Keto Macro Counting: What, Why, And How?

Macros, or macronutrients, are the energy-supplying nutrients that the body needs in large quantities. The three main macronutrients are fat, protein, and carbohydrates. On a keto diet, it is important to track your macros to ensure you are eating them in the right ratio, which is typically around 60-75% fat, 15-30% protein, and 5-10% carbohydrates. This is because the keto diet is a very regimented way of eating that changes the way your body uses energy, encouraging it to burn fat instead of glycogen for fuel. This causes your body to enter a fat-burning state called ketosis, which suppresses your appetite and may make it easier to eat less.

What are keto macros?

Macros, or macronutrients, are the energy-supplying nutrients that the body needs in large quantities. The three main macronutrients are fat, protein, and carbohydrates. They are where all of your calories come from and can each play a unique role in supporting your health and fitness goals.

The keto diet is a very regimented way of eating, and tracking your macros can help you maintain ketosis. This is important because precise intakes of macros lead to better results, including weight loss and body composition changes.

The typical macro ratio for keto is:

• 5% of calories coming from carbs
• 25% of calories coming from protein
• 70% of calories coming from fat

This specific macro range is intended to promote ketosis and trick your body into burning more fat for energy instead of sugars.

How to calculate keto macros

To calculate keto macros, you need to determine your calorie needs, carb needs, protein needs, and fat needs. Here is a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Determine Your Calorie Needs

Your calorie needs depend on your fitness goal: are you trying to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain your current weight? If you want to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit, and if you want to gain weight, you need to be in a calorie surplus.

Step 2: Determine Your Carb Needs

Estimating your keto carb needs is crucial. Research suggests that a carb intake of 20 to 50 grams per day is sufficient to promote ketosis. A good starting point is 20-25 grams per day, but you can start at 50 grams if that is more manageable.

You can also use your total calorie intake as a guide. For example, if you consume less than 2,000 calories per day, 20 grams of carbs will provide approximately 5% of your calories from carbs.

Step 3: Determine Your Protein Needs

Protein is important for supporting lean body mass and other essential bodily functions. Your protein needs depend on your activity level and fitness goal.

• Little to no exercise: 0.6g/pound of body weight per day
• Moderate exercise 2 or more days per week: 0.9g/pound of body weight per day
• Hard exercise 3 or more days per week: 1.1g/pound of body weight per day

Step 4: Calculate Your Fat Needs

Finally, your keto fat needs can be calculated based on your remaining calories. Each gram of fat contains about nine calories.

Total daily calorie needs) - (Calories from carbs) - (Calories from protein) = Calories remaining

Calories remaining / 9 = Grams of fat needed per day

Calculating Macros as a Percentage

To calculate your macros as a percentage, divide the calories from each macro by your total daily calorie needs and multiply by 100%.

For example:

Calories from carbs / total daily calories) x 100% = Percentage of calories from carbs

Using a Keto Macro Calculator

If you don't want to calculate your keto macros manually, you can use a keto macro calculator. These calculators use your personal information, such as body fat percentage, weight, activity level, and goals, to determine your optimal macro ratios.

Some popular keto macro calculators include the ones provided by Trifecta Nutrition, Ketogenic.com, and TwoSleevers.com.

Keto macro ratios and percentages

The keto diet is a very regimented way of eating that involves a high-fat, low-carb, moderate-protein intake. The typical keto macro ratio is 70% fat, 5% carbohydrates, and 25% protein. However, some dietitians recommend increasing fat intake to 75% and reducing protein to 20%.

On a standard keto diet, the macro ratio may be 10% carbohydrates, 70% fat, and 20% protein. This is a stricter version of the diet, with less than 50 grams of carbs eaten each day.

The targeted keto diet is designed for active people and athletes who need more energy. The macro ratio for this version is 10-15% carbohydrates, 65-70% fat, and 20% protein.

The cyclical keto diet involves five "keto days" followed by two "off days". The "off days" have a macro ratio of 55% carbohydrates, 30% fat, and 15% protein.

The high-protein keto diet entails 5% carbohydrates, 60% fat, and 35% protein. This version may be easier for some people to follow as it allows for more protein and less fat. However, it may not result in ketosis as the body may convert protein into glucose for fuel.

The keto diet is restrictive and challenging to follow for long periods. It may lead to nutrient deficiencies, and it is important to consult a healthcare professional before starting this or any other diet.

Tracking keto macros

Macros, or macronutrients, are the energy-supplying nutrients that the body needs in large quantities. These are fat, protein, and carbohydrates. The keto diet is a very regimented way of eating, and tracking your macros can help you maintain ketosis. This is important because precise intakes of macros lead to better results, including weight loss and body composition changes.

How to calculate keto macros

There are several ways to calculate your keto macros. You can use a keto macro calculator, or do the calculations yourself. To calculate your keto macros yourself, you will need to know your total daily calories, or resting caloric intake. This is the number of calories your body needs each day, also known as your resting metabolic rate (RMR). Your RMR depends on factors such as weight, lean body mass, age, activity level, and gender.

Once you know your RMR, you will need to calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) by taking into account your level of daily activity. You can then calculate your keto macros by multiplying your total calories by the fraction each macro plays in your daily diet. For example, if 75% of your calories are coming from fat, and you are consuming 2000 calories per day, you would calculate the number of calories from fat per day as follows:

2000 x 0.75 = 1500 calories from fat per day

You would then repeat this calculation for protein and carbohydrates.

There are several ways to track your keto macros, including using a food journal, a keto-friendly nutrition app, or a combination of both. When tracking your keto macros, it is important to pay attention to your net carbs, rather than your total carbs. Net carbs can be calculated as follows:

Net carbs = Total carbs - fiber - sugar alcohols

It is also important to track your ketone levels, as this will indicate whether your low-carb macros strategy is working.

Keto macro calculators and tools

To calculate your keto macros, you can use a keto macro calculator. These are available online and usually require you to input details such as your age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. Some also ask for your body fat percentage and weight goal.

Calculators will then determine your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the amount of energy you spend per unit of time while resting. This is calculated using the Mifflin-St.Jeor Formula, which is among the most accurate formulas. Your BMR, along with your activity level, is used to find your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), or the number of calories your body burns in 24 hours.

Based on this information, the keto calculator will then tell you your macro targets, or the number of grams of each macronutrient to eat per day. This will include the number of grams of fat, protein, and carbohydrates to consume, and some calculators will also tell you the number of calories this equates to.

Examples of Keto Macro Calculators

• Trifecta App
• Perfect Keto Macro Calculator
• Dr. Berg's Keto Calculator
• Simply Keto Calculator

Other Keto Tools

In addition to keto macro calculators, there are other tools to help you track your keto macros:

• Food journal: This requires a few extra steps but is an effective way to track your macros. You can use the information on a food's nutrition label and tools like the USDA Nutrient Analysis Library to determine the nutrient content of generic and branded foods, as well as fresh produce.
• Keto-friendly nutrition app: You can log your food choices and track your daily ranges.

Frequently asked questions