Why Adjusting Your Macros Matters When You Increase Your Exercise
“Julie, how do I know if I actually need to adjust my macros based on my new activity levels?”
I get it. It can feel confusing to know when a change is actually needed and when you might just be overthinking it. The last thing I want is for you to feel like you’re constantly chasing numbers or tweaking your macros every time you happen to have a more active week.
So in this episode, we are going to break down exactly why adjusting your macros even matters in the first place—and just as importantly, when it does not make sense to adjust them. Because there is a big difference between occasional bursts of activity and true, consistent changes in your movement patterns that require more support through your nutrition.
What I discuss:
When it is actually time to adjust your macros
Why under-fueling is one of the fastest ways to stall your progress
The 4 most important steps to follow for adjusting your macros
If you loved this episode, you will also love: Episode 243: https://www.juliealedbetter.com/embrace-your-real/what-are-the-four-phases-of-macro-counting
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
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Transcript
00:00 -
Hey there, beautiful human, you're listening to Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go. Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace your Real podcast why adjusting your macros matters when you increase your exercise. Today, I'm really excited that you're here, because this is one of the most common questions that I get from women who are on their macro counting journey. And listen, I get it. It can feel confusing to know when a change is actually needed and when you might just be overthinking it. The last thing I want for you is to feel like you're constantly chasing numbers or you're tweaking your macros every time you happen to get a more active week or a less active week or whatever it is. So in this episode, we're really going to break down exactly why adjusting your macros even matters in the first place and, just as importantly, when it doesn't make sense to adjust them, because there is a big difference between occasional bursts of activity in your schedule and true, consistent change in your movement patterns that require more support through your nutrition. So I'm going to be walking you through what's exactly happening inside your body when you start asking more from it, or why feeling appropriately is the key to getting the results that you're looking for, and how to know the difference between when your body genuinely needs more and when it's just a random busy week. So if you've ever wondered like, do I really need to change my macros because I worked out, you know, an extra day this week, this episode is going to give you the clarity that you need and the peace of mind that you need. Most importantly, also, if you haven't started your macro counting journey, I recommend you first jump into episode 247, which is five steps to beginning your macro counting journey. That episode will give you the guidance that you need to get started and then listen to this episode. So if you haven't tuned into that episode, or if you're just again getting started on your macro counting journey, stop this episode and go tune into 247. I will go ahead and link it in the show notes so that you can easily go check that out and then, after you tune into that episode, then jump back into this episode. Also, if you're not aware of the different phases of macro counting, that's also going to be super important for you. If you do start your macro counting journey, you should not be in the same phase all year long and should not be eating the same macros, especially if you do have goals, unless you're just gonna be in a maintenance phase. But I do talk about this in episode 243, what are the four phases of macro counting? So I will go ahead and link both of those. So I would encourage you to tune in to at the very least tune in to episode 247 if you haven't heard anything about macros and you're just starting out. And again, if you're curious about the different phases of macro counting, episode 243 are going to be very helpful for you. So I will go ahead and link those in the show notes that you can easily go check those out. Go check those out.
03:03
But before we dive in, I want to share this review. It comes from Allie Page, xo. She gave a five-star review and said never listened to podcasts until now. Hi, I've never listened to podcasts before I came across yours. Every episode I have listened to thus far is so helpful. One even made me cry because of how accurate it was. I hope you never stop making these. You're helping so many of us. Oh, my goodness, thank you so much for taking time out of your day. I honestly feel so honored that you've never listened to podcasts before and, most importantly, that these podcasts are helping you and speaking to you. That is always. The goal of these episodes is that they encourage you, they empower you, they educate you in some way, shape or form, and so thank you so much, allie Page, for taking time out of your day to send in this review.
03:41
Before we dive into how to adjust your macros, I want to pause and kind of talk about something really important the why behind making adjustments in the first place, and if you actually need to make the adjustments or not, because I know that some of you might be thinking and you might be wondering, like, do I really need to adjust my macros just because I'm working out more? Is this actually necessary? And my honest answer if you want to feel good, if you want to recover well and if you actually want to see the results that you're working so hard for, the answer is yes. Yes, it does matter, yes, it is necessary, but I also want to be very clear about this, because it's not as simple as saying oh, I did an extra workout this week, so I better change my numbers. It's not about reacting to every little bump in activity or every single week that feels that you might feel a little bit more active than usual. There's a big difference between occasional bursts of activity and true, consistent changes in your movement patterns. So let's kind of break this down together. Let's kind of talk about what's actually happening inside your body when you start asking more from it, and why giving your body the right support through your nutrition is so important if you want the effort to pay off.
04:48
Anytime you have an increase in your activity, whether that means you've gone from working out three days a week to five, or maybe you're adding cardio on top of your lifting, or you're training for something like a half marathon, a Tough Mudder, or maybe something it's as simple as your daily steps have gone from, you know, 4,000 to 10,000 consistently, or your job, your lifestyle has shifted and you're just feeling like you're on your feet significantly more throughout the day. Whatever that increase looks like for you, what you're doing in all of those examples is creating a higher energy demand on your body, and here's why that matters so much because movement, especially things like strength training, cardio that requires fuel. Strength training in particular, breaks down your muscle tissue. That's literally the point of strength training. You're creating those tiny tears in your muscle fibers, and in order to rebuild those fibers stronger, your body needs fuel, it needs protein, it needs calories. Cardio, on the other hand, that uses glycogen, which is your body's stored form of carbohydrates, and that's your fast acting fuel source. And even general movement like walking more or just being on your feet throughout the day that burns energy too, even if it's not structured, formal exercise.
05:59
But here's the deal your body can't just pull energy and building blocks out of thin air. If you're not intentionally fueling for the amount of work that you're doing, your body is going to find ways to compensate, and the unfortunate reality is that the way that your body compensates is not going to support the results that you're looking for. So let's kind of talk about what actually happens when you're under fueling for your activity level. When you don't give your body the nutrients that it needs to support the work that you are asking it to do. Here's what tends to happen your progress stalls, whether your goal is fat loss or muscle growth or strength gains whatever it is you're going to hit a wall. Your workouts are going to feel harder than they should. You're going to feel like you're running on empty, because well you are. You're going to notice that you're sore way longer than normal because your body doesn't have the tools that it needs to properly repair the muscle tissue. You're breaking down during your workouts and sleep can start to suffer, which only makes the recovery process even harder and throws those hormones out of balance. Your energy levels drop, your mood takes a hit, you might even feel irritable or wiped out, or like you're dragging yourself throughout the day and cravings, especially for quick carbs and sugar, go through the roof because your body's literally desperate for fuel and, in the worst case scenario, instead of building muscle, like you're trying to do, your body actually starts to break down muscle to use it as fuel. Because here's the thing your body is always going to prioritize survival over fat loss or muscle gain always.
07:31
I know some of you guys might be thinking but, julie, isn't the goal to burn calories and lose fat? Isn't eating less, kind of the point? Yes, sometimes being in a caloric deficit is part of the plan depending on your specific goals, but there is a huge difference between being in a smart strategic deficit and being in a completely under fueling deficit. That's not fueling your body at all. Undereating, especially when it comes to protein and carbs, doesn't just stall your fat loss. It actually puts your body into stress mode, and when your body is stressed, it's not focused on progress, it's focused on survival. When your body thinks that it body is stressed, it's not focused on progress. It's focused on survival. When your body thinks that it's in danger because it's not getting enough fuel, it actually starts slowing down your metabolism, it starts holding onto fat, it starts breaking down muscle for energy, and it throws your hormones out of balance in the process, and I know that that is the exact opposite of what most of us want when we're putting in the effort to move our bodies as well and to eat well on a regular basis. I also, though, want to be really clear that adjustments to your macros should not be these knee-jerk reactions, and this is where I see so many women get tripped up.
08:34
Just because you had one really active week does not mean that you automatically need to adjust your macros. Like our bodies are built to handle fluctuations. They can handle a few days of extra movement here and there without needing an immediate nutrition overhaul. What we're looking for when it comes to adjustments is consistent, long-term changes in your movement patterns, not just random bursts of extra activity. So let's kind of talk about what that actually looks like in real life, like if you added one extra workout here and there, but your weekly routine hasn't really shifted overall, you probably don't need to adjust your macros. If you've did a few more steps this week maybe you went from 4,000 to 6,000 a few days, but you're not consistently hitting that higher number daily Again your body can likely handle that without any big changes. Or if you threw in a bonus cardio sessions or went for an improv hike because the weather was nice, whatever it is, that's a one-time thing and not a regular habit. You don't need to make an adjustment for that.
09:34
If you're on vacation and you plan to do a little bit more walking while sightseeing, but your structured workouts are staying the same, there's probably no need to touch your macros In these situations. Your body is capable of managing the extra energy demands on its own. You don't need to stress about changing your numbers for a little blip in your routine, but on the other hand, you're here's when it does make sense to actually consider adjusting your macros. So if you've permanently added another lifting day to your weekly schedule so, for example, you were doing three times a week and now you're doing four times or five times a week that's a consistent increase in your training volume and this is every single week your body is going to need more fuel to support that. Or if you are consistently stacking cardio on top of your strength training several times a week, not just once in a while, but as a regular part of your routine that is also increasing your overall energy demand and that's requiring more intentional fueling.
10:29
If you've made a long-term shift in your daily movement let's say you used to walk 4,000 steps a day and now you're constantly hitting 7,000 or 10,000 steps a day that's a significant change and your body is going to need more to keep up with that. If you're training for a specific event or performance goal that has ramped up your workout volume or your intensity or both that's also a situation where your body is going to need more support. Or if your lifestyle has completely shifted maybe you're walking a way more active job now, or you're on your feet way more than you used to be throughout the day. That is going to increase your energy output consistently, not just here and there. The differences in all of these examples is that these aren't one-off events. These are ongoing patterns. These are consistent changes in how much you've been asking your body from week to week, and that's where your body is constantly being asked to do more and it's going to need more support.
11:25
So the bottom line is, I want you to remember consistent increases in activity require consistent support through nutrition. Occasional bumps though in activity, like one random extra workout or a couple of extra long walks your body's got that covered. You don't need to stress about adjusting your macros for one active week. But if your routine has truly shifted and your body is regularly being asked to do more, then, yes, it is time to fuel according to that. That is how you make sure that your hard work is working for you and not against you, because at the end of the day, your workouts are the stimulus, but your nutrition that is the recovery, that is the rebuilding, that's the transformation part. If your training is the spark, your nutrition is the fuel that keeps the fire burning. So if you're asking more from your body, make sure that you're going to be giving it more to work with. That's how you support your progress, that's how you feel good along the way and that's how you make sure that your body is thriving, not just surviving.
12:24
Okay, so now that we've made that loud and clear, let's kind of walk through the important steps to follow for adjusting your macros. Step number one be honest with yourself and assess so before jumping straight into adjusting your numbers with yourself, and assess so before jumping straight into adjusting your numbers. I want you to really assess how often am I working out now versus before? How intense are those sessions? How much total movement am I getting outside of my workouts? Have I added cardio on top of my lifting, and am I training towards a specific event or performance goal? Getting honest about those questions are really going to help you figure out if your body is genuinely asking for more fuel or if you're simply feeling hungry from a harder than usual here or there, because small changes in activity don't always require big changes in nutrition, but bigger shifts in activity definitely do, and the more accurately you can assess where you're at, the better you can support your body with exactly what it needs to perform well muscle repair, recovery and growth.
13:39
So every time you work out, especially if you're strength training, you're creating those tiny tears in your muscle fibers. That's actually the point of strength training, like you're breaking down the muscle tissue and then your body rebuilds it stronger. But here's the catch your body can't do the rebuilding process without the raw materials, and those raw materials are the protein. So you're lifting heavier, you're increasing your reps or you're training more frequently. Your body needs more of those building blocks to repair and rebuild, and if you're not giving your body enough protein, you're basically short-changing your recovery, and that can mean soreness that lingers way too long, muscle loss instead of muscle gain and progress. That feels way harder than it needs to be.
14:19
Now, a common mistake that I see is women focusing on total calories or carbs and fat first, but missing the protein piece entirely, and I get it. Carbs and fats are super important and we'll talk about them in the next steps, but if your protein is not in place, none of the other adjustments matter as much. So how much do you actually need? A general rule of thumb is aiming for 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, that's 120 to 150 grams of protein per day. But and this is very important if your training volume increases, especially if you're lifting heavy or you're adding more intense sessions throughout the week, I recommend leaning toward the higher end of that range, or even slightly above.
15:07
Here's the thing. The adjust that you need might be super small. Oftentimes, when we think about adjusting our macros, we think it's going to be this huge jump in what we're eating. But in reality you could just need 20 more grams of protein in a day. That could be a protein shake or a bowl of Greek yogurt. That's an extra four ounces of chicken. That's not a lot, so don't overdo it. If you need help adjusting your macros, or if you need them counted in general, head over to my Macro County Made Simple Online Academy. This is where I give you that step-by-step guide on how to calculate these adjustments 100% accurately, because even the smallest wrong tweak that can lead to adverse results. So you can go to MacroCountyMadeSimplecom to gain instant access and to get them done correctly.
15:50
But protein always comes first because if your body doesn't have what it needs to rebuild and recover, adding more carbs and fats without addressing the protein gap is like trying to build a house with no bricks the energy is there, but the materials to build with are not. So before you tweak anything else, check your protein. Step number three carbs are your primary fuel source for activity. So let's kind of talk about carbs, because if your activity level has increased, especially with things like cardio, high intense interval training, high volume strength training this is where most women actually need to make a change. And I know I talk a lot about how you don't need cardio to build the body that you want. But not all women are moving their body to change their body. Many women are doing cardio because they love honoring their body with that type of movement and that's what brings them joy, that's what fills their cup, it's a hobby, it's a passion and that's amazing. But if you are doing lots of cardio, you better fuel your body correctly.
16:45
Carbohydrates are your body's preferred and most efficient source of energy for movement, especially anything that gets your heart rate up and puts your muscles under prolonged strain. Your body breaks down carbs into glucose, which is then stored as glycogen in your muscles and your liver. And guess what? The glycogen is exactly what your body taps into to power those workouts. So if your workouts have gone up in frequency or intensity or duration and your carb intake hasn't budged, you're probably running low on fuel. And when your glycogen stores are depleted, here's what you might notice you might hit a wall halfway through your workout, your energy crashes in the middle of the day, your recovery feels harder than it should, your sleep gets worse, you might feel like you're constantly hungry, even when you're eating quote unquote enough. Or you might actually be gaining weight or holding on to stubborn belly fat. But here's the kicker If your body doesn't have enough carbs available, it will start tapping into other resources, like breaking down muscle tissue, for fuel. And I know that's the exact opposite of what most of us want when we're training to build muscle and feel stronger.
17:54
Now I know for some of you listening, carbs feel a little scary. Maybe you've spent years trying to cut carbs trying to lose weight. Maybe you've been told they're bad or that they'll slow your progress. But I want to reframe that for you right here and right now. Carbs are not the enemy. Carbs are fuel. They're not just important for energy during your workouts. They're crucial for your recovery after your workouts too. Carbs help shuttle nutrients to your muscles to replenish that glycogen store and to support that hormone balance.
18:26
Especially if you're training consistently, so if you've increased your movement, especially if you've added cardio or longer, more intense strength training sessions, carbs could be. So kind of a good starting point is increasing your carb intake about 10 to 20%, and that's not that much. Actually. That could be again. An extra 20 grams per day. That's a bowl of oatmeal, that's an extra slice of bread. That's not a lot. So start small and really pay attention to how your body responds when you increase your carb intake. Ask yourself do I have more energy during my workouts? Am I recovering faster and feeling overall less fatigued? Has my sleep improved? Do I feel less hangry throughout the day? If the answer is yes to any of those, you're likely on the right track.
19:20
This doesn't mean that you need to load up on processed foods or massive bowls of pasta every night. Think whole food sources like oats, sweet potatoes, bananas, berries, rice, quinoa foods that digest well for you and support that sustained energy and, most importantly, give yourself the permission to fuel. You are not doing something wrong by eating more. You're honoring your body's needs as they evolve and more often than not I see women up their macros and actually lose weight because their body is no longer functioning from a state of survival. But as a reminder again, adjusting your macros is a science. So if you want to do it effectively and efficiently, just head over to macrocountymadesimplecom and I'll walk you through how to do it accurately.
20:06
Step number four is up your fat game. Okay, so let's talk about fat, the macro that's often feared or forgotten. And here's the deal. Fat is essential. It plays a crucial role in your body. It supports hormone production, it's vital for brain health, it helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, and it also helps you feel full and satisfied after your meals.
20:32
I'm definitely not here to tell you to go low-fat that is not the goal. But when it comes to adjusting your macros after increasing your activity, fat isn't the first lever. I recommend pulling why? Because, unlike carbs, fat is not your body's preferred energy source for intense exercise. Fat is slower to digest and better suited for low intensity, longer duration activities or your body's baseline energy needs. But when you're lifting weights, you're doing HIIT, you're training for performance, your body is primarily tapping into carbs for fast fuel, not fat. So if you're increasing your workouts or training harder. Your priority should be getting enough protein to recover and carbs to fuel performance.
21:15
Once those are in place, though, then you can kind of take a look at your fat intake. So does this mean that fat isn't important? Absolutely not. Fat is one of the most important things for women's health, especially for hormone balance. If your fat intake drops too low, you might start to notice irregular cycles, lower sex drive or even issues with sleep and mood, and that's why I recommend getting your fat intake in the range of 20, 25, 30% of your total calories. That range supports your hormones and keeps you feeling satisfied with your meals.
21:49
So let me kind of give you a quick example. So if you're eating, let's say, 2,000 calories per day, 25% of your intake from fat would be about 500 calories, and since fat has nine calories per gram, that comes out to about 55 grams of fat per day. You don't need to overthink this. Just make sure that your fat intake doesn't dip too low, and then it stays consistent as you make other adjustments. So what does that look like when adjusting your macro? So what if you're hitting your protein and your carb targets and you're still feeling low energy and under fueled.
22:22
This is where you might look at adding a little bit more fat by just starting to bump it, maybe by five or 10 grams per day, and see how you feel. Some easy ways to do that is to add, you know, a quarter of an avocado to your meal, or some. Drizzle some avocado or olive oil or avocado oil over veggies or salad. Toss in a handful of nuts or seeds. Add a nut butter to your smoothie or a rice cake. Choose higher fat cuts of protein, like salmon. Add a nut butter to your smoothie or a rice cake. Choose higher fat cuts of protein like salmon, whole eggs, ground beef. The key here is balance. Fat is essential, but it doesn't need to jump up dramatically just because your activity level did. It's more about maintaining a consistent, healthy level that supports your hormones and overall well-being.
23:05
Again, if you haven't started your macro counting journey, I recommend going and tuning into episode 247, five steps to beginning your macro counting journey. This will give you the guidance that you need to get started and also, if you're not aware of the different phases of macro counting, that's also going to be super important because if you get your macro count, you should not be in the same phase, all year round eating the same macros. You should phase in and out of each phase through reverse dieting, through maintenance, through whatever it is caloric deficit, caloric surplus. So be sure to go and check out episode 243,. What are the four phases of macro counting? Both of those are linked in the show notes so that you can easily go listen to those now. All right, I hope that that was helpful and really cleared up the confusion and gave you some clarity on whether or not you actually need to adjust your macros.
23:57
Let's kind of go ahead and recap what we covered in today's episode. So first, I want you to remember that just because you had one really active week does not mean that you need to automatically adjust your macros. Our bodies are built to handle small fluctuations here or there. It's not about reacting to every single spike in movement or every extra workout. What we're looking for is long, consistent increases in your activity level, not just random bursts. Second, we talked about why under-fueling when your activity level has truly increased is one of the fastest ways that you can stall your progress, slow down your recovery and throw your hormones way out of balance. Remember that your body cannot rebuild muscle or replenish energy stores without the right fuel and when it does get what it needs and when it doesn't get what it needs, excuse me, it will always prioritize survival over fat loss or muscle growth. And third, we talked through exactly when it does make sense to adjust your macros.
24:53
If you've permanently added more lifting days, or if you're stacking cardio consistently on top of your strength training, if your daily step count has significantly increased, or if you're training for a performance goal, or if your lifestyle has shifted to a much more active routine, those are specific situations where your body is asking more, and that's when it's time to make adjustments. And then, lastly, we broke down how to make those adjustments in the right order. Protein always comes first, because your body needs the raw materials to repair and rebuild. Carbs come next, especially if you've added more cardio or higher intensity training, because carbs are your body's primary fuel source and movement for recovery. And then, once those are dialed in, you can take a look at your fat intake to make sure that you're supporting hormone health and overall well-being. Again, if you want to learn how to calculate these adjustments accurately and make sure that you're feeling your body the right way without second guessing yourself, I walk you through that entire process inside my Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy. You can go to macrocountingmadesimplecom to learn more.
25:58
Thank you so much for joining me today. If this episode was helpful for you, it would mean the absolute world to me if you shared it with a friend who needs to hear this message, or if you took a minute to rate and review the show. This is how we spread the message and help more women just like you embrace your real. But that is all that I have for today's episode. Love you so dang much. I mean it and I'll talk to you in the next one.
26:24
All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle For that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought the most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it.