I’ve been asked by several new Ketovangelists about how they should calculate their fat, protein, and carb intake. This is, by far, one of the most common questions asked and it leads to lots of confusion, so I’m going to try my best to make it as simple as possible.
First, let’s talk terms. Sometimes people refer to things called “macros” when asking this question (e.g. What are your macros? or What should my macros be?) What the heck are they talking about?
The term “macros” is a shortened way of saying “macronutrients”, which another, sciency, way of saying “fats, proteins, and carbs”. Nutritionist break food down into two main subsets, macronutrients and micronutrients. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals (among other things). Macronutrients are, as I said, one of three things (four if you count alcohol, which we are not): fats, proteins, and carbs.
So when someone asks how much fat they should eat, or how many carbs they should eat, they are asking how about their macros.
Okay, so enough of that, let’s get to the actual meat (no pun intended).
Determining your macros is really quite simple, especially for Ketovangelists. We start with protein.
How much protein should I eat?
This is super simple. As a general guideline, this is the amount of protein per day for you:
Female: 50g – 75g
Male: 100g – 120g
Simple. Like I said.
Okay, that’s protein. So what about fats?
How much fat should I eat?
Okay, this is a little more involved. Not much. But a little.
You want 65% – 80% of your calories to come from fat. So, if your presumed daily caloric requirement is 2000 calories, you’ll want between 1300 – 1600 calories from fat. Since each gram of fat is 9 calories, that would equate to between 144g – 177g per day of good fat.
Of course, this is a guideline, so you can feel free to adjust as you see fit.
[SIDENOTE: Calories are really just a guess. There is no real way to know what your daily caloric requirement is (and it changes from day to day), so it’s a guess.]
How much carbohydrate should I eat?
This is the easiest. Less than 20g/day.
Putting it all together
So now all you have to do is figure out how you want to get those abstract grams into your face. Some people eat three meals a day, some eat five, some eat one. The most common method is to divide your macros into the number of meals and figure out some meals that fit those numbers. But that’s very sterile. Remember, we’re talking about foods, not numbers. Figuring out all these numbers are a great way to get a starting point on how you need to eat to achieve and stay ketogenic, but numbers aren’t food. Figure out what foods you like, what meals you like, and eat them. Start with lots of good fats. Then include protein. Then, if there’s room, have some good, clean, keto-friendly carbs. If you’re the type of person who prefers the numbers approach, more power to you. You have the tools you need. If you’re like me, and you don’t want to have to count or add, you can just start with the good fats, add some good (fatty) protein, and then toss in some carbs (sparingly).
(Sidenote: You’ll notice I mentioned nothing about calories, and that’s because calories do not count. You shouldn’t waste your time counting them, because they don’t matter in terms of health, fitness, and fat loss.)
So what do you think? Did that help? Let me know.
Brian, I am a relatively sedentary 60 year old woman. I weigh 161.6 pounds. So my minimum protein would be 96.6 grams? That just seems a bit high to me. I try to stay under 75 grams.
Hi Lynne. There’s nothing wrong with keeping a lower amount of protein. Like I said, you know you and the formula is just a starting point. If you are energetic, feeling good, and are staying ketogenic by eating a good amount of good fats, then you do what is best for you. I appreciate the comment.
I’m a little confused. Using the example, you said her minimum protein would be 105. But, then you have (155×.6=93) So, the minimum should be 93? Is that correct?
Then, when it comes to fat, you said take the midpoint of the minimum protein and double it. Do you mean just double the minimum protein? Because the midpoint (from 0-93) would be approx. 46. That doubled would be 92.
Sorry, but the math confuses me!
I just started using My Fitness Pal, and to get what you are suggesting- keeping my carbs low-makes my protein 25% and my fat 70%, but the actual grams are too low. The protein is 94g and the fat is 117g. Am I doing something wrong?
I am 59, F, 5’6″ and 200 pounds. Thanks in advance for any help.
Hi Tina. I apologize for the confusion. It’s all my fault. Thanks for pointing out the typos in my examples.
I have made the corrections.
So let’s talk numbers for you.
Your minimum protein requirement will be 120g/day (200 x 0.6 = 120). Your maximum protein will be 200g/day (200 x 1.0 = 200). Your fat will be 240g/day (120 x 2 = 240). And your carbs should be less than 50g/day. If you eat 120g/day of protein (the minimum), you’ll get 480 calories from protein. 240g/day of fat will get you 2160 calories. If you eat no more than 50g/day of carbs, that’s 200 calories. So your total calories will be 2840/day. Out of the 2840 calories, 2160 will be from fat.
That is roughly 76% or your energy from fat.
Now, keep in mind, these are just starting points. You know you better than a formula knows you, so you should feel free to experiment with fat and protein levels. The formula is just a guideline to get your started. If you want to eat more fat, go for it. If you want more protein, enjoy. So long as you keep the carbs below 50g/day, you’ll see progress.
I hope this helps. Feel free to let me know if it doesn’t.
Thank you again.
Carbs are totally confusing to me. What is the difference between the total amount of carbs listed on an item compared to what net carbs are? How do you figure the difference? For instance…husband wanted cereal last night for dinner. I picked up his choice and got me some too. I chose Cheerios + Ancient Grains. Pretty good actually…
Anyway…the Cheerios label says this for carbs: per 3/4 cup serving (really? who eats just 3/4 cup of cereal? that’s like 3 bites…)
Carbohydrates: 22g
Dietary fiber: 2g
sugars: 5g
Other Carbohydrates: 14g
So…do I go by what the total is or am I supposed to subtract something or what? I’ve seen listings, too, where it lists the total carbs, fiber and sugar, but the fiber and sugar doesn’t add up to the total so what are the other carbs?
By the way…I’m working my way through all of the blogs so please forgive me if I’m asking something that has already been addressed…
Hey Toni, great questions. I’ll see if I can answer them all. If I miss one, let me know.
First, total carbs is the number next to “Carbohydrates”. That is the total number of carb grams in the food. Carbs are anything that isn’t fat or protein. The “net” carbs is the total minus the fiber. The reason we subtract the fiber is because our bodies cannot actually digest the fiber, so we don’t actually use it for energy. So the “net” carbs in the example you gave would be 20g (22g of total carbs – 2g of fiber = 20g net carbs). And, yes, you make a great observation about the fact that those 20g are for 3/4 cup. Usually, a cereal bowl will have way more than 3/4 cup in it. So this cereal is SERIOUSLY HIGH CARB.
Now, as to why the numbers don’t match. That goes to show you how imprecise the measurements are for the labels. Sometimes the total carbs will be 1g – 5g off the total of the numbers listed. That allows for a “margin for error” in the labeling.
Some people disagree about the use of “net carbs”. I, for one, don’t agree with using “net carbs”. So, for me, I don’t have to look at anything but the total. If the total is reasonable (and has enough protein and fat), I check to see how much of the carbs are sugar. If the carbs are mostly sugar, I don’t eat it.
In short, the total number of carbs is the first thing to notice. If that’s low enough, then look at the sugar. If that’s low enough, it’s probably okay.
It can definitely be confusing at first, and there are plenty of resources who don’t do anything to help but add to the confusion. I hope this helps clear some of that up.
That actually helps a lot Brian! Thanks! Total carbs for the day should be 50g or less right?
That’s correct. Keep total carbs to lees than 50g/day, eat good fat and protein, and you’ll be good to go.
Hi Brian,
I am 36 y.o. female, 5’6″ and 220 currently. At the 0.6 level for protein it still seems like this is a ton of fat and protein to try to consume. In my previous work in keto (physician-guided), the fat grams were a minimum of 60g, protein 40 g, and net carb 10g. However I am finding it difficult to follow this. A lot of it has been the mental battle though. I am inactive overall (but a nurse so at least 36 hours a week I move a lot). Thank you for any help you can provide in helping me find a guideline on where to start with macros.
Many thanks for the blog posts – super helpful for when I get back on track.
Hi Hra,
It’s important to remember that the formulae are guidelines, and you should feel free to experiment with your numbers and amounts. Your body will let you know what works best. When you say that you are finding it difficult to follow, do you mean the previous amounts, or the ones listed in my article? If I’m reading your comment correctly, it looks like you were eating a very calorie restricted diet before (~740 calories/day). That seems far too low for you to be able to sustain it for any period of time. How long were you on that?
At the formula minimum, you’ll be consuming 132g of protein per day, 264g of fat per day, and less than 50g of carbs per day. If that seems too high for you, then, by all means, shrink the protein and fat and see how that helps. You don’t want to cut them too much, as it will keep you hungry all the time, and that just leads to problems.
You are absolutely right in that this is a mental battle, so it’s important to stay strong and focused.
Thank you for the comment. Let me know if this helps.
Hi Brian,
Thank you for your prompt reply! This blog is seriously exactly what I needed right now. Thank you!
I was able to stay mostly on program (closer to 1000 cals per day) for about 7 months, losing 60 pounds during that time. Over the holidays I was a little lax but mostly held strong. From Thanksgiving to Valentines I gained maybe 10 lbs back. But then I just went crazy and have gained another 20 lbs back!! 🙁
I know I feel better in keto – no blood sugar swings, better energy, more calm. Getting back on track has been quite difficult. I cannot tell you how much I think about sugar. I actually dreamt about sweets recently.
This blog is a life-saver – truly. Thank you and Mary kindly for being so honest about your journey.
My goal is to make sure you are able to lose and KEEP off the fat. That’s why keto works, because it isn’t a calorie-restricted diet. Keep focused and strong. I appeciate the kind words, and we’ll keep doing our best.