A Guide to Tracking Carbs, Proteins, and Fat

Macros is a collective term used to describe the three macronutrients found in foods: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Your body needs macronutrients in large quantities on a daily basis in order to support overall health and physical functioning.

Foods are made up of different ratios of macros, some being higher in specific macros, like protein and carbs, than others.

Counting macros is a method that’s popularly used by people who want to lose weight and improve body composition. Plus, being aware of macros can benefit those with health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. 

Here’s everything you need to know about macros, including what they are, how to count them, and the potential benefits associated with keeping track of macros. 

Macronutrients are required in larger amounts than micronutrients, which include vitamins and minerals.

There are three types of macronutrients that your body needs: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

• Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates is an umbrella term that includes sugars, starches, and fibers. The major function of carbs is to provide your cells with energy, but they also play roles in gut health and immune health. Carbohydrates provide four calories per gram and usually comprise the largest portion of most people’s calorie intake. Carb-rich foods include grains, starchy vegetables, beans, dairy products, and fruit.
• Proteins: Like carbohydrates, proteins provide four calories per gram. Proteins are necessary for life as they provide the amino acids needed for the production of hormones, antibodies, and neurotransmitters. Examples of protein-rich foods include eggs, chicken, fish, and beans.
• Fats: Fats contain more calories than carbs and proteins, providing nine calories per gram. Your body uses fat for energy and critical functions such as nutrient absorption, hormone production, and regulating body temperature. Fats are found in foods like butter, oils, nuts, meat, and fish.

Most foods contain a combination of macronutrients, but some are composed of just one. For example, nuts contain all three macronutrients, while olive oil is composed of 100% fat.

To count macros, you’ll need to be aware of the total macronutrients found in a food so that you can keep track of your macro intake. 

Macronutrient or macro ranges refer to the percentage of macronutrients that make up your dietary intake. 

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) developed the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR), which is the percentage of energy intake associated with reduced chronic disease risk while providing the body with adequate amounts of nutrients. The AMDRs for carbs, fats, and proteins are 45-65%, 20-35%, and 10-35%, respectively.

However, there is no “ideal” macro range, as every person has different nutrient needs and responds differently to macronutrient percentages. Some people may thrive on higher protein, lower-carb diets, while others may require a higher-carb diet. 

For example, eating patterns low in carbs and higher in fat and protein have been shown to benefit people with certain medical conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver disease.

On the other hand, some higher-carb diets, such as plant-based diets, have been linked with improved heart health, weight loss, and many other benefits.

This is why dietary intake, including macronutrient ratios, should be individualized based on overall health, underlying medical conditions, dietary preferences, and more. 

Tracking macros has been associated with some health benefits, including weight loss and improved body composition.

However, counting macros can be tedious, and isn’t necessary to develop a nutritious dietary pattern that can help you reach your health goals. 

Benefits

A major benefit of counting macros is that it can make you more aware of the nutrient density of the food you eat. Most people focus primarily on the amount of calories in food but don’t pay attention to the macronutrient ratio. 

Since macronutrients have different effects on satiety, blood sugar response, and more, being aware of the macronutrient breakdown of your meals can help you build a more nutritious diet.  For example, counting macros could help you consume more protein, which is the most satiating macronutrient. Increasing your protein intake could help support fat loss and increase muscle mass.

Counting macros may be especially helpful for those with specialized dietary needs, such as those following very low-carb, high-fat diets, such as the keto diet, as well as those with very high protein needs, such as elite athletes and bodybuilders. Counting macros can help these populations ensure they’re hitting their intake goals and staying within their set macronutrient ranges.

When counting macros, you’re also tracking your calorie intake, which has been shown to be effective for promoting weight loss, at least in the short term. A 2023 review concluded that calorie-counting apps are effective for promoting weight loss and may be a more affordable and accessible option than intensive in-person weight loss programs.

Limitations and Risks

Although counting macros may be useful for certain people trying to achieve specific goals, it’s certainly not necessary to improve your health, lose weight, or change your diet.

In a 2022 study of 72 people with overweight or obesity, the participants were randomized to either a simplified dietary self-monitoring of high-calorie foods group or a group that tracked calories using a mobile app for six months. At the end of the six-month intervention, both groups lost a similar amount of weight—5.7%  in the calorie-tracking group and 4.0% in the simplified group—which was not significantly different. Moreover, similar proportions of each group reached 5% weight loss at six months, with a difference of less than 0.5%.

This suggests that less rigorous, more sustainable forms of dietary monitoring, such as cutting back on high-calorie foods like sweets and fried products, can be similarly as effective as calorie or macro tracking. 

In addition to being unnecessary to improve your diet or overall health, meticulously tracking your calorie intake can lead to an obsession with calorie counting and increase your risk of developing disordered eating. 

Studies have found that using apps like Fitbit to track calorie intake may trigger and exacerbate symptoms such as fixation on calorie intake, being overly rigid with food intake, and obsession with tracking calories.

A 2023 study that included data on over 1,400 young adults found that those who used physical activity- and dietary-focused apps, such as calorie-tracking apps, were more likely to engage in disordered weight-control behaviors like fasting and purging as well as disordered muscle-building behaviors, such as steroid use.

This suggests that the use of calorie-tracking apps, such as those used to track macros, could have a negative impact on physical and mental health. 

If you’re interested in tracking macros, you’ll need to determine your calorie needs and then determine your preferred macro range.

To figure out your calorie needs, you’ll need to use an online calorie estimator or an energy equation formula such as the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation. These tools use your height, body weight, and activity levels to estimate your daily calorie needs.

Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is a term used to describe the total number of calories your body burns on a daily basis, including the energy burned by the body while at rest through processes like digestion and the energy your body burns while engaging in physical activity.   

If calculating your energy requirements on your own, you’ll need to plug your height, weight, and age into the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation:

• Men: calories per day = 9.99 (weight in kilograms (kg)) +6.25(height in centimeters (cm)) –4.92 (age) +5 
• Women: calories per day = 9.99 (weight in kg) +6.25(height in cm) – 4.92 (age) -161 

The answer from this equation is then multiplied by something called an activity factor, which is a number that represents different levels of activity. The more active you are, the higher your calorie needs will be:

• Sedentary: x 1.2 (sedentary) 
• Lightly active: x 1.375 (light exercise less than three days per week) 
• Moderately active: x 1.55 (moderate exercise most days of the week) 
• Very active: x 1.725 (hard exercise every day)
• Extra active: x 1.9 (strenuous exercise two or more times per day)

This number represents an estimation of your daily calorie expenditure. Keep in mind that this number isn’t an exact measurement of your energy output, as calorie expenditure varies on a daily basis depending on factors such as physical activity levels. 

Using this estimation, you can either subtract or add calories, depending on whether you want to lose or gain weight. 

After determining your calorie needs, you’ll then choose a macronutrient range. People who want to gain muscle or lose weight may opt for a higher protein, lower carb diet. For example, a person following a 2,000-calorie high-protein, low-carb diet may choose a macro breakdown of 40% protein, 25% carbs, and 35% fats. 

Keep in mind that macronutrient ranges vary depending on your health goals and preferences, as well as whether or not you’re trying to control an underlying health issue, such as type 2 diabetes, through dietary change. 

Using your calorie requirements and your macro ratio, you’ll then determine how many grams of each macronutrient you’ll need on a daily basis. For example, a 150-pound person following a 2,000-calorie diet and using a macro breakdown of 40% protein, 25% carbs, and 35% fats will need to take in 200 grams of protein, 125 grams of carbs, and around 77 grams of fat per day. 

After determining calorie needs and macro ranges, you’ll track your macros and calories. Most people use apps or websites to track macros as it makes the process easier. Using your macro tracking app, you’ll log all of the foods you eat to ensure you’re staying within your macro range.

As mentioned above, foods contain varying amounts of carbs, proteins, and fats, with many foods providing a combination of macros. For example, full-fat Greek yogurt provides fat, carbs, and protein, while lentils are rich in both carbs and plant-based proteins.

However, some foods contain just one macronutrient or are primarily composed of one macronutrient, such as protein or fat.

Sources of carbs include:

• Grains: Oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley
• Vegetables: sweet potatoes, butternut squash, peas, beets
• Fruits: Bananas, berries, apples, peaches
• Beans and lentils: black beans, kidney beans, lentils
• Dairy products: milk and yogurt 

Foods rich in proteins include:

• Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck
• Eggs: whole eggs and egg whites
• Red meat: beef, bison, lamb
• Seafood: trout, shrimp, clams
• Soy products: tofu, tempeh, soybeans 
• Dairy products: milk, cottage cheese, yogurt
• Beans and lentils: lentils, black beans, kidney beans 
• Seeds and nuts: pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds
• Protein powders: whey protein, pea protein, collagen peptides 

Sources of healthy fats include:

• Oils: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil
• Cheese: cheddar cheese, muenster, mozzarella
• Avocados: whole avocados 
• Nuts and seeds: macadamia nuts, sesame seeds, cashews
• Dairy products: full fat yogurt, cream, and cheese
• Eggs: egg yolks

Because most foods contain more than one macronutrient, you’ll need to keep track of each food’s calorie and macro breakdown in order to stay within a set macronutrient range. 

Tracking macros is a popular method for losing weight and changing body composition. 

While it can be useful for supporting fat loss, encouraging muscle growth, and helping people stay on track when following eating patterns that require sticking to specific macronutrient ranges, it’s not necessary for improving your diet, overall health, or disease markers.

What’s more, tracking macros may increase your risk of developing an unhealthy relationship with food as well as disordered eating tendencies.

If you’re interested in tracking macros, it’s best to work with a qualified health professional like a registered dietitian. They can help you determine whether or not tracking macros is the right choice for you and give you recommendations for tracking macros using healthy and safe methods.