Many people try to follow extreme diet trends like Keto, Paleo and Atkins and you’ll hear stories of some people’s success and stories of those who failed or became ill.
Diet is a very individual thing, there’s no one-size-fits-all to dieting. As a Registered Dietitian, I have seen first-hand that one diet will not be successful for every person. Sure, we have some general tips and suggestions, such as reducing sodium, and lowering saturated fat, but the breakdown of your diet is very personalized. We do this together by first determining your macros.
Macros (aka: macronutrients) are the big nutrients that make up our diet such as fat, carbohydrate and protein. Alcohol is also considered a macronutrient but we know that it should be limited or avoided, and does not contribute to health like the other 3. Macros are what contribute to calories, or our energy intake. In order to see success in your health goals, we need to match your macros to your eating patterns, food preferences, and activity. Together we can come up with a calorie (energy) goal and then determine what percent needs to come from fat, carbs and protein based on your individualized goals. Know that these percentages will likely need to be adjusted to reach or maintain your health goals.
It is important to note that Marcos are not the only thing that determines weight status but are one of our first steps in balancing your diet to meet your goals.
