How To Measure Macros Without Losing Your Mind

shaunparris • February 19, 2025

How to Measure Macros Like a Pro (Without Losing Your Mind)

Dial in your nutrition with these easy and foolproof macro-tracking strategies.

📏 Why Measuring Macros Matters

Ever feel like you’re eating pretty healthy but not seeing the results you want? Maybe you’re crushing workouts but still feeling sluggish, or the scale isn’t budging even though you swear you’re "eating clean."

The truth? What gets measured, gets managed. If you don’t know how much you’re actually eating, you’re leaving your progress up to guesswork. Most people underestimate how many calories they consume (yes, even "healthy" eaters). On the flip side, some people trying to bulk don’t realize they’re undereating and holding back muscle gains.

⚖️ How to Calculate Your Macros

  • Step 1: Calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) using an online  TDEE Calculator.
  • Step 2: Adjust based on your goals:
    • 💪 Muscle Gain: Eat +10-15% above TDEE.
    • 🔥 Fat Loss: Eat -15-20% below TDEE.
    • ⚡ Maintenance: Eat at TDEE.**
  • Step 3: Set macro ratios:
    • 🍗 Protein: .7 to 1g per pound of body weight.
    • 🥑 Fats: 20-30% of total calories.
    • 🍞 Carbs: Fill in the rest after protein & fats.
  • Step 4: Test & Measure results for at least 2 weeks, then adjust total calories as-needed.

⚖️ How to Measure Macros with a Scale

  • Grab a  digital food scale – this is your best friend.
  • Place your  plate or bowl  on the scale and zero it out.
  • Weigh each  ingredient separately before cooking.
  • Measure and write down total calories, protein, carb, and fat content individually to track accurately.
  • Use grams or ounces—most macro-tracking apps default to grams.
  • Track everything in an app like  MyFitnessPal or Cronometer.
  • Pro Tip: If measuring cooked food, check raw-to-cooked conversions (e.g., 100g raw chicken ≈ 75g cooked).

🍲 Tracking One-Pot Meals For Bulk Meal Prep

Weigh each ingredient separately before cooking.
Cook everything together and weigh the total final weight.
Divide into equal portions and track each portion based on the total weight.
Example:   If the full dish weighs 2000g and you made 5 servings, each serving is 1/5th of the total macros.

🍽 Measuring Macros When Eating Out

  • Use your hand as a reference: A palm-sized portion of protein is ~25-30g of protein.
  • Check restaurant nutrition guides: Many chains list macros online.
  • Log similar meals from a tracking app: Don’t stress over being exact.
  • Ask for sauces/dressings on the side: They can be macro bombs.

Ready to Take Your Nutrition to the Next Level?

Try measuring your macros this week and see how much of a difference it makes!
Need help? Our expert nutrition coaches can guide you. Click below to get started!

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