This post is sort of an expansion on last month’s Do you really need to count calories post. That post focused more on determining caloric need and very briefly suggested a 40/30/30 macro intake (mainly for simplicity since it would allow one to use Zone Diet recipes).
Now that I have more time to delve into this topic, I’m going to show you a better way of calculating daily macronutrient intake. You’ll still need to focus on total daily caloric intake above all else, but rather than determine macro intake based on percentage of calories, we are going to use total bodyweight.
My recommendations will assume that you are not within 12 weeks of an upcoming figure or bikini competition, since too many individual factors exist in that scenario. I’m going to use an imaginary person who weighs 130 pounds and plans to take in 12 times her bodyweight in calories per day (a good starting point for gradual fat loss).
Who says math can't make you sexy?
So, 130×12=1560 calories. This is what everything will need to add up to once we make our bodyweight-based macronutrient calculations.
We’ll start with protein intake: In the offseason, I like to stay at or just above 1 gram per pound of bodyweight (this a good year-round intake for you non-competitive fitness models and general beach bod types as well).
So, 130 grams of protein per day. Protein is 4 calories per gram, so 130 grams x 4=520 calories from protein. We now have 1040 calories left to work with (and plenty of appetite).
Next, we’ll determine carb intake: My clients sometimes get the benefit of (to a degree) choosing between low carb/high(er) fat or vice versa. By “choosing”, I mean giving an honest estimation of which protocol they’ve responded better to in the past. I’ve found that most people respond favorably to either/or as long as protein and total calories are where they need to be.
So a good, moderate carb starting point would be 1.25 times bodyweight. 130lbs x 1.25=163g carbs per day. Carbs are also 4 calories per gram, so 163×4=652 calories from carbs. We now have 388 calories to work with.
And the rest is fat!: Finally, the easy part! We’re left with 388 calories. Fat is 9 calories per gram, so 388/9=43g fat per day.
Mmm...Pie!!
So how close was I with my previous 40/30/30 recommendations? (I’m only doing this to satisfy my own ego, and for those of you who already got the ball rolling after reading last month’s post)
652 calories from carbs/1560= 42% of total calories
520 calories from protein/1560= 33% of total calories
388 calories from fat/1560= 25% of total calories
That’s 42/33/25. Not too far off, although if you thought 30% fat felt high, I think you’ll find 25% just right.
Now remember, this is only a starting point. You’ll need to re-assess after the first month and possibly make changes to both total calories and (if significant change in bodyweight) individual macro intake. This gets a bit tricky, since the amounts of each macro you need will change based on total caloric intake. For example, as total calories go down (as in pre-contest dieting), protein needs increase due to decreased intake of protein-sparing macros (carbs and fat). That’s an important topic that I’ll save for another day.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Joe, I love your website!!! You are so knowledgable and I love reading your articles. I am currently working towards getting ready for a bikini competition June 25th. I have a friend that has done figure competitions and is helping me with my diet. However I feel like I need a second opinion about something she won’t budge on. She believes that a super low fat and high protein diet is the only way to go. But I don’t want to cut out healthy fats and effect my health and feel deprived (as low fat diet do). I read that coconut oil helps for weightloss as it activates your thyroid and has so many other health benefits if taking 3 tablespoons a day. I mentioned it to her, and she said that it will make me gain weight. I have about 15-20 lbs more to lose as I am 5’6 and currently weigh 139. I have a large frame and carry decent amount of muscle. What do you think? Should I follow my gutt or listen to her way? Also I read that the body uses it like a carb. Should I count it as a carb or as a fat? Thank you for taking the time to help me!!
Stephanie,
Thanks for the kind words! Maybe one day I’ll find some motivation to update my blog
I assume if you’re going low fat, you must be going high carb? Really, the main things at this point in your prep are total calories, adequate protein (1-1.5g per lb of lean body mass) and adequate DHA/EPA (essential fats/fish oils). Whether the balance of your caloric intake is higher fat/lower carb, lower fat/higher carb, or a good mix is really an individual thing. If you tend to have good insulin sensitivity (feel and look okay after a mixed but high carb meal), then you’ll likely do better on moderate to higher carbs/lower fat. If not, lower carb, higher fat (and closer to the 1.5g/lb area for protein since you won’t have protein-sparing carbs in your diet) will likely work better. This assumes a linear/moderate approach rather than cyclical where macro intake can vary massively within each week.
Any way you look at it, you’re going to need a certain amount of fat to stay healthy, so it really depends on how low you’re going. I will add that if you go too low fat (~10% of total calories), your body will begin whats called ‘de novo lipogenesis’, whereby it starts converting carbs directly to fat (you’d think this happens all the time the way people talk about carbs…but your fat intake actually has to be very low for them to be converted directly. Still won’t amount to a net weight gain unless total caloric intake exceeds caloric output, but it still says something about the ultra low fat theory.
Anyway, you have 4 months to go and maybe a little over a pound a week to lose (my best guess), so you’ll need to be in at least a moderate caloric deficit. When calories get really low, to the point where fat intake is low in relation to your protein intake (remember that most good protein sources will have tag along fats…even if they’re lean), going low fat in your diet and using fish oil (doesn’t add much total fat) and coconut oil/MCTs to fill the remainder of your fat calories will be a good idea.
You are basically correct about coconut oil: It will not make you gain fat, assuming you don’t take so much that you end up in a surplus. Coconut oil (Medium Chain Triglycerides) is used preferentially for energy and is not stored as bodyfat. All my competitors/clients take 1 tbsp a day (more for low carbers), although some opt for MCT oil instead since its 100% Medium Chain Triglycerides (coc oil is ~50% MCTs…so yes if you take in excessive amounts, the ‘other’ saturated fats will be stored). That said, 3 tbsp a day of coconut oil could be a bit much unless you’re not getting much fat from your diet. You do get more of its health benefits in higher amounts, but that can quickly be offset by fat gain if it puts you in a surplus (there is fat deficit/surplus too, when speaking in terms of nutrient partioning) I’d either switch to MCT oil (doesn’t taste very good last I checked) or cut your coconut oil dosage by about 50%. And count it as fat…it still has 9 calories per gram.
Hope that helps. Feel free to sign up for the free evaluation if you’d like to get a little more in depth!
BTW, it could be your friend tends to stay very close to her ‘fighting weight’ year round. If thats the case, and her calories stay fairly low, it could well be that low(ish) fat makes sense for her. Doesn’t mean its the right thing for you though, esp at this stage…and you DEFINITELTY need to be getting your DHA/EPA from fish oil.
Joe
Wow GREAT detailed info on Coconut oil & MCTs! ~an article in and of itself! Thank you
This was awesome! Like Stephanie, I am also preparing for a bikini competition, more of a personal goal to get my body in amazing shape:) I Love it when I can relate and learn things from these posts! Currently at 130 pounds, I also have a bit more to loose and also tighten up.
Keep the infomation coming!