Protein with a side of protein.

jstu2100

Trying to make sense of macros. I need someone to spell it out for me.

TavistockToad

can you be a bit more specific about what you want to know?

joemac1988

- Food is made up of protein, fat and carbs.
- 1g of carbs has 4 calories, 1g of protein has 4 calories, 1g of fat has 9 calories. If a food had 20g protein, 15g carbs and 5g fat, it would be 185 calories.
- Your total calorie goal for a day is split between these 3 categories. Everybody splits them differently...some high carb, some high fat, etc. but the starting point is your overall calorie requirement.
- Protein helps retain lean body mass, fat is good for hormone balance and satiety, and carbs replenish glycogen stores (Oversimplified...fat, protein and muscle can also be used by the body for energy).
- Some examples that are nearly 100% of each macro: Grains and tubers like rice and potatoes are carb sources, oils are fat and lean meats are protein. There are loads of foods that are a combination of 2 or 3 of the macros. For example, foods like eggs and beef are protein and fat, dairy is usually all three. There are great infographics online that can help understand what macros foods fall into.

This is a very basic summary and there's a lot more to the story but should get you started.

357TJ

Great job Joe!!!!

rheddmobile

Great explanation above, but I would add that as long as you are eating within your calories, feeling satisfied, and getting enough protein and fat for your body's basic needs (carbs are not essential because the body can manufacture glucose from other sources) it doesn't matter what your macros are or whether you meet them. For some people, different macro balances are more satisfying and help them stay within their calories better, but a variety of approaches can all work well.