Get the Exact Breakdown For Your Personal Caloric Intake
Macro is short for Macronutrients. Macronutrients are 3 metabolic pathways, Carbohydrate, Fats, Proteins, that our bodies use in order to live. Without any one of these three pathways, we would not survive long. We need all three: Carbohydrate, Fats, Proteins.
Get too much of carbs and you’ll gain weight. Don’t consume enough protein and you’ll lose muscle. Eat more fatty foods and feel yucky, lose energy, and gain weight…there is s balance you can find personally – and it won’t match another person. You are unique and individual – just like your DNA. Everything about you is so very special that you even have your own specific balance of intake and output.
So let’s get to it. The best way to calculate your macros is by good old fashioned math. Macronutrients
1. Find Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
The first step is to find how many calories you burn just by living, without exercise. This is your BMR. Thanks to Harris-Benedict for his insight, we have an amazing math formula to plug in our stats for our perfect equation.
655 + (4.35 x your weight in pounds) + (4.7 x your height in inches) – (4.7 x age)
For example:
A 130-pound, 5 foot 4, 35-year-old woman
655 + (4.35 x 130) + (4.7 x 64) – (4.7 x 35) = 1356.8
2. Add Your Activity Level
Next, decide truly what your activity level is. Be honest, as this is all about you personally.
- Little or no exercise: 1.2
- Light exercise a few times a week: exercise a few times a week: 1.375
- Moderate exercise 3-5 times a week: 1.55
- Heavy exercise 6-7 times per week: 1.725
Let’s say this same female from above decided to take ride her bike to work 3 days out of the 5, went to a yoga class 2 times during the week, with casual walks after work, she would multiply her activity at a 1.55 – as she’s in the moderate level.
1356.8 x 1.55 = 2103.04
This is the number of calories per day she is currently consuming to maintain her current body weight.
3. Find Your Balance
Using this same female above as our sample. She can et 2103 calories if she completely keeps going with her nutrition intake and her exercise output.
Here is her breakdown of MACROS (Macronutrients: Carbs, Proteins & Fats)
Protein= 2100 x 0.4 = 840kcal / 4 = 210g
Carb= 2100 x 0.3 = 630kcal / 4 = 157.5g
Fat= 2100 x 0.3 = 630kcal/ 9 = 70g
Continue to Find Your Solution
Most women aren’t going to consume 1800 calories on a given day. We fluctuate. We tend to eat less one day and overeat on the other day. One thing is for sure, if we restrict too many calories for too long, we will fit them in somewhere and usually at times of stress – then we’ll regret it when the damage is done.
It all comes down to calories. Calories in determines how much the scale will read. Calories out with exercise is a great way to keep balanced. The rule still stands. 80% nutrition to 20% exercise. Focus on your nutrition as your number one health goal.
Remember, keeping it balanced and focused on what’s right for YOU instead of what someone else is doing, is the number one goal.
