How to Calculate your Own Macros

Including Online Calculator Tool

What are Macronutrients?

I would assume most of us have heard of calories, and maybe even “Counting Calories.” But, have you ever distinguished Calories from Macronutrients?

Macronutrients are: Carbohydrates, Fats, and Protein.

If you look on ANY Nutrition Label, it will list the amount (in grams) of each Macronutrient per Serving Size.

Speaking of - PAY ATTENTION TO SERVING SIZE! If a tub of food contains 100 pieces, the serving size may only be 1-2 pieces. Don’t trick yourself into thinking the Nutrition Label is for an entire tub.

We can EASILY over-eat by avoiding the amount given in the serving size.

*back to the regularly scheduled programming*

Within macronutrients, we can determine calories.

1g Carbohydrates = 4 Calories

1g Protein = 4 Calories

1g Fats = 9 calories

As you can see here, fats have the potential to extremely accelerate total caloric intake.

So, an easy way to reduce calories is to reduce fats. (keep that simple trick in your back pocket )

If we were to look at a given food, let’s say a chicken breast - with a 4oz Serving Size (raw), the Macronutrients are as follows:

Carbs 0g

Fats 3g

Protein 25g

Based on this, the total calories should be ~127.

Now that you have a basic understanding of Macronutrients, Calories, and their Relationship, let’s look at how to determine your own Macronutrient Allowances.

Macronutrient Allowances: Based on Individual Goals

Everyone’s goals change, sometimes often. Because of this, it’s important to understand what your goal should be, how to determine your macronutrient allowance, and when to change your goals/allowances.

What Should my Goals Be?

We can break this down into THREE categories:

1. Energy Surplus, defined as Calories IN > Calories OUT

2. Energy Deficit, defined as Calories OUT > Calories IN

3. Energy Balance, defined as Calories IN = Calories OUT

• If we need to gain weight, we need to be in an Energy Surplus.

• If we need to lose weight, we need to be in an Energy Deficit.

• If we want to maintain, we need to be in total Energy Balance.

However, to determine where we need to go from here, we need to understand our current baseline, or TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

When starting out calculating your own macros, we recommend using:

ONLINE TDEE Calculator

For these next three scenarios, we’re going to use the term “Caloric Intake.”

This simply means, amount of calories you intake per day.

• To be in a surplus, your caloric intake needs to be ABOVE your TDEE (10-30%).

• To be in a deficit, your calorie intake needs to be BELOW your TDEE (10-30%).

• To maintain balance, your caloric intake needs to be about the same as your TDEE.

The number you choose for your caloric intake will be the basis for how we determine your Macronutrient Breakdown and therefore, daily allowances.

Determining Macronutrient Breakdown (Allowances)

There are many different ways to tackle this beast!

One Method, SPLITS:

40C/30F/30P (or any breakdown of those %’s)

How would this work?

Example Scenario:

My TDEE is 2,500 Calories and I want to be in Energy Balance.

Carbs 2,500c * 0.4 = 1,000c/4 = 250g

Fats 2,500c * 0.3 = 750c/9 = 83.3g

Protein 2,500c * 0.3 = 750c/4 = 187.5g

Therefore, my macros are:

Carbs 250g

Fats 83g

Protein 188g

Another Method, PROTEIN PRIORITY:

Let’s keep the example of 2,500 calories and Energy Balance and assume bodyweight is 175 lbs.

This method prioritizes the Protein in Grams to Body Weight in lbs. ratio.

Ideally, we are eating as close to 1:1 per day.

Protein Bodyweight (in grams), 175g

Next, this method prioritizes a % of Carbs per day. Let’s say we want 50% of our caloric intake to come from carbs.

Carbs 2,500c * 0.5 = 1,250c/4 = 312.5g

Finally, fats are whatever is left!

Fats = TDEE 2,500c minus (Protein (175g x 4 = 700c) + Carbs (1,250c)) = 550c

Fats 550c/9 = 61.1g

With this method, the Macro Allowances would be:

Carbs 313g

Fats 61g

Protein 175g

Those are two manual ways to determine Macronutrient Allowances!

*These two methods do not consider changing macros based on Energy Output or incorporating internal methods such as Carb Cycling*

NOW, THE BIG NEWS..

For paid subscribers, we’re including a gift in today’s blog -

We are providing the Official, Online Macro Calculator the E3 Nutrition staff uses to determine not only our own macro allowances, but also everyone who joins our programs!

In this automated Macro Calculator are two different versions, one for Carb Cycling (FUEL vs. SUSTAIN) and a “2.0” version for a more sustainable approach detailing Active vs. Active Recovery vs. Recovery Days.

SEE CALCULATOR BELOW!