Macro Counting

Macro Counting is an awesome eating strategy that allows for flexible dieting. This strategy is for all of you looking to eat nearly anything you wish without sacrificing health, fat, and muscle growth.

I know what you’re thinking, this sounds glamorous and far too good to be true. Well, I agree, and it’s not all that glamorous, but it is possible and very effective.

Macro counting involves calculating a few different number amounts that will ultimately equal total caloric intake per day. This number is comprised of daily protein, carbohydrates, and fat intake.   

Here are the steps to take if you want to experiment with this strategy:

Before anything, determine your weight goal. I’ll use 165 lbs with the intention to gain weight throughout these steps to give you an example of the calculations.

Determine your protein amount per day:

  • 0.8-1.4 g/pound per day
  • Example Body Weight (165) x 1g =165 g of protein

Determine maintenance calories; the total amount of daily calories needed to maintain body weight. (daily caloric intake)

  • Measure body weight (165) x 14 (can make it more/less based on activity if you tend to be more active use 15, otherwise use 13 instead of the general 14) = 2310 = caloric intake.
  • If your goal is weight loss, subtract 20% from caloric intake.
    • Based on the example above caloric intake = 2195
  • If your goal is muscle gain add 15% to caloric intake.
    • Based on the example above caloric intake = 2657

Determine your fat amount per day:

  • Body weight (165) x 0.4 = 66 g

Determining the number of carbohydrates per day:

  • Protein (yours) x 4 (4 is the number of calories per gram of protein)
    • Example; 165 x 4 = 660 calories
  • Fats (yours) x 9 (9 is the number of calories per gram of fat)
    • Ex; 66 x 9 = 594 calories
  • Add these two numbers together then subtract them from the caloric intake calculated above (should be the number in which you got after determining the goal of muscle gain or weight loss).
    • Ex; 660+594= 1254 calories
    • Ex; 2657-1254= 1403 calories
  • Now, divide that number by 4 to get number of carbs to consume per day
    • Ex; 1403/4=350 g

Therefore, based on our example, macro numbers would look like this:

  • Daily Caloric Intake (Goal=Muscle Gain)= 2657 calories
  • Protein/day= 165 grams
  • Carbs/day= 350 grams
  • Fats/day= 66 grams

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Here are a few food examples to get you started with your macro counting!

Proteins: Chicken, Turkey, lean beef, lean pork, tuna, cod, crab, prawns, cottage cheese, low-fat Greek yogurt, quark, fromage frais, egg whites, protein shakes

Carbs: Cereals, rice, pasta, bread, potatoes, fruits, veggies, low-fat crisps and popcorn, tortillas/wraps, oats, pretzels

Fats: Nuts, seeds, oils, butter, cheese, avocados, coconuts, peanut butter

Proteins + Fats: Oily fish, fattier cuts of lean beef/pork, lamb, chicken legs/wings/thighs, eggs (not egg whites, full egg)

Proteins + Carbs: Beans/pulses (kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils) milk, protein bars, quinoa, buckwheat

*Lastly, there are macro counting applications that can be really helpful when you’re just beginning. Be on the lookout for posts regarding apps that I recommend for macro counting. Good luck!