Introduction
Are you looking to get the most out of a ketogenic diet? Knowing your personal macros is essential for achieving your health goals. Fortunately, there are tools like a macro calculator that can help you determine the right amount of each macronutrient - carbohydrates, protein, and fats - that you should be eating daily. Additionally, understanding NET carbs and how to calculate them will ensure that you remain in ketosis and achieve optimal results with your diet. In this blog post, we will discuss all aspects related to calculating macros on a keto diet so that you can make informed decisions about what foods to eat and stay on track with reaching your health goals!
Carbs
Restraining net carbohydrates enables your body to remain in a ketogenic state. Consuming too many will cause your body to switch from burning fat and instead utilize the carbs, thereby preventing it from achieving or maintaining ketosis. You do not need to hit this macro - consider it more of a limit instead!
Protein
Protein is an incredibly important macronutrient for our bodies, and it plays a critical role in maintaining the health of all our cells, organs, and tissues. Not only does protein help to build and repair muscles, bones, and tissue; it also helps to produce essential hormones that regulate bodily functions. Unlike fat or carbohydrates, which can be stored for later use, our bodies cannot store protein so it is important to get enough of it every day. The amount of protein recommended depends on a person's lean body mass, and the amount required will vary from person to person, with larger or more muscular people requiring more than those who have less muscle mass. Your protein macro should be considered a target to aim for, so that your body always has enough of this essential macronutrient.
Fat
The ketogenic diet is an effective way of restricting carbohydrates while still providing your body with the energy it needs. It is often referred to as a “high fat” way of eating due to the amount of fat that needs to be consumed in order to provide the necessary energy. However, if you are looking to lose weight and use some of your own stored fat for energy, you do not need to necessarily target dietary fats. Instead, consider fat as a limit; your body will provide the “high fat” it needs. Don't avoid it, but don't go overboard either!
How do I know how much to eat?
To know how much you can eat, you must calculate your personal macros (carbs, protein, and fats) using a macro calculator such as this one. keto macro calculator
Should I set my macros as ratios/percentages, or grams?
Many people are turning to the ketogenic diet, or “keto”, as a way to achieve weight loss and improved overall health. A key part of following a ketogenic diet is to determine the right amount of each macronutrient - carbohydrates, protein, and fats - that you should be eating each day. To do this, you should use a keto macro calculator to determine the correct amounts of each macronutrient for your specific situation. This can help ensure that you remain in ketosis (a state where your body is burning fat for energy) and ultimately achieve the health goals you have set out for yourself.
Are you familiar with the usual keto macro ratios or percentages such as 5% carbs, 25% protein, and 70% fat? This proportion is catered for those using keto to manage symptoms related to a neurological disorder or other therapeutic reasons where adhering rigorously to macronutrient proportions and maintaining a specific degree of ketones is essential. In case this is of interest, you should check out this video - Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy - A Crash Course Overview
In case your goal is simple weight loss you can stick with the macro calculator.
The calculator will take into account factors such as your age, height, weight, activity level, and goals to determine the appropriate amount of each macronutrient for you. As a general rule of thumb, set your carbs to 20g or lower per day when starting out on a keto diet. Protein should be set to 0.8 grams per kilogram (1 gram per pound) of bodyweight, and fats should be set to make up the remaining calories. From there, you can adjust your macronutrient ratios as needed based on how your body responds. With careful tracking and tweaking of your macros, you can reach your health goals with a ketogenic diet.
What are NET carbs and how do I calculate them?
NET carbs (aka digestible or absorbed carbohydrates) are an important concept for those following a ketogenic diet, where the goal is to minimize carb intake and maximize fat. NET carbs are calculated by subtracting total dietary fiber from the total carbohydrates listed on food labels. This is because dietary fiber does not contribute to glucose levels in the same way as starches and sugars.
For example, 100g of an avocado contains 9g carbohydrates, of which 7g are insoluble fibers (not counted towards NET carbs). This means that the NET carb content for 100g of avocado is 2g.
It's important to note that simply adding more dietary fibre to a meal will not be effective in reducing the amount of starches and sugars absorbed, as their digestion rates are usually different. Additionally, some countries may list starch and sugar carbs separately from fibre on food labels (e.g., EU, UK, Australia).
Finally, there are products like carb blockers that claim to reduce carb absorption when ingested. However, these remedies have not yet been completely evaluated and should be regarded with scepticism until reliable data proves otherwise.