Macros vs. JERF

There are so many ideas in the nutrition world these days, that some people just end up feeling perplexed, perhaps even accompanied by a little bit of “analysis paralysis”. In an attempt to dispel some confusion, I’m going to highlight two of the most important ideas today. One term is macros (short for macronutrients). The other is JERF (abbreviation for Just Eat Real Food).

 Let’s look into these terms and what they actually mean. Starting with Macros first: it simply means the amounts of carbohydrates, fat, and protein in a diet. Typically when people say they’re “tracking macros”, it means they are keeping track of protein, fat, carbohydrates and total calories. 

JERF is the other term we’re diving into also known as  Just Eat Real Food. Typically when people say this (or use it as a hashtag on social media) they are referring to eating whole, unprocessed foods most of the time. Tracking your whole food intake is commonly not practiced here. 

Now that we have an understanding of what I’m talking about, let’s look into some benefits and pitfalls that can happen with both practices. 

Benefits of macros based eating include enjoying balanced meals and snacks most of the time since you're trying to keep your macro percentages (carb, protein, fat) similar each time you eat. It teaches people appropriate portion sizes by having people measure the food they’re consuming. This can be beneficial for many, since we tend to underestimate certain foods such as fat and overestimate other things such as protein and carbohydrates. Oftentimes, people can tend to undereat then overeat every few days because overall total calories have been too low. This can be especially prominent in people who have done poorly designed diets in the past. Tracking can keep this in check (to be clear, I’m not talking about binge eating behaviors here). It also teaches consistency, which can be a challenge for yo-yo dieters or for people who eat sporadically.  Everyday, you’re eating similar foods, similar portions and similar total calories.

Tracking macros does have its share of pitfalls however. IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) is another common social media hashtag and while it can be great for fitting an occasional “indulgence” in your dietary plan it can also lead people down the path of poptarts and protein shakes all day, everyday. For some people it can also trigger their past of eating disorders or disordered eating patterns from past attempts at logging calories (typically very low calorie diets) and they can also become a bit obsessive if they don’t hit their numbers perfectly each day. 

Now, let’s consider the benefits of JERF. Eating whole foods the majority of the time also means you’re limiting processed foods which is always good. The focus tends to be more on quality of the food which is a great mindset shift from “how can i get the cheapest chicken breast?” to “how was this raised” “what were the farming practices?” etc. It can also be a great way to reduce plastic use by reducing the amount of pre packaged foods you purchase each week. It also has a great focus on homemade meals with nutrient dense ingredients. 

The pitfalls of JERF: The one I see most  frequently is undereating.  Healthy foods such as lean meats, beans, veggies and fruits are pretty low in calories so it makes it easier to eat less.This can be helpful from a fat loss perspective but you need to remember less food isn’t always better. On the flip side of this, it can also be really easy to overeat things such as fatty cuts of meats (bacon, sausage) and nuts. Nuts are extremely easy to eat (especially if they’re roasted and salted!) and 1 serving is about 14 almonds. I don't know about you, but I can definitely eat more than 14 almonds at a time. It can also become really easy to eat too much fat, not enough protein and not enough carbohydrates. There’s more to this concept, but I’ll leave that for another day.

In conclusion, successful implementation of either method does require knowing yourself, and knowing your history of eating. They both benefit from some experimentation to see what works best for you and where you’re at in your life currently. Something that has worked well for you in the past may, or may not work again. Be open to trying new things and to your own process. They both come down to how you do it, the amount of head space you have along with any goals you have. 

Interested in learning more?  Book an appointment with Hannah Roeter to organize your best plan.