Macro Tracking VS Calorie Counting For Building Muscle

00:00Macronutrients is like the protein, fats, and the carbs that make up your overall calorie number. But calorie counting, on the other hand, is just like, oh, I'm going to hit whatever foods will make up and help me hit a target of 2,000 calories for the day. Hey, you guys, what's up? Welcome to The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkie Stott, co-founder and brand personality of WarriorBabe, where we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident.

00:32I am your host, Nikkie Stott, and welcome to episode number five, all about macro tracking versus calorie counting for building muscle. I am stoked to dive into this one. This is the first time we're really touching on macro tracking and why I just believe in this methodology so, so, so, so much. And I'm very passionate about this because I find so many women spending way too much time calorie counting because it was once this, like, big craze with weight loss, but they're not getting the results that they want with fat loss,

01:09which is seeing more muscle, being more toned, having more definition in their body. And there's a big difference. Like, people think that weight loss and fat loss are the same, but they're very different. And I'm going to touch actually on that more in depth in another podcast to come. But for today, I'm just going to talk about macro tracking versus calorie counting for building muscle. And I want you guys to leave knowing, like, which one's the optimal one for whatever goal you have, right?

01:40One could really support just weight loss. One is going to support fat loss. And if your ultimate goal is to, you know, have that more athletic look, build more muscle, be more toned, then one of them is going to serve better for you. Okay? So, let's dive into it. When it comes to building muscle, many people, you guys at first, maybe this is you, this was definitely me, as I shared with you guys in earlier podcasts, a lot of people focus on increasing their protein intake and their calorie intake, right?

02:13It's like protein is king. You obviously need to eat more food. Okay, cool. Those two things, you know, a lot of people go towards. A lot of people hear and read that protein is an important macronutrient for building muscle. So, they try to get more protein into their diet, right? I remember from me, I told you guys that I was, like, spending all the time Googling what foods had protein in it. And so, while those are important factors, protein is very important, calorie intake is important, there's more to consider when it comes to optimizing muscle growth. And that is the goal of this whole podcast right now.

02:46Muscle growth. Because muscle growth, you guys, is what's going to get you that toned look. Toned is just more muscle exposed to your body. And so, this is where macronutrient tracking and calorie counting come into play. But before we dive into, like, the differences and everything like that between these two approaches, I want to define macronutrients and calorie counting. Because I feel like, you know, a lot of people know what calorie counting is, but macronutrients is like, what are macronutrients? So, macronutrient tracking refers to the practice of monitoring the intake of macronutrients,

03:21which are nutrients that provide energy for the body. And the three key macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. So, that's macros. Calorie counting, on the other hand, involves keeping track of the total number of calories consumed in a day. Okay? So, one is very, very more, a little bit more detailed. Macronutrients is like the protein, fats, and the carbs that make up your overall calorie number. But calorie counting, on the other hand, is just like, oh, I'm going to hit whatever foods will make up

03:55and help me hit a target of 2,000 calories for the day. Okay? And that's what a lot of people have done and continue to do. One will support one. Another one will support the other, as I said. So, now let's talk about how these approaches can be used for building muscle. Again, that is it. Optimizing muscle growth, building muscle. It's going to get you that more toned look. So, when it comes to building muscle, it's important to consume an adequate amount of calories and protein. This is because protein is the primary building block of muscle.

04:25Like, I will always say protein is king when it comes to wanting to achieve building more muscle, looking more toned. And calories provide the energy needed for muscle growth. So, both of them are important. However, simply consuming a lot of calories and protein does not guarantee muscle growth. So, this is where macronutrient tracking can be way more effective than calorie counting. By tracking the intake of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, you are assuring that you are getting the right balance of nutrients to support muscle growth.

05:02Okay? So, protein calories alone is not going to guarantee muscle growth. But by getting a little bit more efficient with it, tracking your macros, tracking carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, that's how you're going to make sure that you're getting the right balance of nutrients to support muscle growth. So, for example, if your goal is to build muscle, you may want to focus on consuming more protein and carbohydrates while keeping your fat intake moderate. Okay? Now, on the other hand, if you are simply counting calories, you may end up consuming way too much fat, which can hinder muscle growth.

05:41Okay? So, again, arbitrary number of 2,000 calories. Well, hey, majority of that could be coming from fats. And guess what? My keto friends, that's going to hinder your muscle growth. Okay? So, if you're focusing on the breaking down of those calories more efficiently into paying attention to how much fat you're having, how much protein you're having, and how much carbohydrates you're having, that's going to support muscle growth.

06:12And again, to reiterate it, that's what's going to support you looking more toned. Okay? In addition to the types of nutrients that you are consuming, this is big, you guys. The timing of your nutrient intake can also be very important for building muscle. So, for example, consuming protein and carbohydrates after a workout can help to stimulate and start the process of muscle repair and growth. I always say this. When you're working out, you're in the gym, you're doing the strength workouts, you're breaking down the muscle.

06:45Okay? Post-workout, what you eat for the next 24 to 48 hours, it's what's going to help stimulate that muscle repair and growth, which, aka, again, more growth is going to make you more toned. So, macronutrient tracking can help you plan all of your meals and snacks to ensure that you are fueling your body appropriately for muscle growth, too, as well. So, like, when you're paying attention to just calories, it's more so like, okay, this fits into my allotted calorie count for the day.

07:15But, like, that may not attribute to a good type of nutrients for consuming of the timing of your meals to then build it and optimize, repair for muscle and provide growth or start the growth process. Okay? Macronutrient tracking, as I said, like, if you can plan your meals ahead of time, which is so very important, you guys, like, the day before, you're going to be able – or even just, like, your pre- and post-workout meal. Like, that is the first two meals I would highly recommend you start paying attention to. You want to eat pre-workout.

07:46You want to eat post-workout. And that – paying attention to those two things is going to help you to start stimulating muscle repair and start that growth process. It's going to give you – the pre-workout is what's going to give you fuel for your workout. The protein, the carbohydrates. Very important pre-workout to have the fuel for your workout. And then post-workout, as I've already explained. So, on the other hand, calorie counting, like I just said, does not take into account the specific types of nutrients that you're consuming or the timing of your meal. So, again, like, a lot of people probably go into, like, a cafe or they find something at, like – maybe they're not planning ahead and they just find something they know that they have to eat beforehand.

08:22But, like, what are those types of nutrients that you're consuming? You're only – you only care about the calorie number that's in the meal. Right? The calorie counting does not take into account the specific types of nutrients that you're consuming or the timing of your meals. Because if you're just focusing on 2,000 calories in a day, well, Jesus, like, if you go out for a burger, fries, and, you know, an appetizer, that's probably your 2,000 calories for the day. Right? So – and it can be helpful for controlling overall calorie intake.

08:53Like, if you are just focusing on weight loss, like, this is the thing that's going to help you. Focusing on overall calorie intake. Okay? You want to be in a caloric deficit and you want to lose 40 pounds, 50 pounds, great. Start paying attention to your calorie intake because either you're not consuming enough or you're over-consuming if you're overweight. And – but, like, fat loss – and I'm going to explain this in detail in another podcast because it's worthy of an entire podcast. But there is a significant difference between weight loss and fat loss.

09:24So the controlling of your calorie intake, it's not going to provide the same level of detail as macronutrient tracking when it comes to optimizing muscle growth. And that's what you want to pay attention to for fat loss. If you really want that more athletic look, that more fit figure, be more toned, then you have to dial in. You have to start learning macronutrients. You've got to – you've got to, like, learn – optimize that system for you, make it work for you if that is your ultimate goal. Hey, hey, real quick. If you want to learn more about macronutrients and understand that methodology on how they can help you achieve your body composition goals of changing the way your body looks,

09:59I put together a free 15-minute training where I dive into macronutrients and how you can control your body for the rest of your life with them. That link is in the description below. Click on it after listening to the show today. To wrap this all up, they both serve a purpose. Okay? Both macronutrient tracking and calorie counting can be useful for reaching your goals. Right? Like I said, if you want to lose 40 pounds, cool. Just focus on doing a little bit better with your food. Focus on the calorie number and start hitting that calorie number. But if you want to achieve a toned look, okay, cool.

10:32Squash that 40 pounds weight loss first. And then your next level, your next growth, your next understanding, the next thing that's going to take you to the next level is macronutrients. Okay? Macronutrients is going to provide a more targeted approach, like I've mentioned, to help you build muscle, which is how you will get that toned look. And macros and short, too, this is just very important. Like, you're getting the right balance of nutrients for that overall growth to happen. It can also help you guys, like I mentioned, plan your snacks and your meals to optimize muscle growth and repair.

11:07So, if you're just someone that's like, oh, I have to hit this calorie number in the day, you're not really paying attention to like, oh, this pre-workout and post-workout meal is actually very important for the ultimate goal of muscle growth and repair. Okay? So, short and sweet, but to the point, you guys, this is a very useful podcast that you guys could really listen to just to understand, like, hey, if I have this goal in mind, then, like, I need to be awesome to squash one first and then move into the next pillar of understanding what macronutrients are. Like, if you have 50, 60, 70, 80 pounds to lose, focus on calorie numbers.

11:41Okay? It's going to help you at least move in the right direction. But, like, if you want to do both at the same time, then focus on macronutrients because you're going to speed up the process a little bit more. But if you're ready to learn what that whole system, how to work it for you, then that's what I would recommend. All right? So, I hope you guys found value in this podcast. Short and simple, but like I said, to the point. If you want to learn more about macronutrients, like, if you are ready, it's like you've squashed goal one, now you're ready to learn this, or, like, you're over calorie counting because it's not getting you where you want to be with seeing fat loss, being more toned, being more defined.

12:14I put together a free 15-minute training where I literally deep dive into macronutrients and all about them and how you can be in control of your body for the rest of your life using them. Because, to me, macros is just not another diet. It's a skill set that will serve you for the rest of your life. So, start learning it now. That could literally be – the 15 minutes could literally be the best 15 minutes that you listen to today in relation to what your goals are and what you're trying to accomplish. And it can definitely serve you for the year 2023 and reaching your goals. So, check it out. Link is in the description below. But I hope you guys found value in this podcast.

12:45Macros is bomb. And, obviously, this podcast is going to be a lot about, you know, more macros. It's called The WarriorBabe Show. So, we're going to be diving into a lot of things macro-related and giving you just more detail around that specific subject. All right? Have a good day, guys. See ya. Real quick, the only ask I could ever have of you guys is to help spread the word so we can help more women lose body fat, build muscle, reach their goals, and feel insanely confident. And the only way we can do that is if you rate, review, and share this podcast. So, the single thing I ask for you to do is if you could leave a review.

13:16It will take you 10 seconds. And it will mean the absolute world to me and may change the world of someone else. Thank you.

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.