New podcast, y’all:

Here’s a quick write-up for those who prefer to digest their information visually.

What are macros?

Counting calories is good, but controlling the overall intake alone doesn’t yield the desired results for most people.

“I’m under 1500 calories, but I’m not looking lean and mean. Why?” – Ben Franklin

Macros (and micros) are the makeup of those calories. For instance, 1500 calories of pizza vs. 1500 calories of grilled meats and veggies are going to give you very different “after” pictures if that’s your diet over the next month.

The reason being the macros are different. The macronutrient values of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins are going to have different effects on your body.

Our body needs all of these things. Fats store energy, keep us warm, and assist the proteins. Carbs give us energy. Proteins help sustain muscle and aid in recovery—and most importantly, it’s the protein that satiates appetite.

IIFYM Philosophy

Self-control is a tricky thing. Willpower is finite. And for some people, completely cutting something (or someone!) out of their life is the way to go. You know you. You do you.

But there are a lot of tasty tastes out there, and it’d be a shame to never ever have them again. For some folks, they’ll adhere to a strict diet regimen, but completely go off the rails and fall apart after one “cheat day” allowance.

Wouldn’t it be nice to avoid the extremes? Wouldn’t it be cool beans to have your cake and eat it too?

IIFYM — if it fits your macros– is the idea that you can “eat whatever you want” just as long as it fits in with your macros set for the day. Everyone’s macros are going to be dependent on their goals and body composition. But typically…  the rule of thumb is:

• get your fats lower
• keep your carbs maintained
• get your protein higher

Remember this catchy mantra: file down the fats, curb the carbs, and push the protein!

Always apply the macros to the context of your life. After all, it’s if it fits YOUR macros, not Arnold’s macros, or Kate Upton’s.

Each time we list snacks or food and judge it to be a “good fit” or not, it’s based on the numbers we’re rolling with. For reference:

Jon’s Macros: 50g Fat, 200g Carbs, 150g Protein
Jon’s Height/ Weight: 6′, 185 lbs
Jon’s Goal: Weight Loss

Chase’s Macros: 40g Fat, 250g Carbs, 200g Protein
Chase’s Height/Weight: 5’10”, 175 lbs
Chase’s Goal: Weigh Gain

Macros Sample 1: Girls Scouts Caramel Crunch Cereal

Pros:

• Basically the same macro content of every other cereal out there (minus fiber one and “high protein” versions of cheerios, etc.)
• Tasty taste

Cons:

• Texture is very cereal typical, thus not as good as a real Samoa (go figure)

Summary & Strategy: If you like cereal for breakfast, give this a try if you’re dying for your Girl Scout cookie fix. Keep in mind the low protein amount means that you might be hungrier way before lunch time rolls around. Also, if the rest of your day involves high carbs (i.e. pizza for lunch, pasta for dinner), this might be one carb source that’s easy to minimize. Can be easily replaced with some greek yogurt methinks.

Macros Sample 2: Homemade Brownies

Sample macros from (not pictured) Betty Crocker’s Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies: 2gF, 24C, 1P per 1/16 pkg

Pros:

• One of the best things ever
• Can be gluten-free with no disparity in taste or texture
• Cereal might need milk, but brownies are excellent with milk
• You can put your weed in there

Cons:

• Very, very, very, very, very hard to stop at one
• Eat one before a date, and it looks like doo doo on your teeth

Summary & Strategy: A great example of “it’s a damn shame!” if you opt to completely cut sweets out of your life. You have plenty of room to manage 24g of carbs in a day. The catch being you rarely ever want to eat just one brownie. You could totally prep your morning by having a lighter lunch, and spending your carb count at the end of the day.

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Hey, your’e getting the hang of this thing, eh? If you have a macros suggestion or question, send it our way to be featured on the podcast. E-mail: aoabbu [at] gmail.com