Guide to calculating your macros

3 But first…What are Macros?

6 10 Step Macro Calculation Roadmap
7 Calculate your BMR
9 Apply an Activity Factor
10 Determine your TDEE
11 Determine your Goal
12 Determine your Macro Approach
13 Bodybuilder/Fitness Competitor Approach
14 Ketogenic Approach
15 Determine Protein Intake
16 Determine Fat Intake
17 Determine Carb Intake
18 Macro Blueprint Fat Loss Template
20 Reviewing Macro Recommendations
21 Report Final Macros
22 Protein & Meal Plan Recommendations
But first…
What are Macros?
The majority of people only look at the impact of one variable when it comes
to weight loss: calories in versus calories out.  A calorie is a unit of energy, and
is the commonly accepted universal standard for measuring the energy
content of the foods we consume to fuel our bodies. When one wants to lose
weight they start eating less and burning more in the form of exercise. When
one wants to sustain their weight they keep their calories constant, and when
one wants to gain weight they will increase calories.
 
Unfortunately this is an extremely one-dimensional view of nutrition and is
misleading. In order of make sense of this, the average person needs a greater
awareness of WHAT they are eating and HOW that food will impact their body.
Knowing how many calories are in a particular food is a decent place to start,
but what really matters is the nutritional composition of those calories. 
Macronutrients (aka “macros”) are what make up the caloric content of all
foods. 

Macros are listed on nutrition fact panels as the amounts of protein,

carbohydrates, and fats in grams in a given serving. If the food you are
consuming is a real whole food that wouldn’t naturally be pre-packaged with a
label, the nutrition information could be accessed from a verified online
database.

All food consists of protein, carbs, or fat also known as the three
macronutrients with alcohol technically being a 4th category. Clearly
understanding what your food is made of and using that knowledge to make
informed choices is what will ultimately impact your appearance, health, and
athletic performance.
Even though one may have initial success by haphazardly cutting calories, they
are not necessarily creating sustainable habits. One size fits most fad diets
actually keep the masses in the dark regarding the scientific principles that
enable safe, yet effective fat loss. Diet fads will have you learning an entirely
new system of points or plastic containers with the intention of simplifying your
decision making process when it comes to food, however they are doing you a
disservice. I believe that everyone should take the personal responsibility to
become the expert of his or her own body. While the average person certainly
does not need to have a PhD in nutrition science, it is crucial to have a basic
understanding of how your body responds to certain macronutrients and what
ranges will be ideal for your optimal health. 
 
The problem is that people have relied on the scale for decades as the primary
gauge of success when it comes to making improvements in one’s physique.
Women particularly tend to have an emotional relationship with the scale that
can impact one’s self esteem and overall confidence if the number isn’t where
they think they need to be to have a healthy body.  The scale simply measures
one’s total mass, where a change in that measurement can mean a loss of
water, muscle, or fat.

Most assume that weight loss and fat loss are synonymous, when they are not.
You can be losing weight but not experiencing the improvements you want in
your body because your nutrition is not dialed in for fat loss. Likewise your
athletic performance may be suffering if you are not eating enough to fuel your
needs.
The perception of what is a healthy weight needs to be recalibrated for most
people. The reality is that you can be perfectly healthy, strong, and lean
without weighing what you “think” you need to weigh. This is because it is
possible to drop body fat and gain lean muscle mass. Muscle tissue is denser
than fat, therefore taking up less space and allowing one to effectively look
smaller and leaner even if there is no net change on the scale. In order to make
sense of this, one must begin with the awareness of what you are eating.
Knowing what your food is made of and using that information to eat better is
the basis of the macros approach to nutrition.

This FREE Macros Blueprint guide will walk you through a 10 step process for
determining your macronutrients. Once you know your macros, you can plug
them into myfitnesspal or life sum to track your macros throughout the day. For
most of you who have been eating a standard American diet of high carbs and
high fats, this will be an adjustment from how you are used to eating. You will
most likely find yourself eating more protein, and more moderate amounts of
carbs and fats. If you have any issues hitting your protein macros, check out
our NEW line of high quality all natural protein supplements on gaugelife.com
Wishing you the best with your health and fitness goals!
12
345 10 Step Macro
Calculation
1.BMR

687
2. Activity Factor
3. TDEE
4. Goal
5. Macro Approach

910
6. Protein Intake
7. Fat Intake
8. Carb Intake
9. Review
10. Final Macros
 Step 1: Calculate your BMR
Calculate your BMR
BMR is a function of gender, weight, height, and age. It can be determined
using on the the equations below, an online calculator, or you can have it
professionally measured.

BMR Equation: Mifflin St. Jeor

Female BMR: Male BMR:

10 x Weight (kg) 10 x Weight (kg)
+ 6.25 x Height (cm) + 6.25 x Height (cm)
- 5 x Age (y) – 161 - 5 x Age (y) + 5
 Step 1: Calculate your BMR
Calculate your BMR
BMR is a function of gender, weight, height, and age. It can be determined
using on the the equations below, an online calculator, or you can have it
professionally measured.

BMR Equation: Harris Benedict

Female BMR: Male BMR:

655.1 x 66.5 x
(9.563 x Weight (kg)) (13.75 x Weight (kg))
+ (1.85 x Height (cm)) + (5.003 x Height (cm))
– (4.676 x Age (y)) – (6.775 x Age (y))
 Step 2: Apply an Activity Factor (AF)
Apply an Activity Factor (AF)

AF = 1.2 AF = 1.3

SEDENTARY Lightly active

You are injured and unable to You have a sedentary day job,
exercise or you don’t get any but make an effort to be active
physical activity outside of basic and workout 1-3x a week
human functions

AF = 1.4 AF = 1.55

Moderately active Active

You workout 3-4x a week and You workout a solid 5x a week
include light activity like rain or shine, you do cardio at
walking, light cardio, or classes. least 4x/week, and you make an
effort to be active during the day.

AF = 1.7 AF = 1.9

Very active athlete

You workout 5-6x a week, do cardio You are on your feet all day
at least 5 days a week, and have an and workout at least 6-7x a week or
active day job or stand more you workout 2-3 hours per day.
than 5 hours a day.
 Determine your TDEE

Step 3: Determine your TDEE

Your total daily energy expenditure is the total amount of calories needed
to maintain your current body mass after you account for the calories needed
for your body at you current weight plus all of your activity calories. Your
TDEE is essentially your maintenance calories and the baseline used to
determine your calories for your health goal, whether its fat loss,
maintenance, or muscle gain.

TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure

BMR = x =
Your calculated Your calculated
BMR from step 1 Activity Factor
from step 2
 Determine your Goal

Step 4: Determine your Goal

In order to lose 1lb of body fat per week, one needs to burn 3500 calories
in 7 days. This translates to 500 calories a day for fat loss.

Fat Loss
You want to reduce body fat
subtract - 500 CAL
Fat loss cal = TDEE - 500

Maintenance
You want to maintain your current mass
No change to TDEE
Maintenance cal = TDEE

Muscle Gain
You want to add muscle size
add +300-500 cal
Muscle gain cals = TDEE + 500
 Determine the Macro Approach*

Step 5: Determine the Macro Approach

There are several different ways to set up your macros. For simplicity, we will
focus on two main approaches, the “bodybuilder” approach and the
ketogenic approach. The methods presented in this guide demonstrate the
bodybuilder style approach to nutrition.

The bodybuilder approach

Ideal for those who have a time
sensitive goal with no major health
issues.

Bodybuilders/
Fitness Competitors
P- 30-40%
C- 35-45%
F- 15-30%

The ketogenic approach

Ideal for those who are pre-
diabetic, diabetic, or those with
insulin resistance.

Keto
P- 20-25%
C- 5%
F- 70-75%
 Bodybuilder/Fitness Competitor Approach

Step 5: Determine the Macro Approach

High Protein (30-40%) | Low Fat (15-30%) | Moderate Carb (35-40%)

Who is this approach good for?

• Bodybuilders • Those seeking a lean muscular

defined appearance
• Fitness Competitors
• Individuals who need to lose less
• Models
than 20% of their current body
• Actors/Actresses mass (i.e. a 200 lb person with a
• Photo-shoot Prep goal of 160 lbs)

• Brides • Individuals who have plateaued

on a fad-diet
• Anyone with a time sensitive fat
loss oriented goal
 Ketogenic Approach

Step 5: Determine the Macro Approach

Moderate Protein (20-25%) | High Fat (70-75%) | Low Carb (5%)

Who is this approach good for?

• Individuals with insulin resistance • Individuals who have a hard time

with A1C levels > 5.7 processing starchy carbs

• Pre-diabetic or those with Type 2 • Individuals who have more than

diabetes 50lbs to lose

• Individuals with PCOS

• Individuals with Hormonal

Imbalances (Peri-menopause,
Menopause)
 Determine Protein Intake

Step 6: Determine the Protein Intake

Sedentary Lightly Active
0.4-0.6g/lb Body Mass 0.7-0.8g/lb Body Mass

Individuals who DO NOT Individuals who workout

Workout, are inactive, and do not 1-3x a week, only bodyweight
wish to gain lean muscle

Active Extremely Active

0.8-1.0g/lb Body Mass 1.0-1.5g/lb Body Mass

Individuals who workout Athletes or Fitness Competitors

3-5x a week looking to build who workout 5-7x week seeking
muscle & minimize fat gain to maximize fat loss and lean
muscle definition

• FDA recommended 10% of total daily calories (50g protein on a 2000 cal diet)
• WHO recommends 0.36g/lb or 0.8g/kg
 Determine Fat Intake

Step 7: Determine the Fat Intake

FDA & WHO
30% of Total Calories
Recognized standards for daily fat
consumption for general health
*Low Carb High Fat
45-70% of Total Calories
Specialty protocol for thyroid issues,
insulin resistance, PCOS, & those with
sensitivities to carbs
*Keto
70-75% of Total Calories
Specialty protocol for pre-diabetics,
type 2 diabetics, insulin resistance, &
PCOS.
Moderate Fat Loss
0.30-0.40g/lb
Supports steady, moderate results for
those looking to shred at a reasonable
rate and obtain “contest prep” like
results without going as low as
competitor diets.
Aggressive Fat Loss
0.25-0.30g/lb
Ideal for contest prep, photo-shoot
prep, or other shorter term physique
goals. Going lower may cause brain fog
and isn’t sustainable.

Slow Fat Loss

0.40-0.45g/lb
Great starting point to tweak as needed
for progress.Supports fat loss without
compromising satiety. Provides
sustainable results for a long-term
lifestyle change.
 Determine Carb Intake

Step 8: Determine the Carb Intake

FDA
300g per Day
60% of Total Calories is recognized
standards for daily general health on a
2000 calorie per day diet
WHO
400g per day
In addition to this amount, the WHO
restricts sugar intake to be 10% of your
total carb intake
*Keto
5% of Total Calories
Specialty protocol for pre-diabetics,
type 2 diabetics, insulin resistance, &
PCOS. This value is net carbs
Maintenance
1.5-2.0g/lb
Active individuals seeking to maintain
or gain lean muscle mass. This range is
ideal for active individuals looking to
maintain such as fitness instructors or
athletes or those who want to maintain
muscle.
Endurance Athletes
2.0-3.0 g/lb
This range is for endurance athletes (i.e.
marathon runners, triathletes, etc.) or
those seeking to build muscle (aka
bulk).

Fat Loss
0.7-1.5g/lb
While this range is broad, this range of
carbs is ideal for dropping body fat. The
main factor is one’s activity level, lean
muscle mass, and the rate at which they
wish to achieve their goals.
 Macro Blueprint Fat Loss Template

Step 8: Determine the Carb Intake

How to determine macronutrient percentages from macros

500
X = - =

BMR Activity TDEE Fat Loss: Daily

Factor Apply Caloric Calorie
Deficit Goal

4 cal/g
X = X protein =

Grams of Goal Protein (g) Cal from

Protein/lb Weight Protein

9 cal/g
X = X protein =

Grams of Goal Fat (g) Cal from

Fat/lb Weight Fats

4 Cal/g
- - = ÷ =
Carbs

Daily Cal from Cal from Cal from Carbs (g)

Calorie Protein Fats Carbs
Goal
 Macro Blueprint Fat Loss Template

Step 8: Determine the Carb Intake

How to determine macronutrient percentages from macros

Daily
Calorie
Goal

4 cal/g
X
protein = ÷ =

Protein (g) Cal from Daily % Protein

Protein Calorie
Goal

9 cal/g
X = ÷ =
protein
Fat (g) Cal from Daily % Fat
Fats Calorie
Goal

4 cal/g
X
Carbs = ÷ =

Carbs (g) Cal from Daily % Carbs

Carbs Calorie
Goal
 Reviewing Macro Recommendations

Step 9: Review + Adjust

Calories
Is the rate of progress too fast?
Is this going to be physically too much food?

Fat
Is the fat too low for the preferred eating style?
Is the fat “taking away” from the carb intake?

Carbs
Will the carbs provide sufficient volume to keep one full and satisfied?
Will this be enough energy to support workouts?

Protein
Will the protein content be overwhelming?
Will the protein be enough to support muscle gain or maintenance goals?
 Step 10: Report Final Macros
Report Final Macros
 Protein & Meal Plan Recommendations

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