When setting up macronutrient ratios for our clients, we will primarily focus on weight loss and body composition goals. Central to this is Protein intake, typically recommended between 0.8-1.2 grams per pound of body weight, though in certain circumstances, it may be higher.

As a general guideline, start with 0.8 grams of protein per pound for women, and 1 gram for men. For instance, the target for a 160lbs woman would roughly 128 grams, while a man weighing 210lbs should aim for 210 grams.

We can adapt protein recommendations based on the severity of the caloric deficit, intensity of training, and overall satiety levels. More intense training, or more extreme caloric restrictions will necessitate a higher protein intake. This strategy will help to preserve lean muscle mass during a caloric deficit, enhancing feelings of fullness which will encourage adherence to the diet.

The next step will be to determine Carbohydrate intake. During initial weight loss or body recomposition stages, it's beneficial to keep carbs low as they don't significantly contribute to satiety. Therefore, our starting recommendation for carbohydrate intake will be between 100-150 grams per day. This baseline is generally lower than most clients' average intake, but not overly restrictive. It also serves to provide noticeable progress on the scale within the first two weeks, which will help build rapport with the client and create buy-in for future recommendations.

The last step is to calculate the Fat intake. Simply take the remaining calories and allocate them to the fat intake for the day.

👉 Note: When working with a client who has had their gallbladder removed, you should take a conservative approach when prescribing fat intake. The gallbladder's job is to release bile, which assists in breaking down fats through emulsification. Without the gallbladder, bile is continuously secreted in small amounts, which can make fat digestion less efficient and lead to digestive discomfort or other issues.

For more specific approaches on low, moderate, or high-carb, as well as high or low-fat, refer to the Macronutrient Recommendation chart below:

Using Ori, whose daily caloric goals have been determined as 1764 kcals and 1419 kcals respectively, we will construct their individual macronutrient plans.

Starting with Ori (a male) weighs in at 210lbs, so as a starting point we will assign him 1 gram of Protein per pound of body weight:

• 210lbs x 1g/lbs = 210 grams of Protein per pound of body weight

Now, let's figure out how many calories are in 210 grams of Protein. Since Protein has 4 kcals per gram, we can calculate it as:

• 210g x 4 = 840 kcals

For weight loss clients like Ori, we generally recommend a lower Carbohydrate intake, as excess Carbohydrates can easily lead to overconsumption and don't significantly contribute to feelings of fullness. As such, we'll start Ori on 100 grams of Carbohydrates, which equates to:

• 100g x 4 = 400 kcals

Adding the calories from Protein and Carbohydrates, we get:

• 840 kcals (Protein) + 400 kcals (Carbohydrates) = 1240 kcals

Now, to find out how many calories we have left for Ori's Fat intake, we subtract the total calorie count of Protein and Carbohydrates from Ori's total daily caloric target of 1764 kcals:

• 1764 kcals – 1240 kcals = 524 kcals

We have 524 kcals left to allocate towards Fat for Ori. As Fat has 9 kcals per gram, to establish a Fat grams per day recommendation we divide 524 by 9:

• 524 kcals / 9 kcals = ~58 grams

So, Ori's total daily caloric goal is 1764 kcals. And his macronutrient breakdown is as follows:

• Protein = 210 grams (840 kcals)
• Carbohydrates = 100 grams (400 kcals)
• Fat = 58 grams (524 kcals)

Now, let's calculate the macronutrient ratios for Lauren.

For Lauren (a female), who weighs 160lbs, we will assign her a Protein intake of 0.8 grams per pound of body weight:

• 160lbs x 0.8g/lbs = 128 grams of Protein

Given that each gram of Protein contains 4 kcals, Lauren's Protein intake translates to:

• 128g x 4 = 512 kcals

Next, we'll calculate her Carbohydrate calories. Let's stick within the recommended guideline of 100-150 grams for weight loss, but go on the higher side and give her 150 grams of Carbohydrates.

• 150g x 4 = 600 kcals

With Protein and Carbohydrates accounting for 512 kcals and 480 kcals respectively, the combined total is:

• 512 kcals (Protein) + 600 kcals (Carbohydrates) = 1112 kcals

By subtracting this from Lauren's total daily caloric target of 1419 kcals, we determine the remaining calories available to allocate for Fat:

• 1419 kcals – 1112 kcals = 307 kcals

With each gram of fat contributing 9 kcals, Lauren's fat intake can be calculated as:

• 307 kcals / 9 kcals = ~34 grams

So, with Lauren's daily caloric goal of 1419 kcal, her macronutrient split will be the following:

• Protein = 128 grams (512 kcals)
• Carbohydrates = 150 grams (600 kcals)
• Fat = 34 grams (307 kcals)

By following this approach, you can tailor the nutritional needs of each client to their specific caloric goals.