Gym 74
What macros do for your body
Protein, carbohydrate and fat provide energy and each does something different in your body. This article explains what they do, roughly how much you need and how to set them up and track them in Gym 74.
What this article is about
Macros are the three nutrients your food mostly consists of: protein, carbohydrate and fat. This article is for anyone who wants to understand what the numbers in the diary mean. It gives the background to 'Setting a good goal' and shows where to find everything in the app.
After reading you will know
- What protein, carbohydrate and fat each do for your body
- Roughly how much of each you need
- How to set them up, fill them in and read them back in Gym 74
Calories and macros
Calories decide whether you gain or lose weight. Macros decide where those calories come from, and with that what you gain or lose and how you feel along the way. Protein and carbohydrate each provide 4 kcal per gram, fat 9 kcal per gram.
Protein: building and repairing
Protein provides amino acids, the building blocks of muscle, skin, enzymes and hormones. In strength training it supports repair and muscle growth, and it keeps you fuller than the other macros.
- Guideline: 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilo of body weight, at the upper end when you are losing weight.
- Spread it over the day rather than eating it all in one meal.
Carbohydrate: fuel
Carbohydrate is the fastest fuel for your muscles and brain. Your body stores it as glycogen and uses it mostly in intensive training. More training usually calls for more carbohydrate.
- In your goal, carbohydrate is what is left after protein and fat.
- Fibre from vegetables, fruit and wholegrain products is part of it, but the app does not track it separately.
Fat: hormones and vitamins
Fat is needed for hormones, for cell walls and for absorbing vitamins A, D, E and K. It is also the most energy-dense macro, so small amounts add up quickly.
- Guideline: at least 0.8 grams per kilo, roughly 20 to 30 percent of your calories.
- Lower is possible, but hormones and fullness suffer.
How to track macros in Gym 74
Everything above can be set up and seen back in the app. This is the order that works well in practice.
- Set your goal: a number of calories per day and a split in percentages over protein, carbohydrate and fat, together exactly the whole. The app converts it to grams right away. At 2000 kcal split 30/40/30 that is 150 g protein, 200 g carbohydrate and 66.7 g fat.
- Fill in the diary: add products, meals or a custom entry per part of the day. An entry starts as planned and only counts once you tick it off.
- Find products quickly: with a barcode or by name. A product has nutrition values per 100 grams and you can add your own portions.
- With Basic or Pro you can have a meal estimated with the AI scan: you take a photo and get a suggestion for the macros. You check and adjust; the app works out the calories from the macros.
- Read it back: at the top of the diary you see calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat against your goal, and the overviews show totals per day, week and month.
The app works out the calories of a custom entry from protein, carbohydrate and fat. Alcohol and fibre are not part of that, so for such entries the number can come out slightly low.
Practical tips
You do not have to hit the gram every day.
- Start with calories and protein. The rest of the split can be flexible.
- Look at the average over a week, not a single day. One day says little.
- If counting wears you out, plan the first meal or two ahead and fill in the rest later.
This is general information and not medical advice.
Further
Set your goal on the goal page, or first work out which goal suits you with the calculator on the website.
Set your goal Setting a sensible goal Losing weight without losing muscle