Macro Counting Vs. Dieting

 

Hey hey beautiful human! 

Today we are talking about something I think gets misunderstood all the time: macro counting versus dieting. From the outside, I understand why people mix them up. Both involve paying attention to food. Both can be used when fat loss is the goal. Both require some level of intention.

But they do not feel the same in real life. One can make food feel like a list of rules you are trying not to break. The other can teach you how to understand what your body actually needs. That is why in this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about five differences between macro counting and dieting that can completely change the way you approach food, your goals, and the way you live your life.

Because when you understand the difference, you stop treating food like something you are constantly trying not to mess up. You start learning how to make choices with confidence, adjust when life changes, and stop feeling like one imperfect meal means you have to start all over again.

What’s Discussed:

  • Why macro counting and dieting can look similar from the outside

  • How food rules can make eating feel harder than it needs to be

  • Why learning how foods fit can change your relationship with food

  • How macro counting teaches you skills you can keep using

  • Why understanding your body’s needs can help you feel more confident around food

If macro counting sounds helpful but you have no idea where to begin, that is exactly why I created Macro Counting Made Simple. Inside the program, I calculate your personalized macro targets and teach you how to actually use them so you understand how much protein, carbohydrates, and fat your body needs and how to fit those numbers into your real life. Head to macrocountingmadesimple.com to learn more.

If you loved this episode, you will also love Episode 313: 8 Reasons Why Macro Counting Isn't a Fad Diet. It is the perfect next listen if you want to understand why macro counting can support you long-term instead of becoming another trend you try for a few weeks and quit.

If you want more from me, be sure to check out…

Transcript

(0:00) Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, (0:06) a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I give you a dose of real talk (0:11) and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your (0:17) authentic self.

Stay tuned if you're ready to Embrace Your Real. Let's get it. Let's go.

(0:29) Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. Okay, (0:33) so if you've ever tried to lose weight, there's probably a pretty good chance that at some point (0:38) you've gone on a diet, like maybe you've cut out carbs, maybe you've eliminated sugar, maybe you (0:42) followed a meal plan where someone told you exactly what to eat, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (0:47) Maybe you've even tried to eat as little as possible Monday through Friday, but then you (0:50) found yourself completely over by the weekend.

And technically, yes, some of those approaches (0:55) can help you lose weight because they cause you to eat fewer calories than your body's using. (0:59) But I think that there's a huge difference between simply following a diet that makes you eat less (1:03) and actually learning how to fuel your body in a way that supports your goals. And that's one of (1:08) the biggest reasons why I counted macros for so long and why I continue to teach macro counting (1:14) through my macro counting made simple online academy.

Now, when I say dieting throughout (1:19) this episode, I'm talking about the traditional restrictive diets that give you a list of (1:24) foods that you can eat and cannot eat and require you to follow these rigid rules and make you (1:29) feel like you have to completely change the way you eat until you finally lose the weight. (1:32) Because macro counting and traditional dieting can look very different in your everyday life, (1:38) even when two people have the exact same goal. So today I want to kind of compare them across (1:43) five areas that I think matter the most because I want you to understand the difference between (1:47) following another diet and actually learning how to eat for your body.

Before we dive in, (1:52) though, I want to share this review. She gave a five star review and said, (1:55) love this podcast. Straightforward, useful, easy to understand content.

Julie's presentation (2:01) is natural and she is a knack for connecting with her audience. I love the information and I also (2:06) appreciate the high quality audio as well as the clarity of Julie's voice. The whole experience (2:10) is enjoyable.

Thank you, Julie, for teaching us so well through this podcast. Awesome. Thank you (2:15) so much for taking time out of your day to send in this review.

Honestly, every part of that (2:19) makes me smile and just so grateful that you can review the podcast, but also more importantly, (2:26) can learn something from the podcast and you're finding it helpful. And if you have not already (2:31) left your rating interview, or maybe you have, but it was a while ago, if you could scooch over to (2:35) Apple podcasts and leave a rating interview, that would mean the absolute world to me and our team. (2:40) Just kind of know maybe how one particular episode spoke to you or just in general how (2:44) the podcast helps you.

It also helps other women who fall upon the podcast kind of see how it's (2:57) helping you to reach more women, to help them educate them, empower them, and encourage them. (3:04) All right, let's dive right into today's episode. So let's talk about macro counting versus dieting.

(3:10) Number one, dieting tells you what foods you cannot eat while macro counting teaches you how (3:15) to fit foods in. And this is probably the biggest difference that people notice when they first start (3:20) counting macros is most traditional diets (3:22) begin by removing something. (3:24) You're told that you cannot eat bread (3:26) or you need to avoid sugar or dairy has to go (3:29) or processed foods are off limits.

(3:31) And you have to get very specific of the list of foods (3:33) that are considered acceptable (3:35) while you're trying to lose weight. (3:36) And I think that's why dieting can feel exciting at first (3:40) because the rules are incredibly clear. (3:42) Like you know exactly what you need to avoid.

(3:44) And for the first few days or even weeks (3:46) or maybe even months, (3:47) that is something that you feel like (3:49) you can really do, but then life happens, right? (3:52) Someone brings donuts to the office (3:54) or your family wants pizza or you go on vacation (3:57) or you have a birthday dinner or an anniversary dinner (3:59) or you just want dessert. (4:01) Suddenly you're faced with a food (4:03) that your diet was told that you cannot have. (4:05) And now you have to either deprive yourself or eat it (4:08) and feel like you broke the diet.

(4:09) Whereas macro accounting really approaches food (4:12) very differently because I'm not looking at a piece (4:15) of bread and asking whether the bread is loud. (4:16) I'm looking at the carbohydrates, the protein, (4:18) the fats that I need throughout my entire day (4:21) and then figuring out how the foods I can enjoy (4:23) can fit into those needs. (4:24) That means that I can eat the bread, (4:26) I can have the dessert, I can go out for dinner, (4:28) I can eat a cheeseburger if I want to.

(4:30) Those foods obviously do not provide the exact same (4:33) nutrients as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins (4:35) and other more nutrient dense options (4:38) but I'm still going to be able to prioritize those foods (4:42) that give me and my body the nutrients that it needs. (4:45) But I also don't need to completely eliminate (4:47) less nutrient dense foods in order to reach my goals. (4:50) And I think that freedom makes such a huge difference (4:52) because when a food is no longer forbidden, (4:54) you stop feeling like eating it means that you failed.

(4:57) And that's exactly what I teach (4:58) inside my macro accounting made simple. (5:00) I want you to understand how different foods contribute (5:03) to your protein, your carbohydrates, your fats (5:05) so that you can make these informed choices (5:07) without needing a giant list of foods (5:09) that you're never allowed to eat again. (5:11) Number two, dieting oftentimes focuses on eating less (5:15) while macro accounting focuses on eating the amount (5:17) that your body actually needs.

(5:19) And I cannot tell you how many women come (5:21) to weight loss with this belief (5:23) that the goal is simply to figure out (5:24) how little food that they can eat. (5:26) Like they make breakfast smaller, (5:27) they make lunch lighter, they skip their snacks, (5:31) they remove carbohydrates from dinner (5:33) and they're constantly looking for another way (5:35) to cut 100 calories because they assume (5:37) that less food must mean faster progress. (5:40) But the problem is that eating as little as possible (5:43) can make your entire day revolve around hunger.

(5:46) Like you eat a tiny breakfast (5:47) and then you're hungry an hour or two later. (5:49) You try to ignore it because you're trying (5:51) to quote unquote be good, (5:52) but eventually you're gonna give in and grab a snack. (5:54) Then lunch is too small.

(5:55) So the same thing happens in the afternoon. (5:57) And by the time dinner is over, (5:59) you're like standing in front of the pantry (6:00) looking for something else (6:02) because you've spent the entire day under fueling yourself. (6:05) Whereas macro accounting really gives you (6:07) a completely different target.

(6:08) Instead of asking how little you can get away with eating, (6:11) you're figuring out an appropriate amount of protein, (6:14) carbohydrates and fats for your body, (6:16) your activity level and your goals. (6:17) And this means that your meals (6:19) can actually look like meals. (6:21) Like you can eat enough protein to feel satisfied, (6:23) enough carbohydrates to support your activity (6:25) and give you energy (6:26) and enough fat to support your body (6:28) and make your meals satisfying.

(6:30) And yes, if your goal is fat loss, (6:32) your overall intake still needs to support that goal. (6:34) But macro accounting does not somehow (6:37) eliminate the energy balance piece of weight loss. (6:39) The difference is that you have an actual framework (6:42) to work within instead of constantly trying to eat less (6:45) and hoping that you eventually land on the right amount.

(6:48) And this is one of the things (6:49) that I love seeing inside the macro accounting meet simple (6:51) is because women are oftentimes surprised (6:53) when they realize that reaching their goals (6:55) does not require them to survive on salads (6:58) and tiny portions all day. (7:00) Number three, dieting works best (7:02) when life follows the diet (7:04) while macro accounting can adjust to real life. (7:06) And I think that this is one of the biggest reasons (7:08) why people struggle to stay on traditional diets long-term.

(7:11) A rigid diet typically works really well (7:14) when you can control everything. (7:16) Like you're at home, you're eating at home, (7:18) you bought all the groceries, you prepped your meals, (7:20) your schedule is normal (7:21) and there's nothing unexpected happening. (7:23) But how often does your life actually look like that? (7:26) We have dinners with friends, we have vacations, (7:28) we have work events, we have birthday parties, (7:30) we have date nights, we have holidays, busy afternoons (7:33) and nights when cooking whatever is written on a meal plan (7:36) just sounds absolutely miserable.

(7:38) When your diet only works under perfect conditions, (7:41) every normal life event starts feeling (7:43) like something is getting in the way of your goals. (7:46) Whereas macro accounting really gives you the flexibility (7:48) because you can make different foods work (7:50) within the bigger picture of your day. (7:52) Like if I know I'm going out to dinner, (7:54) I can make choices earlier in the day (7:55) that leave me more flexibility for dinner.

(7:58) Even if I don't know that I'm going out to dinner (7:59) earlier in the day, (8:00) I can still make informed decisions (8:02) as I'm going out for dinner. (8:04) Or if my family wants pizza, (8:06) I can have pizza and fit, (8:08) build the rest of my day around it. (8:10) If I'm traveling, (8:11) I might not hit every single macro perfectly, (8:13) but I still understand what I'm looking for (8:15) when I order food.

(8:16) And that skill in my opinion is so much more valuable (8:19) to me than being able to follow a perfect meal plan (8:21) when I'm at home and everything is convenient. (8:24) Because if I want results that I can maintain, (8:26) the way that I eat has to work on a random Tuesday (8:29) and vacation at the same time. (8:31) It has to work when I cook dinner at home (8:33) and when I go out with friends.

(8:35) It has to work during the weeks (8:36) when I'm incredibly motivated (8:38) and during the weeks when nutrition is just simply (8:40) not the most exciting thing happening in my life. (8:43) That flexibility is one of the biggest reasons (8:45) I personally was able to count macros for so long. (8:49) Number four, dieting creates an on or off mentality.

(8:53) While macro counting gives you room (8:55) to be imperfect and keep going. (8:57) And I think almost every woman (8:58) knows what it feels like to be on a diet, right? (9:01) You're doing really well, (9:02) you're following all the rules (9:03) and then you eat something that was not part of the plan. (9:05) Maybe you go out to dinner and eat more than you intended.

(9:08) Maybe you have dessert, maybe Saturday looks nothing (9:10) like the meal plan that you followed all week. (9:12) And suddenly you feel like you messed everything up (9:14) and then you tell yourself, (9:16) I'm just gonna start over on Monday, (9:17) which gives you permission to spend the rest (9:19) of the weekend eating whatever you want (9:20) because you already fell off the diet. (9:22) That all or nothing cycle is exhausting (9:25) and it makes consistency incredibly difficult.

(9:28) However, with macro counting, (9:30) one meal does not determine whether I am on or off anything (9:34) because there is nothing to fall off of. (9:36) There are obviously days (9:37) when I hit my macros really closely (9:39) and then there's days when I'm less precise. (9:41) There are meals that are incredibly nutrient dense (9:43) because I choose that and I simply wanna enjoy it (9:47) but I do not have to turn one imperfect meal (9:49) into an entire weekend of eating in a way (9:51) that makes me feel terrible.

(9:53) I can just simply go back to eating normal (9:55) at my next meal. (9:56) And I think that that ability to keep going (9:58) is one of the most underrated benefits of macro counting. (10:02) You stop needing Monday to become this magical reset button (10:05) because you're learning how to make nutrition work (10:08) across an entire life (10:09) instead of judging yourself meal by meal.

(10:12) And last but not least, number five, (10:14) dieting gives you rules to follow (10:16) whereas macro counting teaches you the skills (10:18) that you can actually keep. (10:19) And this is probably one of the biggest reasons (10:21) why I chose macro counting over restrictive dieting (10:24) every single time. (10:26) Like a traditional diet can tell you exactly (10:28) what to do, eat this breakfast, avoid this food, (10:31) stop eating after this time, (10:32) order this meal when you go out.

(10:34) And while you're following those instructions, (10:35) you might see results, (10:36) but what happens when the diet ends? (10:38) Do you actually understand how much protein your body needs? (10:41) Do you understand how to build a balanced meal? (10:44) Do you understand how much fat is appropriate for you? (10:46) Do you understand how carbohydrates fit into your goals? (10:49) Do you know how to go to a restaurant (10:52) and make a choice without having someone (10:54) to tell you exactly what you are allowed to order? (10:56) That personally, in my opinion, (10:59) is where macro counting has been so valuable for me (11:02) because you start learning how food actually works. (11:05) Eventually you can look at a meal (11:06) and have a pretty good idea (11:07) of whether it contains enough protein, (11:09) whether it could use more carbohydrates (11:11) or whether you already have plenty of fat (11:12) without needing someone else to make every decision for you. (11:15) And I think that this is so important (11:17) when we talk about maintaining results (11:19) because I don't want you to spend the rest of your life (11:21) jumping from diet to diet (11:23) every time you wanna change your body.

(11:24) I instead want you to develop the skills (11:27) to understand what your body needs (11:29) and then know how to make food choices around those needs. (11:33) And again, this is exactly (11:34) why I created macro counting needs simple. (11:36) I do not want you to simply leave the program (11:38) knowing how to type food into a tracking app.

(11:41) I want you to actually understand macros, (11:43) actually understand your portion sizing, (11:46) understand how different foods work together (11:48) and feel confident enough (11:49) that nutrition stops feeling like this huge mystery (11:52) that you have to solve every few months. (11:54) Let me quickly recap the five differences (11:56) between macro counting and dieting. (11:58) Number one, traditional dieting (12:00) usually tells you what foods you need to remove (12:02) while macro counting teaches you (12:04) how different foods can fit within the bigger picture (12:07) of what your body needs.

(12:08) You can prioritize nutrient dense foods (12:09) while still making room for foods you genuinely enjoy (12:12) without feeling like one choice ruined everything. (12:15) Number two, dieting often turns weight loss (12:17) into a competition to see how little you can eat. (12:20) Whereas macro counting really gives you (12:22) an actual target for the protein carbs (12:24) and fats that your body needs.

(12:26) And that allows you to build satisfying meals (12:28) instead of spending your entire day (12:30) trying to ignore your hunger. (12:32) Number three, restrictive diets tend to work best (12:34) when your life can revolve around the diet. (12:36) Whereas macro counting gives you more flexibility (12:39) when life changes.

(12:40) You can go out to dinner, travel, (12:42) celebrate birthdays, eat with your family, (12:43) all without feeling like every social event (12:46) requires you to abandon your goals. (12:48) Number four, dieting can create an all or nothing mentality (12:51) whereas one meal makes you feel (12:53) like you're officially off track. (12:55) However, macro counting really allows you (12:58) to have an imperfect meal (12:59) and simply continue eating normal after.

(13:02) You don't need to constantly restart (13:04) because one choice does not define your entire week. (13:07) And number five, dieting gives you the rules (13:09) to temporarily follow while macro counting (13:11) teaches you the skills you can continue using (13:14) long after your fat loss phase is over. (13:16) You really understand how to build meals, (13:19) how much of each macro nutrient you need, (13:21) how to make nutrition work (13:22) without somebody constantly handing you another list of rules.

(13:26) And if you're listening to this and thinking, (13:27) okay, that macro counting sounds great, (13:29) but I absolutely have no idea where to start. (13:32) Again, my macro counting mean simple online academy (13:34) is for you inside this program, (13:36) I will calculate your personalized macro targets (13:39) and then teach you how to actually use them (13:41) so that you understand how much protein, carbohydrates (13:44) and fat that your body needs (13:45) and also how to fit those numbers into your real life. (13:48) My goal for you is to stop wondering (13:51) whether you should cut carbs, skip breakfast, (13:53) eat less fat, stop eating dessert (13:55) or start another diet every time you wanna make progress.

(13:58) I want you to understand your body well enough (14:00) that you can make those decisions with confidence. (14:02) If you wanna learn more, (14:03) you can head over to macrocountingmadesimple.com. (14:07) I will also put the link in the show notes below (14:09) because if you have spent years (14:10) jumping from one diet to another, (14:12) I want you to know that you do not need (14:14) another temporary set of food rules. (14:16) You need an approach that teaches you how to eat (14:20) in a way that supports your goals (14:21) while still allowing you to live your life.

(14:23) And that's exactly what macro counting (14:25) has done for me the last decade. (14:26) If you love this episode, (14:27) I know you will also love episode 313, (14:30) eight reasons why macro counting is not a fad diet. (14:33) We go even deeper into why this approach (14:35) holds up long-term instead of just being another trend (14:38) that fades out.

(14:39) So I will link that in the show notes for you below (14:41) so you can easily go check that out. (14:43) If this episode helped you kind of see dieting (14:45) in a different way or rather see macro counting (14:48) in a different light compared to dieting, (14:50) I encourage you to send it to a friend, (14:52) maybe who's stuck in the dieting restart cycle (14:54) and needs to hear there's another way, (14:56) or you can simply just post this on your Instagram story. (14:59) Be sure to tag me so I can see you.

(15:01) All right, that is all that I have for everything. (15:04) All right, that is all that I have for today. (15:06) Thank you so much for spending this time with me.

(15:08) The next time you feel tempted (15:09) to grab onto another set of rules, (15:11) I just want you to remember (15:13) that you already have everything you need (15:15) to make this decision for yourself. (15:17) I love you so much. (15:18) I mean it, and I'll talk to you in the next one.

(15:27) All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, (15:30) but I have two things that I need you to do. (15:34) First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, (15:36) be sure to do so Julie A. Ledbetter. (15:39) Yes, it's with an A in the middle (15:40) for that daily post-workout real talk, (15:43) healthy tips and tricks, (15:44) and honest accountability to keep your mind (15:46) and heart in check.

(15:47) The second thing, be sure to subscribe (15:50) to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. (15:53) Thank you so much for joining me. (15:56) It means the absolute world, (15:57) and I'm going to leave you with one last thought.

(15:59) The most beautiful women that I have met in my life (16:02) are the ones who are completely confident (16:04) and secure in being authentically themselves. (16:08) Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface, (16:11) so go out there and embrace your real, (16:14) because you're worth it.

 
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