|
|
Everyone has their own philosophy concerning that topic of counting EVERYTHING or ignoring the incidentals.
To be honest, I have done both and have had great success with both (gaining muscle in my offseason and reaching really low levels of bodyfat leading up to my shows).
The problem is, when you only count the major macros (fat from fats, carbs from carbs, etc.) your daily calories and macros for each can be pretty far off from your goals. Example: If you eat oatmeal for most of your carb sources one day and then you eat white rice another day. Your carb intake will be the same, but your fat intake will be much higher on the days you eat mostly oatmeal, which will cause a higher calorie intake which could cause unwanted weight gain. That is not good if you are trying to lean up. On the other hand, if you only count the major macros, it is a lot easier to keep track of your GENERAL overall calories for the day. Just remember there will be a much higher error.
The past two years, I have counted everything - fats, carbs and proteins. I do this for two reasons; 1) I am obsessed with nutrition/diet and anything related. I would go crazy if I didn’t count everything. Also, I have a hard time eating enough, so counting everything allows me to better understand how much more or little I still have to eat. 2) Even though the protein in carbs, beans, nuts are not entirely complete, these protein sources still contain many of the amino acids needed. Just because they are not complete, does not mean they have no benefit. Also, those incomplete proteins still have calories. So if you are really trying to push your physique to the next level, those extra/uncounted calories can really add up.