Custom Macro Calculations & All About Macros

Good morning friends! I’m popping in to share with you a new service I’m offering, Macro calculations!

Many of my meal plan subscribers are also tracking macros to help them achieve their goals and have requested a macro calculation service from me. In the past I never wanted to provide a “macro calculation” service because it felt, I don’t know, basic?

Plus, if one of my nutrition counseling clients wants to track macros I coach them on that as part of their package so I always just kind of thought it was part of my nutrition counseling services.

Do You Need To Track Macros

NO! I also never wanted to send the signal that tracking macros is something you have to do or need to do to lose weight or change your body composition.

That being said, some of my meal plan subscribers are already eating healthy and leading a healthy lifestyle. They don’t need/want a full nutrition assessment, coaching, or accountability they just need a quick chat and a reliable calculation for their macros. I get that. And actually, I do this for my personal trainer, athlete, and bodybuilder friends all the time.

Honestly, I’m happy to help because using a fitness app calculation was probably one of the most detrimental things I ever did to my metabolism and I don’t want that to happen to anyone else.

But, first. If you are like, what the heck are macros? Read this post I wrote on how macros affect body composition and then come back.

Second, if you are wondering why someone would want a custom calculation, here are some common issues I run into with online macro calculators.

They Tell You To Eat Under Your BMR

Your BMR is your bodies metabolic setpoint. It’s the number required to maintain lean muscle mass and organ health.

Many websites will tell you to eat well under this number to help you reach your weight loss goal as fast as possible. Prolonged eating under this number sends the body into “starvation mode” and leads to a lowering of thyroid hormone production and conversion to active thyroid hormone. We’ve seen this in a study done on the biggest loser participants, they regained the weight and their metabolism slowed.

If you are eating under your BMR, you need a new calculation.

To calculate your BMR I use the Katch-McArdle equation which takes into account body fat percentage.

BMR = 370 + (21.6 * LBM in kilograms)

LBM (in kilograms) = weight- ( body fat percentage * weight ) then divide the whole thing by 2.2 to get kilograms, then plug that into the equation above.

You Eat The Same Macros Every Day

You should rotate your calories and carbs higher on workout days and lower on rest days. Protein and fat stay the same on both workout and rest days, it’s carbs that go up and down to support your workout and recovery from your workout. If you don’t have two sets of macros, I can provide them for you.

They Incorrectly Estimate Your Activity Level

You put in an activity factor and their calculation gives you the number you should eat including activity level.

Then, you workout and track your calories from your workout. You are essentially double counting your workout. This one is an easy fix.

When you have the program caclulate your numbers set it to little or no activity. Then add in your exercise manually, remember your macros should change on days you workout vs. days you don’t!

You Aren’t Getting Results

There could be a lot of reasons why you aren’t getting results using your current macros.

For example, if you have pre-diabetes or insulin resistance you probably would do better with a lower percentage of carbs. If you are an intense athlete, you probably need more carbs.

And about a million other scenarios I can think of that would impact your results, that’s why I’m offering a quick consult with the calculation. To make sure we cover all those little things that slightly change your needs.