Macros: Turning Donuts into 6 Pack Abs

We all have that one friend. You know the friend. The guy who can eat an entire stromboli in one sitting and still have perfect abs. The girl that can have an everything bagel with full-fat cream cheese for breakfast (well, we are on the east coast, bagels are life), a burrito bowl for lunch and an entire turkey dinner before bed and still fit into a size 2. We can do one of two things. We can either loathe them for all eternity for their perfect genetics or we can learn to eat like them because whether we know it or not, they’re probably eating according to macros.

I’ll fill you in a little secret the ‘dieting’ industry doesn’t want you to know; you can eat practically anything you want and still lose weight, look great and flex on your friends. How you may ask? One word: Macros

In computer science, macros are “a rule or pattern that specifies how a certain input sequence should be mapped to a replacement output sequence according to a defined procedure.” This isn’t far from the truth. Come with me on quick little macros journey.

Macros 101

In the words of Regina George “Is a butter a carb?” Regina may have been fairly clueless on macros but you don’t have to be. Macros is short for macronutrients. Macros are comprised of three basic pieces you’re very familiar with: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These fundamental pieces, or macros, are part of your daily caloric intake and serve individual purposes to fuel your life.

Carbohydrates are the main macros fuel your body prefers. The body converts ‘carbs’ into glucose and powers every facet of your day. We won’t get into the difference between simple and complex carbs but a shortlist would include bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, and cereal just to name a few.

Proteins help the body in rebuilding muscle tissues #gainz. These macros deliver key nutrients for the skin, organs as well as the production of vital chemicals in the body.

Fats have taken a bad rap at times in the dieting industry but like the prior two macros, are essential. Just like carbs, fats come in the form of good and bad. Good fats can be found in olive oil as well as oils from various seeds. Bad fats are mostly in highly processed foods. We will go over ‘good and bad’ in another article but for our purposes here, fats are fats.

I Love Macros: Now What?

Going back to our computer science definition of macros, we can orchestrate macros into specific amounts based on individual goals and activity level to achieve a desired result. For example, your individual macros goal may be to eat 120 grams of protein, 150 grams of carbs and 60 grams of fat. It may also be totally different. The school of thought behind this macros method shows that if you hit your numbers consistently over an extended period of time, you will see results.