We all know that guy. The one who is constantly talking about his cross-fit wins and eating turkey jerky out of his backpack at the catering gigs while the rest of us are lined up to eat the staff meal.
He’s often talking about his “Macros” and going on and on.
You roll your eyes and him and move through the line- you don’t want to miss out on free dinner!
Fast forward to today, you’ve joined Dancers Who Lift and they are talking about macros too!
Now, you’re asking yourself,
“What are macros?”
You know the DWL Team isn’t the bro-y cross-fit type, so maybe there’s something to this macro thing after all. Spoiler alert, there is! Macros are a huge part of reaching your fitness goals. But let’s keep this light and easy with macros simplified.
So, what are macros and why are they important?
Macros or macronutrients are the nutrients we need in larger quantities that provide us with energy: in other words, fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
Let’s start with carbohydrates.
Carbs often get people confused.
We have all had that friend that says they are “cutting out carbs” all while they chomp on an apple. The reality is, carbs come in all shapes and sizes.
Carbohydrates get broken up into three different categories, sugars, starches, and fiber and they appear in our diets in all types of ways. Some of the biggest sources of carbohydrates are fruits, vegetables, and grains.
In fact, carbs are the body’s primary source of energy that our body uses to function optimally. So, if we want to have the energy to accomplish our basic metabolic functions AND train in the gym, then prioritizing carbohydrates in our diet is imperative.
Next up, protein.
If you’ve been with DWL for any length of time you’ve probably heard us say “Prioritize protein on your plate.”
This is because protein is the macronutrient our body uses to build, maintain, and replace tissues in our body like muscles, organs, and our immune system. We know that when we work out, our muscle tissues tear and rebuild–that’s how our muscles grow.
This means that if we are lifting (or dancing), we must ensure that we are consuming enough protein to support the regrowth of muscle tissue after our workouts!
And the third macronutrient, fats.
Fats get a bit of a bad wrap.
A lot of energy has been put into the mainstream media to convince us all that fats are bad.
But in actuality fats are an imperative part of our diet because fats help give your body energy, support cell growth, aid in nutrient absorption, and help regulate your hormones. Want to hear something even crazier?
Important fats like Omega-3 fats are not produced by the human body, which means the only way we get them is through our diets! This is why making sure you are consuming enough fats is so important.
Why this matters to you…
Knowing the answer to what are macros? And understanding what macros do helps us stay inspired to track our macros, even when it feels like an annoying extra step.
At DWL we work hard to make sure your macro split (your goal amount of each nutrient to consume daily) is balanced in a way to help you achieve your goals on and off stage.
So, now that you have a better idea of what your nutrition is doing for you, go back and take a moment to look at your macro goals today. Are you set up to hit your macro goals?
What adjustments could you make to get an even better balance? Asking these questions each day will speed up your progress faster than collecting coins while racing in Mario Kart.
So what are you waiting for?
Take a look at your macros and go cook yourself some fuel!
xox
PS Want to know what your macros are? Grab the DWL Energy Estimator above!
