Category: All Things Macros

The Basics

So let’s start with answering what exactly is Protein? And why does is seem SO important in the health & fitness industry?

Protein is a macronutrient and macronutrients are nutrients that provide our bodies energy aka calories to live and thrive! Protein specifically has 4 calories per gram, which is why something like egg whites which is 25g of protein per cup, will be 100 calories for that cup. Because 4×25=100

Many of our bodies cells & muscles are made up of proteins. This is why when they are damaged (like when sick or when exercised) it’s important to replenish them so that our damaged cells & muscles can be repaired. The fact that help build and repair muscles is the main reason the fitness industry is so hyped on it!

How Much Do We Need for Health?

Even for those who aren’t into fitness, protein is an essential nutrient so the USDA protein recommendations are .7g per lb of body of body weight on the average adult individual because of proteins important role in cell functions which also aids in us making sure we feel our best by being able to grow and fight off illness. Ex: 150 lb individual should be consuming at least 105g of protein.

For those who strength train, the recommendation for fitness coaches varies because more muscle fibers are being constantly broken down when working out so they more protein is needed to help repair those. The recommendation for fit individuals can vary with 1g per lb of body weight to 1g per lb of lean body mass(meaning weight that isn’t fat). The latter is more meant for those who have a higher BF% and will likely find it too difficult to hit a protein goal in grams of their weight. As a macro coach, I will typically go between these 2 numbers based on an individuals exercise routine and lifestyle but I almost always make sure to have someone’s macro set at .7g per lb of body weight. Ex: 130 lb fit individual would have maybe 120-130g of protein goal.

The exception would be for those who may have a higher body weight and are used to consuming very little protein. If I have a client who is over 200 lbs, .7g would be 140g of protein but they may only be used to having 70g/day. I would then likely set their goal around 100g and then try to build from there.

Why Is It Important for Weight Loss?

Besides repairing cells, protein is important because of how slowly it is broken down/digested in the body which leads to us feeling satiated longer than if we just had a meal without it.

Think: Have you ever had a high carb meal or snack (ex: bagel, donut, oatmeal, pasta, pizza, bean & rice burrito, ice cream, candy, etc.) and felt hungry an hour or two later? Try pairing any of those examples with a serving of lean protein and see how much longer you feel full!

Knowing that protein helps with staying fuller longer, directly aids in weight loss because it can make being in a calorie deficit more manageable. A calorie deficit is when you are focusing on consuming less calories than your body is expending which means that it will burn off fat/weight to use as energy vs calories that we consume. And I should note that when excess calories are consumed then they are stored as body fat OR muscle if you are strength training.

So we can understand that being in a calorie deficit is necessary for fat loss BUT being in a deficit can be hard! Because being hungry can make us have little energy and for real weight loss results, staying in a deficit for an extended period of time (at least 4 weeks) if needed. But if you’re feeling constantly hungry then it can make seem impossible to be able to stick to a lower calorie intake. BUT this is why protein is important! Like I noted above, protein is SO satiating! So adding a serving (20-30g) at each snack or meal can make sticking with lower calories feel much easier because you won’t feel as hungry.

Ok, but what about Fat Loss?

Sticking to a calorie deficit is NEEDED for weight loss, and if you have a adequate protein intake then you can be more sure that any weight lost is fat vs lean muscle. This is VERY important because the more muscle you have, the leaner you will look(regardless of the scale) AND the more calories you will be able to burn throughout the day because muscle is takes more calories to maintain than fat.

Protein Examples:

Chicken Breast, Lean Steak, Pork Tenderloin, Turkey Breast, White Fish, Canned Tuna in Water, Egg Whites, NF Greek Yogurt, NF Cottage Cheese, Protein Powder

Vegan Options: Lentils, Edamame, Tofu, Chickpeas

Protein Ideas:

Here’s some posts I have on way & yummy ways to get in protein! Tap the photo to head to the original instagram post for more tasty protein deets!

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Need help with reaching your fitness goals with enjoyment and balance from a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist? Check out my Coaching Services which range from me just setting up what your protein needs are with a Macro Calculation and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth 1:1 Coaching that involves 24/7 email access to me and weekly check-ins.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.

This is not a post about how to track your Thanksgiving dinner (though you essentially could with this method if you wanted to) & this isn’t a post about how this is what a Thanksgiving’s plate “should” look like. This is a post about what a typical Thanksgiving plate may look like & how you can use your hand as a guide for enjoying portions that make you feel fueled & not overly stuffed. Because if you’re someone who tracks macros or normally tries to watch what you’re eating in order to lose or maintain weight, it can be a VERY slippery slope to go into a meal that you don’t plan on tracking & not overdo it.

Take me at Thanksgiving 3 years ago, I was still in my “clean eating is life” mentality, so I was choosing “clean” foods for my dinner & had made my own sides: mashed cauliflower, bland green beans, & turkey with no gravy, & thought since my dinner was “clean” then I could have some dessert…when dessert came around, guess who had 1 piece of every type of dessert equaling probably a whole pie & gave herself stomach cramps 🙋🏼I did this because I was constantly being restrictive with my food & not enjoying foods I liked because I thought they were “bad/unhealthy” but then would find myself excessively overeating them when they would come around at a event. I wouldn’t call that type of behavior healthy at all, & luckily now I know that ALL foods CAN be enjoyed with proper balanced portions 👌(& I have a pie post coming later too)

So now I approach most meals by enjoying a little bit of everything in the right moderation. I don’t need to have more than half a cup (if that) of anything to enjoy the taste of it & the experience. In reality it’s not going to get better tasting the more I eat it.

Note that portions size vs hand size can vary from person to person, so try out this method ahead of time for accuracy👍

And for anyone feeling stressed about Thanksgiving or if after you feel like you overdid, DO NOT beat yourself up about it! If you’re averaging 3 meals a day that’s 21 meals a week, 1 meal out of 21 is NOT going to ruin all progress. Just get back to the plan on Friday 🤗❤️💪

And for those wondering about pie, typical serving of pie is 113g (about a cup and about the size of my fist) macros for this Apple pie 🍎(my fav) sharing the macros vs giving a serving suggestion because pie enjoyment can vary for everyone! But I think knowing what the macros are can be helpful for deciding what size portion will leave you feeling your best!

Other pies:
🎃Pumpkin: 300 kcal 6P/42C/12F
🍒Cherry: 300 kcal 3P/36C/17F
🍑Peach: 280 kcal 3P/31C/17F
🍏Dutch Apple: 320 3P/45C/14F

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Need help with setting up a training and/or nutrition plan that can work WITH YOUR LIFE? This is my speciality! I love to show women how they can truly reach their fitness goals without giving up their lives! Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves 24/7 email access to me and weekly check-ins.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.

Counting Macros is like a daily puzzle where you get to play with what you will eat that may to fuel your body and goals! And some people LOVE puzzles while others don’t! I LOVE puzzles which is why I coach Macros and share all of my experiences, as well as create Meal Ideas based on an Individuals Macros so that they don’t have to do that puzzle themselves😅😉

BUT ultimately, learning how to fuel your body yourself will make it easier for you to get results you can keep! And it’s important to know the more you practice the EASIER hitting your Macros gets!

One of the biggest learning curves with Macros is how to fill up a certain Macronutrient after you’ve already started building a meal.

You could have a dinner with chicken, veggies, and potato, but realize you’re really low on fat. OR you could be maybe having quick frozen dinner that’s pretty low on protein. OR you could be having a salad and realize you should probably add in some carbs🤔

Below I’ve listed EASY ways to add in certain types of foods so that you can hit your Macros spot on! Most examples are showing a type of Protein, Carb, or Fat that are high in that Macronutrient and very low in the others, so that you can add in Protein, Carbs, or Fats depending on what you need without going way over on the other Macros.

Get the full details on how to Easily Add in Protein here!

Get the full details on how to Easily Add in Carbs here!

Get the full details on how to Easily Add in Fats here!

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Need help with reaching your fitness goals or learning how to accurately hit your Macros? Check out my coaching services which range from me setting up custom Macros and Training Programs to Macros with Meal Ideas to more in-depth 1:1 Coaching that involves 24/7 email access to me and weekly check-ins.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience. This information is shared with the intent to be helpful.

Tracking macros while eating out can feel overwhelming BUT most fast food restaurants are required to have calories/nutrition information easily accessible and on their websites! So anytime you go anywhere that you know has more than 5 locations, google the restaurants name with “nutrition info” or “nutrition pdf” or “nutrition calculator” and likely something WILL pop up!

OK, BUT you may be wondering that you find something you want but the macros are a little insane and you’re wondering how to adjust the meal to be more Macro Friendly and then how do you track those adjustments? I’ll explain how EASY this can truly be!

First: How to make a meal more Macro Friendly

I talk about this more in my “Mindful Eating Tips at Restaurants” blog post, but a few similar guidelines I like to follow for easy tracking & keeping it macro friendly:
•Choose a lean vs fried or breaded protein
•Choose 1-2 fat sources if a dish comes with multiple (Ex: Cheese, sour cream, nuts, guacamole, dressing)
•Stick with 1 full serving carb source or mix & match based on preference. 1 full carb source serving would be about 40-60g of carbs (ex: 3-4 taco tortillas, 1 bun, 1 cup fries, 1 cup rice, 1 cup beans, 1 large burrito tortillas, 20 chips) (or have 1/2 of each of these)

Second: How to Adjust a Meal you want based on these tips

After reading through that, let me show my real life example of how I adjusted a Wendy’s Southwest Salad to fit my Macros and still be satisfying!

The salad originally is marked with being at 41g of fat which is WAY over the 10-20g I try to stick with for most meals! The fat sources in this meal are cheese, dressing, bacon, and guacamole.

I asked myself what fat sources sounded good to me that I wanted to keep in🤔 I decided I wanted bacon and was fine with just a little avocado and dressing and I was fine with ditching the cheese.

The salad comes with 1 oz pepper jack cheese, 2 dressing packets, and 2 scoops avocado. I was planning to keeping in 1/2 a dressing packet and 1 scoop avocado, so I decided to search for the macros in My Fitness Pal for 1 oz cheese, 25g avocado (which I’m guessing is a scoop), and 1.5 of the dressing packets (since I was only going to use 1/2). Then I was given the total of what I was NOT going to be having from the original macros so I could subtract that and get the new macros for the meal

Finally: How to Enter New Meal Macros in MFP

SUPER easy to add in new meal macros and save them for the future!

Did you find this post helpful? Comment below or contact me 

Need help with setting up your maintenance calories and/or doing a reverse diet and want guidance with macros/nutrition and/or personal training from me, a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist? Check out my coaching serviceswhich range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves 24/7 email access to me and weekly check-ins.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.