For the first six months of my keto diet I counted my macros religiously. Never really taking the time to sit back and contemplate the pros and cons. I just did it because all the keto experts said it would make me more successful. I was a beginner to keto, but not to other popular diet regimens. I wasn’t aware of how customizable a keto diet could be. There are so many options to customize a keto diet to suit your life. One of those options is counting your macros.
Creating a pros and cons list is a useful tool in helping to make a decision. The following list will guide you in making the decision of whether or not counting your macros will help you be successful on your keto diet.
Pros to Counting Macros
- Faster initial weight loss
- Aware of the quality of food you’re eating
- Aware of portion sizes
- Sense of accomplishment
- Creates structure that many people thrive on
Cons to Counting Macros
- Time consuming
- Easy to fall into IIFYM (if it fits your macros)
- Convenient to limit variation in foods
- Stressful/disheartening if targets are not met
- Relying on numbers vs. your body’s signals
Continue reading for further explanations on each of these pros and cons.
Faster Initial Weight Loss
This is an obvious and logical point. If you keep a record of what you are eating and therefore hold yourself accountable for the foods you consume you will lose weight faster. If your goal is to drop pounds as fast as possible then counting macros is going to be crucial in your success.
Aware of the Quality of Foods You’re Eating
Keeping track of your macronutrients forces you to look at food labels. As you begin to look at how many grams of fat, protein and carbohydrates you are consuming you will naturally look at the ingredient list to see what items your food is really made of. This is going to make you more conscious of what types of fats you’re ingesting and what types of chemicals/preservatives are being added.
Aware of Portion Sizes
Most of us don’t understand what a single portion of food looks like. When I started keeping track of my macros I was shocked to see just how little food my body really needed to be healthy. Counting your macros forces you to take a closer look at how much food your body really requires versus how much food you have become accustomed to eating.
Sense of Accomplishment
Counting your macros gives you a daily goal. Putting in the effort to ensure that you have met your daily goals makes your keto diet rewarding. When you reach the end of your day and realize that you have succeeded in your goals the keto diet becomes a positive and easily sustainable way of living.
Creates Structure
I am a list person. My brain thrives on making lists and adding structure to unorganized situations. I find the structure of counting my macros to be stress relieving. It has helped me to add some clarity to what can easily become an overwhelming change. Everyone’s mind operates differently so it’s very possible that just the mention of this added structure makes you a bit anxious. You’ll need to decide which column this point fits into for yourself.
Time Consuming
At first the process of counting macros takes quite a bit of additional time. Reading labels, planning meals, recording what you eat, and reflecting on how to adjust your foods and portions to reach your goals. Be prepared to initially spend 10 minutes per meal on tracking your macros. Don’t let this point get you too discouraged. As you continue to learn the in’s and out’s of your tracking app and become more familiar with your keto diet this time will easily cut itself in half.
Easy to Fall into IIFYM
If it fits your macros (IIFYM) is a common keto philosophy where people focus solely on their levels of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. They tend to disregard whether they’re making a healthy choice. Not concerned with how many essential vitamins and nutrients are being consumed or whether they are eating something healthy and beneficial to their body. For some IIFYM is a necessary part of a busy day. Most tracking apps focus on your calories, protein, fat and carbohydrate levels neglecting the ingredients that supplied them. It is important to be aware that even though you have met your macro goals, you may not have made a healthy choice.
Convenient to Limit Variation in Foods
As you begin to track your food it becomes incredibly easy to get into the habit of repeatedly eating the same things in effort to save time inputting new items into your tracking app. This is a great way to be able to grab a quick bite without searching through new foods or analyzing each line of the nutrition label. It becomes easy to just have a short list of food that becomes your go to source of nutrition. If this sounds like a trap you’ll easily fall into you should make a special point of adding in some variation each time you go grocery shopping. While unpacking your groceries add the new items into your app. If you already have them in your saved foods it makes it more convenient to grab and add to a meal. This makes it more likely you’ll avoid the repetition trap.
Stressful/Disheartening if Targets Aren’t Met
While having target goals can be a huge motivation when they’re being met, they are just as equally disheartening when you are unsuccessful. This can add an additional level of stress to your life that may be more harmful than helpful. If you know that you’re going to be upset about not reaching a daily goal there are two options; don’t set a daily goal by avoiding your macros altogether or set a more achievable goal.
Maybe you decided to stick to 20 g of carbs a day, but you have been regularly eating 40 g and have physically been feeling good. Adjust your target macros to 40 g and be happy rather than repeatedly feeling disappointed that you’re not reaching a target that just doesn’t work for you. If you decide you do need to go down to 20 g, slowly work your way down by setting a series of goals that decrease your carbs incrementally each week until you’ve reached 20 g.
Relying on Numbers vs. Your Body’s Signals
It is easy to get caught up in the number game of tracking your macros. It can become almost an obsessive game for some to the point that they are not paying attention to what their body is telling them. If your body is telling you that you’re full but you still need to eat another 300 calories today, don’t go have a snack just to meet your macros. Alternatively, if you have hit your calorie count for the day but it’s 4:00pm and your stomach is rumbling, go have a low/zero carb snack and save yourself the discomfort of going to bed hungry.
Individualize Your Pros and Cons
Everyone’s pros and cons are going to be unique. I hope this provides you with a useful starting point for your own list. Keep in mind that the previous points are based on personal experiences. Take some time to sit down and weigh out your own pros and cons to determine whether or not counting macros will help you to accomplish your goals.
Click on this free pdf download below for a printable checklist that contains additional pros and cons as well as areas for you to add your own pros and cons.
