Macros or Calories for Weight Loss: Which Should You Track?

Calories decide whether you lose weight. Macros decide what that weight is made of and how you feel while you lose it. Start by getting your calories right, then add a protein target. Once those two are steady, track carbs and fats if you want more control. You need both, in that order.

Why do calories come first?

Your body weight changes based on energy balance: what you take in compared to what you burn (Hall et al., 2012). If you eat more than you burn, no macro split will make you lose fat. If you eat less, you will lose weight on almost any split.

That is why I start new clients on calories. It is one number. It teaches you portion sizes, it shows you where the hidden calories are, and it gives you a result on the scale fast enough to keep you going.

Why is counting calories alone not enough?

Plenty of people have counted points or calories, lost weight and still ended up soft, tired and hungry. The usual problem is protein. Two people can eat 1,800 calories a day. The one eating 140 grams of protein holds on to more muscle and feels fuller than the one eating 60 grams.

In a study of men in a hard calorie deficit, the group eating more protein while lifting kept their lean mass and even added some, while losing more fat than the lower protein group (Longland et al., 2016).

Calories only also ignore micronutrients and fiber. You can hit your calorie target on snack food and miss half the vitamins you need.

What does each macro do?

• Protein builds and repairs muscle, and it keeps you full longer than carbs or fat. It also costs more energy to digest.
• Carbohydrates are your quickest source of energy, especially for hard training. Paired with fiber or protein, they keep you full longer.
• Fats help you absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, support hormones, and slow digestion. Omega-3 fats from fish are worth making a regular part of your week.

Does the type of food inside each macro matter?

Yes. A calorie of eggs and a calorie of beef jerky both count the same on paper, but whole foods that are high in protein and fiber keep you fuller than processed versions. In a tightly controlled study, people ate about 500 more calories a day on an ultra-processed diet than on a minimally processed one, even though the meals were matched for macros on offer (Hall et al., 2019).

I go deeper on this in a calorie is not a calorie.

How do I start tracking?

This is the order I use with clients:

1. Weeks 1 and 2: track calories only. Learn what your normal day looks like.
2. Weeks 3 and 4: add a daily protein target. See how to figure out your protein needs.
3. After that: set carbs and fats. At maintenance I start clients at about 2 grams of carbs per pound of body weight and adjust from there. Fat fills the rest. My post on what percentage of fats, carbs and protein to eat gives starting ranges.

If you want the numbers set for you, take the XPL quiz.