Best Macros for Weight Loss: Female vs. Male Insights
What are the best macros for weight loss? It’s commonly known that in order to lose weight, calories in must be less than calories out. However, the macros that make up these calories also play a key role. Keep reading to find out how dietitians use macros for weight loss.
When it comes to sustainable weight loss, customizing a client’s macro distribution is one of the key factors to successful weight loss. Throughout my career as a weight loss dietitian, I have customized countless plans to help clients lose and maintain body weight.
So let’s explore macros for weight loss. What are macros? How can macros help induce weight loss? What are the best macros for weight loss for females and males?
What Are Macronutrients?
In food, there are two types of nutrients: macronutrients and micronutrients. Micronutrients are your vitamins and minerals like Vitamin D, Calcium, and B vitamins. You need both of these types of nutrients to stay alive and healthy. However, you need micronutrients in much smaller amounts than macronutrients. Hence the “micro.”
The biggest difference between these compounds is that micronutrients do not have calories, while macronutrients do. This is why dietitians consider macros when constructing a weight loss plan. There are three macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
Carbohydrates
Arguably, carbs are the most important macronutrient for our body’s daily functions. Why? In addition to providing energy to our bodies, carbohydrates also provide glucose to our brains and play a role in blood sugar regulation.
Each gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories. Simple carbohydrates digest very quickly, depending on the source, so you can easily overeat them. This is why many people believe carbs are the culprit for weight gain. The exception to this rule is if the carb is higher in fiber, which is when they’re considered complex carbohydrates.
For weight loss, it is recommended that you consume foods rich in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables (yes, these are carbs!), legumes, and whole grains.
Protein
Protein does so much more than build muscle. It also plays an important role in weight loss, recovering from injury and illness, creating hormones and antibodies for the immune system, and so much more.
Functions aside, when it comes to food, protein contributes about 4 calories per gram, like carbs. Furthermore, out of all of the macronutrients, protein keeps you feeling fuller and more satisfied for longer.
The longer food remains in the stomach, the longer you go without the sensation to eat again. You can find protein in both animal and plant foods including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, beans, tofu, and grains like bread, rice and quinoa.
Fat
Fat contains 9 calories per gram which is more than twice the number of calories per gram of carbs and protein. This is why some people are so afraid of including it in a weight loss diet.
However, fat plays an important role in regulating hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. It also helps you absorb some nutrients and supports cell function.
Fats can be tricky, however, as some types are better than others. Too much fat from non-lean animal sources like pork and beef are likely to be saturated fats, which can increase your risk of heart disease. The exception to this rule is fat from fish, which is more rich in unsaturated fats that are beneficial to the body. Other sources of unsaturated fats are plant sources like oils, nuts, seeds, nut butter, avocados, and olives.
Even if you are getting your fat from healthy sources, however, be aware that these foods are still very calorie-dense, meaning you should read your labels and watch your serving sizes if trying to manage your weight.
How Can Counting Macros Help Weight Loss?
When people try to pursue weight loss without the guidance of a nutritional professional, they typically use an online calculator or try to cut calories without paying attention to the macronutrients within those calories. This can lead to issues controlling hunger, muscle loss, and disruptions in one’s metabolism, among other issues that result in unhealthy weight loss.
Thermic Effect of Food: Macro Breakdown
According to research done on how the body’s metabolism responds to different macronutrients, it was discovered that these compounds have a property known as TEF (or thermic effect of food).
This describes how the body burns a certain amount of calories from the energy it takes to digest the food. The TEF for each macronutrient is as follows:
Fat - 0-5%
Carbohydrates - 5-15%
Protein - 20-30%
As you can see, in addition to its hunger control properties, protein provides the biggest bump in your metabolism in comparison to the other macronutrients. We’ll talk more later about the best macro ratio for weight loss, but this is why protein tends to be a big focus.
That said, you also need carbs and fat in the proper proportions to support your body’s energy and nourishment which is why counting macros is important.
The Best Macro Ratio for Weight Loss
It’s important to note that there isn’t one macro distribution that fits all. However, based on the success of my clients, I have seen that the best macro ratio for weight loss is a 40-30-30 split.
For example, one of the most memorable client weight loss success stories was with a husband and wife. The wife lost a total of 27 pounds in 5 months, and the husband lost a total of 11 pounds in 4 months.
Female on a Macro Plan for Weight Loss
Male on a Macro Plan for Weight Loss
What Is 40 30 30 Macros?
When you set out to calculate macros for weight loss, 40 30 30 is the macro percentage to keep in mind. This means that out of your prescribed calorie goal, those calories should be coming from 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. Given what we’ve already discussed, this macro percentage for weight loss makes sense given the high proportion of protein which will work to help you manage your hunger and boost metabolism.
Best Macros for Weight Loss in a Male
Macros for weight loss may differ between genders as males and females have different hormonal profiles. While 40 30 30 is still the rule of thumb for everyone, regardless of gender, males may need more protein and carbs depending on how active they are and how much muscle mass they have.
For example, if they are seeking fat loss, but don’t want to lose their muscle while in a calorie deficit, a dietitian may decide to make the ratio of protein much higher.
Best Macros for Weight Loss in a Female
For a female, protein intake should still be high for weight loss. However, there may need to be a larger focus on fat intake, as studies have shown that consuming too little fat (which can happen if in a low enough calorie deficit) can affect estrogen production. This can lead to a host of problems such as disruptions in the menstrual cycle and even increased risk of osteoporosis.
How to Count Macros for Weight Loss
Nutrition facts labels are going to be your best friend when you start your journey in counting macros for weight loss. Grams of macros will always be listed on the label, but the tricky part is how to accurately calculate these macros based on the serving size you plan to eat. Here are some best practices on how to accurately measure your macros when you’re first learning common amounts:
Invest in a digital food scale to weigh food items whose serving sizes are measured in grams or ounces, such as meats and cheeses.
Use liquid measuring cups when consuming liquids like milk and juice and dry measuring cups to measure foods like rice, pasta, cereals, and beans.
Don’t forget to record “hidden foods” that are often forgotten about between preparation and consumption. Examples include the oil you add to the pan or the barbecue sauce on top of your finished meal.
Minimize the frequency of outside meals as these can be difficult to track.
To make this process easier, try meal prepping large batches of meals for the week. This way, you can do most of your tracking at once rather than three or more times each day.
If calculating all of the data you collect using the methods above seems too overwhelming, start with a try out a food tracker app to make the process more simple
Remember Balance Regardless of Macro Numbers
With all of this in mind, you still want to focus on balancing your meals. Some people get so caught up in the numbers of macronutrients, they forget about proper nutrition. Each meal should still have a carb source, a protein, and plenty of vegetables or fruits.
Then all you have to do is figure out the combination of foods you enjoy that fit both this format and your macros. A nutrition professional can help you with mapping out what this would look like.
The Bottom Line on the Best Macros for Weight Loss
While it is non-negotiable that you must be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, it can also be helpful to pay attention to the macros within that calorie goal in order to lose weight efficiently.
If you want to start counting macros for weight loss, prepare yourself with the proper equipment and game plan to set yourself up for success. It’s highly recommended to reach out to a registered dietitian who can perform an assessment. This will include a calculation of the best calorie goal for you, as well as your best macro ratio for weight loss.
It is also very important to only accept macro prescriptions from a registered dietitian. Personal trainers and health coaches have been known to provide this service with the best intentions. However, due to the health consequences that can occur if these macros are calculated incorrectly, especially in the presence of an undiagnosed health condition, these professionals are not within their scope of practice to calculate macros.
Luckily, with my background as both a personal trainer and registered dietitian, I can help provide the appropriate calorie and macro plan for you to achieve weight loss. If this is something that interests you, contact me today.
