- pregnancy & nursing
- plateaus (in weight loss or muscle gain)
- changes in routine (exercise/job/lifestyle)
- the type of exercise you’re engaging in
- if there is a change in energy levels
- previous dietary history (eating too few calories, the need for some metabolic rehabilitation)
- There are several different methods of finding your baseline here. Are you surprised? 😉 Here is some BASIC info you need to know.
- The three macronutrients that will make up your food intake are:
- Carbohydrates | 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
- Protein | 1 gram of protein = 4 calories
- Fat | 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
- I would first determine your protein needs
- For men, I’d recommend 1-1.5g of protein per lb of body weight.
- For women, I’d recommend from .8-1g of protein per lb of body weight
- Determine your fat needs
- I recommend fat to be somewhere between %20-35 dependent on how your body responds to fats, & what your specific goals are.
- Determine your carbohydrate needs
- After you have determined your protein & fat needs, the rest of your % will be carbs. These percentages may need adjusting depending on your activity level. These are some GENERAL guidelines.
- Those who are extremely active will likely need a higher amount of carbohydrates %45-55
- Those who are wanting to stay in a maintenance mode will want a moderate amount of carbohydrates. %45-50
- Those who are wanting to decrease weight or body fat will likely want a lower amount of carbohydrates %35-40
- Those following a ketogenic way of eating. will have a completely different macro breakdown all together. That’s a WHOLE different post.
- After you have determined your protein & fat needs, the rest of your % will be carbs. These percentages may need adjusting depending on your activity level. These are some GENERAL guidelines.
- Ectomorphs: (naturally thin, usually taller, with long limbs) tend to have a higher tolerance for carbohydrates. A good guesstimate range for this body type is 25% protein, 55% carbs and 20% fat.
- Mesomorphs: (naturally more muscular and athletic) tend to have a fairly moderate tolerance for carbohydrates A good guesstimate range for this body type is 30% protein, 40% carb, 30% fat macronutrient ratio.
- Endomorphs: (naturally more of a broad physique with thicker limbs) unfortunately their carbohydrate tolerance is usually lower. A good guesstimate for this body type is 35% protein, 25% carbs and 40% fat.
- I always recommend to my clients to just track what you eat for a couple days, not even stressing about hitting percentages, just to see where their nutrition is falling currently. This can be telling as to why you aren’t reaching your goals. Maybe your overall caloric intake is too high? Maybe you need to adjust your protein intake…etc.
Lastly, I know that this information can be a bit overwhelming. It is for this reason that so many people choose to work with a coach. Each body is so different, & trying to calculate macros when you don’t know very much about it can be difficult. If this is how you are feeling, I’d highly suggest you reach out to a knowledgeable coach who can help you out, stress free! Feel free to contact me with questions! I offer macro configurations, coaching, meal plans, & accountability, & if I don’t feel like a good fit for you, I am always happy to point you in the direction of some other very knowledgeable individuals.
xoxoxo Megs
I doing the equation and a little confused. I did the top equation to figure out my BMR. Then I’m doing the next equation for TDEE and it says to times it by my RMR. How do I know my RMR?
BMR & RMR are interchangeable! I should have mentioned that! Thanks girl! xoxoxo