Macros Made Simple

If you’ve ever eaten “the right calories” and still felt hungry, tired, or stuck, there’s a good chance your macros are the missing piece. We’re getting practical about macronutrients, breaking down what protein, carbohydrates, and fats actually do inside your body and why understanding them makes nutrition feel simpler, not stricter.

We walk through the real difference between calories and macro quality, using everyday examples that explain why two meals with the same calorie count can lead to totally different hunger, cravings, energy, and fat loss results. You’ll hear why protein acts like an anchor for fullness and muscle, why carbs are not the enemy but can become a problem when they’re unmanaged, and why healthy fats matter for hormones, joints, and steady energy, especially in midlife.

Then we get into real-life execution: the most common macro mistakes we see, a non-mathy way to set protein, fat, and carb targets, plus an easy hydration rule. We also share a simple plate formula and go-to meal ideas so you can stay consistent without feeling like you need to track forever. If you want macros for fat loss, muscle gain, or maintenance, this conversation gives you a clear starting plan and a saner mindset.

Subscribe for more practical health coaching, share this with a friend who’s tired of dieting, and leave a review if it helped. What’s the hardest macro for you to balance right now: protein, carbs, or fats?

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Transcript

Welcome And Medical Disclaimer

SPEAKER_00 0:00

So, welcome to episode, what are we on? What are we on? Episode five of season two of my podcast. So it's taken me about a month, which is actually too long, uh, for me to um get this together. Uh decided to try and do a video. I'll see if I like it and see if I decide to post it. But anyway, this is episode five of season two of uh Health Coach Shay's health reset radio, which is uh a little departure from 24/7 Health News, but it is brought to you by 24-7 Health Code uh Health News and myself, Health Coach Shay. So these topics are going to be from my blog um at 24-7 Health News and uh or topics that I think are important. Uh, again, today we're gonna be doing something a little different. Um because I think when I talk about, I read articles, some of the stuff inspires me to do other types of topics. So again, I'm health coach Shay. I'm a master trainer and a holistic health coach. Let me give my disclaimers. Um, my information is not meant to prescribe or be taken in lieu of discussion, a discussion with your doctor or your health professional. You should always speak to your healthcare professional before making nutrition or fitness changes, especially if they're drastic. I am a health coach and I am making recommendations only in that pro in that capacity. Um, so this is where this uh this podcast is where health meets science. I like to use a few things uh from science, a few things about your health, and and pull them all together and make them make sense. Uh so that so today we're gonna talk about macros, right? Macros are a big, big deal, and we want to talk about what they are, because when you say macros, some people glaze over. Uh some

Why Macros Matter

SPEAKER_00 2:22

of some people know that I'm talking about the nutrients that you take in. Um, so why they matter, what they are, how to use them in real life without dieting and uh and without obsessing about them and feeling like you need a PhD in nutrition. Uh so the truth is most people don't struggle because they're undisciplined, they struggle because they're undernourished, undereducated, and or overwhelmed by conflicting uh information. Macros are simple, right? And by the end of this episode, you're gonna understand what macros actually do inside your body, why calories alone don't tell the whole story, how to calculate your macros without maximum anxiety, and how to build meals that keep you full of energy, how to use macros for fat loss, muscle gain, andor maintenance. All those are in my wheelhouse and how to stay consistent without tracking forever, which is also in my wheelhouse. So grab a coffee, uh, grab your water, always have my water, grab your water, and um, or your protein shake, or grab a bite to eat, and let's talk about what macros really are. So let's start with the basics. Um, because most people were never taught this in school. Um, you know, they want you to go to home ec, but or whatever class would teach us. I don't know, maybe be biology. I don't know. Anyway, macronutrients,

Protein Carbs Fat Explained

SPEAKER_00 4:07

macros for short, they're they're three, right? Protein, carbohydrates, and fat. They they're not good, they're not bad, they're simply fuel, and each one has a job. And I will also add each one processes in your body differently, and each person processes them differently. So protein is considered the builder. Protein repairs tissue, builds muscle, supports your immune system, and stabilizes your blood blood sugar. When people say uh they're hungry all the time or they're losing muscle as they they age, or they're craving sugar constantly, nine times out of ten, they're undereating protein. And I would also add that they're un they're not eating all the right kinds of protein. Because honestly, protein processes in your body differently, and it definitely processes in your body differently, depending on who you are, what kind of, what your history is. So, what's the next one? Carbs. Carbs are the energy energy source, and carbs get a bad, bad, bad, bad rep, right? Carbs fuel your brain, your workouts, your hormones, and your mood. And you know, ladies were worried about those last two specifically. Carbs are not the enemy, um, but unmanaged carbs are, okay? And unmanaged is a big word for that, but unmanaged carbs are your enemy. When carbs are paired with protein and fiber, they give you steady energy. When carbs are eaten alone, they spike and crash your blood sugar, right? All those folks out there with a blood sugar issue. I wonder if the doctor told you that. I mean, did they just say stop eating carbs, don't eat too many carbs, cut this out of your diet, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Did they tell you that stuff? Or did they tell you what happens if you eat them separately? Because sometimes you can offset them. Sometimes you can stop them from doing the bad stuff that they do. So let's move to the next one though. Fats. Um, this is also an a macro that gets a bad rep. The hormone that supports your system is fats. Okay. Healthy fat supports your brain, your hormones, your joints, and long-lasting energy. Uh they're calorie dense, so they matter, but they're not something to fear. You don't have to fear the fats. Eat a little bit of fat. So, why does all this matter? Um, because macros determine how you feel, how stable your energy is, and how well you recover, and how your body composition changes as you do things and what your metabolism responds to. So, when you understand macros, you understand your body. Um, so to me, um, you know, macros matter much more than calories. So let's talk about that elephant in the room, right? Let's talk about calories because that's a big thing. You need to be on a diet, you need to be on this diet, you need to be on that diet. And I don't like that word. I don't like diet. Um, I like um let's see what you're eating. And sometimes you're eating too much of this one thing, you're eating too much of this other thing, and so you have to like taper it down. So, and I even hate to say omit things. So that's why when we talk about calories, you know, that's a big elephant. Calories matter, but calories alone don't tell the whole story. Two meals can have the same calories, but completely different effects on your hunger, hormones, craving, and fat loss, right? For example, a 400-calorie donut, yummy, or a versus a 400-calorie chicken and rice veggie bowl. Same calorie count, totally different outcomes, right? The donut spikes your blood sugar and crashes your energy and leaves you hungrier. The chicken bowl stabilizes your blood sugar, keeps you full, and supports your muscle. Um, so that's that that's two totally different outcomes. Would you say the donut bad? Kinda, and chicken bowl good, even if you don't want the chicken bowl, right? Good. So macros determine whether you burn fat, store fat, uh, whether you build muscle or lose muscle, whether you feel energized or exhausted, whether you crave sugar or feel satisfied. Calories tell you how much. Macros tell you what kind. So that's a great, really great distinction. How much are the calories and what kind of macros are you taking in? What kind are you taking in? So let's talk about some big uh errors we make. Challenges, let's not say errors, because everything's a challenge for us to fix. Um, so one of my one of my big things that I had to change

Calories Versus Macro Quality

SPEAKER_00 10:06

as a recovering stroke uh patient is not needing not eating enough protein. Most adults are eating half of what they need. Protein is the anchor everything else builds around. Um what's a big thing they told me was to now I need you to eat protein in every single meal. I was like, ooh, because kind of breakfast, I just kind of grab a thing and I run on, right? You cannot, uh that was mistake number one. So you have to eat protein. Um, I'm not saying with every meal, but you need to make sure you get your, you need to make sure you get your level of protein that you should get. You need to get as much as you need for your age. And as an I'm talking to, you know, 30 to 50 somethings. You need to eat as many pro as much protein as prescribed, what you should be eating. Now, the second mistake, the second mistake, which is really bad. Eating carbs alone. Yes, we want to eat that bowl of French fries. Um, so carbs aren't bad, but carbs without protein make your blood sugar get on a roller coaster, right? Your butt, your, your, your carbs are all over the map if you eat them by themselves. The next mistake is the fear of fat. Healthy fat keeps you full and supports your hormones. Cutting them too low backfires. And I swear, I know, you know, um, I don't think I've ever heard that told to a menopausal lady before. Eat some more fat. You know, because we're menopausal ladies are big time worried about um uh gaining fat, too much weight, they've they've gotten, you know, they've put on weight, they can't lose weight, whatever's going on. But nobody said that supports your hormone. And let's take a look at the fats that you you're eating. Nobody said that. And I I I can, I mean, I listened to all the stuff, and nobody's really, really told us that. So just keep it in mind as we go along. Trying to eyeball it, right? Awareness is everything. You don't have to track forever, but you do need clarity. So when we talk about tracking, um, I know it's a pain in the butt and it's an extra thing to do in your life that you might not necessarily want to do. But I'm not necessarily saying that you have to, you don't have to track forever. I'm saying that you need to track and at least get your swags together, right? I need to eat, like for me, I need to eat protein with every meal after my stroke, right? So I know the things that I like, and those things I know how much protein's in them. So then my calculation is sort of there. And once I get into a consistent groove with those things, I'm tracking it without tracking it. So I think that's what I'm trying to say about clarity. You know, get your stuff down and then you have an idea of what's going on, and you don't have to get out the pen and paper every time you, every time you're looking. Okay, wait, I ate this much, this, I ate so many. You know, you don't have to do that. If you have an idea, you track at the beginning, know the things that you like. If you go off script a little bit, you might have to look up something when you go out or whatever. But once you know and you're doing your meal prep and you're adding things in and you're working through your numbers kind of the first 50 times or so, or whatever, whatever you want to say, 20 times or so, you might be able to get it straight. Then you have your clarity and you can move forward. And like I said, you're not whipping out the notepad every time. So the other mistake is undereating. Um, I would say also, I am very uh I'm guilty of this sometimes. And it's not because I'm trying to like lose weight, it's just because I'm trying to, I don't, I don't always get hungry. So um that slows your metabolism down. It is a metab a metabolism killer. Your body reacts to you undereating. So if you don't eat, your body slows down and it slows down to protect you. It starts processing the food that you have slower because it knows you're gonna need food fuel later. So you have to be super careful about that and how you handle it. Um, there are people who subscribe to um that fasting. Um, I think that's great if that's what your system knows it's doing, it's getting it in a groove and it's working for you and you know how to do it, but you have to be careful with it. It's not something I don't think that you do that for the rest of your life. That wouldn't be a thing, in my opinion, for you to fast forever. Um, but I'm not saying you can't do it for a good long time, you know, 90 days, six months at a time, where you do a 12-hour fast, uh, you know, to help your metabolism, it it shakes your metabolism loose of whatever kind of groove it may be in that you need to change. I'm not saying that. But what I'm saying is be careful because it can go into slow down and trying to save your food that that it knows you've taken in and that's all it's got. So if you're making these mistakes, um, these few mistakes, these challenges, I I like I said, I don't like to say those words, unless you know exactly what's happening with something like you know, fasting or something like that, then you know, you're normal. And but and it and we're can we can fix those things, right? We know what's going on, we can we can say tweak this, tweak that here. So, I mean, what what are we talking about here with calculation? How do we calculate um the

Macro Mistakes Most People Make

SPEAKER_00 16:45

the macros? How what are we doing? You know, this is this is a sort of a non-mathy way how to get your get your proteins sort of set in your mind so that you're not you know weighing your food every five seconds. Some of you techie people, some people want to do that. Some people have scale, I have a kitchen scale, I don't always weigh my food, but I did at first. So that's what I'm saying. Sometimes you can be super technical right at the beginning, and then you can chill out. You don't have to do it all the time, right? So, like I said, um, this is just worth a little bit of energy. I know not all of us have time. I know between you know 20 and 30s, 40s, even everybody's busy. Let's just be real about it, especially in this day and age. Everybody is busy. So, what I'm gonna tell you about trying to do this a sort of non-mathy way, um, is to help you do it quickly, uh, to knock out what you need to do, because I know there's kids, there's work, there's a husband, there's parents, there's everything going on. There's family that's happening, and you have to pay attention to all that stuff that's going on, and doing this calculation might not might not work. Okay, so I've done all that to preface it. So let me talk about it. So set your protein. So aim for 0.7 to 1 grams per pound of your goal body weight, right? Your goal body weight, not your current body weight, your goal body weight. If you're trying to lose weight, if you're if your um if your goal weight is 150 pounds, you multiply that by 0.7 or 1 point grams, uh, then you get about 105 to 150 grams of protein, right? So that's your goal. Set your fats. I have the same calculation for water too. Um, that's how I calculate my water. Uh, not in those grams, but I'll tell you about that at the end. Um, same thing with fats. Aim for 25 to 30 percent of your calories to be fats. Uh, most adults do well with 50 to 70 grams of fat per day. Then um carbs are flexible, and they are flexible based on um activity, right? So you can't sit around and eat a lot of carbs if you're sedentary and if you don't do much. See how I'm adjusting the food to you, right? I'm not saying this is what you gotta do, do do this. I'm saying whatever your goals are, you have to make sure this fits you. So most adults land somewhere between 120 and 220 grams of carbs per day. This all feels not as non-mathy as you would as I said, but it is. I mean, you can get down to measuring down to the gram if you want to. So you adjust these things based on your goals. Uh, fat loss, slight deficit in fat, high protein intake, muscle gain, um, slight surplus, carbs a little higher. Maintenance, balance out your macros. Get what you're supposed to do and do that. So, my extra added tip about water. What I tell people about water is to have half of your body weight in ounces of water. So if you if you weigh 180 pounds, you should have 90 ounces of water a day. That's my that's my go-to or my reach for, I should say, for water. That's how much I want. So don't chase perfection with this. And that's the other thing. These are swags. I gave you some ranges: 105 to 150 grams of protein. 25 to 30 percent of your calories should be fat. 120 to 220 grams of carbs per day, depending upon your activity level. Okay. What you will see though, going back to that activity level thing, is your body will want some more if you start moving. And that's a good thing. So macros are a guide, not a prison.

Non Mathy Macro Calculations

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Don't, don't, don't uh strangle yourself about that. So let's talk about real food. Um, because macros don't matter if you don't apply it to real food. Um, and the and let's talk about the plate formula. Um, and this is like a it's hard to talk about our healthcare folks and their recommendations, uh, but every meal should include a protein source a carb source healthy fat and fiber right veggies or fruit all right so for instance for breakfast you could have some yogurt berries chia seeds or you can have eggs turkey sausage and fruit um for lunch you could have a chicken bowl with rice veggies and avocado or tuna salad with crackers and fruit dinner is the same thing salmon potatoes and asparagus or lean beef tacos with salsa and guacamole none of that feels like you're in a stranglehole does it everything seems that seems like some really good fluctuations of the different foods that you can have um your snacks can be uh protein shake cottage cheese fruit not my favorite but plus you can have um nuts or a protein bar right as long as you look at the label of the protein bar please some of that stuff is really rough that they put in those protein bars so I need to make sure you're eating the right ones be very very careful with those things read labels um macro balanced meals keep you full energized and satisfied so you don't overeat I'm gonna talk about overeating just for a minute because it's a it's a habit that forms without us even knowing it um I my age group uh and many other age groups were told you don't get up from the table until you finish your plate so that's a very uh tough habit to break um what we have to do is watch what we put on our plate right um I have a tendency to really pause on how much food I'm putting on my plate to the extent where I will put as little as possible on my plate especially if I'm out and I don't want to be rude I put as little as possible on my plate because I'm trying to be careful about how much I take in then I get up and go back right so I think that that if you're in that in that generation you need to pay attention to that you need to be real careful about um that and keep your plate serving small because your mind automatically goes into that rule. We are the teachings of our parents right what we've been told to do. And so even without it's it's muscle memory that you learn from when you first got a plate. So that's not something you can to me just turn off. So I think that you have to be very careful about that and and make sure that you're very careful about what you put on your plate. Okay so let's talk about macros for fat loss versus muscle gain. Let's break down the difference. So for fat loss take that protein up higher go to the top of that um that range

Real Food Plate Formula

SPEAKER_00 25:27

right carbs are moderate fats moderate you want to be in a slight calorie deficit and you want your training sessions to get up to you know two to four times a week for muscle gain your protein is steady carbs high no that's hard to take in fat moderate slight calorie surplus strength training is still three to five times a week and I'm sorry I didn't say it I said I didn't say strength training uh for fat loss strength training is two to four times a week now um I think we're still in a stigma about uh strength training as well um I have done some kettlebell workouts uh or and posted a few things online about that you can do some strength training without going into the gym slapping on plates and doing all that other kind of stuff you can do that you can you can do strength training with kettlebell one or two of them and you can move along if you don't have a lot of space I talk a lot about that in uh a lot of my programs where you you don't need to be at the gym slapping on weights dealing with other sweaty people if you don't want to because I I know that feeling um so I talked about for muscle gain for fat loss let's talk about for maintenance you need to balance out those macros you need to stay consistent your meals need to be consistent and you need to have enough calories to support your energy your macros should match your season in life not your mood not your mood not your mood I don't know how many times say that not your mood if you get in a bad mood go do something um my go-to ladies go punch the bag uh there's little tiny bags you know that really cool thing online and I'm not I don't have no links for it it's not in my it's not gonna be in my link thing but that little thing you put on the wall and you see them folks punching that will fix your mood real quick okay that is an awesome awesome piece of equipment so ladies find the substitute for that because I think it's uh something that you get from one of our other countries there but go find a substitute for that and punch the bag go for a walk I talk a lot about that as well in um my other posts and videos and stuff that 10 minute walk can clear your head and lift the fog um whatever you can do to to help your mood that is not food is great meditate sit in silence and and meditate meditation gets a bad rap and I I'm going off on tangents I need to get back on track but um meditation gets a bad rap sitting for two minutes in silence is meditation taking a deep breath for 45 seconds doing deep breath breathing is meditation so just do those things instead of eating if you're hungry drink water first then eat with your meal eat your meal right again your macros should match your season in life not your mood so how to stay consistent without tracking this forever okay I'm moving on because I my tangents went everywhere. Anyway tracking is a tool not a lifestyle unless you want it to be right here's how to transition off of tracking build three go three to five go-to meals you love use the hand method for your

Macros For Fat Loss Or Gain

SPEAKER_00 29:24

portion sizes um and if if I need to explain that I can do that keep your protein the priority that's the one to me that's a big one keep your protein the priority if you keep protein the priority not the French fries not the rice not the mashed potatoes not all that other great stuff on your plate because I know it's great stuff keep that protein the priority and eat at consistent times keep your snacks simple I'm gonna have some fruit I'm gonna have a handful of nuts or granola or whatever it is you like keep that stuff simple um plan your carbs around activity uh what do I mean by that if you're gonna have a heavy heavy carb meal what's next are you gonna dance are you out dancing after that play the French fries or did you have excuse me did you have uh those wonderful uh potatoes for breakfast are you going for a walk after after that do it because those things will keep those carbs and use them up right so make sure that you're not track you don't feel like you have to track forever but you you can do it quickly now there's other ways to do it you know I can help you out you can always come talk to me and we can do your macros we can help with some workouts we can do all of that stuff you'll see all the links in um at the end of this and in the in the comments and stuff where you can find me and sign up and I can help you track your macros get into a groove track track your workouts and all of that kind of stuff and you see what I'm saying I said track macros not diet track we're gonna track those things cruise along and you'll be good to go so again macros are not about dying diet dying dieting they're about under you see how what I think about about dieting dying right no but macros are not about dieting they're about understanding your bodies so that you can fuel it with confidence um if again if you want help calculating your macros uh building your personalized plan or getting help on any kind of well wellness uh journey guess what I've done I've hooked up with these cool dudes at six pack macros right so that denotes right there what they got going on you six pack you can get your six pack if you want it it's it's early in the summertime uh we can get your six pack going before it gets too late and before you take that trip um so you can do that and we can help you out if you want a more technical way to figure out how your body reacts to um various macros caffeine um how your body reacts to to uh workout strength training um uh cardio training uh we got a group that we can that can get you hooked up with that too um they will uh give you a DNA test a DNA fitness test and you can not to be confused with the crap that's going on on out in the world a DNA fitness test and we will give you this whole list of things and how your body reacts to carbs how how your carbs burn off during strength training cardio training and all that kind of stuff you'll find the link in also in the comments of of this um so again I appreciate you listening um thank you so much take care of your body take care of your mind and I'll see you in the next episode uh I I keep trying to do an episode a week we're not gonna even fib and say that it'll be about another month out because I always got to think up topics. If you have a topic you want to hear me talk about which you know sometimes people want to hear me talk um if you have a topic you want to hear me talk about uh put it in the comments and and I'll go over it and try to simplify it for you. I felt like this one was a little technical but I want to make sure that you understand that this is a simple thing uh to do for your body to pay attention to what you're taking in so that you can get you can look and feel

Consistency Tracking And Links

SPEAKER_00 34:24

the way you want to um so again thank you for listening uh health coach Shay here and look at all the great links because I got sponsors all over the place these days a lot of health sponsors oh my friends over at virtual healthcare at my healing365 can definitely hook you up with all different kinds of things that you may need help with your hormones um if you want to try a GLP one uh primary care believe it or not um any kind of mental health stuff they are there for you myhealing365.com they're great and it's all online so you don't have to leave the comfort of your home okay again thanks for listening and we will talk again give me about 30 days and I will definitely have another one ready for you