Does Intermittent Fasting Need Special Macro Tracking?

Intermittent fasting brings up many questions, especially on macros, and if it’s necessary to track them.

What is macro tracking

Macro tracking refers to counting the macronutrients you are consuming during the day. It is often used in the fields of nutrition and fitness.

The main macronutrients that make up our diet are:

• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Protein

The whole purpose of tracking your macros is to achieve a certain ratio that allows you to reach a goal. For instance, people looking to lose weight or gain lean muscle mass could benefit from tracking their macros.

Even though the principle behind this concept is simple, it could be very confusing at first.

Is macro tracking beneficial during intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting (IF) does not influence the ratio of macronutrients you eat. It just narrows the time window that allows you to do so.

If you are on a lean bulk macro tracking, intermittent fasting will not alter this process. You just have to do the eating in a shorter period of time.

On the other hand, if you are looking “to cut”, intermittent fasting might be helpful since it keeps you satiated (feeling full) for a longer time and suppresses feelings of hunger.

However, tracking your macro could be complicated. And doing so while starting the intermitting fasting diet may overwhelm you. Therefore, macro tracking is only recommended for individuals already comfortable with the whole thing.

If you have tracked your macros before and you feel comfortable with the concept, you could do that when following the intermittent fasting diet.

The difference between macro tracking during a normal diet vs. the intermittent fasting diet

As we mentioned earlier, doing macro tracking during a normal diet is much easier since you have 24 hours to perform this task. However, if you add intermittent fasting to the mix, things might become too complicated.

Macro tracking involves calculating your caloric needs in one day, breaking down those needs into the three major nutrients and establishing your current ratio, setting up a goal and a plan (e.g., bulking, cutting), adjusting the current ratio to whatever goal you are after.

This process could be overwhelming for beginners, so it might take time before it’s a good idea to integrate it with intermittent fasting.

Conclusion

Keep in mind that the world of nutrition and fitness is not a “one size fits all” type of thing; everyone has their own needs, metabolism, and goals.

Therefore, you should always “listen to your body” before applying a tip or a plan you heard from an Instagram influencer.

Learn to look for what’s best for you, not to what a random social media star has told you to do.

But it is crucial to look up reputable scientific evidence before committing to some diet or exercise routine.

If you have ever tried macro tracking while on the IF diet, please let us know about the benefits you reaped, as well as the major obstacles you faced.

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