After the pandemic, my body didn’t feel like it was mine anymore. The lack of exercise, the lack of routine, the excessive banana bread – let’s say things were feeling off. I wasn’t happy with how I was feeling, so I decided to make a change. I hired a personal trainer. Naturally, the first thing we talked about was movement (big surprise) and then nutrition.
My trainer asked me two questions:
- “What are your goals?”
- “What do your eating habits look like?”
From there, they introduced me to the concept of macronutrients and recommended MyFitnessPal to track my food. I tried WeCook, which planned my healthy balanced meals. I remember thinking: WTF are macros? How do you calculate them? What does 100 grams of protein a day actually do for me? Why 25 grams of fibre–does the amount matter?
I felt overwhelmed with having to monitor my food intake—and honestly, I sometimes still do.
If you’re new to the idea of macronutrients too, don’t worry – I plan to break it down.
What are Macros?
“Macros, short for macronutrients, are the main nutrients in the food,” says Melissa Jaeger, registered dietitian and head of nutrition at MyFitnessPal, explains, “Macro” means “large,” so “macronutrients” are the nutrients your body needs in large amounts.
Hearing this definition didn’t make things immediately click for me at first. I mean, I knew carbs, protein, and fat were important—but how they worked together to fuel my body was a whole new concept. For example, I always thought (and sadly, it’s tough to unthink this) of carbs as the bad guys. But learning carbs are a key source of energy changed the way I looked at food.
“Some people like to set up macro targets to achieve different objectives like weight loss, body recompositioning, muscle growth, or improved sports performance,” says Bianca Cordeiro, registered dietitian and sports nutritionist at Jack Health.
For me, it was less about hitting a specific weight and more about feeling better in my own skin – finding the balance between eating to fuel my workouts and enjoying food without guilt.
When I started tracking macros, I realized how far off my diet was from what my body actually needed. Protein: Way too low. Fiber: Almost non-existent.
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Do you really need to count macros?
“Tracking your food can bring greater awareness to your current [dietary] habits and help you make small, sustainable changes,” says Jaeger.
At first, logging my food felt tedious, but it gave me surprising insights about my protein intake.
I found tracking macros difficult. It’s tedious and feels like an unnecessary step in the process of prepping healthy meals.
Isn’t eating healthy enough? There’s something about pulling out a measuring cup and putting food on a scale, and weighing everything before it hits my plate that just feels… triggering.
Not everyone needs to track every gram. But Cordeiro says, “Some people find it helpful to understand which foods and patterns support their goals.”
For me, it was less about perfection and more about building awareness – although I have to admit, it doesn’t always feel practical.
Of course, macro counting isn’t for everyone. A study conducted by the University of California, San Diego, and Pennsylvania State University shows that tracking apps may increase the risk of disordered eating, so it’s important to approach it with the right mindset and professional support. If it starts to feel overwhelming, it’s OK to step back and focus on simpler strategies and work with a registered dietitian.
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How much protein should I eat? What about fat and carbs?
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for everyone’s macronutrient requirements. “Your macronutrient needs are individual to you,” says Jaeger. “I recommend a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats at meals and snacks over the course of the day.”
| Goal | Carbs | Fat | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain health* | 45% to 65% | 20% to 35% | 10% to 35% |
| Lose weight | 40% | 30% | 30% |
| Gain muscle | 45% | 25% | 30% |
A general guideline, according to Cordeiro, is to aim for the following.
Your goals can change these ratios. For example, if weight loss is the focus, Cordeiro often recommends reducing carbs to 40 per cent of total calories, increasing protein to 30 per cent, and maintaining 30 percent fat. This ensures you get enough fat for hormone production and enough protein to maintain muscle mass. But, she emphasizes, a weight loss approach should only be a temporary program. She says, once her clients reach their “best” weight – what they can maintain without negative health impacts – they can switch to a sustainable maintenance range.
For those focused on building lean muscle while reducing fat, Cordeiro suggests a macro breakdown of 45 per cent carbohydrates, 25 per cent fat, and 30 per cent protein. Since gaining muscle doesn’t require as significant a calorie deficit like weight loss does, the focus can remain on maintaining a balanced intake to support muscle growth and overall health.
*However, if improving overall health is the goal, Cordeiro tends to focus less on specific macro targets, encouraging clients to make food choices that support long-term wellness. (The maintenance numbers in the above chart come from dietaryguidelines.gov via Healthline.)
To figure out your own macros, Jaeger, of course, suggests tools like MyFitnessPal, which asks questions to determine your macro needs. You can also try a free macro calculator. Tracking macros can help you note patterns, identify areas for improvement, and adjust how you eat as your goals evolve.
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What are good macros?
When it comes to hitting your macro goals, it’s all about food quality. Jaeger recommends having nutrient-dense foods on your grocery list. Foods, like olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds (think walnuts and chia seeds), and fish such as salmon, are packed with healthy fats.
When reading nutrition labels, choose foods with no trans fat and low levels of saturated fat (less than 5% Daily Value per serving), and high mono and polyunsaturated fats (more than 10 grams per serving). Portion control is important with fat as it contains more calories per gram than protein and carbs do. Salmon, avocado, olive oil and walnuts all contain healthy fats.
For carbohydrates, choose fibre-rich foods, like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans. These provide long-lasting energy and keep you feeling full.
As for protein, go for lean high-quality foods like beans, lentils, fish, eggs, poultry, lean cuts of beef or pork, nuts, seeds, tofu and Greek yogurt. These are rich in essential amino acids that help your body build and repair tissue, which especially important if you’re active and trying to change your body composition.
Regardless of how your ratio of macros are, the goal should be to have a balanced approach – there’s no need for extreme restriction or obsession over every number. Eating the right kinds of foods for your body can help you stay energized and satisfied.
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Tips for nailing your macros without the hassle
For an even easier approach, I loved my WeCook meals. It’s a great alternative to cooking myself and I don’t have to do any measuring and manual tracking. Each meal comes to my door pre-portioned and make hitting your macro goals effortless. Love that!
If measuring and weighing food isn’t your thing, try using your plate as a guide: Fill half with non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, peppers, or broccoli, one quarter with lean protein such as chicken, fish, or tofu, and the remaining quarter with carbohydrate-rich foods like whole grains, starchy vegetables, or fruit. This doesn’t account for fats, so you will have to squeeze in some space for healthy fats, such as avocado, nuts and olive oil, to round out your meal.
It’s a simple way to balance your nutrition without needing a scale or measuring cups.