4 Thoughts on Counting Macros
I had this question come to me recently and thought it was a really great question to dive into with you guys. What are my thoughts on macro counting? Macro counting, aka macronutrient counting, is very popular as an alternative to calorie counting. But just like calorie counting, counting macros prohibits you from listening to your body and can keep you stuck in some disordered eating and disordered thinking around food.I remember the first time I heard of macro counting. I was working as a nurse at my first job in Labor & Delivery and a bunch of other nurses were talking about their new-found love for counting macros. They swore by the benefits it yielded of weight loss, more energy...you know, everything people always say when trying a new way of eating.I looked into the app "IFYM" or if it fits your macros and was sooo overwhelmed! You were required to plug in everything you were eating during the day on the app or count it yourself. Needless to say I will admit I never tried counting macros.
1. COUNTING MACROS PREVENTS YOU FROM LISTENING TO YOUR BODY
Just like with calorie counting, counting macros prevents you from listening to your body. You have to tune out any signals of hunger or fullness or satiety and rely solely on what your macro number is at. If you've had too many carbohydrates already but you're craving pasta for dinner, too bad. If you've had to much fat but want avocado on a salad at dinner you have to do without.
Counting macros is just another form of dieting that can lead to all of the same negative effects of dieting... binging, lack of energy, lack of social interaction, preoccupied thoughts about eating, weight regain if weight is lost, etc. Unless you want to be counting macros the rest of your life and can keep that up, it's not a sustainable or healthy way to eat.
2. COUNTING MACROS WON'T FIX A POOR BODY IMAGE
Again, just like with any diet, counting macros will not fix a poor body image. In fact, it can just make it worse. It all boils down to this...weight is not the problem. In my experience, people start counting macros 9 times out of 10 for other reasons besides wanting to be healthy. They want to lose weight quickly, they want the control that comes with counting something, they want to be accepted in a fitness community, or they want to prove themselves to someone. Counting macros, though, will not fix the real problem which is a dissatisfaction with your body.
3. COUNTING MACROS PREVENTS YOU FROM ENJOYING HEALTHY SOCIAL INTERACTIONS
I said this above, but it's worth repeating. There is health benefit from being able to go to a party or get together with friends and not have to worry about whether or not you're able to find something that "fits" your macro count. If every time you eat something you're having to calculate the macronutrient ratio you inevitably add more stress onto your life. Also, if you're concerned with macro-content you may be likely to skip out on social gatherings all together or become anxious about going if you've already met your macro quota.
4. COUNTING MACROS LEADS TO GUILT AND SHAME AROUND FOOD
If you're able to stay within the macro count, then you may feel accomplished. But what if there's a day when you're unable to stick to the number and you go over out of pure hunger? With counting macros you have rules set up about how you should be eating and if you end up having to break those rules, chances are you are left with feelings of guilt or shame for not being able to "make it".
Flip side, if you do go over on macro counts, you may find yourself in "all or nothing" thinking which leads you to binge because, well, you'd already screwed up. Can you relate to any of these experiences with counting macros yourself? If so, I want you to know there's another way! And that is by learning to listen to your body, to lean into the signals it gives you with how to eat.
Does that peak your interest? You can learn all about intuitive eating for yourself with my free email course that walks you through each step. You can sign up for the course HERE.
I'd love to hear from you if you've had experience with counting macros? What has your experience been? Comment below!