Macros vs Calories: What Should You Track?

Picture this: You’ve been diligently keeping track of your meals, monitoring your calorie intake, and hitting your target number every day. However, despite your efforts, the scale hasn’t moved, your energy levels feel off, and you’re left wondering what’s going on. Then, you overhear a conversation at the gym about “macros,” and suddenly, you find yourself diving into the world of protein-to-carb ratios, feeling more confused than ever.

It’s a common dilemma for many individuals who are starting to take their nutrition seriously. Calorie counting seems straightforward: eat less to lose weight, right? However, once macros enter the picture, with discussions about the importance of protein for muscle growth or the notion that carbs are “bad” (spoiler alert: they’re not), it can feel like navigating a complex math problem.

The good news is that you don’t need a nutrition science degree to make sense of it all. In this post, we’ll dissect what calories and macros actually mean, when it’s beneficial to focus on one or both, and how to determine the best approach based on your specific goals, whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or simply achieving a more balanced diet.

Understanding Macros vs. Calories

Think of calories as the energy currency your body requires to function – whether you’re working out at the gym, taking a walk, or relaxing on the couch. On the other hand, macros (macronutrients) are the sources of that energy. They are the primary components of your diet and include protein, carbohydrates, and fats.

Here’s how they are interconnected:

• Calories: Represent the total energy content in your food, akin to the overall budget for your body each day.
• Macros: Are the specific sources from which those calories are derived, similar to the categories in your budget: housing, groceries, and discretionary spending.

In essence, macros constitute the “ingredients” that make up your daily calorie intake. It’s important to note that not all macros are created equal in terms of caloric content:

• Protein: Provides 4 calories per gram
• Carbohydrates: Supply 4 calories per gram
• Fat: Yields 9 calories per gram

For instance, if you consume a snack containing 10 grams of protein, 20 grams of carbs, and 10 grams of fat, the calorie breakdown would be as follows:

• 10g protein x 4 = 40 calories
• 20g carbs x 4 = 80 calories
• 10g fat x 9 = 90 calories

Thus, the snack amounts to a total of 210 calories, composed of varying macros that serve distinct functions within your body.

Understanding this correlation enables you to progress from mere calorie counting to making informed dietary choices. It’s not solely about the quantity you consume but also about the composition of those calories.

Curious to ascertain the sources of your caloric intake? Utilize the Nutrients tab in MyFitnessPal to obtain a quick overview of your daily macro distribution.

When to Prioritize Calorie Tracking

If you’re new to monitoring your diet or your primary objective is weight loss, concentrating on calorie intake is often the most straightforward and effective starting point.

Calories essentially serve as your body’s energy reserve. Each morsel you consume contributes to your balance, and every activity you engage in depletes that energy. By consistently expending more calories than you ingest, your body taps into stored energy (body fat) to make up the shortfall, leading to a calorie deficit – the cornerstone of weight loss.

For most individuals, achieving a 10–20% calorie deficit is adequate for gradual, sustainable progress without feeling deprived. This typically equates to consuming around 300 to 500 fewer calories per day than your current intake (1). MyFitnessPal can aid you in determining this target based on your personal details and aspirations, eliminating the need for manual calculations.

For instance, if your usual daily caloric consumption to maintain your current weight is 2,200 calories, aiming for a 15% deficit would lower that figure to approximately 1,870 calories per day. This modest reduction might involve skipping that extra handful of chips at lunch, swapping soda for sparkling water, and opting for grilled chicken over fried alternatives during dinner.

Pro tip: Leverage MyFitnessPal’s daily calorie goal feature to guide your meal choices and monitor your progress in real-time throughout the day.

About the Experts

Stephanie Saletta, MS, RD, a dietitian and the in-house nutrition expert at MyFitnessPal, is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles. Stephanie graduated from San Diego State University with a research and disease prevention focus.

Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, the Head of Nutrition at MyFitnessPal, obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Nutrition (DPD) from the College of Saint Benedict and completed her dietetic internship through Iowa State University. In May 2024, she was recognized as the Registered Young Dietitian of the Year by the Minnesota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Brookell White, MS, RD, a Food Data Curator at MyFitnessPal, earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at San Diego State University and completed her dietetic internship at Sodexo. Her areas of expertise encompass metabolism, gut health, obesity, and weight management.

Caroline Thomason, RD, a dietitian and diabetes educator, amalgamates her nutritional passion with simplified health education. With 12 years of industry experience, her work has been featured in over 40 publications. Additionally, she is a speaker, broadcast spokesperson, and recipe developer.

When to Concentrate on Macros

While calorie tracking provides a broad overview of your dietary intake, focusing on macros offers insights into the specific nutrients you’re consuming. If your objective is muscle development, performance enhancement, or achieving a well-rounded diet, monitoring macros can offer a more in-depth understanding of your body’s nutritional needs.

Here’s a breakdown of the significance of each macronutrient:

• Protein: Essential for tissue building, repair, enzyme and hormone production, and muscle maintenance and growth, according to Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, Head of Nutrition at MyFitnessPal. Protein is especially crucial for individuals prioritizing muscle development, appetite regulation, and blood sugar stabilization.
• Carbohydrates: Acting as the primary energy source for your body, carbs are present in foods like grains, fruits, and vegetables. Stephanie Saletta, RD, Sr. Lead Nutrition Scientist at MyFitnessPal, notes that carbohydrates are converted into glucose, fueling cellular functions and physical activities. Post-workout, carbs aid in replenishing glycogen stores, facilitating muscle recovery and restoring energy levels.
• Fats: Vital for brain function, heart health, and inflammation reduction, fatty acids are integral components of cell membranes and energy generation, elucidates Brookell White, a dietitian at MyFitnessPal. While high-fat foods may be calorically dense, they often boast nutrient density. Incorporating healthy fats into meals can prolong satiety and promote overall well-being.

If tracking macros seems overwhelming, most individuals can derive substantial benefits from focusing solely on calories and protein, particularly when muscle gain or fat loss is the primary aim. However, for individuals engaging in rigorous training, experiencing energy fluctuations, or adhering to specific dietary regimens like keto or high-carb fueling for endurance activities, tracking macros can aid in tailoring their nutritional approach.

Common Macro Ratio Guidelines

Upon mastering calorie tracking and feeling prepared for a more intricate analysis, monitoring your macronutrient ratios can furnish deeper insights into how your diet sustains your body. Nevertheless, it’s important to recognize that macro tracking isn’t obligatory for achieving your goals – for many individuals, focusing on total calories and protein represents the most impactful strategy (3).

View macro ratios as guidelines rather than strict directives. These percentages delineate the distribution of your daily caloric intake among carbs, protein, and fats. What suits one person might not be suitable for another, and that’s perfectly normal. Your lifestyle, objectives, and post-meal sensations can assist in customizing your approach.

Ultimately, total calories hold more significance than your precise macro distribution. You could adhere to the “ideal” macro ratio, but if your caloric intake significantly surpasses or falls short of your requirements, you may not achieve the desired outcomes (3).

Here are a few initial macro ratio suggestions to contemplate based on your lifestyle and aspirations:

• Well-balanced diet: 40-60% carbs / 20-30% fat / 20-30% protein
  A fitting starting point for overall well-being, weight maintenance, or gaining insights into the impact of a balanced plate on your body (4).
• Muscle gain: 50-60% carbs / 15-20% fat / 25-30% protein
  A slightly elevated protein intake to foster muscle repair and growth, complemented by sufficient carbs to fuel strength sessions (5).
• Endurance training: 50–60% carbs / 20–25% fat / 20–25% protein
  Endurance enthusiasts like runners, cyclists, and HIIT aficionados necessitate ample carbs for sustained energy and rapid recovery (6).
• Low-carb or keto: 5–10% carbs / 65–75% fat / 20–30% protein
  Adherents of low-carb or ketogenic diets prioritize fat as the primary fuel source (7).

If you feel overwhelmed, commence with small adjustments. Many individuals consume inadequate protein, so if macro tracking seems daunting, concentrate on protein initially. Once you’ve established a routine, you can gradually fine-tune your carb and fat ratios based on your energy levels, cravings, and workout performance.

MyFitnessPal’s macro tracking functionalities facilitate seamless experimentation. Whether you aim for equilibrium or muscle accrual, customizing your macro targets and monitoring meal composition in real-time is conveniently achievable.

When to Monitor Both Calories and Macros

Having grown accustomed to tracking calories, integrating macros into your regimen can furnish a clearer understanding not only of how much you consume but also of the specific nutrients fueling your body.

Consider the following scenario: two individuals consuming 2,000 calories each day could achieve this target through vastly different means – one via donuts and soda, and the other through lean protein, whole grains, and vegetables. While both hit their calorie goal, only one’s dietary choices support performance, recovery, and long-term health.

Monitoring both calories and macros proves particularly beneficial if:

• You’ve been tracking calories but feel stagnant. Despite meeting your calorie objective daily, if weight loss isn’t transpiring or your energy levels are plummeting, your macro balance might be askew – for instance, inadequate protein intake or insufficient carbs to sustain energy levels.
• You aspire to refine body composition. If your aim is to shed fat, gain muscle, or enhance muscle definition, macros assume a more critical role than if you’re merely striving for a healthy diet. Protein aids in preserving muscle during weight reduction, carbs fuel exercise sessions, and fats bolster hormonal equilibrium and recuperation.
• You’re training for enhanced performance. Whether you’re engaging in strength training, endurance activities, or intensifying your workouts, fine-tuning your macros can enhance energy levels, endurance, and recovery specific to your chosen sport.

Access your MyFitnessPal app and explore the macro breakdown within your nutrient dashboard. You may uncover surprising insights that inspire adjustments to your dietary habits. If you’re already logging your meals, it’s a mere click away to unveil personalized revelations.

Tips for Determining What to Track

There isn’t a universal prescription when it comes to calorie tracking versus macro monitoring. Your choice of focus should align with your current objectives, lifestyle, and the mental bandwidth you’re willing to invest in nutrition at present.

Here’s how to align your tracking method with your goals:

• If weight loss is your aim: Commence with calorie tracking. Establishing a consistent calorie deficit (around 10–20% below your maintenance requirements) is pivotal for weight reduction. Seeking additional refinement? Incorporate a protein target to enhance satiety and safeguard muscle mass.
• If muscle gain or body recomposition is your target: Concentrate on protein intake and total calories initially. While monitoring all macros can afford greater precision, hitting a daily protein goal can significantly contribute to achieving desired outcomes.
• If balanced nutrition and sustained energy are your aspirations: Macro tracking may unveil patterns such as energy slumps due to insufficient carb intake or suboptimal recovery stemming from inadequate protein consumption. However, don’t fixate on precise targets – view them as gentle suggestions.

MyFitnessPal enables you to tailor your tracking experience. Whether you opt for simplicity or delve into intricate details, you can adapt your goals within the app to align with your present focus and modify them as your aspirations evolve.

Frequently Asked Questions: Macros vs. Calories

The Verdict

Whether you opt for calorie tracking, macro monitoring, or a combination of both, the ideal approach is one that harmonizes with your lifestyle and bolsters consistency. Calories provide a macroscopic view of your diet, while macros enable a more granular examination of your nutritional intake. With MyFitnessPal, tailoring your tracking methodology to match your current objectives is effortless – and adjusting it as those objectives evolve is equally seamless.