Losing Weight Counting Macros with Lifesum

Losing weight isn't only about calories in vs. calories out. Here's how you can lose weight by counting macronutrients, carbs, fat, and protein.

Meat, potato, soup and sandwich on a wooden table

Most of the time when you think of weight loss, you think about calories in vs calories out. And that’s not a bad strategy, but it’s not the only way. You can lose weight through counting macronutrients; carbs, fat, and protein.

Macronutrients are the building blocks of calories. Carbs and protein contain 4 calories per gram, while fat contains 9 calories per gram. The different macronutrients break down in the body differently; protein takes longer to break down, which is why it makes you feel fuller for longer, whereas certain types of carbs (sugars) break down very fast, meaning you get the energy from them immediately but don’t stay as full for as long. All of this means it’s possible to eat the same number of calories while eating vastly different amounts of macronutrients.

Counting macros can be difficult if you don’t have the right tools. After all, it’s hard to measure and count the macros you’re eating at every meal.

Recommended macronutrient amounts are:

45-65 g of carbohydrates

10-30 g of protein

25-35 g of fat

21-31 g of fiber

In these cases, the majority of calories come from carbohydrates, and the fewest number come from protein. Depending on your health goal, you’ll likely adjust the intake so that you’re having more or less of some of the nutrients.

That’s why tracking in Lifesum is so good. If you know what macronutrient ratio you need, you can set it manually by going into settings and adjusting the macro ratios under Nutrition Settings.

If you don’t know what macronutrient ratio you need, but you do know what your overall goal is (gaining weight, losing weight, maintaining weight), you can choose a health plan which reflects the goal and Lifesum will adjust the macros for you, so that all you have to do is follow them.

Find a Diet you love

Find a nutritious Diet that fits your lifestyle and food preferences. Take charge of your daily habits with one of the many ongoing Diets including Clean Eating and High Protein.

Start a simplified Meal Plan

Follow a 7-21 day Meal Plan and get four pre-planned recipes a day. Depending on your health goals, there are many Meal Plans to choose from including Keto Burn and Vegan for a week.

Enjoy hundreds of tasty and nutritious recipes

Enjoy hundreds of easy-to-cook recipes filled with nutritious and tasty food. All of the recipes include information about their nutritional value so you can keep track of your daily energy intake.

Use the helpful barcode scanner

Identify your food items with the super easy-to-use barcode scanner. Scan the item, log it and get the nutritional information you need to stay on track.

Track your way to success

Track your activities and what you eat with the help of our food-, exercise- and water trackers to maintain a balanced everyday life.

Create your own health journey

To help you reach your goals and customize your health journey you can add your favorite meals, food items, recipes and exercises to your Favorites.

All of the content and media on Lifesum is created and published for information purposes only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Users should always consult with a doctor or other health care professional for medical advice. If you have or think you are at risk of developing an eating disorder, do not use the Lifesum app and seek immediate medical help.