So I am going to go through step by step a really basic formula for you to work out your own Macros that you need on a daily basis.

 

Step 1:

Before looking at macros, we need to work out how many calories you need each day.

Now, Take your bodyweight into  pounds and multiply it by 11 to 14.

Here’s how to work out what you should multiply by –

Multiply by 11 if you have a sedentary job and do little to no exercise

Multiply by 12 if you have a relatively active job (think postman, bin/garbage man, etc.) or you have a sedentary job but train 2 to 3 times per week

Multiply by 13 if you have an active job and train 2 to 3 times per week, or have a sedentary job and train at an intense level (ie. weight training, or high level aerobics) 4 to 6 times per week.

Multiply by 14 if you have an active job and train at an intense level (ie. weight training, or high level aerobics) 4 to 6 times per week, or you’re an athlete training every day or multiple times per day.

* Note – Be honest with your number here. Don’t think that by picking multiplying by 11 when you’re really a 14 will lead to you to better results. You will probably drop weight quicker, but you’ll also lose muscle mass, look like crap and performance will suffer. Likewise, if you occasionally, sometimes, when you feel like it and when your friends are also up for it, go to Bootcamp or the gym a couple of times per week, you can’t justify this moderate activity by putting yourself at 13 or 14.*

Ok now write that down………..Mine is 126.28 lbs x 14 = 1767.92 calories per day

Step 2: Working Out Protein

Take your bodyweight in pounds. This is the number of grams of protein you’ll eat per day.

So I Weigh 126.28 pounds? That’s 126.28  grams of Protein per day. If you weigh 200 pounds? That’s 200 grams of protein.

Got it simples

Step 3: Working Out Fat

You need between 0.3 and 0.6 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight.

This should be largely based off personal preference, as provided you’re hitting a minimum of 0.3 and not exceeding 0.6, you’re okay. To determine what your ideal intake should be, ask yourself what your favorite types of foods are.

If you tend to veer towards fattier foods, such as cheese, bacon, nuts and fatty desserts, then aim for 0.5 or 0.6 grams of fat per pound. You’ll likely enjoy a diet far more (and therefore be much more likely to stick to it) if you have more room for your preferred higher-fat foods in your diet.

If, on the other hand, you’re more of a carb-o-holic, and crave bread, pasta, crisps and pretzels, aim for 0.3 to 0.4 grams per pound. Your carb and fat intake will be inversely proportional, so the higher one is, the lower the other. Therefore, you can go lower with your fat intake in order to consume more carbs.

The only caveats to the above (though these are really minor details) is that athletes focused on performance and needing to recover quickly should keep their carbs high to moderate, while if you rarely train, or only ever partake in gentle exercise, your carb tolerance is likely lower, so set fat towards the higher end of the scale.

So for me I would go with 0.5

 

Step 4: Working Out Carbs

This is where you’ll need a calculator.

First up, take your daily protein intake and multiply it by 4. There are 4 calories in a gram of protein, so this will give you how many calories you’re consuming from protein each day.

Then multiply your fat intake in grams by 9 to give your fat calories.

Add these two numbers together, and subtract the result from the total number of calories you’re aiming for each day.

This will give you how many calories you need from carbs each day. Divide this by 4 (remember – carbs have 4 calories per gram) and that’s how many carbs you need each day.

 

MY  Examples

Here is my example.

I weigh 126.28 pounds with an active job who trains 5 times per week and prefers higher-fat foods –

Calories needed = (126.28×14) = 1767.92

To work out your daily Carb intake you will need to follow the conversion below (being your own numbers)

Protein = 126.28 g of protein per day x 4 = 505.12

Fat = protein per day 126.28  x 0.5 =  63.16g of fat per day

Protein and fat calories (protein (126.28 x 4)) = 505.12 + (fat (63.16 x 9) = 568.44

Add your answers together ie your protein and fat 505.12+568.44 + 1073.56

Subtract this number from your daily calorie intake and this will give you your daily Carb intake as below.

Carbs = (1767.92 – 1073.56) ÷ 4 = 173.59

Daily Macros = 126.28g  protein, 63.16g fat, 173.59g carbs

 

I am confident that following the numbers generated by these calculations, you would have no issues whatsoever in dropping some fat. You will however need to make certain adjustments as you progress.

Fat loss is almost never linear, so as you get leaner and your body weight drops, you’ll need to continue to create an energy deficit, either by increasing energy expenditure by training more, or by decreasing your food intake. The most effective way I’ve found to judge progress is to weigh yourself once every one to two weeks and take progress photos.

If you feel you’re not losing fat, lower your total calories by between 50 and 100 per day. (This should mainly come from carbs and fat, as protein is needed to preserve muscle mass.) Always aim for the smallest drop possible.

These macros are also only a guide, and may need slight tweaking from the outset. If you’re losing more than a couple of pounds per week after the first three or four weeks and are not obese, it may be the case you can tolerate a higher calorie intake, so go back to step 1, and re-work your macros using a higher energy factor. Genetically-gifted individuals who already carry a large amount of muscle mass may be able to diet on 15 or 16 calories per pound, or possibly even higher.

The macros are also variable — there’s no need to hit each one exactly, provided you’re consistent. Aim to be within 5 to 10 grams of each on a daily basis, and don’t stress it if you’re a little over or under.