Should You be Counting Macronutrients Instead of Calories to Lose Weight?

Barnes, Z. (2015).  Should you be counting macronutrients instead of calories to lose weight? Womens Health.  Retrieved from http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/tracking-macronutrients.

Should You be Counting Macronutrients Instead of Calories to Lose Weight?

“If it Fits Your Macros” (IIFYM) diet is a diet that claims that you can have your cake and lose weight. Meeting your macronutrient requirements (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) is the most important in losing weight according to this diet.  As long as the food fits in your daily allowance of macronutrients, you are allowed to eat it.

Before starting the diet the basal metabolic rate (BMR) must be determined.  The BMR is the amount of energy your body uses at rest.  A registered dietitian will be able to give you a more accurate estimate.  An activity factor is considered that ranges from 1.2(sedentary) to 1.8 (very active) and the BMR is multiplied by this factor.   This gives you your estimated daily calories. The IIFYM diet requires that 40% of your calories come from carbs, 40% from protein, and 20% from fat.   Standard requirements for daily calories are about 50% from carbs, 30% from fats and 20% from proteins.

With this diet you must be able to determine the nutrient contents of every food you eat in order to know if you have satisfied your macronutrients requirements.  You will need to know how many grams of carbs, proteins and fats are required each day. The diet is more restrictive due to the calculations and tracking necessary.  People on this diet will tend to eat the same meals day in and day out because they know those particular foods fit their macros.  If you are eating the same meals week after week,   you may not be receiving adequate nutrients.

This diet may work initially because the person is paying more attention to what they are eating.  However, due to the amount of calculations required (something, we as dietetic students are accustomed to) and the strictness of meeting each macronutrient requirement, the plan is difficult to maintain.  With this diet the amount of carbs (40%) and fat (20%) required are not adequate in keeping the body energized and the protein (40%) is too high, which could cause problems long-term.  The diet does not specify that you should eat a variety of foods but only that you meet the macronutrient requirements, which could potentially cause malnourishment.

Eating a well-balanced diet, controlling portion sizes, and exercising regularly is the best way to lose weight.  IIFYM is yet another diet that will eventually lose its appeal.

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