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Let's say you're looking at a nutrition label and you see that a specific food item has x-amount of calories and the macros look something like this:
Protein: 15 grams
Carbs: 16 grams
Fats: 6 grams
You might think to yourself, "WTF mate? Why are the macros listed, but the calories aren't" Well, my good friend the chance of this happening in the actual store is pretty much impossible, but today I want to help you understand macro counting, so that if you ever need to know the macro/calorie breakdown of a food you'll be able to find it out. When you know the total grams of macronutrients, you can figure out the total calories in foods pretty easily. Now, before we dive into calories let's go over the three macronutrients and their roles in the body. (We're going to keep it simple and basic, but if you're looking for a more detailed breakdown of these then be sure to check out our e-book, LTG Nutrition!)
In our diet the three macronutrients are body uses are: protein, carbohydrates, & fats. Protein helps with growth & maintenance of body tissues, syntheiszing hormones, maintain electrolyte balance, satiety (feeling full), and a little bit of energy production. Carbohydrates add bulk to our diet (think fiber), aids in digestion, provides energy, & helps with brain function. Lastly, fats protect our organs, provide energy, helps deliver nutrients, maintains body temp., and helps with satiety & brain function.
Now that you know the different macros and their roles in our body, let's go over how many calories are in each macro.
Protein = 4 calories/gram
Carbs = 4 calories/gram
Fats = 9 calories/gram
Once you know the calories per gram in a food/macros; you can do a little multiplication and find out the total calories! PS You can also reverse the equation with a little division to find out the total grams of a macro in a food, but first let's finish this. So, going back to our food from the top we will have:
Protein = 15 (grams) x 4 = 60 calories
Carbs = 16 (grams) x 4 = 64 calories
Fats = 6 (grams) x 9 = 54 calories
TOTAL Calories = 178 calories
BOOM! You now know the total calories in the given food. Easy right? So, to finish up let's pretend we don't know the carbs in a given food, but we do know calories and total grams of protein and fat. Using the same nutrition breakdowns from above it would look like this:
Calories = 178
Protein = 15 grams (60 calories)
Carbs = Unknown
Fats = 6 grams (54 calories)
All you have to do is add your protein and fat calories together, which would give us 114. From there subtract 114 from 178, which would give you 64. Lastly, take 64 and divide by 4 (because you already know there are 4 calories per gram in carbohydrates). That would give you 16 grams of carbohhydrates.
Figuring out the macros in a food is a little more complicated, but as you can see, it still isn't too bad. Like anything else, the more you practice counting macros/calroies, the better you get and the easier it gets. Looking for an easy way to practice? Make up an imaginary food in your mind and write out the macros. From there do your multiplication and figure out the total calories. Remember, you can reverse it all and do a little division to find out macros👍🏽. Hope that helps to clear up any questions you had about calorie/macro counting, but if there is anything else, don't hesitate to reachout by emailing: info@awayathletics.com and I'll answer any questions you may have!
Disclaimer: The health information provided in this blog is provided for general informational and educational purposes only, and is not a substitute for professional health advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based on such information, we encourage you to consult with your doctor or other medical/healthcare professional. The use or reliance of any information contained on this site (www.awayathletics.com) is solely at your own risk.