How to Track Macros for Beginners
Need to Know:
Macronutrients, or macros, are the building blocks of nutrition. By tracking carbohydrates, fat, and protein, you ensure that your body is getting the nutrition it needs to function at its best.
Macro tracking calculators, spreadsheets, and smartphone apps can make the macro tracking process easier and more effective.
Beginners may choose to track one macro, such as protein, when first starting out to gently ease into a macro tracking lifestyIe.
Learning how to track macros can make a big difference in your pursuit to reach fitness or weight goals. Setting targets for protein, fat, and carbohydrate grams will help ensure that your body has the proper nutrition necessary for effective workouts, building muscle, optimal recovery, and elevated energy throughout the day. You can also use macro tracking to boost weight loss, brain health, and longevity.
What Are Macros? A Nutrition Primer
Tracking macros helps you ensure you get enough of each macronutrient. Strong evidence supports a macro-based eating style. In fact, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Nutrients, “a healthy diet is one in which macronutrients are consumed in appropriate proportions to support energetic and physiologic needs…” (1)
But before you start a macro diet, it is helpful to have a solid understanding of what a macronutrient is. The word “macro” is short for macronutrient. Macros are nutrients that are required in large amounts in the diet. Your body needs three macronutrients: protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Fat provides energy, insulates your body, and protects your organs. Fatty foods include avocado, oils, butter, and cheese. Each gram of fat provides 9 calories.
Protein is made of amino acids and provides structure to hair, skin, nails, bone, and, importantly, to muscle. Protein-rich foods include poultry, fish, beef, eggs, and tofu. Each gram of protein provides 4 calories
Carbohydrates or carbs are your body’s preferred energy source. Healthy carbohydrate foods include fruits, vegetables, grains, and foods made from grains. Each gram of carbohydrate provides 4 calories.
Many new macro trackers wonder about the difference between tracking macros and tracking calories. In fact, when you track macros, you are tracking calories because each macronutrient provides calories or energy for the body. But counting macros provides benefits that go beyond simple calorie counting. Reaching your macro targets helps you to target specific health or fitness goals (like building muscle, training for endurance, or losing weight), while tracking calories simply ensures that you get enough energy to function each day.
How to Track Macros: A 3-Step Guide
1. Calculate Your Targets
Before you start tracking macros, you need to set personalized targets for each macronutrient based on your goals. You will also need to know how many calories to consume each day. The easiest way to do this is by using the Coach My Macros Daily Macros Calculator. The calculator will provide calorie targets as well as gram-specific targets for fat, protein, and carbohydrate.
If you use the calculator to learn your targets, you can skip ahead to Step 2.
You can also calculate your targets manually. You’ll start by using the Mifflin-St. Jour equation to establish your resting metabolic rate or RMR. This is the number of calories you need to maintain basic bodily functions each day. To do the math, you’ll need to input your age, height, and current weight. The equation is different for men and for women:
For men:
(10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5 = RMR
For women:
(10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161 = RMR
To determine how many total calories you need each day, you’ll also need to factor in your activity level:
Sedentary: BMR x 1.2 (little to no exercise)
Lightly Active: BMR x 1.375 (exercise 1-3 days/week)
Moderately Active: BMR x 1.55 (exercise 3-5 days/week)
Very Active: BMR x 1.725 (exercise 6-7 days/week)
Extra Active: BMR x 1.9 (very hard exercise/physical job)
The final result is an estimate of the total number of calories you should consume each day to maintain your current weight. Make adjustments as needed.
To lose weight, reduce your total caloric intake by about 500 calories per day
To gain weight, increase your total caloric intake by about 500 calories per day or more.
Once you have a total daily calorie “budget,” you need to determine how much to “spend” on each macronutrient.
Prior to 2026, the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services provided recommendations about the amount of each macronutrient to consume. According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), adults should consume 20-35% of their daily calories from fat, 45-65% of calories from carbohydrates, and 10-35% of calories from protein.(2) For tracking purposes, you’ll need to translate each percentage into a number of grams.
For example, if you are going to consume 2000 calories per day with a macro breakdown of 50% carbs, 20% fat, and 30% protein, your numbers will look like this:
For carbohydrates:
2000 calories × 50% = 1000 calories
1000 ÷ 4 grams = 250 grams of carbohydrate each day
For fat:
2000 calories × 20% = 400 calories
400 ÷ 9 grams = 44 grams of fat each day
For protein:
2000 calories × 30% = 600 calories
600 ÷ 4 grams = 150 grams of protein each day
Regarding protein, the newer 2025-2030 guidelines provide a more specific guideline for protein.(3) The guidelines suggest that you should consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For most people, this will fall on the higher side of the 10% to 35% recommended range provided by previous guidelines.
2. Choose a Tracking Method
The next step is to choose how you will tally your nutrient grams each day. You can either use a smartphone app (such as MyFitnessPal, LoseIt! or Carb Manager) or download a spreadsheet to use as a food diary. There are pros and cons to each method.
An app is handy and convenient because you are likely to have your smartphone handy each time you eat. But apps don’t always provide accurate information regarding nutrition data for various foods. A spreadsheet or food diary requires more work because you need to input food manually. But if you use resources like food labels or the USDA FoodData Central, you are likely to get more accurate data.
At each meal, use your app or spreadsheet to input nutrient information for each food or beverage you consume. To ensure accuracy, follow a few tips:
Weigh foods properly. Keep a digital scale handy to get more precise data.
Use nutrition labels or barcodes. Many apps allow you to scan a barcode on a food package which makes macro tracking super simple. If yours doesn’t, make sure you use the nutrition label on food packages as your go-to source for accurate numbers.
Be mindful of cooking oils, sauces, and dressings. Even though the amounts used may be minimal, these are common sources of fat that can make a big impact on your daily fat and calorie intake.
3. Be Consistent and Make Adjustments as Needed
Do your best to reach your daily macro targets for each nutrient. But remember, you don’t have to be perfect to gain the benefits of a macro diet. Consistency matters far more than perfection.
In order to reach daily macro targets more precisely, many macro trackers plan meals in advance. You can either prep the meals ahead of time or simply decide what they will eat beforehand. Advance planning allows you to input and evaluate your macro numbers for the following day (or week!) and make adjustments as needed.
For instance, let’s say that for the following day you plan a healthy low-calorie high-protein breakfast, a hearty bowl of high-protein soup for lunch, and a pasta meal for dinner. You input all of the foods into your app or spreadsheet and realize that you will fall short of your desired protein grams for the day. Having this information in advance helps you to make adjustments. For example, you can add an extra egg to your breakfast and a chicken breast to your pasta dinner to help boost your protein grams and reach your target.
Planning meals in advance also takes the guesswork and decision-making out of the picture. If you plan meals in advance, you just grab the foods that you prepped and/or decided on previously. Having the decisions made ahead of time helps many people make better food choices overall.
Other Ways to Track Macros for Beginners
For some people, tracking all three macros is too much when they are first starting out. These three alternate methods allow you to start small and build on your program as you feel comfortable. Evaluate all three and decide which one is best for you. Or better yet, start with method number one and gradually transition to methods two and three before taking on a full macro diet plan. It’s a great way to get a head start on healthy eating.
The Macro Plate Method
If you don’t like counting grams or calories, this method is for you. It simply involves consuming each macro at every meal or snack and using your plate to guide your food choices.
You may be familiar with the MyPlate program that was developed several years ago by the USDA. You can use this method to choose foods and plan meals.
If you use this general design to add foods to your plate, you are likely to consume a macro-balanced meal. Fruits, vegetables, and grains all provide carbohydrates, and some also provide protein and small amounts of fat. Protein is accounted for on the plate, and that is where you’ll place lean meats or plant-based proteins like tofu or beans. But you might be wondering why there is no space designated for fat.
You’ll get fat naturally from many foods you consume, like meat or dairy products. You might also use fat to prepare your food. For example, you may add a small amount of oil to your pan to saute vegetables, or you might toss leafy greens with an olive oil vinaigrette. So there is no need to make a special effort to add fat to your meal.
The plate method is a great first step if you’re a beginning-level macro tracker. It gets you accustomed to ensuring balanced nutrition at each meal.
Track a Single Macro
Many seasoned macro-trackers prioritize protein. Studies suggest that adequate protein (up to 3 grams per kilogram of body weight per day or more) is essential for gaining muscle alongside a strength training program.(5) But if you are tracking macros for weight loss, protein is also important. Studies show that getting more protein in your diet helps to preserve muscle mass when cutting calories for fat loss.(6)
So, when you are first starting your macro diet, you may simply want to count protein grams each day. Set a target for yourself based on your goals. Divide that number by the number of meals you consume each day and aim to reach your target at each meal.
Not sure where to start? New dietary guidelines suggest getting 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. (3) Previous guidelines suggested at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you typically don’t consume protein-rich foods (like lean meat, dairy, beans, nuts, or fish) then that number may be the best starting point. But if you already consume protein foods regularly, you might want to use the newer numbers. The International Society of Sports Nutrition states that 1.6 grams of protein per gram of body weight per day is adequate to help promote favorable muscle adaptations to exercise training.(7)
Keep in mind, however, that you don’t need to track protein as your primary macro. Are you a runner? A cyclist? If you participate in endurance activities, you may want to track carbs to ensure that you have enough energy to fuel workouts. The nutrition experts at the USDA suggest that 45-65% of your daily calories come from carbs.(2)
Shoot for Ranges Rather than Specific Targets
Once you feel comfortable getting all three macros at every meal and targeting one macro as a priority, you’re probably ready to address all three macros. But you don’t have to be exact or precise with the amounts to gain benefits. In fact, the 2020-2025 DGA suggested ranges for each macro that you can use when first starting out. Again, those ranges are:
10% — 35% of calories from protein
45% — 65% of calories from carbohydrates
20% — 35% of your calories from fat
You’ll want to use an app to track your food intake. Then, at the end of the day, check to see where you consumed your calories. Did your macros fall into the ranges suggested above? Many apps provide this data without you having to do any additional math.
At this stage of the game, you’re probably ready to explore more advanced macro diet methods. If you haven’t done so already, pick up a copy of Macro Diet for Dummies. It will serve as your go-to resource on macro tracking for years to come. You’ll find solutions for travel, eating in restaurants, meal prep, recipes, and more.
How Long to See Macro Tracking Results?
If you are consistent in reaching your macro targets on a daily basis, you are likely to see results in 10 days to two weeks. But it many also depend on why you are tracking your macros. People who are trying to lose weight can see results in a couple of weeks, but will see greater momentum after three to four weeks. If you are tracking macros to gain muscle mass, your success will depend on how effective your weight training program is. Expect to see muscle gains and improvements in strength in two to three weeks with consistent workouts and protein intake.
If you are not seeing the results you desire, go back to step one and recalculate your numbers. Sometimes it takes a few weeks of trial and error before you find the best macro ratios for you.
And finally, remember that once you’re well into your macro tracking journey, it’s fine to dial back every once in a while and use one of these beginner macro tracking methods. It can help to give you a break from counting grams every day and help to keep your program sustainable.
Sources:
Cena H, Calder PC. Defining a healthy diet: evidence for the role of contemporary dietary patterns in health and disease. Nutrients. 2020;12(2):334. doi:10.3390/nu12020334
USDA What Is MyPlate?
Jäger, R., Kerksick, C.M., Campbell, B.I. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 14, 20 (2017). doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
Carbone JW, Pasiakos SM. Dietary protein and muscle mass: translating science to application and health benefit. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1136. doi:10.3390/nu11051136
Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, Cribb PJ, Wells SD, Skwiat TM, Purpura M, Ziegenfuss TN, Ferrando AA, Arent SM, Smith-Ryan AE, Stout JR, Arciero PJ, Ormsbee MJ, Taylor LW, Wilborn CD, Kalman DS, Kreider RB, Willoughby DS, Hoffman JR, Krzykowski JL, Antonio J. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 20;14:20. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8.