One of the most confusing things people can get stuck on when they first start Keto is trying to figure out how much of each macro they should eat everyday. Well, I’m going to share with you exactly how to calculate your macros easy!
Lets define a couple things about macros before we get to the examples.
What do numbers like this mean? 70/25/5
- It can mean 70% fat, 25% protein and 5% carbs. OR
- It can mean 70g of fat / 25g of protein / 5 g of carbs
- Fat will usually be the first number, followed by protein and lastly carbs.
- Depending on what the numbers are defining it could either be a percentage, but most likely for recipes it will mean the grams.
- When you are talking about the distribution of calories to start a Keto way of eating, it will be in percentages.
Calories for Macros
- There are 9 calories per 1 gram of FAT
- There are 4 calories per 1 gram of PROTEIN
- There are 4 calories per 1 gram of CARBS
Just knowing this already helps us see that FAT is more filling than any of the other macros.
Using the first 1200 calorie table that’s below, I will explain how I calculated those macros so you can calculate your own when you want to adjust your goals.
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Fat
If your goal is to eat 1200 calories daily with a 70% FAT goal, then you calculate it like this:
- 1200 x .70 = 840 (calories dedicated towards fat)
840 equals the amount of calories that need to be fat calories, but we need to know GRAMS right? This is how you find out the number of grams daily you need for fat.
We learned above that there are 9 calories in each gram of fat.
So, the calculation is like this:
- 840 calories / 9 calories = 93 grams (for daily fat)
So, if your goal is to eat 1200 calories daily, then you will need to eat 93 grams of fat. This will make sure that 70 % of what you are eating will be fat (based on eating 1200 calories a day).
Keep in mind you need to eat the total grams of the other macros also, other wise your percentage will change. A good app to keep track of this is the free version of the MyFitnessPal app. I’ll talk about this more in another upcoming post.
Protein
If your goal is to eat 1200 calories daily with a 25% PROTEIN goal, then you calculate it like this:
- 1200 x .25 = 300 (calories dedicated towards protein)
- 300 calories / 4 calories = 75 grams (for daily protein)
Carbs
If your goal is to eat 1200 calories daily with a 5% (or less) CARB goal, then you calculate it like this:
- 1200 x .05 = 60 (calories or less dedicated towards carbs)
- 60 calories / 4 calories = 15 grams (for daily carbs)
These figures explain the numbers in first table below, and help clarify how to get your exact grams of eat macro daily. It’s easier for me to track grams than to look at a recipe and try to figure out percentages.
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Helping Tables
In the last column of each table it will tell you the exact daily grams of each macro to eat daily based upon the 70/25/5 ratio for a 1200, 1500 and 2000 calorie day. You can save these tables by Pinning them on Pinterest or come back to this page by marking it a favorite.
Check out this post to learn about which vegetable carbs are good to eat on Keto.
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All I can say is YOU ROCK! I searched high and low to get this essential information. No one wants to give you the basic without buying into their program. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Hi Amy
I’ve been trying for a few weeks
My % are 70 fat 29 protein 1 carb
I can’t get into ketosis
It’s really a let down
Any thoughts?
Hi Pattie 🙂 Hmmm… the first thing I can think of is that you might be consuming carbs that you don’t realize. I’ve learned over the past couple years that there are hidden carbs in all kinds of things. I’ve even seen certain vitamins in the store that have carbs in them. I would look at everything you are eating and see if you can narrow down some things. Even serving sizes. For example, if you are putting heavy cream in your coffee and you are using a couple “serving sizes” then you have to count every carb. Some serving sizes say <1 g, but when you have a couple servings this adds up and becomes >1g. It’s not uncommon for people to get more carbs than they think from what they are drinking. I’ve also heard stories about people who are thrown off by drinking diet sodas and other drinks with sugar substitutes. Hope this helps and I’ll be wishing you the best of luck!
This is the only place I have found to truly be helpful! So now I plan to start on the program. Thanks Amy. So much patricia
Thank you for letting me know. I’m so happy that you found information that was helpful and I hope it helps you do well! The keto and low carb way of eating can be so rewarding. Good luck and please check in every now and then.
I can’t tell you how helpful this was. I’ve avoided keto because I Pilsner understand the “math.”
THANK YOU.
couldn’t*
No idea how that autocorrected 😉
Auto correct is crazy sometimes! I’m super glad that the macro breakdown helped you and I hope you have great results with keto! It is truly amazing the effect it can have on your mind and body. Keep in touch 🙂
Just wondering… How do u decide how many calories a day is best for you to lose weight? I’m about 150 lbs & would like to be closer to 135-140. What should I stick to?
This is the first I have found that truly explains the calorie number to use. Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m happy that you found it useful. Keto on!
You don’t go by weight and height at all?
Hi Christine! I don’t go by height and weight. I chose what felt right for me in terms of calories and then followed the distribution for the macros. And that can change from time to time as your body adapts to a low carb or keto way of eating. Hope this helps!
So, the grams total. Is that weight? I’m new and confused
Hi Ash! The grams total is found on the nutrition label for each food (or ingredient of a recipe). You will more than likely have to convert the number into the correct amount you are eating (ie. serving size). Nothing wrong with being new! We all had to learn at some point. Welcome to Breakfast With Amy!
How do you know the number of calories you need to eat a day?
Hi Martha 🙂 When I first started keto I didn’t keep track of calories I mainly focused on eating to meet my daily macro percentages. I was tracking all my food in an app to make sure I was getting the right macro percentages daily, and after doing this for maybe a couple weeks I noticed my average calories per day seemed to be around 1200. That seemed to be my sweet spot. I didn’t find myself hungry and I felt satisfied. But my focus was never really on calories and it still isn’t, but ironically you have to pick a daily total calories number in order to get a set of macros lol. If you eat to a set of macros that fit a 1200 calorie day and you don’t feel satisfied, then you may want to increase to the next set of macros, especially if you are active. It’s mainly a trial and error until you find what works for you.
Thank you! Best thing I’ve found yet!!
Thank you! I’m super happy you found it helpful! 🙂