LOSES WEIGHT! When I try to lose weight, I eat better, exercise more, BUT I also have to take into consideration my hormonal state, my mood, the time of the month, the state of my house, my stress level, my children’s attitudes, the planet’s alignment and whether or not there is a full moon. I may lose a few pounds, but then I gain them back a week later when the forces of the universe shift. It is just not fair.
I think my body’s also realized I’m an old lady now. Ha ha. Seriously, people have been telling me for years, “just wait ’til you’re 30, 35, 40, etc.!” I’m sure there’s some truth to that, but I will NEVER use my age as an excuse. I will only use it as a motivator and a reason to work that much harder!
With that being said, I know I’m taking care of my body right now and know what I’m doing will only help me! I’m just trying to be patient and know my body will stabilize soon!
I do feel good and can tell my body is adjusting and changing though. My hunger and appetite feels in control and my digestion is on point. Seriously, I’ve read SO MUCH about how digestive health can tell a lot about the overall health of the body.
I’ve also been peeing a ton! I’ve talked about this a lot in the past and I know it’s TMI, but I’ll keep talking about it anyway! Seriously, when I take care of my body and feed it clean, wholesome food, I PEE….all day long! When I eat crappily, I don’t pee very much at all. I always drink a lot of water, so FOR ME, my peeing is associated more with the quality of food I’m eating and not how much water I’m drinking.
When I don’t eat well, my body clings to water and bloats up. There are a bunch of physiological reasons for this like hormonal levels, inflammation, how your liver functions and glycogen levels, etc. This kind of stuff fascinates the heck outta me, but I always forget all the specifics. Just know that the foods we choose to put into our bodies have a very DIRECT and DELIBERATE effect on the body….every single time!
Wow, I’m in a babbly mood tonight, aren’t I? Sorry ’bout that.
I thought I’d share just a little bit ’bout my current exercise program right now too. I’ve been telling you guys the past several months that I’ve been on a mission to simplify my life, right? Well, I LOVE hard workouts and I love going to the gym, but right now I’ve been keepin’ it simple.
I decided a couple weeks ago that I was going to work out every day for ONE month, but only for 15-ish minutes a day. Today I am on Day 14 and I feel great! I’ve been mixing it up every day; upper body, lower body, cardio blast, tabata, full body, short runs and on Sundays I’ve been doing a little yoga or pilates. It’s actually a great plan for me right now. At the end of the 30 days, I think I’ll ramp it up a bit, but I’m still going to stick to 15 minute workouts a couple of days a week. They are great for my consistency and mental state. I’ll talk more about that in another post since I’ve already gone on and on and on in this one!
Anyway, I’ve been doing some short runs lately. I’ve been keeping them to about 2 miles for the most part, but last night I ran 3.1! I was on the treadmill, which I hate, but I felt really good so I decided to keep on running! Soooo, that workout was longer than 15 minutes, but that was just fine by me. I’m still going to keep my runs short for now, but it felt good to push it just a little bit!
I took a scary picture on the treadmill yesterday and another scary picture several days ago. Here ya go….
After my run last night, I made myself a wonderful protein shake (just my typical unsweetened almond milk, chocolate protein powder, stevia, cocoa, peppermint extract, tons of Power Greens [spincah, kale and chard] and ice.) I love having a protein shake immediately after a workout because I know my body just soaks up the protein and carbs.
I took a picture with my shake (cuz I’m weird like that) and as soon as I saw the pic, I thought, “Wow, I look just like the bad guy on The Incredibles” Ha.
Whaddya think?
It looks like my hair is sticking straight up (it is in a psychotic bun on top of my head….the joys of working out from home!) There’s also a beautifully flattering reddish green glow goin’ on. Oh my!
I also want to mention that I’ve been loving my Saucony running shoes! I used to be an Asics girl (I still love them too!), but I love Sauconys now. My shoes are the Saucony Triumph ISO’s and they are great. I also have the Kinvara 5’s and I love them too!
I bought them just before I ran my half marathon last spring (so like 10 months ago!), but I haven’t been running a ton the past several months, so they’re still new-ish to me! I’m sure there’s a “new and improved” model out there now, but I really love how supportive, yet soft and cushy these are!
I also wanted to share another weird thing about me (I seem to do that often!) Anyway, shortly after my Half Marathon last May, I noticed that I was getting bunions! What the? Yes, it makes me feel like an old lady an even older lady.
My feet have always poked out a little bit at the big toe knuckle, but they started poking waaaay out and rubbing and hurting a little bit when I ran! So sad.
You can’t really tell too well in that picture, but when I stand flat on the floor, they jut out. It’s so cute. Anyway, I read all about bunions on the internet and “they” say they can be hereditary (neither of my parent’s have them, but my big sis said she thinks she has small ones.) They also don’t go away! Waaaaaaa! The only way to fix them is surgery. But, I read that if they aren’t too bad, you can just live with them….so that’s what I’m doing!
I wondered if the combination of my running after having a baby and being a lot heavier than I used to be made my feet freak out and get bunions? Hmmmm. Anyway, I found some little bunion runner guards on Amazon that I’ve been loving…
Aren’t they cute???? Ha ha. Sorry for the feet pictures….I apologize to those of you who are “feet squeamish” out there. 🙂 Anyway, the guards help protect my foot bone bunion thing so it doesn’t rub on my shoes and it keeps my big toe lined up. It’s subtle, yet significant. I thought I’d share in case any of you guys are dealing with minor bunions too!
I wish they would just go away, but I think they are here to stay. Dang it. Well, I need to go to bed, so I will end.
Hope you are all happy and well! Love y’all! xoxo
Thanks so the additional macro information. I was curious.
No prob! I’ve been getting a lot of questions about it. I’m definitely still in the learning process myself too!
You crack me up with the comparison to the Incredibles guy!
I love my Brooks Cascadia shoes. I try to get the same model every time I get new shoes. The only problem is the bunions I have are so pronounced eventually I just bust out the sides of my shoes. Isn’t that awful?
I used to work for a podiatrist, so I am familiar with the surgery it takes to fix them, and I’m going to hold off until I nearly can’t walk anymore, I tell ya. No fun.
I’ve heard so many good things about Brooks shoes. I need to give them a try! I’m not happy to be dealing with bunions, but I’m glad to know I’m not alone. I have heard the surgery is brutal! I hope I never get to that point.
I started getting bunions a few years ago too and once I stopped wearing heels, the situation got WAY BETTER ! I also used to be an Asics gal but changed when the inside of the shoe ripped too easily. Drove me nuts.
Interesting. I’m glad to hear that your bunions improved a bit! Mine aren’t too bad, but I’m just sad to know I’m developing them. Dang it.
Umm…you have really nice feet. Is that weird? HAHA. I have always been intrigued by the macro thing, but never looked much into it. Glad it’s working for you! Post examples of meals sometime!?
Ha ha ha, thanks so much Britt! So far, I’ve been lovin’ the macro thing. It always seemed so complicated to me (it is a little bit!), but it’s actually been very doable and eye opening to me. I love it! I’m sure I’ll be posting all kinds of meal examples all the time!
Your feet look very gorgeous. I forgot how I stumbled upon this page but I saw your feet and was mesmerized. I read the article too because I am definitely into fitness.
Ha ha, thank you so much!