Calories and Macros Made Easy

• Protein

• Carbohydrates

• Fat

• Calculate Your Daily Calorie Target

• Weight Loss - 40/40/20

• Weight Gain - 40/30/30

• Maintenance - 40/30/30
  

Macros are; protein, carbohydrates and fat.

From here we need to do some MATH, so calculator out. Firstly, you need to calculate your daily calorie target. This will differ based on your body composition, your activity levels, and your goal.

Step 1 - Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate):

For men: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) + 5 (kcal / day)

For women: 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (y) -161 (kcal / day)

Step 2 - Multiply that by your activity level:

Sedentary = 1.2

Lightly active = 1.375

Moderately active = 1.550

Very active = 1.725

Extra active = 1.9

Step 3 - Alter for your goal:

Weight loss: Reduce by 10-20%

Weight gain: Add 500 calories

Weight maintenance: Unchanged

Now we can calculate our macros.

*These macros are merely a guide, and I encourage you to figure out what macros work for you. (Personally my split is 35/35/30, with daily calories around 1950 -2200)

Let's take a diet of 2000 calories with a 40/40/20 split:

Carbs- 800 calories/4 calories per gram = 200 g.

Protein- 800 calories/4 calories per gram = 200 g.

Fats- 400 calories/9 calories per gram = 44 g.

A diet of 2000 calories with a 40/30/30 split:

• 200g of carbs (800 cals)

• 150g of protein (600 cals)

• 67g of fat (600 cals)

Now we track our food! For this you need a scale, and somewhere to keep track. I highly suggest an app for this, like myfitnesspal or cronometer, there are many available. I like to use nutracheck.

This is quite time consuming, but if you are invested in your diet and counting macros you want to do it right! I recommend creating a meal plan with the same or similar meals to make counting easier (hello meal prepping my old friend!). Once you have a good grasp of what you eat and the macros for each meal it will become easier. I also don't recommend dieting, counting macros or counting calories for long periods of time, we count for a short term goal. Ideally we want to come back to maintenance, and create a sustainable diet we enjoy for life. But that's a post for another time.

Happy counting!

Any questions, you know where to find me!

Elaine

Notes:

Your BMR is the amount of calories you burn in a day just breathing.