Plant-Based Diet: Mastering Your Macros

Calculating macronutrients, or macros, on a plant-based diet can be challenging but is a great way to ensure your body gets the right amount of nutrients to function and stay healthy. Macros are the three main categories of nutrients your body needs in large quantities: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.

There are many apps available to help you calculate and track your macros, but the basic formula is as follows: first, calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), or the number of calories you need each day. Then, break this number down into the number of grams of fat, carbs, and protein you need. One gram of protein or carbohydrate contains 4 calories, while one gram of fat contains 9 calories.

For example, if your TDEE is 2000 calories, and you're aiming for 50% carbs, 20% protein, and 30% fat, you would consume 1000 calories from carbohydrates, 400 calories from protein, and 600 calories from fat. Dividing these numbers by the number of calories per gram for each macro gives you your daily intake in grams: 250g of carbohydrates, 100g of protein, and 67g of fat.

Calculate your maintenance calories by tracking your food intake for a week

To calculate your maintenance calories, you must first work out your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is the amount of energy expended per day at rest, or the number of calories your body needs to consume in a day to maintain your body weight.

There are several equations used to calculate BMR, and these take into account factors such as weight, height, age, and body fat percentage.

One of the most accurate equations for calculating BMR is the Mifflin-St Jeor Equation:

BMR = 10 x W + 6.25 x H - 5 x A + 5

Where:

• BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate
• W = weight in kg
• H = height in cm
• A = age in years

For example, a 30-year-old woman who is 5 feet 4 inches tall (around 162.5 cm) and weighs 155 pounds (around 70.3 kg) would calculate her BMR as follows:

BMR = (10 x 70.3) + (6.25 x 162.5) - (5 x 30) + 5

BMR = 703 + 1015.6 - 150 + 5

BMR = 1568.6 calories

This is the number of calories she needs to consume per day to maintain her weight.

It's important to note that this calculation assumes a moderate level of activity. If you are sedentary, you may need to reduce your daily calorie intake to avoid weight gain. On the other hand, if you are very active, you may need to increase your calorie intake.

To get a more accurate estimate of your maintenance calories, you can track your food intake and weight over a week. Use a food diary or an app to record everything you eat and drink, including portion sizes. Weigh yourself at the beginning and end of the week. If your weight has stayed the same, then your average daily calorie intake is maintaining your weight. If your weight has changed, then you can adjust your calorie intake accordingly.

For example, if your weight has increased by 1 pound over the week, then you are eating around 3500 extra calories per week, or 500 extra calories per day, on average. To maintain your weight, you would need to reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 calories.

Tracking your food intake in this way can be a useful tool for managing your weight and ensuring you are getting the right amount of calories to support your activity levels.

Find your deficit by subtracting 200-600 calories from your maintenance calories

Finding your maintenance calories is an important step in calculating your macros and planning your diet. Your maintenance calories are the number of calories that will allow you to maintain your current body weight. This number is not static and can shift due to metabolic adaptations that occur when you diet or bulk.

To find your maintenance calories, you need to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and then multiply it by your physical activity level. Your BMR is the minimum number of calories your body needs to carry out basic functions such as breathing, digesting, and thinking. To calculate your BMR, you can use the Mifflin-St Jeor formula, which is as follows:

BMR (kcal/day) = 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) – 5 × age (years) – 161

Once you have your BMR, you need to multiply it by your physical activity level (PAL). Your PAL is a number that represents how active you are on a daily basis. Here are the PAL values and their corresponding activity levels:

• 2: Sedentary (little to no exercise)
• 4: Light exercise 1-2 times a week
• 6: Moderate exercise 2-3 times a week
• 75: Hard exercise 3-5 times a week
• 0: Physical job or hard exercise 6-7 times a week
• 4: Professional athlete

After calculating your maintenance calories, you can then find your deficit by subtracting 200-600 calories from this number. This deficit is the number of calories you should aim to consume in a day to create a calorie deficit, which is necessary for weight loss.

It is important to note that this process is just an estimate, and your maintenance calories may change over time. Additionally, it is always recommended to consult with a healthcare professional or a certified nutritionist before making any significant changes to your diet.

Calculate your macros: work out your lean body mass and multiply by .7-1.2g of protein per pound

To calculate your macros, you need to first work out your lean body mass. Lean body mass is the total weight of your body minus the weight of fat in your body. In other words, it is the weight of everything except the fat.

There are a few ways to calculate your lean body mass. One way is to use a body composition monitor, which will accurately measure your body fat percentage. If your body fat percentage is 27%, your lean body mass is 73%. You can also calculate lean body mass by measuring your bone mass, muscle mass and total body water and adding these percentages together. For example, if your total body water is 55%, your bone mass is 5.6% and your muscle mass is 15%, your lean body mass would be 75.6%.

Another method to calculate lean body mass is to use the following formulae, which take into account your height and weight:

For men:

• LBM = (0.407 x weight in kg) + (0.267 x height in cm) - 19.2
• LBM = (0.32810 x weight in kg) + (0.33929 x height in cm) - 29.5336

For women:

• LBM = (0.252 x weight in kg) + (0.473 x height in cm) - 48.3
• LBM = (0.29569 x weight in kg) + (0.41813 x height in cm) - 43.2933

Once you have calculated your lean body mass, you can then calculate your protein requirements. On average, you should aim for at least 25 to 30g of protein per meal, or 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass. So, for example, if your lean body mass is 70kg, you should aim for 70g of protein per day.

It is worth noting that this calculation will give you the minimum amount of protein you need to consume per day. If you are strength training or trying to build muscle, you may need to increase your protein intake.

Track your food intake using an app like MyFitnessPal or pen and paper

Tracking your food intake is a great way to build healthy habits, identify food sensitivities, and manage your weight. You can do this using an app like MyFitnessPal or by using pen and paper.

Using MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a free app that allows you to track your food, fitness, and fasting. It has a database of over 14 million foods and allows you to track calories, macronutrients, vitamins, and other micronutrients. The app also has a barcode scanner to make tracking packaged foods easier. You can also upgrade to Premium to access additional features such as the ability to scan individual foods with your phone's camera.

Using Pen and Paper

If you prefer not to use an app, you can use a simple pad of paper or notebook to keep a food journal. You can note down what, when, where, why, with whom, and how much you ate, as well as how you felt before and after. This method is simple, easy to execute, and can be adhered to long-term. You can also use a Word document or Excel spreadsheet if you prefer digital tracking.

Plan your meals in advance, either the night before or in the morning

Planning your meals in advance is a great way to ensure you stick to your plant-based diet. It can be a little time-consuming, but it's worth it to know you're getting all the nutrients you need. Here are some tips to help you plan your meals effectively:

First, decide on a timeframe. Planning your meals for the entire week ahead is a great way to stay organised and ensure you have a variety of nutritious meals. Pick a day and time that works for you, whether it's the night before or the morning, and set aside a couple of hours to plan and prepare.

Next, you'll want to decide on a theme or focus for your meals. This could be based on a specific type of cuisine, such as Asian or Mediterranean, or you might want to focus on a particular ingredient, like tofu or quinoa. Having a theme can help guide your shopping list and ensure your meals are varied and interesting.

Now it's time to get specific. Start by listing out each meal you need to plan for, including snacks. Then, decide on recipes that fit within your chosen theme. You can search for recipes online or in cookbooks, and there are plenty of plant-based meal plans available too.

As you're deciding on recipes, consider the nutritional content of each meal. You want to ensure you're getting a good balance of macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. You can use online calculators or apps to help you work out the exact amounts you need, but a rough guide is 40-50% of your calories from carbohydrates, 20-30% from fat, and 10-35% from protein.

When you've decided on your recipes, create a shopping list of all the ingredients you'll need. Try to buy mostly whole foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and plant-based proteins.

Finally, set aside some time to prepare and cook your meals. You might want to prepare large batches of base recipes, such as quinoa or chilli, that you can then adapt and add to throughout the week. Chopping up vegetables and storing them in the fridge can also save time when it comes to cooking.

Planning your meals in advance takes a bit of effort, but it's a great way to ensure you're getting all the nutrients you need on a plant-based diet while also saving time during the week.

Frequently asked questions