Do Online Macro Calculators Really Work?

You finally discovered the world of flexible dieting and tracking your macros. You found an online macro calculator, typed in a few stats about yourself, and got started. You are feeling more energized, finally finding balance with your nutrition, and no longer eating fish and asparagus. The only problem is, you still aren’t seeing the results you had hoped for. What gives?

This is a common problem many people face when using online macro calculators, as they are only able to provide you with a generic starting spot. There are some factors online calculators can’t take into account. For example, how your metabolism was affected with previous diets, your current intake and consistency, your genetics, disease or illness, digestion, and hormones to name a few. These programs also don’t know about your current lifestyle, sleeping patterns, and stress levels which all play a role in how your body will respond overall.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is always going to be someone who is the exception to the rule. If you have never dieted before and had a killer metabolism, then one of these calculators might be an excellent resource for you and might help you achieve exactly what you are looking for. But if you are like a large majority of the population, have yo-yo dieted for many years, and are not achieving the results you would like from an online calculator, then a more tailored approach is recommended.

Past diets and your current intake are going to play a HUGE role with your metabolism and how your body initially responds to a set plan. These are important factors to consider when setting your macro intake especially if you want to reduce initial weight gain and want to increase your metabolic capabilities.

For example, if you’re already starting off with an extremely low intake, it’s going to be extremely difficult for the weight to come off if you’re only slowing your metabolism down even more. In order to achieve this goal in a healthy sustainable way, you will need a proper reverse diet in order increase your overall intake to a sustainable spot before you would be able to diet back down.

An online calculator is not going to take your current intake into consideration which can lead to unwanted weight gain and further metabolic damage. Putting your health first is the first step to achieving sustainable results and is why having an educated coach is so vital!

From there, proper adjustments should be made weekly based off of how your body is responding to the ratio of carbs and fats you have set for that week along with the amount of activity you completed. This will give you a more customized approach to your nutrition and a better understanding of what your body specifically needs in terms of macros.

Micronutrients are also going to be as important as macronutrients and need to be adjusted as well according to your carbs. Online calculators like MFP (MyFitnessPal) for example, will assign a generic micronutrient goal for fiber no matter who you are or where your carb intake is set. It doesn’t matter if your carbs are at 100G or 400G it will set your fiber goal at 25G. For many people, this is not enough, especially if you have a high carb intake or are experiencing digestive issues. Again, this is why having a coach to adjust your fiber goal to an appropriate spot weekly is so important for tailored results.

Online calculators can be a great reference, but if you are struggling to achieve the results you’ve been wanting, or think you could have suffered from metabolic damage. Then having an educated coach is always going to be the best route to go in my personal option. Keep in mind that you see yourself every day and our views of ourselves can become clouded, so having a coach for accountability and also a fresh set of eyes can really help turn your results up a notch and get your body and health to the next level.