This post may get a little mathematical but it is actually pretty easy to calculate macronutrients!
I’ve tried to explain as simply as I can but please let me know if you have any questions. Happy to help!
Identify your macronutrient breakdown
The first thing you will need to do is understand how much of each of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat) you want in your diet.
Typically for fat loss, a high protein and moderate carbohydrate intake are recommended and this is what I recommend sticking to.
As mentioned in my previous post (my daily diet) my macronutrient breakdown is:
– 35% carbohydrates
– 35% protein
– 30% fat
How to calculate calories from each macronutrient
This can be done using simple mathematics.
For example, if you are consuming 1900 calories per day like myself (again refer to my previous blog post on my daily diet and counting calories), 35% carbohydrates is:
1900 calories x 0.35 (35%) = 665 calories
Therefore, you need 665 calories of carbohydrates per day.
3. How to calculate the exact grams of each macronutrient
To calculate how many grams you will need of each macronutrient, you will need to know the following information:
– 1 gram of carbohydrate is 4 calories
– 1 gram of protein is 4 calories
– 1 gram of fat is 9 calories
If there are 4 calories in 1 gram of carbohydrate and you need to consume 665 calories of carbohydrate:
665 calories / 4 calories = 166.25 grams
Therefore, when consuming 1900 calories per day, 35% carbohydrates is 665 calories which is 166 grams. You will then do the same for protein and fat (note: protein will be the exact same).
To make it very simple and fast, you can use this calculator below.
[do_widget id=custom_html-6]
Summary
Calculations to work out 35% carbohydrates from 1900 calories:
1900 calories x 0.35 = 665 calories
665 calories / 4 calories = 166 grams
Part II of this post will discuss how I TRACK my macronutrients and how I use this information to work out my daily food intake.
You can find Part II here.
It’s FREE
27 Responses
Hi Rachael. I am trying to figure out the meal plan and my family. Don’t want to fixing different meals for myself so decided to do the macros. One question- the carb macros- it that total carbs or net carbs?
Hi lovely,
If you’re using the macros ratio in our calculator, then it should be counted as total carbs. If you have other questions, you can reach out to us at info@rachaelattard.com. :)
Where is the part 2 of the explaining.
Hi, lovely <3
You can find part 2 here!
Love,
Sara
Hi Rachael!
I just discovered your website and it’s SO refreshing to finally find someone with a targeted approach to body types! Yaaay!!!
Question: You talk a lot about lean legs; what about lean arms? I’m a mesomorph type, strong upper body with broad back and muscular arms. I’m desperate to slim my upper body down (arms are way too muscly and bulky for my liking) and get a thinner waist! Do you have programs for lean arms and general slimming down of one’s body frame? (if that’s even possible?). I’ve just begun a low fat diet plan (30g/day), moderate protein (35%) and mod/high carbs (45%) and eat mainly wholefood with tons of veg (little to no processed food). I’m uber active and train 5 days a week, mostly circuit training! Hope you can give me some tips!
Thank you!!!
Caroline
Hey lovely,
Since you said you’re a mesomorph, you’d probably benefit more if your carb intake was slightly lower.
You can find Rachael’s diet and workout guidelines for Mesomorphs here.
When it comes to slimming a muscular upper body, Rachael actually has a great blog post on how to do it.
You can find it here.
Let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Love Marina
Hi Rachel!
So as I am aging I need to be more mindful of how things are settling on me as well as what I am eating. I’m 49 and I weigh 143. I can’t seem to lose any weight. I feel like I have begun to tighten up as some of my clothes are looser on me. I have never been a huge calorie counter. What do you think my calories should be around on a daily basis?
Hi lovely,
If you’re experiencing hormonal imbalance it may be a bit more difficult to lose weight, so I would recommend getting your hormone levels checked and finding a good naturopath or an integrative doctor for treatment.
Depending on how physically active you are, your daily calorie requirements will be different. If you were to follow our program, you would be working out moderately 5-6 days per week.
In this case you would need around 1960 calories to maintain weight and 1400-1700 calories to lose weight. I hope that helps! xx
Love,
Diana