So, you’ve been reading up on the keto diet.
You may have read a few blogs, gotten a book at the store, talked to your friends who have been on a keto diet before and they all mentioned the same buzzword, ‘macros’.
But what are macros and how do you calculate them?
‘Macros’ is short for macronutrients. It’s a common term used when people talk about nutrition or the keto diet.
Any source of energy for your body is considered a macro.
That includes:
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fat
All of your dietary calories come from these macronutrients. In order to have a balanced diet, you need to have some of all three.
But if you want your body to go into ketosis and start burning your fat stores, you need to find a way to balance your macros differently.
Carbohydrates
Carbs are not essential for you to survive.
Sugars and starches are carbs as well as fiber. But since your body doesn’t digest fiber fully, it doesn’t have to count towards your carb total.
When you are reading a label and counting your carbs, make sure that you subtract the amount of fiber from the total amount of carbs to find out the number of net carbs that you are eating.
Protein
Your body uses protein to repair your tissues, grow, support your immune system, make hormones and enzymes, and maintain your energy levels.
Protein is vital to your body’s nutrition.
If you don’t get enough protein, you may notice yourself losing muscle mass.
While you are on the keto diet, you will need to up your protein consumption to make up for your lack of carbs.
For every pound of lean muscle mass that you have, you should eat around 0.7g of protein so that you don’t lose muscle.
If you want to gain muscle, you will need to eat around 1 – 1.2g per pound of muscle mass.
Try not to create a deficit of protein or your body may start to burn muscle instead of fat.
Fat
Fat is necessary for absorbing certain vitamins, giving you energy, helping your body develop, and providing cushioning for your organs.
Fats also help you stay full in between meals and make your food a lot more flavorful.
A lot of people who are new to the keto diet are nervous about eating a lot of fat like oil and butter after being told to moderate their consumption for so long.
But on the keto diet, fats are your friend.
Make sure you have enough fat in your diet if you have been feeling extra hungry lately.