Stop tracking your macros
You’ve heard of the term “macros”. All of the big fitness influencers track their macros, so you start thinking you should do the same…
You’ve heard of the term “macros”. All of the big fitness influencers track their macros, so you start thinking you should do the same. Literally, every time you open Instagram, there’s some dude, shredded out of their minds, trying to sell you on some “new” diet plan. If you’ve seen this guy, you know what I’m saying!
“Build the Hollywood Physique!”
“I’ll give you 10% off if you buy right now!”
This guy is the worst…
Maybe you’ve tried counting macros in the past. Maybe this is your first time considering counting macros. Deep down, you don’t care what you do. You just want the answer to your nutrition. You’re thinking, “what can I do to get shredded?”
I understand what it’s like to not know what you should do with your nutrition. Like you, I scoured the internet looking for the BEST nutrition plan out there. Here’s my conclusion about counting Macros…
Counting your macros is NOT the answer. Here are three reasons why counting macros is stupid.
Reason 1: It’s unsustainable!
If you think you can sustain tracking every single thing you put into your body, you are wrong.
It takes a very diligent person, with a TON of time on their hands, to come up with 3–4 meals that perfectly fit their percentages of 30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fat. Most of the time, the only people who can sustain the perfect macro percentages are those with a lot of free time or people who can afford a personal chef. I’m not kidding!
If you’re that person, that’s awesome. My dream is to have a personal chef one day who can make me meals that perfectly meet my macro percentages.
For the regular person trying to get shredded, don’t make yourself crazy. There’re easier ways to get shredded than pulling out your food scale in the middle of Chipotle and measuring every single piece of food in your burrito bowl.
Reason 2: Nutrition information is unreliable
All foods are required to have nutrition labels in accordance with the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA). BUT, did you know that the nutrition information is allowed to have margin of error of up to 20%!?
WHAT?! That’s a big percentage.
Even if you track your macros to a “T”, they’re still not entirely correct.
Macro-counters will measure everything with their little scales, but in the end, they don’t know EXACTLY what they are putting into their bodies. But, they still stress themselves out to hit specific percentages.
Reason 3: It can damage your social life
The easiest way to count macros is to cook your own meals. When you are cooking your own meals, you aren’t going out as much.
Food is a huge aspect of social life.
We go out. We eat food. We get drinks. We talk. We say stupid shit. We have a good time.
It’s very easy to get caught up in how diligent you are with your macros and diet. Don’t let it ruin your relationships.
Conclusion
So, counting macros is out. What should you do? Here’re three nutrition rules I live by. They are inspired by Ben Bergeron; arguably the greatest CrossFit coach of all time.
Every diet plan I’ve tried or researched abides by these rules. They are simple, and they will keep you lean.
Eat real food. If it grew from the ground or had eyes, you’re good.
Don’t eat too much. Don’t go back for seconds and don’t snack
Eat mostly plants. The nutritional value of plants is incomparable to all other foods. Not to mention, it’s very hard to overeat vegetables