Previously in ‘How to Set Up a Fat Loss Diet Part 2: Calorie’,
we’ve gone through the calculations of daily calorie intake for fat loss. In
this post, we will move to the next part which is calculating our
macronutrients intake.
What are
macronutrients?
To make it simple, macronutrients are nutrients that our
body require in large amount, such as protein, carbohydrates and fat. They are
important as they make up our total calories and greatly influence our body
composition (how we look). Not to forget, for health reasons as well. The
proper macronutrients intake will also allow you to maximize fat loss while
minimizing muscle loss on a fat loss phase. So, let us begin right away.
Step 1 Calculating
Daily Protein Intake
The general recommendation for protein intake is 1g per
pound of body weight. A little more or less than this number is totally fine but for this
guide alone, we’ll stick with that.
E.g. Mr A weighs 70kg
70 x 2.2 = 154lbs (convert the kg to pound by multiplying
2.2)
So, Mr A’s daily protein intake is 154g.
Step 2 Calculating
Daily Fat Intake
Fat is always considered the culprit for making us ‘fat’ but
that’s not true. What makes us fat (gain weight) is by eating at a calorie
surplus over time. So, we do need adequate fat intake and the recommendation is
about 20%-30% of total daily calorie intake. We’ll go with 25% of total daily
calorie intake as a good middle range. The number is then divided by 9 to convert
it into grams.
E.g. Mr A consumes 2000 calories daily
25% of 2000 = 500
500 divided by 9 = 56g
So, Mr A’s daily fat intake is 56g
Step 3 Calculating
Daily Carbohydrates Intake
Lastly, for
carbohydrates, all we need is to deduct our total daily calorie intake with our
protein and fat calories. (need to convert the protein and fat from grams to
calories firstly)
Formula:
Total Daily Calorie Intake – (Protein (g) x 4) – (Fat (g)
x9) = Carbohydrates Intake.
E.g. Mr A who consumes 2000 calories, 154g protein and 56g
fat daily.
2000 – (154 x 4) – (56x9) = 880
880 is the calorie for carbohydrates but we need to convert
it into grams, by dividing 4.
E.g.
880 divided by 4 = 220g
So, Mr A’s daily carbohydrates intake is 220g.
To wrap it up, Mr A’s total daily calorie intake is 2000, 154g
protein, 56g fat and 220g carbohydrates. And that is all!
Additional Note**
Why the number ‘4’
for protein and carbohydrates but ‘9’ for fat? This is because…
1g of protein = 4 calories
1g of carbohydrate = 4 calories
1g of fat = 9 calories
(just keep this in mind if you’re curious why we need to
divide or multiply those numbers previously)
Bottom line
The right macronutrients intake is crucial to achieve proper
fat loss. Counting calories alone may cause weight loss, but if you want to
lose mainly fats, macronutrients need to be dialled in as well. The calculations
may seem complicated, but if you take your time to go through it properly, I’m
sure you’ll do fine. On the next part, we will look at food choices for a
proper fat loss diet.
If you find this post helpful, feel free to help spread the
word by sharing it!
For any inquiries or help in calculating calories or macros,
you can always contact me through e-mail:
jswongtraining@gmail.com