How to calculate macros for weight loss - YouTube

What should your macros look like if you want to lose weight in a healthy way?

And what does "macros" even mean? Many people can achieve success with a higher-protein,  

lower-carb approach. However, there's plenty of room for personalization.

Today, I'll discuss macros and let you know how to choose the amounts that are best for you. Let’s get into it!  

Hi, I’m Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, CEO of Diet Doctor. Before diving into our discussion about macros,  

let's first talk about how healthy weight loss is defined.

To lose weight in a healthy way, you need to burn more calories than you take in

while getting enough protein to maintain muscle mass and prevent your metabolism from slowing down.  

It's also important to eat in a way that  you enjoy and can stick with long term. 

What role do macros — short for "macronutrients" – play in weight loss? Macros are the three major  

nutrients that provide your body with energy: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Many dietary approaches focus on one of the macros, such as  high protein, low carb, high fat, or low fat. 

For the best results, you may want to  aim for more protein and fewer carbs.  

Why? Strong research shows that increasing protein intake can lead to weight loss.  

Equally strong research demonstrates that lowering carb intake can be effective for weight loss.

So,  the best strategy for many people may be combining the two in a higher-protein and lower-carb diet. 

Macro percentages reflect the  proportion of calories in your diet  

that come from carbs, protein, and fat. 

Following a higher-protein, lower-carb  approach could mean eating about 5 to 15%  

of calories from carbs, 25 to 35%  from protein, and 45 to 65% from fat.

For someone who eats roughly 1,800 calories per day, this would be about 20 to 70 grams  

of net carbs, 110 to 160 grams of  protein, and 90 to 130 grams of fat.  

Those are pretty broad ranges,  right? As I said earlier,  

the optimal amounts can vary from person to person. It may take some experimenting  

to find out what works best for you. Let's walk through the macros one by one  

and talk about their roles in a healthy  weight loss approach. First up: Protein.

Why is getting plenty of protein so beneficial for healthy weight loss? For starters,  

it provides a lot of satiety per calorie. This means that eating protein can help you feel full  

and satisfied on fewer calories, so you end up naturally eating less and losing weight.  

Yes, eating less without deliberately  restricting calories happens on low-carb diets, too.

But did you know that most low-carb  diets are also higher in protein? They are.  

In the majority of low-carb studies, people are  allowed to eat as much protein as they want,  

as long as they stay below their target carb range. And in many cases, this higher-protein  

and lower-carb approach leads to  impressive weight loss without hunger.  

Another benefit of eating more protein is  that digesting it speeds up your metabolism.  

This is called the "thermic effect of food,"  and it also happens when you eat carbs and  

fat — but the effect is much greater after  eating protein. So, you burn slightly more  

calories after every meal that's high in protein. Finally, boosting your protein intake can help  

preserve muscle mass as you lose weight. A major  downside of eating less is that you may lose  

muscle along with fat. With a higher-protein  approach, you're much more likely to maintain  

your all-important muscle mass. This not only  improves your body composition and helps you stay  

strong, but can also keep your metabolism  from slowing down during weight loss.

Now, let’s talk about carbs. It's no secret that low-carb  

diets can help many people lose weight. And dozens of clinical trials have confirmed  

that low-carb diets can be effective  for losing weight and body fat. 

Why does a low-carb approach work so well  for so many? One reason is that when carb  

intake is reduced, people are less hungry and  tend to naturally eat fewer calories. Now,  

this may be partially because protein intake  is typically higher on low-carb diets.  

Indeed, people who begin low-carb diets are  often encouraged to eat as much meat, fish, eggs,  

and other protein sources as they want. However, some of the benefits of low-carb diets  

may be unrelated to higher protein intake.  For example, many people find it very  

easy to overeat carbs – especially ultra-processed  high-carb, high-fat foods like doughnuts, cookies,  

and chips. But even whole grain breads and cereals  can be tough for some people to eat in reasonable amounts.

On a low-carb diet, these foods aren't  allowed, and cravings for them often subside. 

Additionally, when you cut way back on carbs,  your insulin levels decrease. When insulin  

levels and calorie intake are low, your body  is primed to burn fat, rather than store fat. 

My final point about carbs is that they  are not "bad" for everyone. Some people  

can lose weight with a higher-carb diet that  is rich in fiber and provides adequate protein.

Finally, let’s talk about fat. 

You may be familiar with the acronym LCHF,  which stands for "low carb, high fat”.  

Even if you eat a low-carb diet that is high in  protein, it will also be somewhat high in fat. 

When you cut carbs from roughly 200 to 300 grams  a day to less than 50 grams a day, you need to get  

most of your energy from non-carb sources. Your  body prefers to use protein for maintaining your  

muscles and bones rather than as an energy  source. Instead, when eating low carb,  

more of your energy comes from fat – both the  fat that you eat and the fat stored on your body. 

On a low-carb diet, at least 45% of your calories  will come from fat – even if you're following a  

higher-protein, lower-carb approach. On the other hand, fat can be  

easy to overconsume, which can lead  to a calorie surplus and weight gain. 

It's hard to deny that fat makes food taste  better! A delicious, creamy dish can prompt  

you to eat more than you'd planned to. So, when comparing fat versus carbohydrate  

as a calorie source, which is “better?”  For many people, the answer may be fat. 

Why? After a week or two of low-carb eating,  insulin levels will likely be lower. Remember,  

insulin promotes the storage of fat  and prevents its breakdown. Therefore,  

maintaining low insulin levels may allow  you to burn body fat more efficiently. 

To sum it up, there isn’t one best “diet”  for everyone. However, for many people,  

the most successful approach is likely  a higher-protein, lower-carb one.  

This combination helps you  feel full so you naturally  

take in fewer calories without feeling hungry, and  keeps insulin levels low to promote fat burning. 

Fortunately, there's a pretty broad range  of macro percentages that can be effective  

for weight loss. So, feel free to experiment  with different amounts of protein, carbs, and  

fat to find the way of eating that both helps you  lose weight and is easy to stick with long term.

Are you interested in learning more about how  paying attention to your macros can help you  

achieve healthy weight loss? See the link below  for our full guide: Carbs, protein, and fat:  

What are the best macros for weight loss?  

If you want more support and guidance for  achieving healthy weight loss, sign up for a  

free trial, which gives you access to hundreds of  low-carb and high-protein meal plans with shopping  

lists, our personalized meal planner, video  courses, and many other members-only benefits.  

See more at DietDoctor.com. Good luck, and I’ll see you in our next video.