WTF are macros?

Carbs  | Fat |  Protein

Can I give you your magical optimal breakdown? Absolutely not.

Am I an expert on what to eat or the best foods for each macronutrient? Nope! I just do what works for me. I experiment and see how my body reacts.

My intention in discussing macros is to reveal that following a diet designed around a specific breakdown was the catalyst for my significant weight loss. That’s all. I’m not an expert and highly recommend you consult with a professional to determine what is best for you.

Use me as an example that it works but know that you’ll need your own personalized macro breakdown and you’ll have to develop your own best practices.

When Nic gave me my breakdown it meant absolutely nothing until I started logging foods to understand how I’d complete my daily macro puzzle.

Here’s what I can tell you:

• I downloaded MyFitnessPal 
• I input my goal breakdown (provided by someone who knows what they are doing)
• Profile > Goals > Nutrition Goals "Calorie, Carbs, Protein and Fat Goals > Enter macro percentages which calculates calories
• I logged everything I ate or any liquid calories (scan barcodes of packages or weigh and search the item)
• Example: Scan barcodes for protein, protein bars, rice, rice cakes, etc.
• Example: Search 'grilled chicken' and enter confirmed ounces or grams
• When I first started, I still ate meals out (Cava, Chipotle, Chicken Maison)
• If I could not weigh the item or the restaurant item was not listed, I input a higher amount vs estimating lower
• I added in these types of a meals a few times a week as I got started because I was not used to cooking and didn’t want to feel like I was being “punished”
• I still eat a meal from one of the above places once a week
• I tried to hit my goals everyday. I didn’t always hit them exactly but was within a few grams.

It was harder in the beginning but it gets easier. I still have a decent amount of variety in my meals which makes it more complicated.

Here is the weight loss from when I started working out in May through December. 

July through September, I was lifting 5x/week plus one day of cardio. My body composition was changing through consistent workouts but with minimal weight loss. I was eating 'better' but with no restrictions.

I started counting macros on 10/1. You can clearly see it is the variable that led to consistent weight loss each week.

In October, we added 4 more days of cardio and counting macros. (Cardio = 20 min treadmill / 8% /3.2 mph)

During this 3 month period, I lost 20 lbs while counting macros + added walking cardio.

To date, my total weight loss since counting macros is 25 lbs. This does not account for the muscle that I've added.

Restaurant food has been disappointing since starting meal prep. It never tastes as good as I remember it. It also tastes incredibly salty.

My energy and mood are better. This is likely a combination of both diet and exercise but it feels good.

I have abs for the first time in my life. I have an athletic background but I never had real abs. I am not going to lie, I am obsessed at the moment (will let you know if that changes)!

Cheat meals. You have to deviate from prep. I felt guilty at first but I am getting used to it. I typically gain 1-2 lbs but then immediately drop. I don’t understand this "science or sorcery" but so far it helps me continue to lose weight.

Carb loading is the newest trick to the regimen. Again, I don’t understand how it works but it’s working for my body. We’ll revisit this again once I know more.

Up next: Meal Prep from a girl who didn’t leftovers

Nic is my nutrition guru. He specializes in boxing, Muay Thai and bodybuilding. His primary focus is training but he is helping me out on the nutrition side. He is a 2x overall men's physique champion with a handful of 1st/2nd place trophies and top ten national competitors. He is local to Scottsdale.

Tamara is 2x Olympia IFBB pro with years of competition experience. She is my posing coach but is a also personal trainer and offers a nutrition program. She is local to southern CA but offers online programs as well.