If you are trying to lose weight, then you need to stop counting calories and start counting macros. After I turned fifty, it seemed to be so much harder to lose weight. I was counting calories consistently, but that didn’t seem to make an impact, and my love handles seemed to be getting bigger.
Luckily, I listened to a podcast where they were discussing the importance of protein, especially for women when they enter menopause. They indicated you should not be focused on counting calories but instead be focused on fueling your body with what it needs to gain muscle and lose fat.
In order to do this, you need to utilize food macros to ensure you are getting the proper balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates your body needs. But if you are not familiar with the concept then it can be overwhelming to know how to begin.
That is why I put together an easy guide to help you get started. The steps below will help you to learn the basics of macros and understand what and how much you should be eating. Once you do, you can make positive changes that will help you to lose weight and feel better in the process.
First, let’s discuss what macros are and why they matter.
What are macros
Macros is the shortened version of macronutrients which in its simplest version is the amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat your body needs. These three nutrients all serve a different purpose and are critical to your overall health.
- Fats help you to absorb the nutrients your body needs, which is why it is often suggested you should include fat when eating your vegetable. Fats also help to give your body energy and support your cell function.
- Carbohydrates are your energy source and play a significant role in fueling your brain’s energy demands.
- Protein is what helps to build, repair, and maintain our body tissue. Since muscle mass decreases after the age of 30 and can decrease at an even greater amount after 60, protein becomes even more vital as we age. Unfortunately, this is typically the macronutrient that most women over 50 are lacking.
Why macros matter
Macronutrients play a vital role in keeping our bodies healthy. Eating a balanced diet will keep you feeling full and satisfied which means you are less likely to crave sugary and processed foods and maintain a healthier weight.
Also, if you are not eating the adequate amount of protein your body needs, you will start to lose muscle. This often leads to a downward spiral of bone loss and more risks of falling causing fractures and other serious injuries. In fact, Hopkins Medicine shared that one in three women and one in five men will have a fracture at some point after age 50.
How do you find the balance
There are varying opinions on the recommended breakdown of macros, but I tend to follow Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s lead on this. Dr. Lyons suggests eating at least 30 grams of protein at each meal. The macro breakdown would be, 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. Of course, before you jump in headfirst, I would encourage you to see a nutritionist or your health practitioner especially if you are battling other health issues.
It’s also important to note that you should disperse your protein throughout the day. The reason for this is because your body is not able to process over 40 grams of protein at a time, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Also, since protein is more satiating, spacing it out will keep you feeling more satisfied throughout the day.
Don’t be overwhelmed and just take baby steps
In order to get better at something, we first need to understand the point we are at today. The same is true for your health. Now that you understand the concept, the next step is to understand what your macro breakdown is based on your current diet. I have found the easiest way to do that is to track your food using MyFitnessPal. This app allows you to track the food you eat in an entire day, and then automatically shows your macro breakdown.
Don’t expect that you will be anywhere near the right balance initially, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you took the first step, and you now have a better understanding of your base.
Once you understand what your current base is, you can then start to make small changes in your diet. When I initially tracked my macros, I was shocked with how low my protein intake was. Since then, I have been focused on increasing my protein intake, but it has been gradual.
If you find your protein intake is significantly lower than you would like, make subtle changes to increase it. For instance, I was averaging around 50g of protein a day, so I added a whey protein shake which added an additional 25g. I then looked at my intake for each meal and made slight changes to increase my protein at each meal. It wasn’t a drastic immediate change, but a slower thoughtful approach to increase my protein intake over the course of a couple of weeks.
Treat yourself the way you deserve to be treated
Having a balanced diet with the appropriate macros is a crucial step to ensure you look and feel healthy and strong. It is time to stop procrastinating and finally take control of those things in your life that you can positively change. Instead of researching fad diets to lose 20 lbs. in 20 days you should focus on creating a healthy long-term lifestyle that will help your mind and body to thrive.
If you are looking for other healthy tips then you may want to read my other post about overall healthy eating here.
It’s time for you to finally treat yourself the way you treat others and live the life you deserve to live.
I would love to hear from you once you get started. Please let me know what you think and comment below.
It’s your life to live!
Jen