Macros Reframed


#1

It seems that to lots of folks ‘macros’ mean eating to arbitrary numbers determined by some online app or other dieting advice. To the extent that such macro numbers are divorced from one’s personal experience and/or goals I agree they are probably not very useful. At worst, they may be counter-productive.

To me, in its broadest sense ‘macros’ simply means deciding when, what and how much of it to eat. Even the admonition to ’keep carbs sub 20 grams per day and eat to satiety’ is a macro. It may work well enough and if so, go for it.

I’d just like to avoid demonizing the term ‘macros’, however you determine yours.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

Just eat enough food to satisfy, keeping carbohydrate minimal—that avoids all the calculations, I find. If I’d had to count calories, or calculate anything, I’d never have made it this long on keto. So to me, “macros” is a dirty word.


#3

I am with you with this :slight_smile: Never understood why some people respect random (or any) macros insanely much, clear desires of the body be damned… I understand some ranges are the goal sometimes but many people do it way too strict.

I am very indulgent anyway but now I just don’t track, happens what happens. It’s a bit strange to do it blind but shouldn’t be any worse than with tracking (it’s not like I stop eating when a macro gets twice as it was vaguely planned…).

I still have macros that are ideal for me. Wide ranges, I mean, my body likes stability and similar days but not enough to be able to handle small ranges. As going over my okay ranges is inavoidable but very occasional, I don’t respect them very much either. I just know I should be able to stick to them, at least almost always. But my body has the final say. Or I make a mistake, it happens and it’s fine if it’s very occasional.

Programs, keto calculators, trendy views or magazines never had an impact on my own macros, I figured them out myself when I went low-carb (I never tracked before and can’t even guess my old typical macros). Keto and carnivore didn’t change them further except the carbs macro. Some of us have their “macro taste”? Preferred ratios? Preferred grams? So mine probably never will change much.


#4

I had to track on my original keto to ensure carbs are low enough. So I got all the macros (tracking only carbs meant exactly the same amount of work - or more, I suppose - as everything I ate had carbs).

It’s way better on carnivore (or something similarly safe, many people can pull it off with some plants/fungi. I usually have it with carnivore-ish, it means very tiny non-animal matter to me) where tracking is my choice if I am curious. My carbs surely will be fine, below or beyond 20g alike (though it’s pretty rare for me to go beyond on carnivore. I had 19g several times and that’s it. It’s not hard to go higher but it’s animal sugar, no problem for me).

When to start and stop eating may be hard to decide (or what to eat, that too) especially if we have some goals that don’t happen automatically but that’s a very individual thing and I don’t want to talk about it now.