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Cold Plunges Probably Aren't Doing What You Think

  The cold plunge became the ultimate biohacker flex. The research paints a much more complicated picture — and for lifters, it might actually be counterproductive. Cold water immersion went from a niche recovery tool used by elite athletes to a mainstream wellness trend seemingly overnight. Social media is full of people climbing into ice baths at dawn, filming their gasping reactions, and claiming benefits ranging from reduced inflammation to improved focus to accelerated fat loss. Cold plunge tubs are now a multi-billion dollar market. It made ACSM's trending fitness list in 2025. The appeal is understandable. There's something viscerally satisfying about doing something uncomfortable and believing it makes you better. And cold exposure does have real physiological effects — it triggers a norepinephrine release, vasoconstriction, and an acute stress response that genuinely makes you feel alert and energized. But "it makes you feel good" and "it improves your t...
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The Beginner's Guide to Counting Macros (Without Losing Your Mind)

 Calorie counting feels overwhelming. Macro counting feels even more so. Here's how to actually do it simply — and why it works better than just tracking calories alone.

If you've spent any time in fitness communities online you've probably heard people talk about hitting their macros. Macro this, macro that. It can sound complicated and obsessive from the outside. But the concept itself is actually straightforward — and once you understand it, it becomes one of the most powerful tools for controlling your body composition.

Let's break it down from scratch.

Photo by Elena Leya on Unsplash

What Are Macros?

Macros — short for macronutrients — are the three main categories of nutrients that provide your body with energy:

Protein — 4 calories per gram. Builds and repairs muscle tissue, supports immune function, keeps you full. The most important macro for body composition.

Carbohydrates — 4 calories per gram. Your body's primary energy source. Fuels workouts, brain function, and daily activity.

Fat — 9 calories per gram. Essential for hormone production, brain health, and absorbing fat soluble vitamins.

Every food you eat contains some combination of these three. Counting macros means tracking how many grams of each you consume daily — not just total calories. This matters because 2000 calories of mostly protein looks very different in your body than 2000 calories of mostly fat and sugar, even though the number is identical.

Why Macro Counting Works Better Than Just Counting Calories

Calorie counting alone tells you how much energy you're consuming but nothing about what that energy is doing in your body. Macro counting adds the crucial context.

For example two people could both eat 1800 calories per day. Person A gets 150g of protein, moderate carbs, and healthy fats. Person B gets 60g of protein, high carbs, and high fat. Both are in a calorie deficit — but Person A will preserve significantly more muscle while losing fat. Person B will lose weight but a much larger proportion of that weight will be muscle.

Research consistently shows that higher protein intake during a calorie deficit preserves lean muscle mass, improves satiety, and leads to better long term body composition outcomes.

Step 1: Calculate Your Calorie Needs

Before you can set your macros you need a baseline calorie target. The most widely used formula is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation which estimates your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) — the number of calories you burn in a day.

You can calculate this manually or use a free online TDEE calculator. Once you have your TDEE:

  • To lose fat — subtract 300-500 calories from your TDEE
  • To build muscle — add 200-300 calories to your TDEE
  • To maintain — eat at your TDEE

Step 2: Set Your Macro Targets

Here are the research backed starting points for most active people:

Protein — 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. This is the most important number. If you weigh 180lbs aim for 126-180g of protein per day. Start here and build everything else around it.

Fat — 0.3 to 0.5 grams per pound of bodyweight. Fat is essential — don't drop it too low. At 180lbs that's roughly 54-90g of fat per day.

Carbohydrates — fill in the remaining calories with carbs. Carbs are flexible and can be adjusted based on your energy levels and preferences.

Step 3: Track Your Food

The most popular free app for macro tracking is MyFitnessPal. Here's how to use it:

  1. Download the app and create a free account
  2. Set your calorie and macro targets in the app settings
  3. Log everything you eat — use the barcode scanner for packaged foods
  4. Aim to hit your protein target first every day
  5. Fill in carbs and fats around it within your calorie budget

It feels tedious for the first week. By week two it becomes second nature — most people find they're logging meals in under two minutes once they know their regular foods.

Step 4: Adjust Based on Results

Macros are a starting point not a permanent prescription. After 2-3 weeks assess your results:

  • Not losing fat? Reduce carbs or fat slightly — keep protein the same
  • Losing weight too fast or feeling weak? Add 100-200 calories mostly from carbs
  • Building muscle slower than expected? Ensure you're in a slight surplus and protein is high enough

The goal is to find the numbers that work for your specific body, lifestyle, and goals. This takes a few weeks of honest tracking to dial in.

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Not weighing food accurately — volume measurements like cups and tablespoons are notoriously inaccurate for tracking. A food scale costs around $10 and makes your tracking dramatically more reliable.

Neglecting protein — most beginners hit their calorie target but fall short on protein. Prioritize protein at every meal.

Being too rigid — you don't need to hit your macros perfectly every single day. Research suggests that weekly averages matter more than daily perfection. If you overshoot one day, adjust the next.

Tracking weekdays but not weekends — this is one of the most common reasons people don't see results despite thinking they're tracking accurately.

The Takeaway

Counting macros isn't about obsession — it's about awareness. Most people are genuinely shocked when they first track their food and discover how far off their protein intake or calorie consumption is from what they thought. That awareness alone is often enough to drive meaningful change.

Start simple. Hit your protein. Stay within your calories. Adjust as you go.

For personalized macro recommendations consult a registered dietitian.

Sources:

  • Helms, E.R. et al. (2014). A systematic review of dietary protein during caloric restriction in resistance trained lean athletes. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
  • Mifflin, M.D. et al. (1990). A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
  • Antonio, J. et al. (2016). A high protein diet has no harmful effects. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.
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