Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by

The Macro Diet is a weight loss diet that focuses on your macro nutrient intake each day. Your daily intake breaks down to 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat. This ratio keeps you feeling full while allowing you to meet your required calorie intake per day.

Macro diet refers to a diet that is based on balancing the overall nutritional value of the food you eat. Macros stand for Macro nutrients or Macro nutrients are those nutrients that provide energy to the body – protein, fat and carbohydrates. On the scale of how to lose weight it is considered moderate rather than severe. If you want to know more about Macro Recipes For Weight Loss, make sure you read this article.

Macro Recipes For Weight Loss

Have you switched to counting macros for weight loss? Many women are finding that it’s a smarter approach to dieting than simply counting calories. With macros (short for macronutrients), you’ll ensure you’re getting the right kinds of calories vs. just looking at an ambiguous number.

Carrie McMahon — nutrition coach, trainer, macro expert, and author of Why You Should Count Macronutrients, Not Calories — knows first-hand how hard dieting can be and went through a horrible cycle of restricting calories. “I used to be a binge eater because I held to strict restrictions, and that tore my life apart,” she told POPSUGAR.

“Now I don’t see some foods as ‘good’ versus some foods as ‘evil,’ and I don’t feel the need to binge and overeat on those ‘evil foods,'” she said. “All foods can fit into my daily lifestyle, and I’ve learned how to eat my favorite treats in moderation instead of all-out cheat days.” She built that concept into a weeklong meal plan for you so you don’t have to stress about “cheat days” either. “I’ve picked macro-balanced recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even dessert!”

These meals are optimized with the right macro distribution for weight loss, and you won’t feel restricted at all. These are some of Carrie’s favorite POPSUGAR recipes, and yes . . . there’s pizza involved. “When life doesn’t feel constricted by food, you’ll feel free and alive, and your mind and body will be more connected and healthier than ever.”

Macros For Weight Loss and Muscle Gain Over 40

We all worry about what our bodies are going to look like as we tack on the years. When we get past 40, it can be a lot more challenging to maintain a good physique than it once was. For the middle-aged men out there cutting those calories and hitting the gym, trying to trim weight, keep it up.

But recent information has shown us that dieting for weight loss might not be the best way to do it. We’ve developed a new way to shred fat that can deliver better results than previous methods.

Our macro method of weight loss can trim fat fast and build a physique that will definitely impress. With your forties fast approaching, this is a good tool to prepare to help you keep your hard-earned physique as you get older.

The Normal Way

Most people say that to lose weight; you have to cut calories. They’ll talk a big talk about caloric deficits and cardio. They may talk about intermittent fasting and how it helped them trim down. But years of experience in the gym have told us that there is much more to the story than that.

Regular Macros

The most common weight-loss method is to cut your overall caloric intake and keep your macros normal. Getting your calories from about 20 percent protein, 25 percent fats, and 55 percent carbs is the standard way.

The theory is that by keeping our diet normal but just eating fewer calories, our bodies will need to draw energy from the fat it has stored up, thus, improving your lean body mass and reducing fat.

Cardio

The traditional weight-less methods also put heavy emphasis on cardio. Working the heart muscles to pump blood throughout the body is great exercise, but the benefits are limited.

Cardio can burn fat, but it isn’t as effective at building muscle. So if our goal is to accomplish both and maintain our cut figure, cardio isn’t the best exercise.

Is It Effective?

The truth is, this method is fine. The science checks out, and if you pair this diet with good exercise, you’ll lose weight.

But there is a better and faster way to get the physique you’re after. If you’re looking to get cut in your 40s and 50s, there are better ways.

The Bodybuilder’s Way

The basic concept is this: the key to losing weight is by gaining it. Through muscle! That may sound crazy, but building muscle will help us achieve our fitness goals by optimizing lean body mass.

A big part of why people gain weight with age is due to a lack of muscle development. As you age, your muscles shrink, especially if you don’t exercise. Smaller, weaker muscles don’t need as many calories to function.

What does that mean? It means that building muscle in your 40s can increase our metabolism and increase the resting rate at which our bodies burn calories. Building muscle means that your body will work for you, burning calories even when you aren’t in the gym.

The goal is to lose weight and keep it off. The long-term solution is to increase metabolism by building muscle and lean body mass. And let’s not forget that this will help us maintain the physique of our thirties by supporting muscle growth.

So all this raises the question: how do we build muscle once we hit our forties? What should my macros look like if I’m trying to build muscle and burn fat?

High Protein

If you’re going to build muscle, you’re going to need protein. Simple as that.

You can cut calories a bit when figuring out your macros, but don’t slash like crazy. Your body will need the energy for the gym, just like it did in your twenties and thirties. The main focus is to get a high amount of protein, good carbs and keep your fat intake on the low side.

Our macro percentage breakdown should be about 35 percent protein, 50 percent carbohydrates, and 15 percent fats. These macros look like that of a bodybuilder. So if it’s a good physique we’re after, we’re in good company.

Obviously, the protein is on the high side to help us build that muscle. But carbohydrates are essential as well. Carbs are easily absorbable energy for your body. To get through the day as we age and through our workouts, we’re going to need some clean, healthy carbs. So making sure to get about 800 to 1,000 calories a day from carbs is important.

The Gym

No fitness goals are attainable without exercise. And believe us, these exercises are gonna make you feel the burn in the best way, so you better fuel up for a powerful workout.

Resistance Training

We all know through experience that resistance training or weightlifting is one of the most efficient ways to build muscle. Whether you like free weights or machines, getting some good resistance training will help your muscles grow.

But the way we train at 45 should probably be different than how we’re training at 30. So once we hit our forties and beyond, the key is lighter weight, higher reps.

Higher weight puts a lot of pressure on your joints, and as we get closer to old age, we need to protect your joints well. So take off a plate or two and add 5 or 10 reps, and you’ll have a workout that is still intense but on your muscles instead of your bones.

HIIT

High-intensity interval training. These workouts are a killer time, and they work wonders for both building muscle and burning fat. But, they’re intense, so we have to make sure we get some sustainable energy for these exercises.

HIIT workouts like Crossfit focus on short bursts of about 90 percent effort followed by periods of active rest at about 40 percent to 50 percent effort.

This method is a way to maximize the benefits of both strength training and cardio together. Your muscles get a crazy burn by going at high intensity, but by sustaining the work with active rest periods, your heart keeps pumping for longer, burning more calories. Combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise is great for a middle-aged body.

Now we know how to burn fat and build muscle in our middle-age years. A high protein diet coupled with high rep strength training will help promote your metabolism for the long run.

If that appeals to you, but you don’t think you can muster up the energy going to get to the gym, our energy and muscle growth formula will fuel you up and help your body absorb that protein so you can feel great and kill it at the gym.

Now let’s show our 40s who’s boss with some macro-fueled muscle gain!

What are the benefits of a macro diet?

The macro diet has several benefits: The first one being that it offers a weight loss solution that doesn’t focus on keeping track of calories. Instead, you track daily macros. While this may not seem like a big difference, it’s brought a new, healthier perspective to those of us with calorie-counting fatigue. Many also find that tracking macros shifts their mindset from a calorie-driven one focused on what you can’t eat to a macro-driven one focused on what you can eat.

Counting macros offers several other benefits, too. For the dieting newbie, meal planning by counting macros is a good way to get a handle on portion control, says Ariane Hundt, a clinical nutrition coach in New York City. “It helps people understand where their calories come from and what impact they have on the body,” she adds. And it also helps you make good, informed choices, such as whole food over processed food.

“Becoming aware of macronutrients allows one to figure out the tipping point at which the body creates the desired changes,” says Hundt. “Everyone’s different, but when macros are customized, one can lose between 2% and 5% body fat in a month and an average of 10 pounds in the first month.”

Counting macros can help you make smarter food choices. Instead of choosing a snack based on its total calories, it forces you to look at what is in those calories. And there’s big difference when you compare the macros in a 250-calorie snack of Oreos and a 250-calorie snack of Greek yogurt topped with berries and nuts.

Other times, counting macros may help you choose a snack that fuels your body yet is significantly lower in calories compared to choosing what looks good in the vending machine. Making smarter choices like these also works to keep hunger at bay, balance your energy levels, and curb sugar cravings.

How is a macro diet similar to — and different from — other diets?

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The macro diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet, Whole 30, and the Paleo diet because they all emphasize the value of whole, less processed foods.

Additionally, it shares some commonality with Weight Watchers, which uses a point system rather than calorie-counting. On the other hand, the macro diet is unique because it’s not a one-size-fits-all diet. No two macro diet plans look exactly alike or consist of the same foods. This is because it’s highly individualized, and you can adjust the macro ratio or calories based on the results you’re seeing.

How to calculate and track macronutrients

Before you can start tracking, you’ll need to determine your daily macronutrient goals. These four steps guide you through that process.  

Step 1: Determine your energy needs and daily calorie goal.

While calories aren’t the primary focus of the macro diet, they do provide a framework for macros. So you have to start by determining your body’s daily calorie needs and then setting a calorie goal.

To determine this, Lauren Kelly, a registered dietitian in New York City, says, “First you want to calculate your personal calorie goal; you can use the Mayo Clinic calorie calculator to estimate your current needs for maintenance, and then reduce that by 10-20% to determine your personal calorie goal for weight loss; a healthy weight loss is about 1-2 pounds weekly.”

For someone whose estimated needs are 2,000 calories per day, this means setting a daily goal of 1,600 to 1,800 calories for weight loss. Those wanting to maintain weight may want to use the original calorie needs calculated, while those looking to gain or add lean body mass, may want to set a goal slightly above estimated needs.

Also, if your goal is weight loss, avoid the temptation to set a calorie goal that’s less than 80% of your estimated calorie needs, as this can backfire from both a hunger and metabolic standpoint.

Step 2: Determine your macronutrient breakdown.

The next step is finding a macronutrient ratio that’s best for your body and goals. This means determining what percentage of your total calories will come from each macronutrient.

A good starting place is to choose a percentage for each macro that falls within the DRI guidelines:  

• 45 to 65% of calories from carbohydrate
• 10 to 35% of calories from protein
• 20 to 35% of calories from fat

The percentage total should add up to 100%, which means you have lots of options. For example, someone who feels they lose best by keeping tabs on overall carbohydrate intake might choose a macro breakdown that’s 50% carb, 25% protein, and 25% fat, or 45% carb, 20% protein, and 30% fat. Someone trying to build muscle might choose a breakdown of 55% carb, 25% protein, and 20% fat.

Step 3: Calculate your daily macros.

We now have the information needed to calculate our macro amounts. Using the scenarios above, let’s assume we set a daily goal of 1,800 calories with a macro breakdown of 50% carb, 20% protein, and 30% fat. To determine daily macro goals, multiply your calorie goal by each percentage. This gives you the calories that each macronutrient will provide. Then, divide each of those by the number of calories each macro provides per gram (carb and protein: 4 cal per gram, fat: 9 cal per gram).

Based on this example, your daily macro goals are 225 g carbohydrates, 90 g protein, and 60g fat.

• Carbohydrates: 1,800 x 0.5 = 900 cal divided by 4 cal per gram = 225 g
• Protein: 1,800 x 0.2 = 360 cal divided by 4 cal per gram = 90 g
• Fat: 1,800 x 0.3 = 540 cal divided by 9 cal per gram = 60 g

Step 4: Track your macros.

The easiest way to track your macros is to use a diet or meal planning app that has this feature. MyFitnessPal is a free app that’s easy to use. Once you update the settings to reflect your calorie and macro goals, you start entering your intake. The app provides a running total for each macro and compares that to your daily goal. At the end of the day, you can see your exact macro percentages for the day. Other popular tracking apps are My Macros+ and Lose It!.

How to use macros for weight loss

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Determining the right breakdown of macros for weight loss varies by individual and often requires some trial, error, and adjustment. To get started, the best thing to do is to determine your calorie goal (see step one above) and choose a macronutrient breakdown within the ranges provided in step two. Once you calculate your daily macro goals and start tracking and follow it for several days to a week, assess how you’ve felt over the past few days,

• Do you have enough energy? If not, you may need to go back to step two and increase the carbohydrate percentage.
• Are you getting hungry between meals? If yes, try slightly decreasing the carb percentage and increasing protein and/or fat a little bit.
• Are you eating all your macros (or getting pretty close)? If not, you’re falling significantly short of your calorie goal. Don’t make any changes yet. Keep going, placing a greater emphasis on hitting your macro goals, then reassess.

“For someone just getting started on this diet, it is a good idea to meet with a registered dietitian to determine the macronutrient breakdown that you are currently consuming and discuss your goals,” says Lisa Cohn, RD. “Your dietitian can then help determine the best breakdown for you and guide you on how to make this lifestyle transition.”

2 keys for weight loss on the macro diet 

There are a two important factors that affect your success on the macro diet. In fact, these are equally important as calculating and tracking your macros.

#1 The quality of food choices matters.

The macro diet focuses on whole, minimally processed foods — ones that are packed with nutrients instead of added sugars, trans fats, and other less healthy ingredients — and this impacts overall nutrition and metabolism.

For example, the added sugars in sodas, candy, and desserts count toward your daily carbohydrate goal, meaning there’s less room in your diet for healthier complex carbs with fiber. They also cause glucose fluctuations. “It’s important to understand there are versions of each of the macronutrients that are healthier than others,” says Kelly. “It’s best to stick with the less processed foods, and instead choose whole, fresh food. The fewer ingredients, the better!”

Hundt agrees and suggests focusing on choices like these for each of the macros.

• Carbohydrates: Vegetables, including starchy ones, whole grains, legumes, and fruit.
• Protein: Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring); lean animal proteins like grass-fed beef, chicken, and turkey; eggs, nuts, seeds, and some dairy, like Greek yogurt.
• Fat: Foods high in essential fatty acids such as olive oil, avocado, almonds, Brazil nuts, and macadamia nuts.

#2 Portion sizes and servings matter.

The more accurately you’re able to track, the better. Usually, this means measuring everything while you’re getting started. Measuring cups and spoons will help you learn the macros in portion sizes of different foods. A food scale can be helpful, too. After a while, you’ll probably get good at eyeballing your favorite foods to log portion size into your tracking app and not have to measure as much.

The macro diet is an approach to weight loss that’s tailored to your nutrient needs and goals. And the best part by far is there’s no calorie counting!

What Is the Best Macro Ratio for Fat Loss?

Each macro is used a little differently by the body, and understanding how each one supports your daily health and fitness needs is key:

• Carbs are your preferred source of quick energy, and excess carbs can be stored in your muscles for fuel or as body fat.
• Fat is your source of long-term energy, used as immediate fuel or stored as body fat.
• Protein is the builder macro, used to build and maintain a majority of the cells throughout your body, including your DNA, bones, and muscle mass – any excess protein can be used as energy or stored as body fat.

Counting Macros for Weight Loss

Knowing your macros is only half the battle, you’ve also got to organize your food choices accordingly. This means meal planning with nutritious foods that fit your macros. 

How Many Carbs Do You Need to Lose Weight?

It feels like carbohydrate intake has become one of the most controversial topics when it comes to losing weight. For decades, health and nutrition experts have battled it out over low-fat and low-carb styles of eating for the best results. And in recent years, a keto-style diet has taken the low-carb approach even further by restricting them to less than 5% of your calories. 

According to the US Dietary Guidelines, Carbohydrates should make up 45% to 65% of total calorie intake. But other popular diets recommended intake as low as 20g of carbohydrates per day. 

Is there any proof that cutting carbs is an efficient way to lose weight, and how many carbs do we actually need?

First, as far as we know, weight loss is only accomplished by eating fewer calories than you burn each day. So the argument is not whether or not eating too many carbs will make you fat; it’s whether or not eating fewer carbs can promote more body fat loss during a calorie deficit. And whether or not low carb diets offer specific advantages over other macro diets for weight loss. 

The truth is, there is plenty of research suggesting low-carb diets may be more beneficial than low fat. But there are also large, high-quality studies implying no difference between the two (1). 

What we can take away from the science is that everyone is a little different when it comes to their dietary needs. We are in need of more individual approaches to dieting and more research, looking at what variables we should be guided by.     

They type of carbs you choose is likely more important than the amount for most people.

Carbohydrates come from anything that grows out of the ground, including fruits and vegetables – and carbohydrates contribute fiber to the diet. They are the body’s quickest and most efficient source of fuel and the only macro that is able to readily supply energy to the brain (ketones can also do this, but requires your body to go into a state of ketosis and metabolize fat into usable fuel).

They are also important for muscle recovery, endurance, and strength building. And they play a role in helping regulate our energy, mood, and self-control. Lack of carbs can actually make you “hangry,” tried, and even create brain fog. And poor blood sugar control from too much added sugar and poor dietary choices can do the same thing. 

Depending on your fitness level and personal goals, striving for low carb intake (less than 100g of carbs per day) may not be the best solution. But the less active you are, the fewer carbs your body needs.

Depending on your calorie level, you will want to eat roughly 30 to 60% of your calories from carbohydrates.  Use this quiz to get your carb macros! 

Carbohydrates are embraced in the athlete world. Macro timing and balance have been a popular tool for optimizing performance and results, and this approach can be applied to the average eater. Understanding how carbs work and adjusting your intake of high-quality options to support your daily needs through carb cycling may be an alternative approach to just eliminating carbs altogether.

How Much Protein Do You Need to Lose Weight?

Protein is the most unique of all macros because it is not a preferred source of energy and is the least likely to be stored as body fat. Protein also helps maintain lean muscle takes more energy to digest (more thermogenic than the other macros), and is thought to help control hunger and reduce cravings.

Research continues to suggest that higher protein intake may support more weight loss, but the amount of protein you actually need is still widely debated. US Dietary Guidelines recommend 0.36 to 0.45 grams per pound of body weight – while others argue this amount is based around getting minimum adequate needs for the general population and does not take into account differences in body composition and fitness needs.

Some studies point to 0.45 to 0.55 grams/pound body weight as the minimum intake (2,3,4,5,6). And when looking at weight loss in specific, some studies argue that even higher protein intake at 0.6 to 0.72 grams/pound, and meals providing at least 25 to 30g of protein are associated with decreases in appetite and better weight management overall (7). Furthermore, studies looking at athletes who are cutting calories, suggest that intakes as high as 1 to 1.5 g/pound to minimize their loss of lean mass (8,9,10,11).

Overall, science suggests that approximately 0.6 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight with sufficient energy intake can support building lean mass while cutting calories.

And while some research still argues that eating more than 0.8 grams/pound does not result in any additional benefits, additional intake has not shown to be harmful either.

How Much Fat Should You Eat to Lose Weight? 

Dietary fat is essential for good health, but because it is the most calorie-dense macro, it can also be easy to overdo it.

The amount of fat you need each day to lose weight ultimately depends on the person. Some people are much more efficient at utilizing fat for energy and do well on a higher fat diet, while others prefer higher carb intake – this is partially determined by your fitness needs as well as your overall lean body mass.