MACROS + MACRO COUNTS
These 4 phases should be cycled through. What I’ve learned over my years coaching, is that a very large amount of people spend FAR TOO MUCH time in the dieting phase of life. This can be harmful metabolically and hormonally. It also can sabotage your progress because your body isn’t getting the proper rest/ recovery it needs. Not to mention the calories / fuel it so badly wants. I am going to break down the 4 phases of weight loss a little bit clearer for you.
Short for macronutrients... they are the 3 basic components of every diet - carbohydrates, protein and fat.
What are macros and what do they do?
In every diet and for every weight loss goal there are three major macronutrients that affect how (and yes, if) we reach our goals. The building blocks of every diet are fats, carbs, and proteins. Many people find counting macros to be helpful in building flexible and sustainable diets, without restrictive unhealthy behaviors. So what are these macros? Why do they matter for health and weight loss, and does the type of macros really matter?
“Following macros” or “counting macros” refers to eating a certain amount of these types of foods each day. Your numbers should be unique to YOU. No one should have the same macros as you. A few of the things I take into account when determining YOUR specific macros are: age, height, weight, body type, activity, fitness goals, current routine and more.
Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is then determined and from there you consume calories in deficit if you want to lose and in surplus if you want to gain. The calories are broken down into ratios (determined by a coach) and you eat a certain percentage of carbs, protein, and fat a day.
​
You get to track your food in an app like @Myfitnesspal. These apps keep a running total of the amount of calories you consume along with the macro breakdown. So, by the end of day your goal is to eat foods that meet your macros!
​
The macros may need to be fine-tuned to dial in on goals. That is why it can be helpful to have a coach give recommendations if not getting results you want. I'm here to help you find the perfect macro count for your lifestyle & goals!
First,
WHAT ARE MACROS?
Next,
THE 4 PHASES OF DIETING
one
CALORIC DEFICIT
This phase involves eating less calories than your body needs. It’s sometimes referred to as “cutting” or “dieting”. The goal is for your body to look to fat stores for the missing fuel so that you see fat loss during this time. The best case scenario is that you lose body fat and little to no lean muscle.
In general, we want this phase to be short so you can be adherent and disciplined, while remaining positive about the process. In general, if you have less body fat to lose, your deficit phase will be shorter, and if you have more body fat to lose, your deficit can be longer.
Typical calorie deficits can be anywhere between 8 and 16 weeks. Best practice is to utilize refeed days, high/low calorie days (for some), or matador calorie cycling to prevent metabolic adaptation can result from undereating your needs.
TWO
MAINTENANCE
This phase involves eating right around the amount of calories your body needs. The goal of this phase is to experience no significant change in body weight or body composition. You may see some fat loss and lean muscle gain during this phase if you are newer to tracking macros and/or strength training with progressive overload, however.
​
This is a long term phase – in fact, this can be the place you hang for forever. If you continue training and challenging your body through exercise however, you will become fitter and possibly gain lean muscle mass which means your calorie needs might increase. You will look for signs like hunger, cravings or low energy to eat more as maintenance is a moving target.
THREE
REVERSE DIET
During this phase you are bridging the gap between deficit calories and the calories it takes for you to maintain your weight. The ultimate goal of this phase is to resolve metabolic adaptation that results from being in a calorie deficit and undereating your needs. While you may see some body fat gain during this process, increasing calories slowly will lower the likelihood. You may also gain lean muscle mass during this process due to more energy being available for building.
There is no time limit for a reverse – it ends when you want it to end. At the bare minimum, you should work your way back up to your estimated maintenance needs but it is strongly advised, however, that you push past that point to maximize metabolic capacity.
FOUR
SURPLUS
This phase involves eating slightly more calories than your body needs and is sometimes also termed “bulking” or “building”.
The goal of this phase is to provide an environment conducive to gaining weight, usually from lean muscle mass. You may also gain some body fat during this phase, however, gaining a small amount of fat while also gaining lean muscle has a long-term payoff in the way of increased overall metabolism, muscular curves and strong looking physique.
Much like maintenance, this phase can last as long as you’d like, but likely no less than 3-4 months. For most people, this phase ends when you feel like you’ve optimized your lean muscle gain and you’re starting to see more body fat gain than you’d prefer.
A MACRO COUNT IS A CUSTOM PLAN CREATED BY ME TO HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOALS. THIS INCLUDES A CALORIC GOAL TO AIM FOR AND 3 SPECIFIC MACRO GOALS (protein, fat, and carb goals)
WHAT IS A
MACRO COUNT?
WHAT DO YOU GET WITH A MACRO COUNT?
â—ˆ TWO custom macro counts for different phases of dieting: Either a deficit (cut) or surplus (bulk) plus projected maintenance numbers.
​
â—ˆ My Macro Manual (20+ pages of educational information about all macros & flexible dieting, FAQ's, how to get started, creating Meals/ recipes in My Fitness Pal, tracking tips/tricks, how to track alcohol, printable grocery lists, macro cheat sheet, high fiber foods list, supplement recommendations, testimonials and more.
​
â—ˆ 18 page reverse manual teaching you how to reverse up to maintenance calories after a dieting phase.
​
â—ˆ 25 page wellness tracker which includes: mood tracker, sleep tracker, water tracker, meal planning list by week and day, a food diary, habit tracker, menstrual tracker, anxiety guide, self care challenge, body progress tracker, exercise log, fitness goals plan, activity plan, daily plan log, self love affirmations and more!
​
â—ˆ Habit tracker spreadsheet that will help you set and track your daily, weekly, and monthly goals.
​
