You Don't Have To Count Macros (Solution Inside)

You Don't Have To Count Macros!

Wether your goal is losing fat or building muscle, learning and understanding what you eat is the simplest, easiest and best way to get long term results.

The overall goal is to be in a calorie deficit for fat loss or calorie surplus to build muscle. You can also be in a calorie maintenance to maintain your current stats.

We ALL know when we eat too much or too little.

We just don't stop eating too much, while KNOWINGLY doing so! And swap bad foods with good foods!

Here is an easy method to estimate your daily calorie intake and see where you are compared to what you actually spend in a day.

1. Know how to differentiate macros and calories

There are 3 types of macro nutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Some macros contain a different amount of calories:

• Proteins: 4 calories per gram
• Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram
• Fats: 9 calories per gram

Here is an ideal average split that you can use for your meal reference:

• 30% Proteins: they are the building blocks
• 20% Fats: they are essential to vital functions
• 50% Carbs: they are an essential source of fuel 

2. Learn to estimate calories in a meal

Here the average meal calorie amounts:

• Protein: 1 chicken breast ~150 grams x 4 = 600 Calories
  • You can apply that to a steak or salmon filet too.
• Carbohydrates: 1 sweet potato ~ 130 grams x 4 = 600 Calories
  • That also goes for a normal potato, or a large 1/2 cup rice.
• Fats: 1 table spoon of olive oil  ~ 15 grams x 9 = 135 Calories
  • Goes for butter and other oils. Only use grass fed butter, olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil!
• Greens and most vegetables
  • Can be counted as "0" calories. Simply don't over eat sweet veggies like tomatoes, carrots, beets, and corn. Stay away from corn!

This takes this average meal to 1335 calories.

If you eat that 3 times: 3 x 1335 = 4005 calories ~ 4K Calories per day

This would be a high level athlete regimen.

3. Gauge what you need in a day

You'll spend a maximum of 20% of your total daily calories to sustain your workout. The 80% remaining goes to your daily and vital physiological functions.

There is NO way to hack this process.

However this depends on your age, size, height, lifestyle, overall health, and activity level, here is an idea of what you roughly consume/need in a day:

• Active women: 2.5K calories per day
• Non-active women: 2K calories per day
• Active male: 3K calories per day
• Non-active male: 2.5K calories per day

4. Gauge what you consume in a day

• Your average workout may burn 500 to 1000 calories if you train hard.
• The average person burns around 1800 calories a day doing absolutely nothing.
• That means you can burn up to 2800 calories per day, on a maintenance workout day.
• Intense/high performance training could take that number up to 3-4K calories per day.

5. Create intuitive habits

Now compare what you actually eat and spend every day, and adjust as needed.

Read the labels on every packaging, try to gauge what is in your plate at the restaurant, and make smart decisions based on that.

It won't be perfect right away, but working in that direction and making adjustments will make it right and intuitive eventually.

Click here to get my FREE 1 Day Meal Planner to start building great habits!

Nicolas 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the overall goal for calorie intake when the goal is fat loss or muscle building? The overall goal is to be in a $\mathbf{calorie}\mathbf{deficit}$ for fat loss, or a $\mathbf{calorie}\mathbf{surplus}$ to build muscle. I can also be in $\mathbf{calorie}\mathbf{maintenance}$ to sustain current stats.

2. What are the three macro nutrients, and how many calories are in one gram of each? The three macro nutrients and their calorie counts per gram are:

• $\mathbf{Proteins}$: $4\mathbf{calories}$ per gram.

• $\mathbf{Carbohydrates}$: $4\mathbf{calories}$ per gram.

• $\mathbf{Fats}$: $9\mathbf{calories}$ per gram.

3. What is the ideal average split of macro nutrients recommended for a meal reference? The ideal average split is: $30\%\mathbf{Proteins}$, $20\%\mathbf{Fats}$, and $50\%\mathbf{Carbs}$.

4. What is the estimated calorie count for an "average meal" using the author's examples? The estimated average meal is $1335\mathbf{calories}$, calculated as:

• Protein (1 chicken breast $\sim 150\text{g}$): $600\mathbf{calories}$.

• Carbohydrates (1 sweet potato $\sim 130\text{g}$): $600\mathbf{calories}$.

• Fats (1 tablespoon olive oil $\sim 15\text{g}$): $135\mathbf{calories}$.

5. What percentage of total daily calories is spent on a workout, and where does the rest go? A maximum of $20\%\mathbf{of}\mathbf{total}\mathbf{daily}\mathbf{calories}$ is spent to sustain a workout. The remaining $80\%$ goes to $\mathbf{daily}\mathbf{and}\mathbf{vital}\mathbf{physiological}\mathbf{functions}$.

6. What are the rough estimated daily calorie consumption needs for active and non-active men and women? The rough estimates are:

• $\mathbf{Active}\mathbf{women}$: $2.5K\mathbf{calories}$ per day.

• $\mathbf{Non}-\mathbf{active}\mathbf{women}$: $2K\mathbf{calories}$ per day.

• $\mathbf{Active}\mathbf{male}$: $3K\mathbf{calories}$ per day.

• $\mathbf{Non}-\mathbf{active}\mathbf{male}$: $2.5K\mathbf{calories}$ per day.

7. How many calories does the average person burn per day doing absolutely nothing, and what is the total burn on a "maintenance workout" day? The average person burns around $1800\mathbf{calories}$ a day doing absolutely nothing. On a maintenance workout day, I can burn $\mathbf{up}\mathbf{to}2800\mathbf{calories}\mathbf{per}\mathbf{day}$ (1800 resting $+500\text{-}1000$ from workout).

8. What is the final key step for creating intuitive eating habits? The final key step is to $\mathbf{compare}\mathbf{what}\mathbf{I}\mathbf{actually}\mathbf{eat}\mathbf{and}\mathbf{spend}\mathbf{every}\mathbf{day},\mathbf{and}\mathbf{adjust}\mathbf{as}\mathbf{needed}$. I should also $\mathbf{read}\mathbf{the}\mathbf{labels}$ on packaging and $\mathbf{gauge}\mathbf{what}\mathbf{is}\mathbf{on}\mathbf{my}\mathbf{plate}$ to make smart, intuitive decisions.