Did you know that approximately 45 million Americans adopt a diet each year?
Diets can be a fantastic way to reach short-term fitness goals. However, the key to genuinely succeeding in and maintaining a noticeable body transformation is to create a sustainable plan. Learning to track calories and macros is proven to help nourish your body and reach long-term fitness goals.
So, what are you waiting for? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about calories and macros and why they are the key to a sustainable body transformation.
What Are Calories?
Simply put, a calorie is a unit of energy. Every cell in the human body needs this energy to function, so calories are vital for humans to live.
All food types contain calories, and every individual should consume a minimum quota for their body to work correctly. This number depends solely on each person’s resting metabolic rate and activity level.
Eating enough calories during the day is crucial for a person to be healthy. However, measuring calories is also important when reaching a fitness goal that involves weight loss or gains.
For weight loss, an individual would need to consume fewer calories than they burn throughout the day. The body stores extra calories as fat, so constantly abusing the number of calories one consumes daily can cause weight gain.
Keeping track of calories is the best way to ensure that your body receives the necessary energy it needs to function. Eating significantly fewer calories than your body needs can harm your overall health, so always talk to a professional if you want to adopt a low-calorie diet.
What Are Macros?
Macronutrients, or “macros,” are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Simply put, they are the major nutrients that provide the most energy to the body. Each of these groups plays a significant role in a person’s health.
In fitness, when someone says “counting macros,” it simply means measuring the number of grams you consume of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. The number of grams you should eat from each group depends on your personal fitness goals. As far as calories go, carbohydrates and proteins both have four calories per gram, while fats have nine calories per gram.
To reach your fitness goals, it is crucial to find the right balance of these nutrients, which is why many people have adopted macro tracking into their fitness routines.
Why Are Macros Important?
Although calories significantly impact weight loss, not all calories are created equal when reaching specific goals. This is where macronutrients come into account.
Think about it this way, eating 1,500 calories of fast food will not have the same effect on your body as eating 1,500 calories of healthy versions that contain vegetables, proteins and some quality fats. Sure, the caloric intake will be the same, but the impact on your body will be completely different.
Measuring macros will help you make smarter choices and allow your body to receive a more balanced food intake. Counting macros will ensure that you always provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to function correctly.
