When, Why & How Do I Change My Macros?

This is a follow up blog to https://www.awpthub.com/how-do-i-calculate-my-macros/. So If you haven’t read that blog please do so as it will make this post easier to understand.

Now the macro numbers you have calculated after reading my previous blog are NOT set in stone. This is where you will have to adjust the numbers according to several factors. If you feel that you are not losing body fat then you may be eating too much AND/OR not moving enough. If this is the case then you have 2 choices. You can either reduce the amount of calories that you are eating in your diet OR you can up the amount of calories that you are burning on a daily basis.

1) REDUCING CALORIES:

Remember that if you are going to reduce the amount of food that you are eating in an attempt to lose more body fat do it slowly. I recommend reducing your carbohydrate amount at first as it will be the macro where you have the most room for adjustment. Try to take away just 10 grams of carbs a day at first. If you start losing the weight you wanted don’t remove any more calories from your diet as your body is already responding. If after a week of reducing 10g of carbs a day doesn’t have an effect on your body drop a further 10g of carbs a day. Adjust each week until you are happy with the weight loss and then maintain the amount of calories keeping your activity levels the same.

2) BURNING MORE CALORIES:

This is obviously more self explanatory but you need to MOVE MORE! This can be done quite simply by adding in an extra 30 minutes of walking each day. You could also add 10 minutes of cardio before and/or after your workout. These are simple and easy ways to do more work without it taking over your life. If you only exercise twice a week with a resistance session then think about adding a third workout. You could also be more active on your days off from the gym. Go for a bike ride, a swim or a hike. This will be low impact exercise that won’t hamper your recovery but will increase your calorie burn!

HOW TO MONITOR PROGRESS:

Measure progress with how your clothes fit, how you look in the mirror, how your energy levels are each day, how you are sleeping and how you are performing in your workouts. If these are all moving the the right direction then DON’T CHANGE ANYTHING. If you are unhappy with these measurements then adjust accordling all be it very slowly using the information above.

One final point before I finish this post, please remember that everyone is unique when it comes to calorie requirements. You need food for fuel and if you lead a highly active life then you probably need to eat MORE than you think you do. Try not to be scared of eating to fuel workouts and try not to over train and under eat. It is a recipe for disaster and WON’T help you get that dream body, it WILL lead you feeling fatigued, grumpy and unhappy. On the other side of the coin, if you are largely over weight and you are not seeing results then you are more than likely eating too much and/or not moving enough. It really is that simple!