Macronutrients • Simple Low Carb

How much can I eat?

This way of eating will require you to weigh, measure, and track everything that you eat. Our hope is that this information will help clarify for you how much you can eat based on your allotted macronutrients (or, Macros as we call them).

In this case, macros refer to your daily goals for Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates, Sodium, and Calories based on whether you want to maintain or lose weight.

Please read the whole page so you can not only understand how to get your correct Macros, but how to use them efficiently.

Macronutrients – what the heck are they?

Everything you eat has Nutrition Information that tells you things like ingredients, how much protein, fat, carbohydrates, calories are in your food, and even other things like sodium and different minerals.

This eating lifestyle pays close attention to these nutrition facts and allots you a certain amount of “Macros” – the amount of Protein, Fat, Carbohydrates, and Calories depending on whether you’re looking to lose weight, or maintain your goal weight.

Your Macros are determined by what should be your Lean Body Mass (LBM). Most people will be able to use the chart in the next section as is. Our transgendered friends may need to use the information based on their assigned gender at birth, or consult their doctor for more information about their body type depending on where they are in their journey.

How to calculate your Macros

Below you will find charts broken down into gender and height. You’ll be using the chart to determine your macros for weight loss. There’s different numbers to follow if you are looking to maintain or even gain weight. For sake of not complicating things for new users, we’re choosing to focus on the weight loss aspect.

Once you’ve determined your numbers, please move on to the next section so you can learn how to use them correctly and gain understanding as to what these numbers mean for you.

Female Chart

FT	IN	CM	LBM	FAT	PRO	CARB	CAL
4	0	122	27.81	47	47	20	691
4	1	124	29.57	50	50	20	730
4	2	127	31.33	53	53	20	769
4	3	130	32.59	56	56	20	808
4	4	132	33.85	59	59	20	847
4	5	135	35.11	62	62	20	886
4	6	137	36.37	65	65	20	925
4	7	140	37.63	68	68	20	964
4	8	142	38.89	71	71	20	1003
4	9	145	40.15	74	74	20	1042
4	10	147	41.41	77	77	20	1081
4	11	150	42.68	80	80	20	1120
5	0	152	44.94	83	83	20	1159
5	1	155	47.20	86	86	20	1198
5	2	157	49.46	89	89	20	1237
5	3	160	51.72	103	103	20	1419
5	4	163	53.98	108	108	20	1484
5	5	165	56.24	112	112	20	1536
5	6	168	58.50	117	117	20	1601
5	7	170	60.76	122	122	20	1666
5	8	173	63.02	126	126	20	1718
5	9	175	65.28	131	131	20	1783
5	10	178	67.54	135	135	20	1835
5	11	180	69.08	140	140	20	1900
6	0	183	72.06	144	144	20	1952
6	1	185	74.32	149	149	20	2017
6	2	188	76.58	153	153	20	2069
6	3	191	78.85	158	158	20	2134
6	4	193	81.11	162	162	20	2126
6	5	196	83.37	167	167	20	2251
6	6	198	85.63	171	171	20	2303

Male Chart

FT	IN	CM	LBM	FAT	PRO	CARB	CAL
4	0	122	27.81	56	56	20	808
4	1	124	29.57	59	59	20	847
4	2	127	31.33	63	63	20	899
4	3	130	32.59	65	65	20	925
4	4	132	33.85	68	68	20	964
4	5	135	35.11	70	70	20	990
4	6	137	36.37	73	73	20	1029
4	7	140	37.63	75	75	20	1046
4	8	142	38.89	78	78	20	1094
4	9	145	40.15	80	80	20	1120
4	10	147	41.41	83	83	20	1159
4	11	150	42.68	85	85	20	1185
5	0	152	44.94	90	90	20	1250
5	1	155	47.20	94	94	20	1302
5	2	157	49.46	99	99	20	1367
5	3	160	51.72	103	103	20	1419
5	4	163	53.98	108	108	20	1484
5	5	165	56.24	112	112	20	1536
5	6	168	58.50	117	117	20	1601
5	7	170	60.76	122	122	20	1666
5	8	173	63.02	126	126	20	1718
5	9	175	65.28	131	131	20	1783
5	10	178	67.54	135	135	20	1835
5	11	180	69.08	140	140	20	1900
6	0	183	72.06	144	144	20	1952
6	1	185	74.32	149	149	20	2017
6	2	188	76.58	153	153	20	2069
6	3	191	78.85	158	158	20	2134
6	4	193	81.11	162	162	20	2126
6	5	196	83.37	167	167	20	2251
6	6	198	85.63	171	171	20	2303

Note: We care about our transgender friends, and we by no means want to leave you out. Scientifically, most people will be able to use this chart as is based on whatever gender they were assigned at birth because it’s based on your Lean Body Mass. Where you are at in your journey may change your needs, and so we recommend consulting a doctor to determine what’s best for you – because we want you to be the very best you can be!

Understanding your Macros

When you begin the Low Carb lifestyle and you’re seeking to lose weight, it’s easiest for you to match your starting Fat intake with that of your Protein needs.

This is the most important thing you will read on this page about macros, so please pay close attention: FAT IS A LEVER. Eat more fat, you gain weight. Eat less fat, you’ll lose weight. A Low Carb diet will not make you lose weigh. It will make it easier on you and to provide other benefits. Only a calorie deficit will cause weight loss.

Your brain needs 50g of fat per day in order to function – but when you’re overweight, it’s going to pull some from your food intake as well as from your body.

Example: If you are a 5’2″ / 157cm female, this is what your macros look like:

Goals & Levers

To make this way of eating work, you have to understand and follow these macros. “Lazy low carb” works until it doesn’t. You need to measure, weigh, and track everything.

Protein is a must hit goal. You need to get at least as many grams of protein per day as your macros tell you to. Meal planning is helpful, as are protein shakes (we love Premier Protein shakes for their fantastic macros). Leaner cuts of meat like chicken or fish make reaching this goal easy without going over your fat allowance. You can even go over your protein if you’d like, so long as your other numbers look good.

Fat is a lever. Today, maybe you only eat 65g of fat, while tomorrow you eat your full allotment of 88g. This is common – especially for newbies who don’t know yet how to plan out their meals. Just know that you won’t lose weight if you are eating more than the fat you are allowed.

Carbs aren’t necessary. Believe it or not, you can survive without carbs. We keep it under 20 per day because it’s the best way to assure we are in ketosis – a metabolic state in which some of the body’s energy supply comes from ketone bodies in the blood, rather than carbs and sugar. Best part is that eating less carbs and being in ketosis aids in hunger suppression + helps curb those icky cravings for unhealthy foods.

Calories count! Okay, seriously. Calories are important. Yes, you need to count your calories and like any diet out there, you need calorie deficit in order to lose weight.

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