70 | Macronutrients 101: Why Your Body Needs Carbs, Fat & Protein

2026-05-11

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Send us Fan MailWhat if understanding macronutrients could make nutrition feel way less confusing?A lot of us hear terms like calories, protein, carbs and fats and only consider macronutrients in the form of “tracking macros” all the time. Rarely do we learn what important roles all macronutrients play in our bodies. So instead, we end up fearing food groups, obsessing over numbers, or feeling like we’re constantly eating “wrong” without fully understanding why.If you’ve ever felt guilty for eating carbs, scared of fats, confu...

Send us Fan Mail

What if understanding macronutrients could make nutrition feel way less confusing?

A lot of us hear terms like calories, protein, carbs and fats and only consider macronutrients in the form of “tracking macros” all the time. Rarely do we learn what important roles all macronutrients play in our bodies. So instead, we end up fearing food groups, obsessing over numbers, or feeling like we’re constantly eating “wrong” without fully understanding why.

If you’ve ever felt guilty for eating carbs, scared of fats, confused by calories or overwhelmed by constantly tracking numbers, this episode is for you.

🎗️ Timestamps:
00:18 Introduction
06:19 What Calories Actually Are & How They Work
14:06 What Macronutrients Are (+ Is Water & Alcohol Included?)
16 Protein Explained: Why Your Body Needs It
24:13 Carbohydrates Explained & Signs You May Be Undereating
31:45 Dietary Fat, 90s Diet Culture & Signs You’re Not Eating Enough
39:31 The Risks Of Calorie Tracking & Becoming Too Fixated On Numbers
45:01 Final Thoughts & Takeaways

📒 Resources Mentioned:

📃 Calories
📃 International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise
📃 A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains
📃 Carbohydrates for training and competition
📃 Nutrition and Athletic Performance
📃 Calorie counting and fitness tracking technology
📃 My Fitness Pal calorie tracker usage in the eating disorders
📃 Effects of diet and fitness apps on eating disorder behaviours
📃 The Science Behind the Academy for Eating Disorders' Nine Truths About Eating Disorders
🔗 Fats & Cholesterol
🔗 Fat: the facts
🔗 General Public Nutrition Resources - British Dietetic Association (BDA)
🔗 The Eatwell Guide
🔗 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

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🟡 How to: Fitness
Instagram: @howtofitnesspod

🟡 Michael Ulloa
Website: michaelulloa.com
Instagram: @michaelulloapt

🟡 Kate Lyman
Website: katelymannutrition.com
Instagram: @klnutrition

Thank you for listening to the How to: Fitness Podcast with Michael Ulloa and Kate Lyman!

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