First up, take your daily protein intake and multiply it by 4.
There are 4 calories in a gram of protein, so this will give you how many calories you’re consuming from protein each day.
Then multiply your fat intake in grams by 9 to give your fat calories.
Add these two numbers together, and subtract the result from the total number of calories you’re aiming for each day.
This will give you how many calories you need from carbs each day.
Divide this by 4 (remember – carbs have 4 calories per gram) and that’s how many carbs you need each day.
Examples:
If you’re struggling, check out these two examples.
Case Study 1:
140 pound female with a sedentary job who trains twice per week and prefers higher-fat foods –
Calories needed = (140×12) = 1,680
Protein = 140 x 1 = 140g
Fat = 140 x 0.5 = 70g
Protein and fat calories = (140 x 4) + (70 x 9) = 1,190
Carbs = (1,680 – 1,190) ÷ 4 = 122.5g
Daily Macros = 140g protein, 70g fat, 122.5g carbs
Case Study 2:
190 pound male semi-professional athlete, training multiple times per week at high intensities.
Calories needed = (190×14) = 2,660
Protein = 190 x 1 = 190g
Fat = 190 x 0.4 = 76g
Protein and fat calories = (190 x 4) + (76 x 9) = 1,444
Carbs = (2,660 – 1,444) ÷ 4 = 304g
Daily Macros = 190g protein, 76g fat, 304g carbs