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Fast Food Macros

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"Macros" is short for macronutrients, which refers to the total amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates (carbs) and calories. Counting macros is used in the dieting practice of If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM), a plan that consists of eating whatever you want, as long as you adhere to your macronutrient goals

When people think of dieting, the first thing they usually think of is changing what they eat. "Dieting" has long been associated with "eating healthy" or, as bodybuilders term it, "eating clean". But this is not the focus with eating a macro based diet.

While eating healthy food obviously has benefits, you don't have to eat healthy to lose weight. Unless you have a medical condition, you lose weight by eating fewer calories than you expend. While some research has shown that the source of those calories can matter, it's in fact a very very small impact. If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.

Here's the basis of a macro based diet:

1. Know how many calories your body burns in an average day. This is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

2. Calculate your macros based on whether you're cutting, maintaining, or bulking

3. Split those calories up between fat, protein and carbs in a ratio that is most beneficial for muscle preservation and fat loss without a drop in daily energy. Typical numbers might be half a gram to a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, with the remaining calories split between fat and carbs.

Sodium in Fast Food

One thing to be aware of is the overwhelming amount of sodium in most fast food. While the occasional fast food meal is not going to do harm, too much sodium in your diet can have adverse health effects, the main one being high blood pressure. The recommended daily allowance of sodium is 2,300mg per day. As an example, the Italian with Grilled Chick Salad sub from Firehouse Subs has 2,330mgs of sodium, more than the USRDA!

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