Why is Tracking MACROS Imperative to Body Composition Change?
“Abs are made in the kitchen.”
“You cannot outrun a bad diet.”
Do these phrases sound familiar?
Hopefully they do, because they are one hundred percent correct! Exercise and physical activity are definitely necessary to maintain good health. It is your nutrition though, that trumps all when it comes to your body composition and how well you function.
You can probably understand why we know that flexible dieting/nutrition (i.e. “tracking macros”) is essential for sustained weight loss and the increase of lean muscle mass. In order to decrease body fat you must create a calorie deficit. Simply put, you have to burn more calories than you eat.
Well then, I can just do tons of cardio and move around a lot and I will lose weight, right? Wrong!
It has been shown that marathon runners burn 2,600 calories during their 26-mile endeavor. Good luck trying to do that every single day when a pound of fat comprised of 3,500 calories! Tracking your macros and setting proper macro-nutrient ranges so that you are eating just the right amount of food is absolutely essential.
The goal is not to eat so little that you slow down your metabolism and create even more health issues. The trick is to eat just the right amount! And enjoy what your eating; thus the benefits of flexible nutrition!