We want to reiterate that aiming for very specific amounts of macronutrients is overkill for the vast majority of people. Unless you’re trying to achieve extreme levels of leanness or muscularity, you can likely get by without tracking every single macro (protein alone is usually enough). That being said, if you want more information on macronutrient recommendations you can read below.
Protein:
Protein is by far the most important macronutrient to optimize for body composition. For most people, if you get your protein in the right spot, the fat and carbs will come in line too. Generally speaking, you want about 30-40% of your calories to come from protein if you’re trying to lose weight. Using an example of a 1500 calorie diet, this would mean a minimum of 112g of protein (1500 calories x 0.4 = 450 calories from protein divided by 4 calories per gram of protein = 112g of protein). Keep in mind, if you’re starting well below this amount, which most people are, you will need to be patient and gradual with getting the protein up, both from a behavioral and habit standpoint, and to be kind to your GI system. Follow the steps outlined in the course and you should see your protein trending in the right direction.
Carbohydrate:
We hear a lot about low carb diets nowadays, and while they can work for a lot of people, our general recommendation, especially for an active person who exercises regularly, is to follow a moderate carbohydrate diet. This would mean around 40-50% of your calories coming from carbs. Carbs are the primary fuel source for intense exercise, as well as the brain, thus, most people do well with a little more carbohydrate. Using the 1500 calorie diet example, this means around 150-190g of carbs.
Fat:
This leaves the remaining 20-30% of your calories to come from fat. This means around 33-50g of fat per day, again using a 1500 calorie diet.
Keep in mind that many different macronutrient distributions can work, assuming protein is high. These recommendations are just general ones that work for most people, but you can absolutely tinker with them a bit.
