How to calculate its “macros”?

 

Calculating your “macros” means knowing in percentage, grams or calories, the quantities of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates that our body needs for energy metabolism. It can sometimes be daunting trying to count calories and stick to macros. But knowing exactly what you're eating and using that information to eat even better is a good idea. If you decide to get started, you will need to arm yourself with a calculator, a scale and patience...

What are macronutrients?

Most of us know what calories are. That during a diet, the calculation of energy intake is an essential element whether it is a question of gaining muscle or losing fat. Although caloric intake is decisive when setting up a food plan, it is not the only and only element to take into account. If each food brings its share of energy (calories), the way in which this energy is transmitted to the organism can vary according to the speed at which this food is digested.

The 3 macro nutrients

Carbohydrates (sugars) => provide 4 calories per gram / fast digestion

Proteins (proteins) => provide 4 calories per gram / slow digestion

Lipids (fats) => provide 9 calories per gram / very slow digestion

These are the 3 macros that make up our diet and whose distribution plays an essential role in the balance of our dishes. In balanced proportions, they can have a slimming role, bring satiety, good energy and cover all the energy and nutritional needs for our body. In the wrong proportions, they can make you fat, create an energy deficit and deplete the body.

The other factor to consider

The index or glycemic index (GI) and digestion rate of a food

The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a food can raise blood sugar (glycaemia). The standard value being that of glucose, the value of which is the highest and corresponds to 100. With equal calories, two foods can have a different impact on blood sugar levels depending on their speed of digestion (glycemic index). This means that you can eat an identical number of calories and depending on the foods that are chosen, some will tend to make you fat and others to make you lose weight. As bizarre as it may seem, consuming 2000 Kcals/day can result in fat gain or weight loss for a chosen individual.

Example :

100 grams of protein make 400 kCal, the same for 100 grams of white sugar.

Protein is a slow digesting food and therefore has a low GI. It takes an average of 4 hours for a protein to be fully digested. It has no impact on the rise in blood sugar levels and therefore does not cause a spike in insulin, which is the hormone that manages blood glucose levels by transforming excess into fat.

White sugar takes a few minutes to enter the blood. Ingested in too large quantities, it causes an insulin spike which transforms this sugar into bad fat which will be difficult to dislodge afterwards. Both fast and slow carbohydrates have a higher glycemic index than protein. These are the fats that have the lowest GI and despite their high caloric intake, do not affect blood sugar levels.