Calculating Calorie & Macronutrient Needs

[braden101]

Great read emma, thanks alot,

Only just starting to realise the importance of a solid diet, it is all a bit daunting when you first get into it, but this has really helped me get a better understanding of things (well start to anyway lol) and seems to be a great place for me to start.

Cheers.

[braden101]

After following all the calculations. Found my BMR and TEE. Added 20 % as i plan on bulking.

Came to 3740 cals p/day.

But after figuring out my macros.

Protein = 211.5 g
Fat = 70 g
Carbs = 881 g

Now if im not mistaken all the macros would equate to alot more than 3740 calories p/day? Something more like 5000 calories.

[braden101]

Sorry everyone, its getting very late and im starting to confuse myself. HAHA stuffed up my carb intake.Just made sense of the ( and [ and the /4.

Carb intake should have been 566 not 881.

Time for bed i think.

Does this macro spread and calorie intake sound about right?

Total Cals = 3740 p/day

Protein = 211.5 g
Fat = 70 g
Carbs = 566 g

I am 5'8" and about 142 lbs. Not sure how accurate i am with my bf% but if went by calipers im around 10 - 11% bf. I have a fairly up and down lifestyle, but usually fairly moderate - very active. I lift fullbody 3x a week and am looking to bulk up.

any help would be appreciated

[dummydam]

are you male or female?

Im male 24 years of age

[Emma-Leigh]

Sorry everyone, its getting very late and im starting to confuse myself. HAHA stuffed up my carb intake.Just made sense of the ( and [ and the /4.

Carb intake should have been 566 not 881.

Time for bed i think.

Does this macro spread and calorie intake sound about right?

Total Cals = 3740 p/day

Protein = 211.5 g
Fat = 70 g
Carbs = 566 g

I am 5'8" and about 142 lbs. Not sure how accurate i am with my bf% but if went by calipers im around 10 - 11% bf. I have a fairly up and down lifestyle, but usually fairly moderate - very active. I lift fullbody 3x a week and am looking to bulk up.

any help would be appreciated

Personally: I am curious as to how are you getting that high?

Weight = 142
BF = 10%
Lean = 58kg
BMR = ~ 1620
+ activity = (x 1.7) = ~ 2760
+ trying to add mass (15%) = ~ 3150-3200 cals

Macros for lean = 128#
Protein = 160 to 190g
Fat = around 75g
Carb = 400 to 425g

[braden101]

Personally: I am curious as to how are you getting that high?

Weight = 142
BF = 10%
Lean = 58kg
BMR = ~ 1620
+ activity = (x 1.7) = ~ 2760
+ trying to add mass (15%) = ~ 3150-3200 cals

Macros for lean = 128#
Protein = 160 to 190g
Fat = around 75g
Carb = 400 to 425g

Hmm im not sure ill give it another shot and see what i come up with.

I actually didnt use the LBM calculation to find my BMR. Im not 100% about my bodyfat, so i didnt think it would be very accuarte.

Im going to buy some of those digital calipers and take the 7 site measurement thing to get a more accurate BF reading. Im currently only using those plastic accu-meaure claipers, And taking 1 skinfold measurement from just above my hip.

I also added 20%, not 15 %.

[usasikh1]

CAN someone clear something for me. I just started writing down everything I eat. I am shooting for 50/30/20 macro ratio. I calculated everything I ate yesterday and thats when this question arose. I consumed approx 2500 calories yesterday total. THEn using the nutrition labels I calculated (using 1 gram protein= 4 cal ,1 gram carb =4 gram ,1 gram fat = 9 cal ), my calories from each of the three groups. Then I summed the calories calculations. THE sum was 2068 calories. There is a discrepancy of about 500 calories. Those calories came from other sources(sugar,fiber etc). NOW HOW TO I CALCULATE WHAT RATIO I ACTUALLY CONSUMED THAT DAY. Total calories from protein divided by the over day calories consumed doesn't make sense. DO I ignore the calories from sugar and anything else that is not from the three groups mentioned earlier.


I appreciate anyone who replies.

[dummydam]

any help for me in here.......whats the best way to increase wieght ???

[Insight]

CAN someone clear something for me. I just started writing down everything I eat. I am shooting for 50/30/20 macro ratio. I calculated everything I ate yesterday and thats when this question arose. I consumed approx 2500 calories yesterday total. THEn using the nutrition labels I calculated (using 1 gram protein= 4 cal ,1 gram carb =4 gram ,1 gram fat = 9 cal ), my calories from each of the three groups. Then I summed the calories calculations. THE sum was 2068 calories. There is a discrepancy of about 500 calories. Those calories came from other sources(sugar,fiber etc). NOW HOW TO I CALCULATE WHAT RATIO I ACTUALLY CONSUMED THAT DAY. Total calories from protein divided by the over day calories consumed doesn't make sense. DO I ignore the calories from sugar and anything else that is not from the three groups mentioned earlier.


I appreciate anyone who replies.

No... sugar is a type of carbohydrate. You should have been already factoring that in. Fiber as well (well, some fiber). There are only three types of things that give your body energy, period:

Protein
Carbs
Fat
(and alcohol, technically as well)

Sugar, fiber, etc are all classified as types of carbohydrate.

any help for me in here.......whats the best way to increase wieght ???

Increasing weight is all about being in a caloric surplus. Presumably you aren't going to want to get fat, but rather put on some muscle, so the name of the game is training with weights and getting enough protein and energy overall. A more precise exposition on how much of each macronutrient you should get is in the OP of this very thread.

[braden101]

I was under the impression fiber did not contain any calroies?

[Emma-Leigh]

I was under the impression fiber did not contain any calroies?

You were then under the wrong impression. Usually contain between 1.5 and 3 cals/ gram depending on the type.

CLICK ->> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=117183851

[Insight]

Still this too vvvv

I'm having trouble figuring out the macros for my PSMF. For me 1300 cals is about a rate of 2 lbs lost per week. However, if I go as high as 2g/lb in general (what you recommend for higher deficits and what Lyle recommends for RFL), I end up at about 1300 cals anyway. But is 1000 cals really a high enough deficit to warrant the 1g/lb?

I think I'm about 15% now for reference, I've dried up a bit more even than the last pics I sent you. So not too high but not too low either.

Your help would be appreciated!

One question:

I was thinking about PSMFing for a cycle to kickstart my motivation again. Going by Lyle's RFL guidelines, this means I'd basically eat about 140 lbs LBM * 2 = 280g of protein a day, or 1120 cals of protein a day. Most likely it means I'd end up around 1300 cals.

My maintenance though is 2300 cals. So I'd only be at like a 1000 cal deficit. I guess this is because my maintenance level is so low (from lack of activity outside of training really). So my question is

1) Since for me a PSMF basically equates to only a 1000 cal deficit, which isn't that much, do you think that going as high as 2g/lb is really necessary? Or could I just run a normal 1000 cal deficit with 1-1.5g/lb protein? Or, alternatively, do you think I could go down to 1.5g/lb TBW so I could end up at a higher deficit, or would I just lose muscle?
2) What is your take on the PSMF vs VLCD diets in general? Is your approach to it the same as Lyle's, (2g/lb TBW protein, 11-12 days dieting, 3 day refeed, etc) or do you have any differing ideas on it?

I know I've asked in a roundabout way about this before in the adv. nutrition forum but it would be nice to hear your "practical thoughts" on the matter.

Thanks

[braden101]

You were then under the wrong impression. Usually contain between 1.5 and 3 cals/ gram depending on the type.

CLICK ->> http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=117183851

Interesting. Everything i have read and been told, is that fiber is unable to be digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. And becasue it cannot be ingested it contains no calories?

[Insight]

Interesting. Everything i have read and been told, is that fiber is unable to be digested by enzymes in the intestinal tract. And becasue it cannot be ingested it contains no calories?

insoluble fiber, i believe, is not digested and gives the body no energy at all.

soluble fiber basically "ferments" into free fatty acids i believe in the colon and has an average value of 2.2 kcal/gram.

this is why soluble fiber doesn't count as a "carb" if you're on a ketogenic diet - however, it does still provide the body with usable energy.

[Emma-Leigh]

insoluble fiber, i believe, is not digested and gives the body no energy at all.

soluble fiber basically "ferments" into free fatty acids i believe in the colon and has an average value of 2.2 kcal/gram.

this is why soluble fiber doesn't count as a "carb" if you're on a ketogenic diet - however, it does still provide the body with usable energy.

[Emma-Leigh]

Still this too vvvv

I'm having trouble figuring out the macros for my PSMF. For me 1300 cals is about a rate of 2 lbs lost per week. However, if I go as high as 2g/lb in general (what you recommend for higher deficits and what Lyle recommends for RFL), I end up at about 1300 cals anyway. But is 1000 cals really a high enough deficit to warrant the 2g/lb?

I think I'm about 15% now for reference, I've dried up a bit more even than the last pics I sent you. So not too high but not too low either.

Your help would be appreciated!

Sorry - been super busy...

I was thinking about PSMFing for a cycle to kickstart my motivation again. Going by Lyle's RFL guidelines, this means I'd basically eat about 140 lbs LBM * 2 = 280g of protein a day, or 1120 cals of protein a day. Most likely it means I'd end up around 1300 cals.

My maintenance though is 2300 cals. So I'd only be at like a 1000 cal deficit. I guess this is because my maintenance level is so low (from lack of activity outside of training really). So my question is

1) Since for me a PSMF basically equates to only a 1000 cal deficit, which isn't that much, do you think that going as high as 2g/lb is really necessary? Or could I just run a normal 1000 cal deficit with 1-1.5g/lb protein? Or, alternatively, do you think I could go down to 1.5g/lb TBW so I could end up at a higher deficit, or would I just lose muscle?

I think that 1000 cal deficit, for someone only 160 odd pounds (with ~ 140 lean) and inactive, is a pretty big deficit as it is....

You have to look at everything in context - these massive numbers that people can pull are often because they have massive numbers to pull FROM... < additionally, if you are sedentary, then you are not going to be able to create anything near the calorie deficit of someone who is much more active... << so:
- lighter in general
- lower fat mass
- low activity level
All = less able to create a substantial calorie deficit.

Another way you could do it is in reverse - factor your maximal calorie deficit as calculated by your fat mass (~ 31 x 25 = 750 cals).. And looking at this - 1000 cal deficit is also pretty substantial.

BUT: If you really are not that active, then you probably wouldn't need 2g/ lean - and you could get away with slightly less [say 240g protein ish = 980 cals]... Although I probably still wouldn't go below about 1200-1300 cals as a minimum.

So how I would run it:
~ 1000 cals from protein....
~ 250 cals form other (100-150 cals from fats, 100 cals from carbs)....
Total: Gives you 1200-1300 cals

2) What is your take on the PSMF vs VLCD diets in general? Is your approach to it the same as Lyle's, (2g/lb TBW protein, 11-12 days dieting, 3 day refeed, etc) or do you have any differing ideas on it?

I know I've asked in a roundabout way about this before in the adv. nutrition forum but it would be nice to hear your "practical thoughts" on the matter.

As mentioned in your other thread - they have their place and can be useful in certain situations...

VLCD are pretty good in those who are VERY large and who need to rapidly lose weight (esp for health reasons). And in these situations I don't mind seeing people to multiple cycles if they are done correctly (if you do them for too long you run into medical issues - malnutrition etc - so most of the time 12 weeks is getting to the limit of their length without a good break). In those who are very large/inactive - you also don't need to do the 'protocol' as per Lyle's suggestions... Something around 1g/ lean protein is enough - with added fats/ carbs to round out their calorie requirements a little.

For those who are fitter/ leaner/ more active - they offer very SHORT term solutions to get weight off for specific targets (eg: photo shoot, big date etc)... They will, however, have a greater impact on this population in terms of LEAN mass losses, as well as ATHLETIC/TRAINING consequences. For that reason, I don't often suggest their use in these populations for any length of time, and especially if said individual does a bit of cardio/ is active in their job.

In terms of protocols - I base these on the individual involved. Some people can get away with less protein (or do better with less protein and a little more fat/ fiber)... some people do better on shorter protocols and shorter refeeds (eg: more of a weekly thing). < it really is a case of finding what is necessary for a particular persons situation.

[IllegalAbs]

Can somebody PLEASE help me establish what my calorie needs are. I am a 27 year old male, 5'8, 168lbs, 20+% bodyfat. I'm currently working out 6 times a week doing P90X. My current diet is broken down into 50% protein/30% carbs,/20% fats and I'm averaging approximately 1700-1800 calories a day. My weight loss hasn't changed much. Any help would be appreciated.

[dummydam]

thanks for the updates....

[h3at]

Can u plz help me out emma, does this look right to you?

age = 28
height = 5'8'
weight=172lbs
bf=30%
LBM= 54.3kg
BMR= 1542.88
TEE=2314.32 that was using x 1.5
lose weight - 20% = 1851.456 calories a day

protein= 120g a day

fats = 51.6g a day

[Insight]

is the NSP in wheat bran comprised of any soluble fiber? are they saying here that even insoluble fiber changes form in the body?

[NoExcuses93]

Just wondering what you think about this emma,

http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full...ppl_5/513S#R26

scroll down to summary for cliffs

where do you get your information from?

[Sean_A_Nitro]

To anyone who knows anything...

My numbers are as follows

BMR = 2,024

Calories = About 3,200

Protein = 190-285g

Fat = 66.5 - 95g

Carbs = About 400 g

If I am looking to cut a little bit, should i compact the carbs? fat? both?

[jesustorresato]

i myself dont do any calorie counting and ive been able to loose over 100lbs and gain muscle. I just eat whats healthier...now im not saying i dont watch what i eat.because believe me i DO! i just dont look at labels alot

[Haris_Pilton]

Hey guys.

Great thread Emma ,I'd appreciate an opinion of yours.

Am 194 cm or 6 ' 4.37 " tall ,80 kg or 176 pounds Lean Body Mass.
Am in a calorie surplus at the moment ,that would be 3222 Cal

335g Protein 42%

It's like 1,9g Of Protein x 180 Pounds ,is it too much?
Shakes ,and meat is exactly 300g Protein.

274g Carbs 31% ,is it too low?

88g Fat 24% Exactly 0,5 x Lean Body Mass

Current Body Fat = about 16-18% That's like 97Kg or 213 Pounds


My BMR+TEE is about 2800-2900 on gym days.
And more like 2400-2500 non gym days.

[health0507]

I understand the Sticky when it says percentages do not matter, but one's specific body macronutrients (in grams) do matter. Having said that, I think if one were to calculate the percentages after first calculating the required grams, then the percentages might help someone stay on track. For example:

If I calculate my macronutrients based on the Sticky guidelines (hypothetically):
155 g protein/54 g fat/75 g carb = total grams 284

I could then figure the ratio:
55% protein/ 19% fat/ 26% carb

A bit backwards, but wouldn't that work?

[berraco47]

Hello everyone. Question: I'm trying to cut but I'm a little confused. According to the calculations I should be consuming 2,219 cal a day. Yet I've been consuming close to 1840cal/day and I'm not losing weight! So I'm a little confused.

I'm currently 153lbs~10%bf and I want to get really lean. I was considering dropping cals to 1500/day. But now this says 2219cal's. Basically I don't want to crash my metabolism but like I said I haven't lost weight in the last month.

Any advice?

BMR=1734
TEE=2774
20% cut=2219

[chris19862004]

^
this.... Note that my formula states LBM is KILOGRAMS... So - 110# = 50 KG
And if you then use this in the formula:
BMR: 370 + (21 x 50) = 1420
TEE: 1420 x 1.5 = 2130
DIET: 2130 - 20% = 1700 cals

Make more sense?

Thanks for all the help you've given everyone in this thread.

I was hoping you or somebody could look over my numbers real quick and see if i did this correctly.

Age 24 male goals, to put on size
bodyweight 145 pounds or 66kgs
bodyfat 11%
LBM 129 pounds
LBM 59 kg

(9.99x66kg) + (6.25x175cm)-(4.92x24)+5
659.34 1093.75 118.08= 1640x1.2 (desk job)=1968

To gain weight, 20 % of 1968 would put me roughly @ 2400 calories.

2400 calories
64.5 fats
217.5 protien
235.75 carbs

Does this look right?

[Insight]

Hello everyone. Question: I'm trying to cut but I'm a little confused. According to the calculations I should be consuming 2,219 cal a day. Yet I've been consuming close to 1840cal/day and I'm not losing weight! So I'm a little confused.

I'm currently 153lbs~10%bf and I want to get really lean. I was considering dropping cals to 1500/day. But now this says 2219cal's. Basically I don't want to crash my metabolism but like I said I haven't lost weight in the last month.

Any advice?

BMR=1734
TEE=2774
20% cut=2219

the formulas are just estimations. At 162 lbs I'm losing a little over 1 lb a week on 1600 cals a day. At 186 I was losing 1 lb at 2000 cals a day.

Try 1600 cals, I think, and see how fast you lose.

[JOHNNYSEAGLE]

Thanks for the Calculator !

[berraco47]

the formulas are just estimations. At 162 lbs I'm losing a little over 1 lb a week on 1600 cals a day. At 186 I was losing 1 lb at 2000 cals a day.

Try 1600 cals, I think, and see how fast you lose.

Cool thanks for the advice Insight! I will try that and see what happens. What are your daily ratios for protein/fat/carbs at 1600 cals? Also how much do you work out?

Thanks