By: Sean Nalewanyj
Submitted: 2009-11-04 05:53:39 | Word Count: 1067
Fats, carbohydrates, and proteins are the three macronutrients in your diet.
When referring to the term "macronutrient ratio," we're talking about how much of one's total daily intake of calories should be taken from the three major nutrients, namely, carbs, fats, and proteins. For instance, a recommendation of "30% protein" implies that 30% of your total daily calorie intake must come from protein. We all may be human, but there are certainly significant differences between us in terms of our individual physiology and metabolism.
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Nevertheless, certain general guidelines that are applicable to most people who want to get rid of extra fat DO exist.
To begin with, let me tell you that fad diets, recommending an extreme restriction of some nutrients over others, should be ignored at all costs. Surely you've seen the "zero carb" diets or diets that recommend ridiculously high amounts of proteins or fats.
Remember, if you are striving for healthy, sensible, and long-lasting results, a balanced approach is the only effective and logical way to get rid of extra fat. You could start on the baseline ratio mentioned below that I recommend for most people…
45% carbohydrates
35% protein
20% fat
You can get rid of extra fat once and for all if you incorporate this ratio into your diet; the ratio ensures that a good balance of all nutrients is made available to the body.
Start by determining how many calories your body needs each day so as to get rid of extra fat. To determine your daily caloric requirement, simply Google "The Harris Benedict Formula;" the formula is a fast, easy way to derive this number.
After you have calculated your own required calorie intake to get rid of extra fat, you can calculate the amount of protein, carbs and fats that you need to eat each day.
First of all, you should know that carbohydrates and proteins contain 4 calories per gram, while fats contain 9 calories per gram.
Determining the number of calories you need to take in from each of the macronutrients is easy; simply multiply your total calorie intake by the percentage of macronutrient given. For example, let's consider that your daily target caloric intake should be 2,000 calories and that you want carbs to be the source for 45% calories.
The first part of your equation will look like this:
2000 X 0.45 = 90
This means that you will need 900 calories everyday from carbohydrates.
Next, dividing this number by 4 (carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram) will give you the number of carbohydrates in grams that you should take in per day.
The second part of your equation will look like this:
900 / 4 = 225
In the above example, you will need to consume 225 grams of carbs a day. Note that these numbers will vary depending on your daily caloric requirement to get rid of fat.
So first find out how many calories you require each day to get rid of extra fat, and then apply the formula I just gave to calculate your daily gram amounts for each of the three nutrients. Keep in mind that consuming exact numbers of grams each day is NOT necessary; this is simply an estimate that you can use to get a rough ballpark idea.)
I can guarantee that as long as you implement this ratio, it will help you to get rid of extra fat in the quickest manner possible.
