53: Is Counting Macros the Hottest New Diet?

Recently a client asked me about the macronutrient diet.  I was a bit confused.  Building meals that are macronutrient balanced is nothing new.  This new 'diet' though, takes things to a whole new level.

Counting your ‘macros’, also known as flexible dieting, or ‘If it Fits your Macros” is a hot topic in the dieting world, especially amongst bodybuilders. “Macros” or macronutrients, simply means the ‘big’ nutrients in our diet:  carbohydrates, protein and fat.  Vitamins and minerals, on the other hand, are called micronutrients.  

The macronutrient diet is simple: stick to your prescribed grams of protein, fat and carbs, and you’ll lose weight, or bulk up, or maintain your weight, whichever your goal may be. It’s touted as being more ‘flexible’, since it doesn't matter what you eat, as long as you stick to the grams of macros you’ve been allowed for the day.  This  ‘new’ diet is armed ready with calculators so determine your ‘ideal; macronutrient target, an app to track your macronutrients, websites and meal plans to make it easy to reach your target each day.  

In this episode, I review the 'macronutrient' diet and break down which key components are worth applying to your eating plan, and which you can ignore.