I Lost 40 Pounds by Tracking My Macros, Here's How You Can Do It Yourself

Jessica Frazier (@jesfraz) is a TikToker and weight loss influencer who lost 40 pounds and regularly shares videos about how she did it. In one viral video, she maintains that a crucial component of her success was counting macros. "I lost 40 pounds by tracking my macros, and this is how I do it," she says in the clip. We also consulted our Resident RDN, The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian, to weigh in. 

Find a Macro Calculator

She recommends finding a macro calculator online. "You're going to put in all your details, including your height, your weight, and then how active you are, and it's going to give you your macros," she says. Collingwood recommends My Fitness Pal. 

Stay Within Five Grams of the Numbers

"You're going to take those macros and go into MyFitnessPal and put them in your settings. So at the end of each day, your goal is to be within five grams of each of those numbers," she continues. 

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Pay Attention to Labels

"You're going to want to start paying attention to the labels and how much protein, fat, and carbs is in everything you're eating," she notes. 

Use a Food Scale

"If you want to be really precise, you're going to need a food scale. But I'm a lazy girl and I just like to use my measuring cups. It doesn't have to be perfect and you'll still get results," she says. 

Log All Your Food

"You have to log every single thing that you eat that day in MyFitnessPal and it'll pull up the macros for you. You can even adjust the serving size to be whatever you ate," she maintains. 

4 Things Contribute to Calories, RDN Says

Collingwood explains that there are only 4 things that contribute calories: Carbs, Protein, Fat, and Alcohol. "Alcohol is not a necessary macronutrient, so really if you are watching your macros you are watching your total calories (unless you are drinking a lot of alcohol!)" she explains. 

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 Agrees That You Need to Log Everything – and Consider Weighing Everything for a Period of Time

"Food scale and measuring cups will definitely give you the most accuracy, but it is a pain to weigh and measure everything you eat and sometimes it's not practical when you are away from home," Collingwood continues. However, because most people underestimate how much they are eating (portion size) "weighing and measuring even just for a few days to see how far off you are when you estimate is a great idea," she points out. "You definitely need to log as the day goes on so you can remember everything you are eating! Don't wait until the end of the day because you will forget a lot and be even more inaccurate when it comes to portion size, condiments added, beverages, a small piece of chocolate from the jar at work, etc."

💪🔥Body Booster: If you want to lose weight, try tracking your macros for one week. 

@jesfraz Replying to @lydichristine *DISCLAIMER I am not a nutritionist, consult with your doctor* #howtotrackmacros #macrotrackingforbeginners #macros #weightlossjouney ♬ original sound – Jessica Frazier