Alright, so you’ve decided to embrace a healthier lifestyle and take on a weight loss goal. You’re geared up to kickstart a weight loss phase dedicated to shedding those extra pounds and achieving your goal weight. You’ve come across the advantages of a high-protein diet and the array of protein-rich foods that help.

However, let’s face it, navigating through the multitude of available approaches is no easy task. The abundance of information about diets such as the ketogenic diet (keto), ideal protein diet, whole foods, healthy fats, and an overflow of meal plans can feel as complex as scanning a restaurant menu.

You just want something simple you can follow step by step to set up your new healthy lifestyle and get you to a healthy weight. If this is you? this post will serve as a useful resource to get you started on your nutrition set-up.

First, let’s get basic details out of the way so you can put into context this post in full.

What are macronutrients? (macros)

Macronutrients, often referred to as macros, are the three primary nutrients that make up the caloric content of food and provide the energy our bodies need to function. They are:

Proteins: These are essential for building and repairing tissues in the body, including muscles, organs, and skin. Proteins are made up of essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of life and are crucial for various bodily functions. In terms of grams of protein and calories, 1 gram of protein equates to 4 calories.

Carbohydrates: Carbs are the body’s primary source of energy. They come in various forms, including sugars, starches, and fibres. Carbs are broken down into glucose, which provides quick energy for the body and fuels brain function. In terms of grams of carbs and calories, 1 gram of Carbs equates to 4 calories.

Fats: Despite their reputation fats do not “make you fat”, they are vital for many bodily functions. They provide a concentrated source of energy, support cell growth, help with nutrient absorption, and produce important hormones. Fats include both saturated and unsaturated fats, each with its role in maintaining health. In terms of grams of fat and calories, 1 gram of Fat equates to 9 calories.

What is the best macro split?

If I’d a pound for every client who asked me when I started coaching “What’s the best macro split” or What are my “best macros” I wouldn’t need to work anymore. The truth is that your “ideal macro split” depends on a multitude of factors that are as unique as you are. It hinges on your goals, your body composition, your activity status, and even your preferences particularly when it comes to carbs and fats.

To set things up correctly from a weight loss perspective, first, you have to prioritise what’s important. To do that follow the below steps:

Step 1: Understand your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

To work out your TDEE, you first need to work out your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). This fancy term is like your body’s resting energy burn rate, Imagine it as the energy your body needs to keep the lights on when you’re not moving a muscle. There are nifty online “metabolic calculators” out there that will work this out for you but if you want just to keep things simple you can use this simple formula: Multiply your weight in kilograms by 22.

For example, if someone weighs 70 kilograms, the calculations are as follows:

BMR = Weight in kilograms × 22 BMR = 70 kg × 22 BMR = 1540 calories per day. Now most people don’t just sit in bed all day, so we need to add to that figure an activity level.

Here’s the breakdown of activity levels:

• Sedentary: Little to no exercise or desk job (BMR x 1.2)
• Lightly active: Light exercise or sports 1-3 days a week (BMR x 1.375)
• Moderately active: Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week (BMR x 1.55)
• Very active: Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week (BMR x 1.725)
• Extra active: Very hard exercise, physical job, or training twice a day (BMR x 1.9)

For instance, if your BMR is 1540 calories and you’re moderately active, you’d multiply your BMR by 1.55 which would give you a TDEE of 2387 calories per day. Remember, this is an estimation and might require adjustments further on, you can never get it spot on every due to the fact activity levels and hormonal functions won’t be the same each day but it will get you in the ballpark.

Once you’ve calculated your TDEE, think of it as the number of calories your body typically burns in a day, factoring in your activity level.

Generally, if you consistently eat around this number of calories on average over a week, you’re likely to maintain your current weight. It’s like a balanced equation—calories in (from food and drinks) versus calories out (what your body burns).

So if your goal was to maintain your weight, aiming to consume roughly the same number of calories as your TDEE on most days can help you stay steady. But if you’re looking to lose or gain weight, you’d adjust your intake accordingly eating fewer calories to lose weight or eating more to gain, always keeping your TDEE in mind as a reference point, which is a nice segway to the next step.

Step 2: Adjust for goals

If you want to shed some pounds, a common rule of thumb is to aim for a calorie deficit of around 500 calories per day from your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). This modest deficit, maintained over time, can lead to a gradual and sustainable weight loss. So, subtracting 500 calories from your TDEE gives you an approximate daily intake for fat loss.

For example, if your TDEE is 2200 calories, targeting a deficit by consuming around 1700 calories a day could aid in shedding about one pound per week (as one pound roughly equals 3500 calories).

Always keep in mind that these adjustments should be gradual and in tune with your body’s response. Tailor your calorie intake based on the outcomes. The tables below provide a guideline for changes in weight. If your goal is muscle gain, a properly periodised strength programme is advised.

Step 3: Set your ideal protein protocol

This step is crucial for reaching weight loss goals, after you set your calories (which you need in the first few steps), protein becomes the next most important variable for multiple reasons, notably to support the maintenance and growth of lean tissue, staying in general good health as well as keep hunger at bay when in a calorie deficit. In terms of weight loss, how much protein depends on the fat mass to muscle mass ratio known as “body composition” in fitness circles.

As a general guideline, for someone who is carrying extra weight aim for about 1.2–1.5 grams per kilogram. Research shows that a higher protein intake isn’t harmful so don’t be afraid to adopt a high protein diet isn’t harmful. However, if you are massively overweight where you would be classed a morbidly obese, scale your protein intake to your “ideal body weight”. For example, if you are 200 kilos and your ideal body weight is 90 kilos, use the latter number to work out the right amount of protein for yourself.

Step 4: Choose your carb-to-fat split

This step is all about finding that sweet spot between carbohydrates and fats to keep your body firing on all cylinders. For the average Joe or Jane who isn’t training for Olympic marathons or an Athlete, there’s no need to fret about carb-loading or going into extreme fat-cutting mode. Once you’ve dialled in your protein intake and accounted for it within your daily calorie budget, it boils down to preference, that is if you want to go for high-fat or low-carb or somewhere in the middle, it doesn’t matter as long as you stay within your budget so you can adopt a flexible dieting approach if you want to here.

There is a slight caveat though, you don’t want to skimp too much on fats. Going too low can impact the absorption of certain vital nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K. To ensure you’re getting enough of these nutrients, consider setting a minimum intake. For carbohydrates, aim for no less than 1 gram per kilogram of body weight, and for fats, set a minimum of 0.5 grams per kilogram. This helps maintain a balanced approach to your macros (carbs, fats, and protein) without compromising your body’s needs.

Let’s use the example using a TDEE of 2500 calories per day:

If someone’s TDEE is 2500 calories, after setting their protein intake at 150 grams (600 calories) and accounting for a 500-calorie deficit for fat loss, they would have 1400 calories remaining for carbohydrates and fats (2500 TDEE – 600 protein – 500 deficit = 1400).

Following the guidelines of setting no less than 1 gram/kg for carbohydrates and 0.5 grams/kg for fats, assuming this person weighs 70 kilograms, therefore the calculations would be as follows:

Carbohydrate intake:

• Minimum 1 gram/kg = 70 grams

• At 4 calories per gram, 70 grams of carbs = 280 calories

Fat intake:

• Minimum 0.5 gram/kg = 35 grams

• At 9 calories per gram, 35 grams of fat = 315 calories

According to the guidelines, the combined calories from carbohydrates and fats amount to 595 calories (280 calories from carbs + 315 calories from fats), meeting the recommended minimum intake levels. This leaves 805 calories from the remaining 1400 calories to be adjusted based on individual preferences and energy requirements.

Worked example

To embed things let’s go through a worked example from start to finish. Let’s call this person John, he weighs 85 kg and is moderately active and is looking to lose weight.

Step 1: Work out John’s Daily Energy Expenditure

• BMR = Weight in kilograms × 22

• BMR = 85kg × 22 BMR = 1870 calories per day

• Factor in activity status = moderately active (1.55)

• Total energy needs = BMR x 1.55

• 1870 x 1.55 = 2898

Step 2: Adjust for goals

• Subtract 500 to promote a calorie deficit (in theory)

• 2898 – 500 = ~ 2400

• John’s starting calories are 2400

Step 3: Set his protein intake

John is carrying some extra weight so we will aim for 1.5g per kilogram.

85kg x 1.5g = ~130g of protein = 520 calories/day (130 x 4g)

Step 4: Set carbs and fat split

John has 1880 calories to split between carbs and fats after protein is accounted for (2400 – 520). He wants to go for a pretty even split so goes for 1000 calories of carbs and 880 calories of fats.

The final macronutrient split looks like this:

• Total calories = 2400

• Protein = 130g = 520 calories

• Carbs = 250g (1000/4) = 1000 calories

• Fats = 98g (880/9) = 800 calories

Summary:

There you go, a simple guide on how to set up your macros correctly based on your own needs and wants. Remember a healthier life requires healthy habits so it’s best to go into any weight loss phase with a “long-term mindset”.

I tell all my online coaching clients this as soon as they start working with me. Short-term mindsets almost always equate to short-term fixes, so be mindful. If you don’t want to go it alone and want tailored coaching, my coaching services are open for a short period right now. Get in touch HERE.