Setting up a diet

Hey everyone, here’s a new post related to starting a diet. It’s a starting point on how we could approach the topic, but it’s a base that we’ll tweak over time.

In short, it’s about setting macronutrients for a target weight based on the number of training hours per week. So, it’s a handy tool for those of you wanting to set a weight and later fine-tune the composition according to body fat percentage.

Always keep in mind that all this, in the diet world, is a complex process and the calculations and formulas are just approximations.

First, you need to calculate lean mass, since the later calculations are based on this number.

To do this, you just need to know your current weight and body fat percentage, subtracting the fat % from total weight.

Example:

• Total weight -> 80kg
• Body fat % -> 10%
• Lean weight -> 80kg – [10% of 80kg] = 80kg – 8kg = 72kg, that’s this person’s lean weight.

As a practical example, let’s take someone who weighs 75kg and wants to maintain this composition.

The variables we set:

1. Number of training hours per week
2. Daily protein
3. Daily fat
4. Daily calories
5. Daily carbs

For protein, it’s usually between 1.5 or 2 gr per kilo of lean weight. For fat, it’s 1 gr.

To calculate the daily kcal needed, use this formula:

So, continuing with the example:

1. Weekly training hours -> 7.5h
2. 2 gr protein per lean kg -> 150 gr
3. 1 gr fat per lean kg -> 75 gr

Then, using the formula:

2500 KCAL is the energy needed daily to maintain the desired weight.

To get the grams of carbs needed as part of that total energy, keep in mind that 1 gr of protein and carbs equals 4 kcal, while fat is 9 kcal per gram. From the previous result, we get the grams of carbs needed:

(4 kcal/gr protein * 150 gr protein) + (9 kcal/gr fat * 75 gr fat) = 1275 KCAL, coming from protein and fat. Now just subtract this kcal from the total kcal:

2500 KCAL – 1275 KCAL = 1225 KCAL

1225 KCAL should come from carbs, and to find how many grams that equals, divide by 4:

1225 KCAL / 4 = approx. 300 gr

So, the table sums up the macronutrient breakdown based on the energy this example person needs:

Once we have these values, how to split them? It depends on each person’s ability and/or need to have a certain number of meals throughout the day.

A good, sensible method would be to divide protein intake evenly into X parts, where X is the total number of meals, including the post-workout protein shake if you take one. Then, depending on your strategy, you can do the same with the other macros—either split evenly or “load” most carbs around training, leaving fats for meals further away from it. But that’s a topic for another post to clear up.

I want to make it clear this method works, like others, but I think its clear and straightforward approach is a great way to guide those of you just getting into training and diets.