Are you wondering “how do I calculate macros for weight loss?” If you are, listen up. Even if you have every wondered “what do I need to eat to lose weight?”, this podcast is for you.

It’s key to think about fat loss, not weight loss. While it is about 3500 calories to lose a pound of weight, we do not want to lose weight from out muscles. We want to lose it from the fat, changing our overall body composition. To do this, we need to think about the best food groups to support our goals. That being said its, not all about calories, because they are not all made equal.

In theory I could only eat French fries every day, but this will not be supporting the muscle in my body and it will begin to break down. I will lose muscle, not the fat I hoped to lose. Plus we will likely have cravings shortly after eating.

This means we need to pay attention to our protein intake so we do not lose mass.

If we are looking at protein a sedentary person would want at least 10% of their diet to come from protein. A more active person to athlete would want 25-35% of their calories to come from protein. Since we want to lose fat and not muscle we want to make sure there is enough protein in our diets.

The rest of our diet plan is made up from carbohydrates and fats. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. In very active people it could be helpful to have as much as half of their daily caloric intake come from carbohydrates. Remember that not all carbohydrates are made equal. Carbs are stored as energy in the form of glycogen in the liver and muscle cells. Eating simple carbohydrates can spike your blood sugar, and give you a dopamine rush. Shortly after you will feel hungry, tired, sluggish, and likely have food cravings. Think legumes, oats, quinoa, and sweet potatoes or squash as helpful carbohydrates.

Fats gets a bad rap, because we think if you eat fat, you will be fat. This is not 100% true. Fat is important for our bodies, plus it helps with satiety. Since it contains more calories per gram than carbohydrates and proteins it can be easy to overconsume. Over consumption is what leads to storage of fat on the body.

If you are on a 1450 calorie per day diet, you can play with the percentage. So say I want 30% of my diet to be protein I can, multiply 1450 by .3 and it will tell you how many of your daily calories come from that . Pretend I have also chosen I want 30% of my diet to be fats, and 40% of my diet to be carbohydrates. My daily caloric intake may be 435 calories from protein, 435 calories from fats, and 580 from carbohydrates. This could be thought of as structure or guidelines. Think about building most meals that contain at least a protein and fat, or protein and fiber. Kelly Laveque suggests the fab 4 of protein + fat + fiber + greens at every meal to manage blood sugar and keep you full.

Don’t forget that if you want to keep the weight off, you can’t go back to what you have always done, or you will get what you have always gotten.

In this episode we cover:

• How to calculate macros for weight loss

• What to eat to lose weight

• Feeling full

• Feeling good while losing weight

This podcast is not meat to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any medical or mental health condition. Check with you health care provider before making changes.

Amber's instagram: instagram.com/breakingupwithyoyodieting

Podcast instagram: instagram.com/breakingupwithyoyodietingpod