Whether you’re focused on losing weight, maintaining your weight, or building muscle, diet plays a crucial role in your progress. Tracking your calories is a good place to start, but calories don’t tell the whole story.
Setting goals for your macronutrients (the amounts of each macronutrient you consume each day) can help you optimize your diet. For example, increasing protein intake has been associated with better weight loss results.
Understanding Macros and Their Function
Macronutrients, also known as “macros,” are the three main types of nutrients the body needs to function: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Importance of each macronutrient
Here’s a crash course on what each macronutrient does for your body.
Carbohydrates
Although low-carb eating plans have gained prominence in recent years, carbohydrates are essential to a balanced diet. The body converts carbohydrates into glucose, which fuels physical activity.
But the type of carbohydrate makes a difference.
When you look at the total number of grams of carbohydrates you consume each day, that number doesn’t distinguish between complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. But there are important differences between the two from a health and weight management perspective.
Simple carbohydrates, such as refined sugars, have lower nutritional value than complex carbohydrates. A recent critical review concluded that excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates may contribute to higher rates of obesity, depression, and other chronic diseases.
On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They can promote gut health and help boost your mood. Complex carbs found in whole grains and vegetables are digested slowly, which makes you feel fuller for longer and promotes weight loss. Overall, healthy carbs can boost energy and stave off those mid-afternoon cravings.
If you want to modify your diet to promote weight loss, replacing simple carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates is a good place to start, even if that won’t change your macronutrient ratio.
Protein
Proteins are made up of amino acids, the building blocks of our bodies. An increase in protein can help build and repair bones and muscles, transport other nutrients throughout the body, and increase resting metabolism.
If you’re trying to lose weight and want to adjust your macronutrient ratio, increasing your protein intake is a possible measure you can consider. High-protein diets can reduce body weight and prevent you from gaining weight again by helping you feel full. Eating more protein can also lead to an increase in lean body mass (muscle tissue), which helps you burn more calories throughout the day.
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Fat
Dietary fats help our bodies absorb the vitamins we need. They also provide us with a concentrated dose of energy and help us feel full. But fats are high in calories, so moderation is essential.
If you’re on a weight loss journey, following the macronutrients assigned for fats can help you stay within limits and not overindulge. Because fats are high in calories, it can be easy to take in too many calories when you overindulge in fatty foods. However, healthy fats are key, as they contain unsaturated fats that are essential for our health. Any type of fat has nine calories in each gram, compared to the four calories found in a gram of carbohydrates or protein. Consuming fewer calories can help you reach a calorie deficit that leads to weight loss.
What is the ideal ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats?
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating within the following ranges:
- Carbohydrates: 45%–65% of calories
- Fat: 25%–35% of calories
- Protein: 10%–30% of calories
MyFitnessPal Default Goals
MyFitnessPal’s current default goals in the app are in line with dietary guidelines for Americans. Here’s how they break down: 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein.
These default goals are a starting point. To help you visualize some modest modifications you might consider making based on your individual goals, check out this table showing ranges that illustrate reducing calories from carbs and fat while increasing protein:
For those primarily interested in cutting calories from carbs, the recommended minimum range is 45% of daily calories. If you go below that, it can be difficult to get enough fiber (which also contributes to satiety). You may also feel sluggish throughout the day if you cut carbs too much.
Adjust your diet
The best macronutrient ratio for weight loss will depend on your personal goals, current health status, and activity levels. If you want to modify your current ratios, start slowly with modest modifications rather than drastically changing your diet.
Tracking your progress in the MyFitnessPal app can help you determine if your macro ratios are contributing to your results.
Want a weekly summary of your nutrition and tracking information? Get the weekly summary when you download the free MyFitnessPal app!
Frequently Asked Questions About Macronutrients
How to accurately track macros?
If you’re adjusting your macros, use a food tracking app to keep accurate records. MyFitnessPal makes it easy with a barcode scanner that instantly adds macro details to your food diary. We’ll also save your favorite meals, so you only have to enter nutritional information once.
The MyFitnessPal app also provides insights with visual graphs, percentages, and progress details to help you make smarter decisions.
Is it possible to lose weight without tracking macros?
There are many paths you can take on your weight loss journey, such as cutting calories to stay in a calorie deficit.
What if you are vegetarian or vegan?
There are plenty of plant-based options that will help you meet your protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake goals. Beans, tofu, peas, and lentils are packed with protein, while avocados, nuts, and seeds contain healthy fats. You can also get enough fiber and complex carbs from whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Bottom line: Adjust macronutrient ratios based on your goals
If it’s time to adjust your diet, tracking your macros for weight loss is a great place to start. While changing the ratio of your macros, particularly increasing protein, can help with weight loss, there’s no magic ratio that works for everyone.
Originally published April 9, 2020 | Updated September 17, 2024
The post Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat Ratio: The Role of Macronutrients in Weight Loss appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.
