How to Count Calories and Set Your Macros 

It is not that hard… counting calories? Athletic Aha has come to motivate you to achieve your goals. It doesn’t have to be time consuming. 

We are here to DEMISTIFY MACROS for you in this blog. A quick way to track your macros and count calories is to use a fitness tracker and a fitness app like Lifsum to help you stay on track. #1 choice LIFSUM it makes it so easy. Also helpful items like fitness portion control plate and a meal prep bag with meal prep containers also helps you stay on track. Click on our links to access these motivational items to help you stay #FIT4LIFE. 

 If you want to really be accurate and raise the bar you will need a food scale. Once you learn this method, counting calories will not be hard at all.

The Basics: Defining metabolic Terms You Need to Know

Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the amount of energy in calories your body needs each day to function. To lose weight a person take in less calories consistently in a day. 

To gain muscle and increase weight overall a person must take in excess calories than the BMR. That is the SECRET to achieving your goal.

Step 1:

Determine your BMR. Click on BMR hyperlink to access and enter your parameters and VIOLA! Then multiply by Activity level. Use this formula below if you want to try to calculate it yourself. 

American System Formula: use your rules, go in order to ensure your calculation is accurate Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiply, Division, Addition, Subtraction 

BMR (Women)= 655 + (4.35 X weight)+(4.7 X height)-(4.7 X age in years)

BMR (MEN)= 66 + (6.23 X weight) + (12.7 X H) – (6.8 X age in years)

Metric System Formula: 

BMR (Women)= 655 + (9.6 X weight)+(1.8 X height)-(4.7 X age in years)

BMR (MEN)= 66 + (17.7 X weight) + (5 X H) – (6.8 X age in years)

Activity Level: multiply by your activity level and viola! That is your starting point for calories.

Light/normal everyday activities= 1.3

Moderate/ exercise 2-3X per week= 1.4

Very Active/ exercise 4-7X per week= 1.6

Moderate/ exercise 7+X per week= 1.8

Step 2:

Adding up the Fat

Fat is just as important as carbs and proteins for a balanced diet. I So yes you need them. They are needed for proper body function. They aid in the absorption of vitamins A,D,E, and K. Eat more Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They are the healthiest. Saturated fats are Animal fats and Hydrogenated fats are Trans fats. Trans fats are formed during food processing or found naturally in some sources. Trans fat two are more likely to raise total cholesterol which can lead to heart diseases.  So how do we do it? Easy, Athletic Aha is here to teach you. 

BMR X Activity index= that is the number of calories needed per day

Multiply by 0.25. (we just changed it to a decimal from percent) The range of calories that should come from fats in your diet is (25%-35%) pick closer to 0.35 if you desire more fats in your diet. 

That will tell you the amount of calories needed for fat%. 

There are 9 calories per gram of fat. So if you know how many grams you ate, multiply the grams by 9 to find out the total amount of calories you consumed or need per day. Divide by 9 if you know the amount of calories and want to know how many grams you consumed or need per day. 

EXAMPLE: Total calories needed per day is 1,862 (your BMR X Activity Level). Multiply by 0.25 (you can choose any number in the fat calorie range 25%-35%). That is 466 calories. If you want to know grams divide by 9. That is 52 grams needed per day. See …not so hard! 

If you want a faster method…Use the app lifesum. It allows you to scan the barcode of the food or just type it and the tracker calculates the calories. Into the tracker it goes. No counting needed. Very easy!

Adding up Proteins

Complete proteins are from meat and other animal products and they supply all the amino acids needed for your body. Plant based proteins are incomplete and need to be combined to achieve all the amino acids needed for your body. 

Proteins maintain the skin, bones, and muscle so we need 10%-35% or 56-65 grams daily. To gain healthy muscle aim for the higher end of this range.

Example: Total calories needed per day is 1,862 ( your BMR X Activity level) then multiply that total by a number in this range (0.15-0.35). We choose 0.15. That is 279 calories. Since there is 4 calories per gram of protein…divide that by 4 to get the daily amount in grams. 70 grams is needed per day.  

Adding up Carbohydrates

Carbs break down in the liver into glucose which fuels the cells tissues and organs. There are two forms, Simple and Complex. Simple come from fruits, veggies, milk and table sugar. Complex carbs come from whole grain. Items like cereal and they supply much needed vitamins, minerals, and fiber needed for energy and brain functioning. 

Example: Total calories needed per day is 1,862 ( your BMR X Activity level) then multiply that total by a number in this range (0.45-0.65). We choose 0.6. That is 1,117 calories. Since there is 4 calories per gram of carb…divide that by 4 to get the daily amount in grams. 279 grams is needed per day.  

Now your running in the big leagues and are on your way to a FIT you. Try these out and if you need help with nutrition or just a quick workout  purchase a $20 quick fit plan. We will be in contact with more information needed to address your needs. You can always email athleticaha@gmail.com and we will get any questions you have answered. We offer online coaching and personal training programs as well.. So if you would like help send us an email to get started, purchase one of our plans from the store, of DM us on our social media and share the news with friends.

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