Change is Overrated (Sometimes...)

“Maybe I should change my macros…” - you, probably.

When progress isn’t as fast as you’d like, it’s tempting to jump ship. It makes sense—at least then you’d be doing something about it.

We love the idea of progress being linear: every week the scale trends down, muscle mass goes up, and body composition shifts predictably. But in reality? Progress is rarely a straight line. Weight fluctuates, measurements bounce around, and sometimes your body just needs more time to catch up.

So, how can you know if a macro adjustment is needed? Adjusting things too quickly can backfire, while waiting too long can stall your progress. Let’s get into it.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Considering a Macro Adjustment

1. Am I giving it enough time?

Progress is rarely linear. The scale may go up one week and down the next, even if your nutrition has been consistent. This doesn’t mean your macros aren’t working. It may just mean your body hasn’t fully caught up yet.

Think about everything that can affect your weight in the short term: water retention, soreness from a tough workout, higher sodium intake, hormones, or even a stressful work week. These things can easily mask fat loss or muscle gain.

Rule of thumb: Give your body at least 2 full weeks (sometimes longer) before deciding that a change is needed. One week of flat or fluctuating results is not a failure—it’s data.

2. Am I consistent and accurate?

Changing macros without consistency is like fixing a recipe before you’ve followed it exactly. You won’t know what’s truly working.

Ask yourself:

• Am I logging all food daily?

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• Am I weighing food in grams, or relying on scoops and tablespoons?

• Am I hitting my targets within ±5g for carbs and protein, ±3g for fats most days?

If the answer is “not yet,” the solution isn’t new macros—it’s tightening accuracy. That way, you’ll have clean data that actually tells you whether your current numbers are effective.

Pro tip: Peanut butter and oils are classic culprits here. A tablespoon “scoop” can easily be twice the portion you think it is. A food scale will show you exactly what you’re consuming.

3. Are lifestyle factors interfering?

Sometimes the problem isn’t the numbers.

• Sleep: Inconsistent or poor sleep elevates cortisol, which encourages water retention and messes with hunger cues.

• Stress: Chronic stress can mask fat loss on the scale and make recovery feel harder.

• Training & recovery: Muscle soreness, dehydration, and intense training sessions can all cause temporary shifts in weight.

If these pieces aren’t in check, changing macros won’t solve the problem.

4. Am I struggling with compliance?

Even the “perfect” set of macros won’t work if you can’t stick with them.

Ask yourself:

• Am I rewarding myself with extra untracked calories after a hard workout, or am I truly hungry and need more fuel?

• Am I force feeding myself at the end of the day just to hit the numbers?

• Am I just giving up out of frustration, or because these numbers truly aren’t realistic?

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Sometimes, a change is warranted to make your plan more livable. Shifting just 10–15g of carbs or 3–5g of fat can make hitting targets smoother, without derailing progress.

Remember: the best plan isn’t the one that looks perfect on paper, it’s the one you can follow consistently, long-term.

Guidelines for Macro Adjustments

If you’ve determined the numbers need adjusting, start by taking a look at your total calorie number and decided how big of a change is warranted:

• Calculate average weight change from week-to-week

• Calculate shifts in body measurements

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• Look for changes in body composition using your weekly pictures

• Consider changes in performance, mood metrics and other measures of progress:

From here, check out this chart to determine your calorie shift:

Then, adjust your macros as needed.

Adjusting Protein

Your protein target is initially set based on your body weight and training style. Typically, this macro will not need much adjustment (at least for the first few weeks of your program). However, if you are really struggling to reach your protein target, you may consider adjusting slightly it so that it’s easier for you to hit.

Adjusting Carbs

Carbohydrates are the macronutrient with the most “leeway” for adjustment. However, for people participating in regular exercise carbohydrates are a great source of energy. For example, if you're feeling lethargic or tired, it may be beneficial to increase carbs.

Generally, if you're looking to increase your caloric deficit for fat loss, you should first adjust carbohydrates (before fat or protein). Typical carbohydrate adjustments are made by adding or reducing 10-30g of carbohydrates—individuals that are smaller/leaner should make adjustments closer to 10g and those who are larger/have higher body fat % can adjust closer to 30g.

Adjusting Fats

There are several reasons why you might adjust your fats. For example, if you feel consistently very hungry, you might consider adding fats (because they are often more satiating than carbohydrates).

Or, if you want to increase your caloric deficit, you might reduce fats a little. You might also adjust fats if you want to maintain a particular macronutrient ratio. A minimum of 20-35 percent of your calories should come from fats. For women, keeping this percentage at or above 25% is recommended.

Don’t forget to take psychology and compliance into account. If you are struggling to stay within +/- 3 grams of fat each day or missing certain higher-fat foods, you may want to adjust fats accordingly. A typical reduction in fats could be 2-5 grams in a given week.

The hard part about making self-adjustments...

We're going to be honest here: it's really hard to make objective decisions for yourself when setting macros. It's easy to over-think it and even easier to fall into the trap of allocating macros based on what you feel like eating—not what your goals need. Be honest with yourself.

How much weight should you expect to lose?

If you're using a moderate caloric deficit, losing 0.5-1% of your body weight per week (in terms of true fat loss) is a realistic expectation.

So if you're 160 pounds, for example, this could look like 0.8-1.6 pounds per week (depending on your body fat percentage, more on this below).

Larger individuals will often lose fat at a higher rate. Also, keep in mind that if you are currently quite lean and aiming to become even leaner, your rate of fat loss will likely be on the slower end because you do not have much body fat to lose. In addition, men typically lose weight quicker than women.

Although losing 0.5-1% of your body weight per week might not seem like much, keep in mind that a slower, steady stream of fat loss is likely to be much more sustainable, long-term, than losing weight rapidly.

The goal is to find a plan you can follow consistently over a long period of time.

The Bottom Line

Changing macros can feel exciting, like you’re “doing something.” But in reality, the smartest move is often holding steady.

Before making any adjustments, ask:

• Have I given it enough time?

• Am I consistent and accurate?

• Are lifestyle factors interfering?

• Is compliance the real issue?

If you can answer “yes” to all of the above and progress is still stalled, then it may be time for a small, intentional macro adjustment. But remember: more change isn’t always better. Sometimes the best plan is to keep going exactly as you are.

👉 Need help figuring out if your macros should change?

It’s tough to make objective calls about your own nutrition—especially when progress feels slow. That’s where 1:1 coaching can help. With personalized guidance, you’ll know exactly when to stay the course, when to make a shift, and how to keep moving toward your goals without all the second-guessing.