Setting Keto Calories: A Guide To Macros And Energy

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that can be challenging to start. It involves drastically cutting down on carbohydrates and replacing them with fat, which puts your body in a state of ketosis. This means your body's carb-burning switch flips to a fat-burning one, which can influence weight loss and type 2 diabetes.

To set keto calories, you should first determine your calorie intake goal. This will depend on your weight loss goals and daily activity level. Once you know your target calorie intake, you can use a keto calculator to determine the ideal ratio of carbs, protein, and fat for your diet.

For example, if your goal is to consume 1800 calories per day, you would focus on reducing your carb intake to around 20 grams, which is considered extremely low. The remaining calories can come from fat and protein. It is important to note that you should not go overboard with fat intake, as it can prevent your body from using stored fat for energy.

Calculate your calorie needs

To calculate your calorie needs on a keto diet, you must first determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy you spend per unit of time while resting. In other words, it's how much energy you burn while doing absolutely nothing.

Several factors influence your BMR, including:

• Gender: Body composition differs between men and women.
• Age: Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) decreases with age as your muscle mass declines, especially after 30.
• Height & Weight: These factors are needed to know your unique body composition.

To find your BMR, you can use an online keto calculator that uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor Formula, one of the most accurate formulas backed by studies. You input your gender, age, height, and weight, and the calculator will do the rest.

Once you know your BMR, the next step is to determine your physical activity level (PAL), which measures how much energy you spend daily when active. This can range from sedentary (little to no exercise) to athlete (career centred around daily exercise).

The keto calculator will then combine your BMR and PAL to find your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), or the number of calories your body burns in 24 hours. This figure will guide how many calories you need to eat daily to maintain, lose, or gain weight.

For weight loss, you would aim for a calorie deficit, which means consuming fewer calories than you burn. A moderate calorie deficit of 10% would mean your total daily calories are 10% lower than you need, aiding in weight loss.

Similarly, for weight gain, you would aim for a calorie surplus, consuming more calories than you burn. A moderate calorie surplus of 10% would mean your daily calories are 10% higher, aiding in weight gain.

It's important to note that your calorie needs may vary depending on factors such as age, gender, current weight, goal weight, body fat percentage, and activity level. Additionally, men and women have different caloric requirements, and these differences can amount to several hundred calories.

Plan meals in advance

Planning meals in advance is a great way to stay on track with your keto diet. Here are some tips to help you plan your keto meals effectively:

• Focus on protein and carb-free foods: When creating a keto meal plan, opt for foods that are high in protein and carb-free. Examples include eggs, meat, poultry, fish, and non-starchy vegetables.
• Meal prep and batch cooking: Prepare and cook your meals in advance to make it easier to stick to your keto diet. Cook larger batches of keto-friendly meals and store them in the fridge or freezer for quick and convenient options throughout the week.
• Stock up on keto-friendly foods: Fill your fridge and pantry with keto-friendly foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, low-carb vegetables, healthy fats, and full-fat dairy. This will make it easier to create keto meals and snacks.
• Use a keto meal plan or recipe inspiration: Look for keto meal plans or recipes online to give you ideas and help you plan your meals. There are plenty of keto-friendly options available, so you can find ones that suit your taste preferences and cooking skills.
• Plan for snacks: Snacking is encouraged on the keto diet, but choose keto-friendly options such as nuts, low-carb veggies with dip, or Greek yoghurt with flax seeds. Having these snacks readily available will help you avoid reaching for high-carb options.
• Be mindful of portion sizes: While keto-friendly foods are important, it's also crucial to watch your portion sizes. Even if a food is keto-friendly, overeating can hinder your progress.
• Consider using a keto calculator: Using an online keto calculator can help you determine your ideal calorie, carb, and fat intake for your specific goals. This can provide a helpful framework for planning your meals.
• Be flexible and adaptable: Remember that your keto meal plan doesn't have to be set in stone. It's okay to make adjustments based on your preferences, cravings, or the availability of certain foods.

Eat more fat

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet. It can be challenging to eat enough fat, but it is essential to stay in ketosis. Here are some tips to help you eat more fat on a keto diet:

• Add fat to your coffee or tea: Try adding a tablespoon of grass-fed butter, heavy cream, coconut cream, coconut oil, or MCT oil to your hot drinks. MCT oil is a coconut-derived fat that is quickly converted into ketones by the liver.
• Fat-ify your veggies: Cook your vegetables in fats like grass-fed butter or extra-virgin olive oil. Avocados are also a great source of healthy fats and can be added to salads or mashed into guacamole.
• Choose high-fat proteins: Opt for fatty cuts of meat like ribeye, chuck roast, or lamb leg. Other high-fat protein options include pork, 80/20 ground beef, chicken legs and thighs, duck, chicken with the skin on, turkey legs and thighs, and sausage.
• Make fat bombs: Fat bombs are tasty treats that are high in healthy fats. You can find many recipes online, and they can be frozen for later.
• Use full-fat dairy: Choose full-fat versions of dairy products like cream, cream cheese, butter, and cheese. Sour cream and mayonnaise can be added to roasted veggies or used as dips.
• Snack on nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds are high in healthy fats. Good options include pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. However, remember that some nuts and seeds are also high in protein and carbs, so eat them in moderation.
• Cook with healthy oils: When cooking, use healthy oils like avocado oil, olive oil, or avocado oil. You can also drizzle olive oil over cooked veggies, meats, or avocado for an extra boost of healthy fats.
• Make your own dressings and dips: Make creamy salad dressings or dips using full-fat ingredients like mayonnaise, sour cream, or heavy cream.
• Save your bacon grease: Cook your eggs or veggies in bacon grease for an extra boost of flavour and fat.
• Choose fattier cuts of fish: Opt for fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines, which are high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Eat fewer carbs

To get into ketosis, you'll need to cut back on your carb intake. This means limiting your consumption of foods like bread, pasta, chips, cookies, candy, ice cream, beans, fruit, and starchy vegetables. Instead, opt for meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and natural fats like butter and olive oil.

• Gradually reduce your carb intake: You don't have to cut out carbs cold turkey. Start by consuming less of certain foods and beverages, like sweetened drinks, and gradually increase your intake of lean protein.
• Curb your intake of sugar-sweetened drinks: Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that can cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. Opt for flavored seltzers or unsweetened tea instead.
• Cut back on refined grain bread: Refined grains have a lower micronutrient and fiber content, which can lead to blood sugar spikes. Choose whole grain bread in moderation or lessen your daily intake of bread.
• Choose lower-carb snacks: Snack foods like chips, pretzels, and crackers are usually low in protein and fiber, so it's easy to overeat. Opt for nuts, cheese, and eggs, which are lower in carbs and higher in protein.
• Start your day with a low-carb breakfast: Breakfast foods can contain hidden carbs and sugar. Opt for eggs, low-sugar yogurt, crustless quiche, or a breakfast skillet with vegetables and potatoes.
• Use sugar alternatives: Sweeteners like stevia, erythritol, and xylitol can help you cut back on sugar without giving up sweetness.
• Pay attention to food labels: Read the nutrition labels on packaged foods to make informed choices about your carb intake.
• Count carbs with a nutrition tracker: Use a nutrition tracker app or online program to monitor and fine-tune your carb intake.
• Focus on non-starchy vegetables: While all vegetables are nutritious, focus on non-starchy options like artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and tomatoes to keep your carb intake lower.
• Choose high-protein foods: Protein increases satiety and may help you eat less throughout the day. Opt for foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy.
• Supplement with healthier fats: When reducing your carb intake, you may find yourself eating more fat. Focus on healthier options like fatty fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and dairy.

Remember, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant diet or lifestyle changes.

Eat moderate protein

Eating a moderate amount of protein is an important part of the keto diet. While the keto diet is often referred to as a high-fat, low-carb diet, it is also a moderate-protein diet. This is because protein can be converted into glucose, and therefore too much protein can take your body out of ketosis.

The amount of protein that is considered moderate varies depending on the source. One source recommends a standard ketogenic diet (SKD) which is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. This typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs. Another source recommends a ratio of 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

The amount of protein you should eat also depends on your body and your goals. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, you may want to maximise your nutrition and protein per calorie, and therefore aim for the higher end of the protein intake range. On the other hand, if you are trying to manage certain cancers therapeutically, you may want to aim for the lower end of the protein intake range, and do so under strict medical supervision.

If you are an older person, you may need a minimum of 1.2 grams of protein per kg of body weight daily to counteract muscle loss and other age-related changes. If you are engaging in resistance training or endurance-type exercise, you will likely need more protein than someone who is sedentary.

It is also important to note that you do not need to worry about eating too much protein in one meal, as this will not lead to a "wastage" of excess protein. While the rate of muscle protein synthesis starts to decline at very high protein intakes, the rate of muscle protein breakdown decreases to a greater extent, leading to a net positive effect on muscle tissue.

Frequently asked questions