Here's How To Count Your Macros The Right Way

Counting macros has been a standard style of keeping track of food intake for years. Like counting calories, you're tallying up what you eat. But with counting macros, you're not just paying attention to total calories consumed, but rather, you're also focused on eating a certain percentage of each different macronutrient: carbohydrate, fat, and protein.

To get started, you'll need to determine how many calories you need each day — your basal metabolic rate — and with that number in mind, determine how many calories of each macronutrient you'll need daily (via Healthline). Using a calculator from a site like If It Fits Your Macros is a good idea, since there are a number of factors, from sex to height to age to chronic disease, that can influence how much your body burns at rest on a daily basis.

After that, you'll need to decide the best macronutrient breakdown. Carbohydrates — found in grains, sugar, fruits, vegetables, and starches — are critical for providing energy to the body, while protein — found in meat, eggs, dairy, and poultry — helps maintain and build muscle, and fat — found in butter, oil, and fatty fish and meat — regulates hormone production and nutrient absorption.