Counting macros for beginners

Macros — short for macronutrients — are the protein, carbohydrates and fat in your food. Counting them gives you more detail than calories alone.

How macros make up calories

Every gram of each macro provides a set amount of energy:

Protein: 4 calories per gram
Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram
Fat: 9 calories per gram

Why each one matters

Protein helps build and repair muscle and keeps you feeling full. Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. Fat is needed for absorbing some vitamins and for overall health. A balance of all three works best for most people.

Getting started

You don't need to be perfect from day one.

Start by logging what you normally eat for a week, without changing anything.
Look at your totals and set a sensible daily target for each macro.
Make one change at a time, such as adding protein to breakfast.
Use food labels and a kitchen scale for the foods you eat most often.

Make it quicker

The hardest part of counting macros is logging every meal. Loggah lets you snap a photo of your food to log calories, protein, carbs and fat in seconds.

This guide is general information, not medical advice.

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