Macros vs Calories: Which Is Better for Building Muscle?

Nikkiey: Macronutrients are the protein, fats and carbs that make up your overall calorie number. But calorie counting, on the other hand, is just like, oh, I'm going to eat whatever foods will help me hit a target of 2,000 calories for the day.

Hey, you guys, what's up? Welcome to The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey 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.

I am your host, Nikkiey 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 believe in this methodology so, so much. I'm very passionate about this because I find so many women spending way too much time calorie counting, because it was once this big craze with weight loss, but they're not getting the results that they want with fat loss, which is seeing more muscle, being more toned, having more definition in their body.

And there's a big difference. People think that weight loss and fat loss are the same, but they're very different. I'm going to touch 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 which one's the optimal one for whatever goal you have, right? One could really support just weight loss. One is going to support fat loss. And if your ultimate goal is to have that more athletic look, build more muscle, be more toned, then one of them is going to serve you better. Okay?

So, let's dive into it. When it comes to building muscle, many people at first, and maybe this is you, this was definitely me, as I shared with you guys in earlier podcasts, focus on increasing their protein intake and their calorie intake, right? It's like, protein is king, you obviously need to eat more food. Okay, cool. A lot of people go towards those two things. 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 told you guys that I was spending all my time Googling what foods had protein in them.

While those are important factors, protein is very important and 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: muscle growth. Because muscle growth, you guys, is what's going to get you that toned look. Toned is just more muscle exposed on your body. And so this is where macronutrient tracking and calorie counting come into play.

But before we dive into the differences between these two approaches, I want to define macronutrients and calorie counting. Because I feel like a lot of people know what calorie counting is, but with macronutrients it's like, what are macronutrients? So, macronutrient tracking refers to the practice of monitoring the intake of macronutrients, which are nutrients that provide energy for the body. 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 a little bit more detailed. Macronutrients are the protein, fats and carbs that make up your overall calorie number. But calorie counting, on the other hand, is just like, oh, I'm going to eat whatever foods will 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 goal, and the other will support the other, as I said.

So now let's talk about how these approaches can be used for building muscle. Again, that's it: optimizing muscle growth, building muscle. It's going to get you that more toned look. 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. I will always say protein is king when it comes to building more muscle and 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. This is where macronutrient tracking can be way more effective than calorie counting. By tracking your intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, you are ensuring that you are getting the right balance of nutrients to support muscle growth. Okay? So protein and calories alone are 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. Okay? So again, take an arbitrary number of 2,000 calories. Well, hey, the 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 breaking down those calories more efficiently and 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. And again, to reiterate, that's what's going to support you looking more toned. Okay?

In addition to the types of nutrients that you are consuming, and this is big, you guys, the timing of your nutrient intake can also be very important for building muscle. 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. Okay? Post-workout, what you eat for the next 24 to 48 hours is what's going to help stimulate that muscle repair and growth, and 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 as well. When you're paying attention to just calories, it's more like, okay, this fits into my allotted calorie count for the day. But that may not account for the type of nutrients you're consuming or the timing of your meals to optimize repair for muscle and start the growth process. Okay?

With macronutrient tracking, as I said, you can plan your meals ahead of time, which is so very important, you guys. The day before, or even just your pre- and post-workout meal. Those are the first two meals I would highly recommend you start paying attention to. You want to eat pre-workout. You want to eat post-workout. Paying attention to those two things is going to help you start stimulating muscle repair and start that growth process. The pre-workout meal is what's going to give you fuel for your workout: the protein, the carbohydrates. Very important 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 meals. A lot of people probably go into a cafe, or maybe they're not planning ahead and they just find something because they know they have to eat beforehand. But what are the types of nutrients that you're consuming? You only care about the calorie number that's in the meal, right? Calorie counting does not take into account the specific types of nutrients you're consuming or the timing of your meals. Because if you're just focusing on 2,000 calories in a day, well, Jesus, if you go out for a burger, fries and an appetizer, that's probably your 2,000 calories for the day, right?

And it can be helpful for controlling overall calorie intake. If you are just focusing on weight loss, 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.

But fat loss, and I'm going to explain this in detail in another podcast because it's worthy of an entire podcast, there is a significant difference between weight loss and fat loss. Controlling your calorie intake is 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, to be more toned, then you have to dial in. You have to start learning macronutrients. You've got to learn and optimize that system for you, make it work for you, if that is your ultimate goal.

Hey, real quick. If you want to learn more about macronutrients and understand that methodology and how it can help you achieve your body composition goals of changing the way your body looks, I 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. Squash that 40-pound 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 are 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 in short, with macros, you're getting the right balance of nutrients for that overall growth to happen. It can also help you, like I mentioned, plan your snacks and your meals to optimize muscle growth and repair. So if you're just someone who's like, oh, I have to hit this calorie number in the day, you're not really paying attention to the fact that your pre-workout and post-workout meals are 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 to listen to just to understand: hey, if I have this goal in mind, then I need to squash that one first and then move into the next pillar of understanding what macronutrients are. If you have 50, 60, 70, 80 pounds to lose, focus on calorie numbers. Okay? It's going to help you at least move in the right direction. But 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. If you're ready to learn that whole system and 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, if you've squashed goal one and now you're ready to learn this, or 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, I put together a free 15-minute training where I literally deep dive into macronutrients and how you can be in control of your body for the rest of your life using them. Because to me, macros are not just another diet. It's a skill set that will serve you for the rest of your life. So start learning it now. Those 15 minutes could literally be the best 15 minutes you listen to today in relation to your goals and what you're trying to accomplish. And it can definitely serve you in 2023 in reaching your goals. So check it out. The link is in the description below.

But I hope you guys found value in this podcast. Macros are the bomb. And obviously this podcast is going to be a lot about macros. It's called The WarriorBabe Show. So we're going to be diving into a lot of macro-related things and giving you 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. The only way we can do that is if you rate, review and share this podcast. So the single thing I ask you to do is leave a review. It will take you 10 seconds, and it will mean the absolute world to me and may change the world of someone else. Thank you.