Should you track your Macronutrients?

If you’re on social media often, you might have seen a new popular hashtag that reads “if it fits your macros” or “IIFYM” to describe pictures of donuts, ice cream, or other (although delicious) unconventional foods for bodybuilders.

For many years, the bodybuilding community has followed meal plans to reach that stage-ready body. But recently, a different kind of science has taken over the internet with macronutrient counting.

What are macronutrients?
Macronutrients are nutrients your body needs in order to function and be healthy. When you’re counting macronutrients, you’re counting your intake (usually in grams) of protein, carbohydrates, and fats consumed daily. Each person has a personalised macro count, based on their training level and body structure. In short, this lifestyle allows you to eat whatever you want, as long as it fits the macros personalised for you.

The big question is, should you, or should you not track macronutrients?

It depends on your situation.

When you count macronutrients, you have to be very specific in your calculations. If your macros for the next few weeks say that your protein intake needs to be 162g, you need to hit that number. This means that there will be a lot of math in your daily tasks, to help you reach your numbers, all the while enjoying the benefits of this flexible lifestyle.

Although this lifestyle might be unconventional for some, it’s actually known throughout the bodybuilding community for its amazing results. Many bodybuilders who follow the IIFYM approach are known to have a more shredded physique since they eat according to their needs rather than a meal plan.

Being that this lifestyle is flexible on the foods you can eat yet strict on the portions, you need to have (or develop) amazing self-control to ensure a healthy lifestyle overall. There’s nothing healthy about obsessing over macronutrients and there’s definitely nothing food about overindulging in sugary foods because “it fits the macros,” it’s all about balance after all.

If you do agree and you want to start counting your macros, there are many apps to help you do so, and probably you will need your own Kitchen Scale.

What do you think? should you calculate your macros? Leave your comment below.