QUICK STEPS TO SET YOUR MACROS
If you’re anything like I was when I first started on my fitness journey, you’re looking at the word MACROS and scratching your head. What are my macros? Macro is short for macronutrient and they are the three categories of nutrients you eat the most and can be broken up into three categories. 1. Proteins. Proteins are the building blocks for your muscles. 2. Fats. Fats are necessary for optimal hormonal levels. 3.Carbs. Carbs are the main energy source for our activity.
In order to function well and fuel our training towards our goals, we need to create a good balance of these macronutrients within our diet. The aim of this post is to give you a quick guide as to how I have set my macros throughout my journey.
PROTEIN: 4 calories per gram.
As I have stated above, protein is a must to maintain and build muscle. This is true whether you wish to lose fat, build muscle or maintain weight. Protein is also very satiating, it gives you that feeling of being full, so it will be a handy tool in managing that hunger that can come with eating at a deficit when trying to lose weight.
My recommendation for daily protein intake is that you eat around 2grams of protein per kg of bodyweight to support muscle growth, repair and maintenance throughout your training and normal daily life.
FATS: 9 calories per gram.
Fats are necessary to maintain proper hormone levels within the body and should not be overlooked. As with the other two macros they play a vital part in our normal function.
My recommendation for daily fat intake is that you eat between 0.5 - 0.6grams of fat per kg of bodyweight.
CARBS: 4 calories per gram.
The dreaded carbs! Remember, carbs are our friend! Carbohydrates are the most efficient energy source for our body when it comes to training and they shouldn’t be completely left out. Leaving carbs out of the picture will lead to you feeling drained and performance declining. My recommendation for daily carb intake is that you fill the remainder of your daily caloric needs with carbs. This will depend on you as a person and what your goals may be.
Great, we’ve figured out our macros, but how does this fit in with our calories? Don’t worry, I’ll give you a quick rundown of how this all fits together below with an example.
Example:
For our example, we will use Fred. Fred is a 100kg male who will be eating 2500 calories per day.
If Fred is 100kg we know that he needs 2grams of protein per kg of bodyweight, meaning his protein requirements will be 200grams.
We also know that Fred will need 0.5-0.6grams of fat per kg of bodyweight, meaning his fat requirement will be around 50grams.
Protein = 4 calories per gram. So 200grams of protein x 4 = 800 calories
Fats = 9 calories per gram. So 50 grams of fat x 9 = 450 calories
The total calories taken up by fats and protein = 800+450 = 1250 calories.
Now wee need to know Fred’s remaining daily calories. 2500-1250= 1250. 1250 calories is what remains to be taken up by carbs.
Carbs= 4 calories per gram. So 1250/4= 313 grams of carbs.
With this example we can see that Fred’s daily macros are as follows:
Protein = 200 grams
Fats = 50 grams
Carbs = 313 grams
Which is equal to 2500 calories.
I know that this can all sound overwhelming, it did to me at first, but I can guarantee that with practice this can all become second nature. Remember to go easy on yourself and that this is all a learning process. Reach out if you have any questions and let me know if you’ve found this helpful.
Cheers legend! Lets find confidence together through health and fitness.