"Macros" is short for macronutrients, which refers to the total amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates (carbs) and calories. Counting macros is used in the dieting practice of If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM), a plan that consists of eating whatever you want, as long as you adhere to your macronutrient goals
When people think of dieting, the first thing they usually think of is changing what they eat. "Dieting" has long been associated with "eating healthy" or, as bodybuilders term it, "eating clean". But this is not the focus with eating a macro based diet.
While eating healthy food obviously has benefits, you don't have to eat healthy to lose weight. Unless you have a medical condition, you lose weight by eating fewer calories than you expend. While some research has shown that the source of those calories can matter, it's in fact a very very small impact. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.
Here's the basis of a macro based diet:
1. Know how many calories your body burns in an average day. This is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
2. Calculate your macros based on whether you're cutting, maintaining, or bulking
3. Split those calories up between fat, protein and carbs in a ratio that is most beneficial for muscle preservation and fat loss without a drop in daily energy. Typical numbers might be half a gram to a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, with the remaining calories split between fat and carbs.
One thing to be aware of is the overwhelming amount of sodium in most fast food. While the occasional fast food meal is not going to do harm, too much sodium in your diet can have adverse health effects, the main one being high blood pressure. The recommended daily allowance of sodium is 2,300mg per day. As an example, the Italian with Grilled Chick Salad sub from Firehouse Subs has 2,330mgs of sodium, more than the USRDA!
There are some cool tables below:
The top 10 foods listed by total grams of protein
Restaurant | Food Item | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Calories | Sodium |
Zaxby's | 20 Buffalo Fingerz, no sauce | 179 | 158 | 61 | 2370 | 8660 |
Zaxby's | 20 Chicken Fingerz | 177 | 142 | 75 | 2270 | 9810 |
Zaxby's | 20 Buffalo Wings, no sauce | 122 | 118 | 7 | 1570 | 2140 |
Sonic Drive-In | Asian Sweet Chili Boneless Wings, 24 | 119 | 84 | 246 | 2210 | 8250 |
Culver's | Fried Chicken Dinner, 4 piece, no roll | 115 | 57 | 45 | 1140 | 3130 |
Sonic Drive-In | Honey BBQ Boneless Wings, 24 | 114 | 84 | 199 | 2040 | 6000 |
Zaxby's | Wings and Things, Large | 92 | 124.3 | 148.2 | 2081 | 4556 |
Zaxby's | 10 Buffalo Fingerz, no sauce | 88 | 77.6 | 30.7 | 1171 | 4289 |
Zaxby's | 10 Chicken Fingerz | 87 | 69.6 | 36.7 | 1131 | 4869 |
Quiznos | Italian Meatball, 12", no dressing | 85 | 77.5 | 116 | 1470 | 3430 |
The top 10 foods listed by the number of calories per gram of protein
Restaurant | Food Item | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Calories | Cal/Protein | Sodium |
Jimmy John's | Turkey Slim Unwich | 14 | 0.5 | 1 | 60 | 4.3 | 530 |
PDQ | Grilled Chicken Tenders, 5ct | 49 | 2 | 0 | 210 | 4.3 | 1420 |
PDQ | Grilled Chicken Tenders, 3ct | 30 | 1 | 0 | 130 | 4.3 | 850 |
PDQ | Grilled Chicken Tenders, 4ct | 39 | 1.5 | 0 | 170 | 4.4 | 1130 |
PDQ | Grilled Chicken Tenders, 2ct | 20 | 1 | 0 | 90 | 4.5 | 570 |
El Pollo Loco | Chicken Breast, Skinless | 40 | 3.5 | 0 | 180 | 4.5 | 560 |
Moe's | Fish (Junior) | 9 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 4.6 | 21 |
Moe's | Fish | 12 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 4.6 | 28 |
YaYa's | Breast, skinless | 32.5 | 4 | 0 | 153 | 4.7 | 397 |
Boston Market | Skinless Chicken Breast bowl, no sauce | 27 | 1.5 | 0 | 130 | 4.8 | 280 |
The top 10 foods listed by the least amount of sodium per gram of protein for foods with 5 or more grams of protein (lower is better)
Restaurant | Food Item | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Calories | Sodium | Sodium/Protein |
Panda Express | Brown Steamed Rice | 9 | 4 | 86 | 420 | 15 | 1.67 |
Moe's | Fish | 12 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 28 | 2.33 |
Moe's | Fish (Junior) | 9 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 21 | 2.33 |
Five Guys | Bunless Hamburger | 32 | 34 | 0 | 440 | 100 | 3.13 |
Five Guys | Bunless Little Burger | 16 | 17 | 0 | 220 | 50 | 3.13 |
Wendy's | Sour Cream and Chive Baked Potato | 8 | 2.5 | 63 | 310 | 35 | 4.38 |
PDQ | PDQ Burger (lettuce wrap, no sauce) | 19 | 33 | 2 | 390 | 85 | 4.47 |
Starbucks | Cherry Yogurt Parfait | 14 | 7 | 39 | 280 | 70 | 5.00 |
Starbucks | Blueberries and Honey Yogurt Parfait | 14 | 2.5 | 42 | 240 | 100 | 7.14 |
Boston Market | Swiss Cheese | 6 | 6 | 0 | 80 | 45 | 7.50 |
The top 10 foods listed by the least amount of sodium per calorie (lower is better)
Restaurant | Food Item | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Calories | Sodium/Calorie | Sodium |
Panda Express | Brown Steamed Rice | 9 | 4 | 86 | 420 | 0.04 | 15 |
Tijuana Flats Burrito Builder | Jalapenos | 0.1 | 0 | 0.3 | 2 | 0.05 | 0.1 |
Potbelly | Avocado | 1 | 5 | 3 | 44 | 0.07 | 3 |
Tijuana Flats Burrito Builder | Grilled Onions | 0.3 | 0 | 3.4 | 15 | 0.07 | 1.1 |
Tijuana Flats Burrito Builder | Diced Onions | 0.3 | 0 | 3.4 | 15 | 0.07 | 1.1 |
Tijuana Flats Burrito Builder | Grilled Peppers | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 8 | 0.11 | 0.9 |
Wendy's | Sour Cream and Chive Baked Potato | 8 | 2.5 | 63 | 310 | 0.11 | 35 |
Potbelly | Mushrooms | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.17 | 1 |
PDQ | PDQ Burger (lettuce wrap, no sauce) | 19 | 33 | 2 | 390 | 0.22 | 85 |
Five Guys | Bunless Hamburger | 32 | 34 | 0 | 440 | 0.23 | 100 |