The One Where We Calculate Our Macros

Before you can start counting your macros, you need to know what macros you are trying to hit. Let's walk through a few ways to get those numbers

Before we jump to the fun stuff of how to calculate your actual macros, lets go over some of the basics first. I know, I know! You want to jump right in, but we need to understand some basics first. I'll be quick, I promise. 😜

BMR and TDEE

We need to know about these two areas before we can properly calculate our macros.

BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate is the estimated about of calories you burn when you do nothing. Basically what your body needs to function. You know basic things like breathing and keeping your heart beating. In all my research and all of the coaches and PTs I follow and have worked with, it is not recommended to go below this number during a cut or calorie deficit. There are several online calculators to find your BMR. But below is the basic formula if you want to check the online tools or like to do it by hand. (This formula is the revised Harris-Benedict Method).

1. Men BMR = 88.362 + (13.397 x weight in kg) + (4.799 x height in cm) - (5.677 x age in years)

2. Women BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) - (4.330 x age in years)

Example: I'm 37 year old female, 63" (160.02 cm), currently 200lbs (90.7185 kg).

447.593 +(9.247*90.7185) + (3.098*160.02) - (4.330*37)

447.593 + 838.87 + 495.7496 - 160.21 = 1621 calories

I use this online calculator here, and double checked it to the above formula and was spot on: https://bmi-calories.com/bmr-calculator.html

TDEE or Total Daily Energy Expenditure is the amount of calories you likely burn in a day when all activities including exercise is taken into account. If you were to eat at this level, then you wouldn't gain or lose weight. This is known as maintenance. If you eat above this level, you'd be in a calorie surplus and would gain weight. If you eat below your TDEE you are in a calorie deficit and would lose weight. If one is trying to bulk up and gain muscle mass, they usually eat in a calorie surplus. This is also known as bulking. If you are trying to lose weight, then you'd eat less than this number but more than your BMR. This is also known as cutting.

TDEE is calculated by taking your BMR and multiplying it by an value associated with an activity level. Again, there are several places you can go to get this information online. Here is the formula if you want to do it by hand:

If you exercise on 1 to 3 days per week, multiply your BMR by 1.375. If you exercise on 3 to 5 days per week, multiply your BMR by 1.55. If you exercise 6 to 7 days per week, multiply your BMR by 1.725.

Example: My BMR is 1621 and I exercise 5 days per week.

1621 * 1.55 = 2512.55 calories (this is a little high and in my experience my maintenance is closer to 2300 calories)

This is the online calculator I use: https://www.calculator.net/tdee-calculator.html

Most coaches would recommend doing a 15% deficit when doing a cut. Remember our goal is to eat as much as possible and still lose weight. 20% is considered aggressive and above this amount isn't recommended.

Calculating Your Macros

Again, there are many online calculators to this for you. Or you can do the math yourself. I like to use the online calculator as a guideline and then do my own math. In my experience, I do better on a moderate level of all macros. I have a hard time sticking to lower fat and can really feel it impact my mood. I personally stick more to a 30% Protein / 30% Fat / 40% Carb spilt. Here's the math for a cut if you want to do it all by hand:

1) subtract 15% or 20% from your TDEE to find your cutting calories. Remember this should be above your BMR. Example: My TDEE is 2300 - 15% = 1955 calories since my BMR is 1621, this well above that.

2) Find your protein number. Take your current body weight and multiple by a number .8-1 (if one is obese, then you can go as low as .6) Example: 200 *.8 = 160g protein (this is higher than my body is happy at FYI)

3) Find your fat number. Take your current body weight and multiple by .35-.4 (if one is obese, then you can use .30-.35) Example: 200*.35 = 70g of fat (this is a little higher than where I am happy at)

4) Find your carb number. This is the number of calories left over after protein and fat are calculated. Remember every gram of protein is 4 calories and every gram of fat is 9 calories. Take your protein number and multiple by 4. Take your fat number and multiple by 9. Subtract both of these from your daily calories. The number left is the calories of carbs you have. Divide by 4 to get your carbs in grams.

Example: 160*4 = 640 calories; 70*9 = 630 calories. Total Cut Calories 1955. 1955-640-630 = 685 calories for carbs. 685 / 4 = 171.25g carbs

In the above scenario my numbers for a moderate cut would be 1955 calories a day with 160g Protein 70g Fat and 171g Carbs

Here's my favorite online macro calculator: https://iifymwomen.org/calculators/macro-calculator/ I find that I like my protein closer to 1.0 g per pound of lean mass and my fats closer to .40g per pound of lean mass. It will take some trial and error to see what works for you.

Honestly, if you plug my stats in to the above calculators I get two different TDEEs. There isn't one best formula. Macros will come down to some trial and error to find out what works for you and your body. Pick a set of numbers and try them out for a few weeks. Some people find it helpful to carb cycle and have a few higher carb days in the week (take your weekly calorie average and divide out your calories/macros per day). Some people will put these higher carb days before their hardest workouts (typically leg day). Others will put them on the weekends. Really, it's about what you want and what works for your life. Maybe you like daily macros but you have a wedding one weekend, so you adjust to have some more carbs for the days of the wedding, and go lower during the week.

Regardless of what your numbers are, you want to give them a consistent go for 2-3 weeks before you make any adjustments.

Remember, your weight will fluctuate daily and you want to give your body a chance to adjust to these numbers before you say they aren't working. Things that affect your weight include but aren't limited to: how much water you drank the day before, when you last meal was, have you had a bowel movement yet, how much sleep you got, time of day weighing, how much sodium you consumed, where you are in your menstrual cycle, did you work out harder etc.

If you are going to weigh daily, I'd recommend you taking a weekly average and compare those numbers instead of comparing day to day or even Monday to Monday. If you are going to weigh monthly, then stick to the same time of month to better be comparing apples to apples. Regardless of what you do, remember that weight is JUST DATA. It does not define your worth.

You will want to look for other ways you are making progress besides the scale as well before deeming your macro numbers aren't working. Are you losing inches? How is your sleep? Your performance at the gym? These factors are why we encourage to give your numbers a good consistent go for 2-3 weeks.

Be sure to read the post The One with How to Track for your next steps!