Calculating Macronutrients Ebook

CALCULATING YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS 101
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT ARE MACRONUTRIENTS? 5
Protein 6
Carbohydrates 8
Fats/Lipids 11
THE FOUNDATION
THE FOUNDATION 14
Flexible Dieting 15
Ask Yourself 17
THE CALCULATIONS
THE CALCULATIONS 18
Determining Your BMR 19

The Simple Formula 21
DON’T JUMP THE GUN 24
Percent Breakdown 26
Doing The Math 29
MONITOR YOUR
MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS
PROGRESS 31
Ways To Monitor Your Progress 32

Weighing And Measuring 33
2
CALCULATING YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS
CALCULATING 101
YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS 101
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3
NOT A GUESSING GAME
How do I calculate
MY MACROS and
TOTAL CALORIES?
One of the most common and researching and finding the right
frequently asked questions I’ve formula for you, and then being
received in the past few years has consistent with that intake to see
been: how your body responds.
• “How do I calculate my macros Consistency is key.
and total calories?” or
• “How do I know the right amount I’ll cover everything you need to
of calories I should be taking in know about calculating your
everyday to achieve my goal?” or macronutrients, but first, you must
• “Why is calculating macros so know the basics of what makes up
complicated? Shouldn’t it be your ‘macros’, so you get an idea of
easier than this?”... what each one does within your
body, the physiological response
The list goes on and on, but, to be that occurs after ingesting them,
honest, calculating your ‘macros’, which ones are used for energy,
which stands for macronutrients, what other functions and properties
really isn’t that difficult once you get each one has, and just the general
the hang of it. And how do you find make-up of each.
out how many calories you should Okay, class is now in session.
be taking in per day to achieve your
goal? Well, that’s just from
4
CALCULATING
CALCULATING YOUR
YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS
MACRONUTRIENTS 101
101
WHAT ARE
MACRONUTRIENTS
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATE, AND FATS
Protein, carbohydrate, and fats are what make up our

macronutrients. These are nutrients that our body needs for
normal function and good health. They are also energy-
yielding nutrients. In other words, they provide us with POPULAR
energy, or calories. MYTH
BUSTER
Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are not
A lot of people
considered an essential nutrient. Even if you were to eat make the mistake
in saying that all
ZERO carbohydrates (which I DO NOT recommend) the
three of these
entire day, our body has the ability to produce all the nutrients are
essential
glucose it needs from the proteins and fats within our (something that is
bodies via a process called gluconeogenesis. The brain is absolutely
necessary and
assumed to use glucose as it’s primary energy source, but crucial) for us to
eat.
this is only half true. There are some neurons in the brain
that only burn glucose, but other parts of the brain function
just fine on ketone bodies (compounds produced by the
liver during the metabolism of fats). I’ll get more in depth
with this once I start on the topic of carbohydrates.
5
PROTEIN
The word protein comes from the Greek word proteos,

which means “primary”. Protein is the nutrient that is
responsible for building and maintaining body tissues.
Other significant roles of protein are as follows: structural
components, contractile filaments, antibodies for immune
responses, transporters, neurotransmitters, hormones,
enzymes, and maintaining water balance.
Protein is everywhere within the body,

literally. In our muscles, bones, blood
cells, blood vessels, connective tissue,
hair, skin, and even fingernails. It is
constantly being broken down
throughout the day as a result of
normal physiological wear and tear,
and it must be replaced. Most people
don’t understand this concept. For
example, around half of the total amount
of protein in our muscle tissue is broken
down and replaced every 150 days.
Proteins are composed of smaller subunits called

amino acids. Although there are approximately 140 types of
amino acids found in nature, there are 20 that are
genetically coded via mRNA and more commonly talked
about. Lysine, tryptophan, methionine, valine,
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phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, and histadine

are known as the essential amino acids, meaning that our
human cells are unable to synthesize them, so we must
ingest them through our diet. The eleven other amino acids,
deemed nonessential amino acids, which our human cells
can synthesize and create are glycine, aspartic acid,
asparagine, proline, glutamine, glutamic acid, arginine,
cysteine, tyrosine, serine, and alanine. There are three
other amino acids commonly talked about, however, they
are not found in protein, and they are ornithine, taurine, and
aminobutyric acid (GABA).
The way proteins rebuild is so fascinating to me. Once we

eat a meal and digestion begins, other proteins, called
enzymes, dismantle the proteins in that meal, into the
smaller subunits we just covered, amino acids. Those amino
acids then enter cells, and other enzymes that get their
instruction from DNA, put them back together as the new
proteins needed to build and repair tissue. This process
happens everyday so that life can continue. Protein is
absolutely necessary for the maintenance, growth, and
replacement of body tissue.
The best places to find protein would be from animals such

as chicken, seafood, bison, red meat/beef, pork, venison,
turkey, and eggs.
Protein contains 4 calories per gram. So for example, if I
were to tell you to eat 60 grams of protein with your next
meal, you would know that 240 of the total calories in that
meal were coming from protein (60 x 4 = 240).
Let’s move on to carbohydrates.
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CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrate literally means “carbon with water” and was
coined by scientists long ago, as they saw that carbohydrates
were only chemically made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen,
and that the ratio of carbon to water was typically one to one.
Hundreds of different carbohydrates exist in nature, but, like the
amino acids in protein, there are few that are more commonly
talked about and known. You have your simple carbohydrates,
which are usually referred to as sugars. They could
be single sugar molecules which are called
monosaccharides, or they could be two
monosaccharides joined together,
which make up a disaccharide.
You then have your complex
carbohydrates, which are usually
referred to as starches, but also include
fiber. These types of carbohydrates contain
more than two sugar molecules. Short chains are
called oligosaccharides, and chains of more than ten
monosaccharides linked together are called polysaccharides.
Fiber is a remnant of plant foods that remains undigested in the
body. It is what’s responsible for keeping our bowel movements
regular and is also proven to help you burn fat. Research has
shown that those who consume a diet with a sufficient amount of
fiber (20-30 grams/day) tend to have smaller waistlines and are
better able to control their weight.
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Glucose is a monosaccharide and is the most abundant sugar
molecule in the body. It is the principal carbohydrate found in CARBO-

HYDRATES
human circulation and is usually referred to as blood sugar. PROVIDE THE
Glucose is the primary energy source for our body and is used by MOST
IMMEDIATE
the brain and nervous system for energy. This does not mean SOURCE OF
that the brain cannot function when carbohydrates are low, such
ENERGY FOR
OUR BODY’S
as when on a low carbohydrate diet. As I mentioned in the CELLS
introduction, the body will adjust and use the ketones in the body
as fuel for the brain. Ketone bodies are molecules that can cross
the blood-brain barrier and provide energy for the brain when it
isn’t receiving enough glucose. This is the body’s natural
response to a very low-carb diet and is not to be feared.
When glucose is not used up, it will be stored in the body as
glycogen, either in the liver or muscle. About two-thirds of your DID

body’s glycogen is stored in the muscles and about one-third is YOU
stored in the liver. When the glycogen is ready to be used again, KNOW?
our body will break it back down into glucose through a series of
When glucose is
energy-producing steps. Our body can only store so much of not used up, it will
be stored in the
glucose as glycogen, so once glycogen stores are filled, the body as glycogen,
either in the liver
excess glucose will be stored as fat.
or muscle.
Our body prefers to burn carbs rather than fat and protein, but
this does not mean our body cannot burn fat for energy when
carbohydrates are very low. We will talk about ketosis when we
get into the fats/lipids section.
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You should keep the bulk of your carbohydrate intake coming from vegetables, fruits,
and some nuts. Grains and gluten, which are found in pastas, oatmeal, bread, cereals,
rice, corn, wheat, barley, and processed foods, wreak havoc on your intestinal lining,
cannot be digested, cause inflammation, can lead to osteoporosis and multiple
chemical sensitivity syndrome, allow other foreign proteins to enter our system (look
up leaky gut syndrome), and contribute to diseases such as Celiac disease, lupus,
vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis, Huntington’s, and even multiple sclerosis.
With all of that said though, you still need to have balance within your life. Who is going
to stay away from pasta, French fries, and cereal for 365 days a year for the rest of
their life? Definitely not me. I just wanted to shed some light on what is going on within
our bodies once we consume this stuff, which research has proven to be accurate. The
key to successful fat loss, and sustainable weight management, is to never deprive
yourself of certain foods or food groups. When you say, “I can’t have ice cream today”,
that makes you want the ice cream even more and will most certainly lead to bingeing
episodes sooner rather than later. The key is to consume your processed carbs and
grains in moderation. As you’ll see in the flexible dieting section, I recommend
following the 80/20 rule when it comes to your nutrition, which will have you satisfied
from eating the foods you love, while still being right on track with your fat loss, health,
and fitness goals.
Carbohydrates, like protein, contain 4 calories per gram. So for example, if I were to tell
you to eat 25 grams of carbohydrate with your next meal, you would know that 100 of
the total calories in that meal were coming from carbohydrate (25 x 4 = 100).
Okay, now onto fats.
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FATS/LIPIDS
Lipids, more commonly known as fat, are a group of compounds that include
triglycerides, fatty acids, phospholipids, and sterols (cholesterol). 99% of the stored
lipids in our body are triglycerides, which are just three fatty acids attached to a
glycerol backbone. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy in the diet.
We have our saturated fats, which are fatty acids containing no double bonds,
monounsaturated fats, which are fatty acids with a single double bond, and lastly,
polyunsaturated fats, which are fatty acids with more than one double bond. Many
human cells can synthesize fatty acids, but the primary sites of synthesis include the
liver, to a lesser degree, and then adipose (fat) tissue.
It may seem odd at first, but eating fat also helps you burn fat! The key here is to eat
the “good” fats. These “good” fats include monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat,
and omega-3 fatty acids.
The problem with our population
is that we consume too much of
the omega-6 fatty acids and not
enough of the omega-3 fatty acids.
An optimal balance of omega-6 to
omega-3 ratio is 2:1 to 1:1. Studies show
that the typical American diet is made up
of a ratio of 25:1 up to 50:1. This is terrible.
“Significant amounts of omega-6 intake create
an imbalance that can interfere with the production
of important prostaglandins.” Prostaglandins are a group of
lipid compounds that have important functions in the body.
This imbalance that’s created could result in blood clot formation,
high blood pressure, digestive issues, cancer, weight gain, and increased
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inflammation. They’ve even had studies show that excess omega-6
fat intake causes human prostate tumor cell cultures to multiply twice
as quickly. We need to do a better job of consuming omega-3 fats
and less omega-6 fats to balance out this ratio.
A fat you should absolutely avoid is trans-fatty acids or trans fat. POPULAR
Trans fats are made through hydrogenation, which is the process of MYTH
adding hydrogen to unsaturated fatty acids to make them harder at
BUSTER
room temperature, which will increase the food’s shelf life. They are Saturated fat is
actually not that
mostly added to processed foods. Trans fats have been shown to
bad for you!
increase LDL (bad – especially the harmful small, dense particles)
The key to this
cholesterol and decrease HDL (good) cholesterol. Trans fats are myth is to
consume your
basically poison to your body. They interfere with the metabolic
saturated fats from
processes and contribute to cancer cell formation. healthy sources.
Saturated fat is a
key fat for
Don’t be convinced by the, “saturated fat is bad for you” ordeal hormone
production and
either. The key to this myth is to consume your saturated fats from protects against
the harmful nature
healthy sources. Saturated fat is a key fat for hormone production
of trans fats.
and protects against the harmful nature of trans fats. The Weston A.
Price Foundation found that, “saturated fats play important roles in
body chemistry,” and Dr. William Castelli found that, “the people who
ate the most cholesterol, saturated fat, and calories had lower serum
cholesterol, weighed the least, and were the most physically active.”
Some of the best sources to get your fat intake from are olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds,
omega-3 fats from fish such as salmon, herring, and sardines, coconut oil, cod liver oil,
macadamia nut oil, and saturated fats from egg yolks, red meat, and grass-fed butter.
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Fat contains 9 calories per gram, more than double what protein and carbohydrate provide
per gram. So for example, if I were to tell you to have 12 grams of fat with your next meal,
you would know that 108 of the total calories in that meal were coming from fat (9 x 12 =
108).
Okay, so now that we have the groundwork and foundation built, let’s move onto the
calculations and formulas.
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CALCULATING
CALCULATING YOUR
YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS
MACRONUTRIENTS 101101
THE
FOUNDATION
CALCULATING THE PERFECT MEAL PLAN FOR YOUR DIET PROGRAM
This is where a lot of people get confused. I have
had clients of mine say, “Can you just create
my meal plan for me? Plugging in my food and
hitting my macros is just too confusing.” I can
understand where they are coming from,
because I was once in their position.
About seven years ago, when I started on my
own fitness journey, there weren’t any apps or websites
that I was aware of where you could plug in your food and then
get your total calories and percentages of macronutrients from.
So what did I do? I looked at the labels of the foods that I ate
everyday back then (which was something along the lines of egg
whites, oatmeal, fruits, chicken, rice, pasta, nuts, etc.) and wrote
down, per serving, the total grams of carbohydrate, fats, and
protein, which would give me the total amount of calories per
serving, as well (carbs + fat + protein = total calories).
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Now that the internet has continued to surpass our expectation
of technology, there are great websites like fatsecret.com and
apps on your phone such as MyFitnessPal, that allow you to plug
in what you ate, by the serving, and then it will spit out the total
calories you ate in that meal, with the total amount of
carbohydrate, fats, and protein it contained.

DID
YOU
My advice would be to plan out your meals ahead of time. Know
KNOW?
what foods you like to eat, write down your grocery list, and then
go get those foods. Once you know the total amount of calories Now that the
internet has
you need to eat per day to achieve your goal (we’ll get into that continued to
surpass our
next), you can then create your meal plan. The best thing about
expectation of
this is that you are eating the foods you love to eat, which will technology, there
are great websites
drastically decrease the feeling of deprivation, which will help like fatsecret.com
and apps on your
gear you toward long-term success, as you don’t feel the need to
phone such as
“cheat” on your meal plan. This is also called flexible dieting and MyFitnessPal
we’ll touch on this more in the next section. You’re eating what
you want to eat, while on track toward achieving your goals. It
doesn’t get much better than that.
MY ADVICE
WOULD BE
FLEXIBLE DIETING TO PLAN
OUT YOUR
MEALS
There is a lot to be said about flexible dieting, also known as AHEAD OF
IIFYM, which stands for “if it fits your macros”. Just thinking about
TIME.
the name should get you a little intrigued. Flexible dieting implies
that you are “dieting” with a bit of flexibility, as to what foods you
are obtaining your macronutrients from.
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Now I don’t want you to get the idea that you are just eating junk food
all day as long as you hit your total macros by the end of the day; this
is NOT what true flexible dieting should be used for. Instead, think of
this as a means to eat what you’d like, without feeling guilty about it.
For example, if you are eating 300 grams of carbohydrate per day, you
don’t just have to get those carbohydrates from rice and potatoes,
which is what the typical “clean eating” or bodybuilding meal plans
look like. If you do this for your 12-week diet or however long it is,
there is no doubt, that by the end of your duration, you will be
bingeing on junk food and all of the tasty treats you “weren’t able to
have” while dieting.
This is where flexible dieting comes into play. Instead, you can get
those 300 grams of carbohydrate from quinoa, sweet potatoes, pasta,
fruits, yams, granola, and then if you are having a craving for sweets,
throw in some cookies, a pop tart, a muffin or bagel with cream
cheese; as long as you hit 300 grams of carbohydrate by the end of
the day, you are “a- okay”. I like to follow the “80/20” rule when it
comes to flexible dieting. Eat 80 percent of your calories and macros
from healthy sources and non-calorie dense foods and 20 percent
from non-healthier foods and treats that you wouldn’t consider
favorable to your physique.
We touched on this before, but this way of “dieting” is much more
sustainable long-term, as opposed to the monotonous “fish and broccoli
for 6 meals per day” diets. Think about it. If you are able to have a
muffin, cookies, a pop tart, or some of your favorite foods every single
day while dieting, as long as you are hitting your macronutrient goals to
the “T”, why would you feel the need to binge on junk food once your
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diet is over? That’s right. You wouldn’t. That feeling of deprivation does not exist when
you follow a flexible dieting approach and can calculate your macros with the foods you
like, to fit your needs.
ASK YOURSELF
“Can I eat the way I am eating right now, for the next 10-20 years? Or for
the rest of my life?”
If you answered that question with a “no”, it is time to change the way you
are eating. You will most likely fail and binge more often than not, if you
continue following a diet or way of eating that is not sustainable long-term,
and that you cannot see yourself adopting as a way of life.
This is why flexible dieting, or IIFYM, is so great; you are losing fat, while fitting some of
your favorite foods into your meal plan every single day. It is also effective for people
who are trying to gain muscle. Whatever your goal may be, as to your health and
physique, give flexible dieting a try. Determine the amount of calories you need
everyday to achieve your goal (we’ll get into how to do this next), determine how many
of those calories will be coming from protein, carbohydrate, and fat, and then come up
with a nutrition plan that has a lot of complete protein sources, healthy fats, complex and
fibrous carbohydrates (getting sufficient fiber is IMPORTANT) that contain a lot of
micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and then fill up the remaining macros and
calories you have left with some of the foods you love; chocolate, cereal, muffins, pop
tarts, candy, French fries, ice cream... whatever they may be!
Let’s move onto how to determine the amount of calories you need everyday to achieve
your goals and how to calculate those numbers and values.
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CALCULATING
CALCULATING
YOUR YOUR
MACRONUTRIENTS
MACRONUTRIENTS
101 101
THE
CALCULATIONS
YOUR GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING YOUR BMR EQUATIONS AND FORMULAS
There are a ton of formulas out there to help determine what your daily calorie
requirements should be, such as the Mifflin St Jeor BMR equation, the Original and
Revised Harris-Benedict BMR Equation for men and women, and the Katch-McArdle
BMR formula, to name a few.
What I have found in the past, was that if you tell someone to go calculate their daily
calorie requirements using one of these formulas, and then they go research them and
see what has to be done, they have no idea where to begin. Even something that seems
as simple as multiplying your lean body mass by 22 and adding 500 to that sum, which
is the Cunningham Formula for BMR, seems confusing to a lot of people, as questions
like, “What is my lean body mass?” or “How do I find out my fat mass versus lean mass?”
will come up.
If you don’t have a science background or haven’t been familiar with using these
formulas in the past, they are CONFUSING. I know. I have been there. When I first
started getting a hold of these calculations while in school to obtain my Bachelor’s
degree, I was overwhelmed. As you continue practicing though, you get better and
better.
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A lot of the formulas do not take into account the intensity of
your workouts, stress, climate, metabolic health, if you have a
demanding job or not, thyroid hormone levels, overall health,
non-planned exercise, and puberty, to name a few variables. All
of these factors impact how many calories you will need per day.
The one thing I

DETERMINING YOUR RMR will say about all
of these formulas
Your RMR stands for resting metabolic rate. This is the amount of and calculations
energy you expend at rest, without doing anything.
you can find
online, is that
none of them are
Even if you were to wake up in the morning and just lie there for 100% accurate.
24 hours straight, your body would still be burning and utilizing
calories to sustain life and bodily functions, such as blood Our bodies are so
unique and there will
circulation, respiration, and temperature regulation.
never be a PERFECT
formula to tell you
Your RMR accounts for about 70% of your total daily energy
the EXACT calories
expenditure, with physical activity being 20% of the total, and you should eat per
TEF (thermic effect of food) taking the remaining 10%. day.
There are a ton of factors that will influence your resting
metabolic rate, including your age, sex, genetics, hormonal
changes, body size, body composition, medication, and other
variables as well.
19
The amount of muscle you have is directly correlated to your RMR. The more muscle, or
lean mass you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be, which means the
more calories you will be burning every day at rest. This is why resistance training is very
advantageous.
Determine your RMR by multiplying your weight (in pounds) by 10. This is
the most simplified way of finding your resting metabolic rate. For example,
if you weigh 200 pounds, your RMR would be 2,000 calories.
200 lbs. x 10 = 2,000
Once you determine what your RMR is, you now have to gauge how active of an
individual you are, because the more active you are, the more calories you will need per
day.
According to the NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, Fourth Edition,
if you are very lightly active (seated, standing activity, desk job, no vigorous activity),
multiply your RMR by 1.2-1.3.
If you are low active (sedentary lifestyle, 30 minutes of moderate activity per week,
office work with additional exercise), multiply your RMR by 1.5-1.6.
If you are active (low active lifestyle plus 3 hours of physical activity per week), multiply
your RMR by 1.6-1.7. If you are heavily active (vigorous activity, exercise 5-6 times per
week, full-time athletes, manual labor), multiply your RMR by 1.9- 2.1.
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So for example, say our 200-pound person, whose RMR is 2,000 calories per day, is a
very active individual. He/she performs resistance training 5-6 times per week, including
cardiovascular training as well. Their RMR will now be between 3,800 calories and
4,200 calories.
200 lbs. x 10 = 2,000 calories (RMR)
2,000 x 1.9 = 3,800 calories
2,000 x 2.1 = 4,200 calories
I also did some more research of my own and came across a text called Power Eating by
Susan Kleiner, PhD and Registered Dietitian. Dr. Kleiner has worked as a nutrition
consultant for the Seattle Seahawks, their past quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, the Seattle
Supersonics, Cleveland Browns, and Cleveland Cavaliers, to name a few.
In that text, she broke down what she has found over years and years of trial and error
to be the general range of how many calories you should consume to lose fat, maintain
your weight, and gain muscle.
THE SIMPLE FORMULA
After reviewing Dr. Kleiner’s work and doing some calculations and experimentation
myself, I’ve found these numbers of calories to be along the right lines for achieving
your goals, whatever they may be.
Fat Accelerated Fat Weight Muscle

Loss loss Maintenance Hypertrophy
(increase in muscle size)
THE EXAMPLE
32 to 36 calories 26 to 30 calories 40 to 44 calories 46 to 50 calories
per kilogram of per kilogram of per kilogram of per kilogram of
bodyweight bodyweight bodyweight bodyweight
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Let’s say you are 200 pounds and have a wedding to look great for in 6
weeks. You are looking to lose fat quickly, but also in a healthy way,
ensuring you are not being deprived of vital nutrients, vitamins, and
minerals.
We’ll go with the low-end amount of calories for accelerated
fat loss, which are 26 per kilogram of bodyweight.
THE FIRST PART THE SECOND PART
First, you must find out your weight in Now that we have our weight in
kilograms. kilograms, it’s time to calculate our daily
calorie requirement to achieve our goal
1 pound = 2.2 kilograms of accelerated fat loss.
For our example, if you are a 200- 91 kg x 26 calories = 2, 366 calories per
pound male, your weight in kilograms day for accelerated fat loss
would be 90.90 or 91 to round up.
You simply multiply your weight in
200 lb. / 2.2 kg = 90.90 or 91 kg kilograms (91), by the amount of calories
you need to achieve your goal (26),
You simply divide your weight, in according to the recommendations
pounds, by 2.2, which will give you above, which will give you 2, 366
your weight in kilograms. With me so calories.
far? Okay, good.
22
Let’s do another example.
Let’s say you are a female who is 150 pounds. You are satisfied with your conditioning
and can see your abs, so you want to gain a bit more muscle. We’ll go with a lower-end
amount of calories outlined for muscle hypertrophy, which is up to 50 per kilogram of
bodyweight. Let’s go with 46 calories.
150 lbs. / 2.2 kg = 68.18 or 68 rounding down
68 kg x 46 calories = 3, 128 calories per day for muscle hypertrophy
Let’s do one more example.
Let’s say you are 180 pounds and are satisfied with the improvements you have made to
your physique. You want to maintain right where you are. We’ll go with the highend
amount of calories for weight maintenance, which are 44 per kilogram of bodyweight.
180 pounds / 2.2 kg = 81.81 or 82 rounding up
82 kg x 44 calories = 3, 608 calories per day to maintain your weight
PROGRESS IS PROGRESS
NO MATTER HOW SMALL
23
CALCULATING
CALCULATING
YOURYOUR
MACRONUTRIENTS
MACRONUTRIENTS
101 101
DON’T JUMP
THE GUN!
THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT YOUR CALORIC INTAKE IN YOUR DIET
As I stated before, there are many factors that will come

into play to determine how many extra calories, or how
many less calories, you need per day:
Intensity of your workouts

POPULAR
Climate
MYTH
Stress
BUSTER
Metabolic health
Please remember
Type of job (on your feet all day or at a desk 8 hours?)
that the amount of
Thyroid hormone levels calories you come
up with to achieve
Non-planned physical activity
your goal,
Puberty according to the
calculations and
Other lifestyle factors recommendations,
are not 100%
accurate.
Assess your lifestyle and activity honestly and play around
with the total calories you consume. Some days you may
need more, some days you may need less.
24
Here is what I would do:
If you’re looking to lose fat, start at the higherend caloric

intake guideline. The perfect equation to lose fat is to find
out how many calories per day allow you to eat the most
amount of food, while doing the least amount of activity,
while still achieving fat loss every week/month.
-
If you’re looking to gain muscle, start at the lowerend
caloric intake guideline. If you normally eat 2,000 calories
per day, yet you calculate your calories out to be 3,500 to
+
gain muscle, you will surely put on some body fat right
away if you start with that, as your body has adjusted and
become efficient at functioning on 2,000 calories; it won’t
know what to do with an additional 1,500 calories per day,
so it will store a lot of those as body fat for energy, when
they are needed later.
If you’re looking to maintain your weight, start at the lower

end caloric intake guideline. If a week goes by and you
lose weight, it’s time to increase another 100200 calories
the next week. If another week goes by and you lost weight
again, even after the 100200 calorie increase, you need to
raise your caloric intake once again, until you find the
intake where you are maintaining your weight every week.
This takes a lot of trial and error, as does finding the proper
%
intake for fat loss and muscle hypertrophy.
25
PERCENT BREAKDOWN.
Once you find out how many total calories you should be eating per day to
achieve your goals, it’s now time to figure out the percentage of how many
grams of fat, carbohydrate, and protein those calories are coming from. Believe it
or not, the best way to find out your “perfect” percentages are from trial and
error.
I have tried every type of diet you can imagine. From low
carb/high fat, to high carb/low fat, to a balance of
protein/carb/fat, to moderate carb/high protein/high fat.
I mean you name it. After trying out all of these different
approaches over the years, I have found that my body type
SO, GUESS
is a bit carb sensitive. Meaning, I can maintain a lean HOW YOU’RE
GOING TO
physique, while eating a high amount of calories, as long as FIND OUT
WHAT WORKS
the majority of those calories are coming fat, with a BEST FOR
moderate amount of protein. So the percentages I follow YOU? THAT’S
RIGHT; TRIAL
currently are: 10% carbohydrate, 70% fat, and 20% protein. I AND ERROR.
love the ketogenic approach and have responded great to
this way of eating. I repeat, this has been through TRIAL
AND ERROR.
A general rule of thumb is to begin with a balanced percentage intake.
Something like 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrate should suffice for
your starting point. So for example, if you’ve found that 2,500 calories per day is
what you will need to eat to achieve your goal, you would be eating 750 calories
from protein, 1,000 calories from carbohydrate, and 750 calories from fat. How
did I come up with these numbers? Let’s take a look.
26
First, take your total number of calories per day: 2,500

Then, multiply that by .30 (percent from protein), .30
(percent from fat), and .40 (percent from carbohydrate) to
find out how many calories you will be consuming from
each macronutrient.
2,500 x .30 = 750 calories from protein

2,500 x .30 = 750 calories from fat
2,500 x .40 = 1,000 calories from carbohydrate
= 2,500 total calories
Now, once you find out how many total calories from each
macronutrient you will be consuming, it’s simple to find out
how many grams from each macronutrient you will need.
Remember: 4 calories per gram for protein, 4 calories per

gram for carbohydrate, and 9 calories per gram for fat. You
simply divide the number of total calories by either 4
(calories per gram for protein and carbohydrate) or 9
(calories per gram for fat).
750/4 = 187.5 grams of protein/day

750/9 = 83 grams of fat/day
1000/4 = 250 grams of carbohydrate/day
Now, there have been many studies done showing that

strength trainers, and those who lift weights every week,
need more protein per day than those who are sedentary
(very little physical activity).
27
However, once you find out how much protein you should be eating per day, you
don’t just say, “Oh, more protein will make me gain more muscle.” It’s a nice
theory, but our bodies just don’t work like that. Any excess protein that is
ingested and not used for muscle repair, growth, maintenance, and the other
functions protein is used for in the body, will simply be stored as fat or converted
into glucose for energy.
Without overdoing the protein intake, 1.72 g of protein per kilogram

of bodyweight seems sufficient for strength trainers.
For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you would be advised to eat 182 grams
of protein per day.
200 lbs./2.2 kg = 91 kg x 2 g of protein = 182 grams
Depending on how intense your workouts are, how much aerobic activity
(cardiovascular training) you are doing per week, or how low your caloric intake
is, you may need more.
Around 2.3 to 2.5 g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is advised. As I stated

before, I respond best to a moderate protein intake and usually ingest 11.5
grams of protein per kilogram of my bodyweight. It’s up to you to determine how
much protein you think you need.
• Do you lift weights 46 times per week?
• Do you also perform some type of cardiovascular training 36 times per
week?
• Do you have a demanding job that has you on your feet all day?
28
DOING THE MATH

Once you have your total grams of protein per day figured
I’d go with the
out, it’s time to figure out how many total grams of fat and
higher end
carbohydrate you will be having per day. Let’s do an recommendation
example. for grams of
protein per day
We’ll stick with our 200pound male for this one, since we
already found out how many grams of protein he will need 2.3 to 2.5 g
per kg
per day, and that he needs to eat 2,500 calories (I made this
number up) per day to achieve his goal. Let’s also say that
he has never calculated his macronutrients or total calories
per day before, and also has no idea what percent
breakdown is best for his body.
He chooses to go with a balanced percent breakdown for the first four weeks of
his program (30% fat, 30% protein, 40% carbohydrate).
200 lb./2.2 kg = 91 kg (weight in kilograms)
91 kg x 2 g of protein = 182 grams of protein per day 182 g of protein x 4 (calories

per gram) = 728 calories 728 calories – 2,500 (total) = 1,772 calories remaining
Now that I have my remaining caloric intake figured out, I can find out how many
grams of fat and carbohydrate I need based on the percentages I chose.
1,772 calories x .40 = 709 calories (this is our carbohydrate percentage)

709/4 (calories per gram) = 177 g of carbohydrate per day
Now that we have our total number of calories per day coming from
carbohydrate figured out, we can easily find out how many grams of fat we will
be eating per day.
29
728 calories (from protein) + 709 calories (from carbohydrate) = 1,437 calories
2,500 (total) – 1,437 calories = 1,063 calories remaining
Since we now have our total calories remaining, all we have to do is divide that
number by 9 (calories per gram for fat) to determine how much fat we will be
eating per day.
1,063 calories / 9 calories = 118 grams of fat per day 709 + 728 + 1,063 = 2,500
calories
Although this is a bit off from our percent goal that we established in the
beginning, we now have a great starting point to work with. I know that may
seem like a lot of work and calculations, but I assure you, if you keep on
practicing and sticking with it, you’ll be able to do this in your sleep (possibly :P).
If the percent breakdown seems a little too complicated in the beginning, don’t
even worry about it. Figure out how many calories you need per day to achieve
your goal, whatever it may be, and then start there. After plugging in your food
for a few weeks, you’ll see where your percentages are generally around (the
apps and websites give them to you as you plug your food in).
After following a certain caloric intake for a few weeks and seeing which
macronutrients are making up the bulk of your intake, it’s now time to check on
your progress.
NEVER GIVE UP
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN
ENDING. JUST A NEW BEGINNING
30
CALCULATING
CALCULATING YOUR YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS
MACRONUTRIENTS 101 101
MONITOR
YOUR PROGRESS
NUTRITION, TRAINING, AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS AFFECTING YOUR METABOLISM
The caloric intake you come up with to be just right for

losing 1 pound of fat per week, will not continue to produce
1 pound of fat loss per week over time. One pound of fat is
equivalent to 3,500 calories.
POPULAR
So theoretically, if you decrease your caloric intake by 500
calories each day, over the course of seven days, you
MYTH
should lose 1 pound of fat by the end of the week (500 x 7
BUSTER
= 3,500 = 1 lb. of fat). However, our bodies just do not work
Your metabolism
that way.
is not a static
thing. You can
increase or
Your metabolism has this amazing ability to adjust to the decrease your
caloric intake you set for yourself. When too few calories metabolic health
by the choices
are eaten, the body’s resting energy expenditure (REE) will you make every
slow down to meet the energy, or calories, available to the day regarding
your nutrition,
body. This is called starvation adaptation, and “it is induced training, and
lifestyle factors.
in extreme circumstances of famine to allow the body to
survive far longer than would be predicted based on
normal metabolic rates of energy use.”
31
There is no benefit to eating far fewer calories than your body needs. Even in the
mildest states of energy deficit, energy use will slow down and your metabolism
will adjust. Do not starve yourself. Feed the machine (your body) the most
amount of fuel (food) it needs to function at a high level, while still achieving your
fat loss goals.
WAYS TO MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS…
• Get your body fat checked monthly.
• Check your resting heart rate every month. (as soon as you wake up in the
morning, stay lied down, feel your pulse, and count how many beats your heart
takes in one minute.
This is your true resting heart rate. The lower, the better.)
• See how well your clothes start fitting. (Looser? Tighter? Down a few sizes?)
• Check your weight at the same time, on the same day.
(For example, every Sunday, as soon as you wake up, before you do anything,
step on the scale and record your weight.
Note: the scale is not the best option, as you may be gaining muscle, retaining
fluid, it might be “your time of the month”, you went off your diet the night before,
etc. A lot of things come into play, so if you’re the type that doesn’t like weighing
yourself, scratch this one out and don’t use it. If you have to go #1 or #2 in the
morning, do so before weighing yourself! ;) )
32
• Use the mirror. (See some definition you never saw before? Stomach a little
less “jiggly” than last month?)
• Get your waist and hip measurements done. (You can take them yourself)
• Workout progression. (Do you have more strength in a certain exercise than
last week? Got a few more reps today on the barbell curl than you did last
month?)
• Take pictures. (BEST OPTION. You can’t deny what you see. Take pictures in
the same pose, in the same clothes, in the same spot every week. You’ll be able
to see the difference, even if you don’t feel it… if you’ve been “putting in the
work” that is)
WEIGHING AND MEASURING.
The only way to accurately know how many calories are in a meal is to measure
the food you are eating. If you are one to “eyeball” your portions, believe me,
you’re probably not eating enough or eating too much.
When plugging your macros into your online program, you will have to provide
the measurement or weight for the food you ate to get an accurate value of
grams for fat, protein, and carbohydrate within that food. For example, look on
the back of one of your food boxes that you have in the house. At the top, it
should say “Nutrition Facts” and then give you a serving size. For example, I’
m looking at the nutrition facts on the box of old‐fashioned Quaker Oatmeal. It
tells me that for every ½ cup dry, I will be eating 150 calories, 3 grams of fat, 27
grams of carbohydrate, and 5 grams of protein. Another example, I’m looking on
33
the back of my Almond Milk carton, and for every 1 cup

liquid measure, I will be eating 30 calories, 2.5 grams of fat,
1 gram of carbohydrate, and 1 gram of protein. If you don’t
measure your food or weigh your portions, you will not
know exactly how many calories you are eating.
For this reason, go get measuring cups, a teaspoon and PRO

tablespoon set, and a food scale. These are essential for TIP!
your success!
Get measuring
cups, a
When weighing your protein portions, such as red meat, teaspoon and
chicken, fish, or turkey, be sure to look on the back of the tablespoon set,
and a food
package. Where it labels the nutrition facts, it will either say
scale. These
“4 ounces cooked” or “4 ounces raw” and then will give are essential
you the total calories and macronutrients for that serving. If for your
success!
it specifies “raw”, that means the nutrition facts for that
serving were from weighing the food in a raw state. If it
specifies “cooked”, that means the serving size calories
and macronutrients are accurate for weighing the food
after it has been cooked.
You will find some people who weigh their food after and
WEIGH ALL
some people who weigh their food before cooking,
OF YOUR
regardless of what the package labels. Personally, I weigh PROTEIN
all of my protein after it has been cooked. I cook in bulk, so AFTER IT
it’s easier for me to do this, rather than weigh out a raw HAS BEEN
portion for a meal and then cook each meal one at a time.
COOKED
That would take forever. I advise you to choose one way
and then stick to it, whether it be weighing your food
before or after cooking. I’ve been weighing my food after
cooking since I was sixteen and it’s not going to change
anytime soon. :)
34
However, if something like rice or oatmeal specifies, “1/2 cup dry/before

cooking”, that means it is best to measure those foods before adding water and
cooking it. If you have already cooked those foods in bulk, you can go right
online to find the “cooked weights” per serving.
Now that you have the tools to calculate how many calories you need per day to
lose fat, maintain your weight, and build muscle, it is time to put these tools to
use.
Start right now. Go grab a calculator, find your RMR or calculate your weight into
kilograms using the other formula, identify your goal (fat loss, weight
maintenance, muscle hypertrophy), and then do the calculation. You now have
the total amount of calories you need to eat per day.
After you do this, write down your grocery list. Include foods that you love to eat
every day, complete protein sources, healthy fats, and the right carbohydrates.
Once you know the foods you will be eating, it’s time to create your meal plan.
Download one of the apps where you can plug in your food or go to one of
the websites I mentioned earlier. Create your meals and balance them out,
ensuring you are getting some protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fat at
each one. Be sure to hit your total calorie goal for the day.
NOW, BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY!

Hov Hustle Fitness LLC 2012
www.HovHustleFitness.com
35
REFERENCES
Kleiner, Susan M., and Maggie Robinson. Power Eating. Champaign, Ill.:
Human Kinetics, 1998. Print.
Medeiros, Denis M., and Robert E. C. Wildman. Advanced Human Nutrition.

2nd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2012. Print.
Clark, Micheal, Scott Lucett, and Brian Sutton. NASM Essentials of Personal
Fitness Training. Fourth ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012. Print.
36

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CALCULATING YOUR MACRONUTRIENTS 101

WHAT ARE MACRONUTRIENTS? 5

Determining Your BMR 19

DON’T JUMP THE GUN 24

Ways To Monitor Your Progress 32

physician or other medical professional if

This ebook is for informational purposes

NOT A GUESSING GAME

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATE, AND FATS

Protein, carbohydrate, and fats are what make up our

The word protein comes from the Greek word proteos,

Protein is everywhere within the body,

Proteins are composed of smaller subunits called

phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, and histadine

The way proteins rebuild is so fascinating to me. Once we

The best places to find protein would be from animals such

Let’s move on to carbohydrates.

Carbohydrate literally means “carbon with water” and was

coined by scientists long ago, as they saw that carbohydrates

were only chemically made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen,

Hundreds of different carbohydrates exist in nature, but, like the

talked about and known. You have your simple carbohydrates,

which are usually referred to as sugars. They could

be single sugar molecules which are called

monosaccharides, or they could be two

monosaccharides joined together,

which make up a disaccharide.

You then have your complex

carbohydrates, which are usually

referred to as starches, but also include

fiber. These types of carbohydrates contain

more than two sugar molecules. Short chains are

called oligosaccharides, and chains of more than ten

monosaccharides linked together are called polysaccharides.

Fiber is a remnant of plant foods that remains undigested in the

body. It is what’s responsible for keeping our bowel movements

shown that those who consume a diet with a sufficient amount of

fiber (20-30 grams/day) tend to have smaller waistlines and are

better able to control their weight.

Glucose is a monosaccharide and is the most abundant sugar

molecule in the body. It is the principal carbohydrate found in CARBO-

isn’t receiving enough glucose. This is the body’s natural

response to a very low-carb diet and is not to be feared.

When glucose is not used up, it will be stored in the body as

glycogen, either in the liver or muscle. About two-thirds of your DID

carbohydrates are very low. We will talk about ketosis when we

get into the fats/lipids section.

cannot be digested, cause inflammation, can lead to osteoporosis and multiple

vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis, Huntington’s, and even multiple sclerosis.

grains in moderation. As you’ll see in the flexible dieting section, I recommend

and fitness goals.

Okay, now onto fats.

liver, to a lesser degree, and then adipose (fat) tissue.

and omega-3 fatty acids.

The problem with our population

is that we consume too much of

the omega-6 fatty acids and not

enough of the omega-3 fatty acids.