Many men struggle to achieve their physical goals, whether it's building muscle, losing weight, or improving athletic performance. The macro system offers a scientific and flexible solution to these challenges, allowing men to accurately determine their nutritional needs and customize their diet to achieve their goals faster and more effectively. In the following lines, Dalili Medical will review everything you need to know about the macro diet and how it can help men achieve their physical goals.

What is the macro diet?

 

The macro diet is one of the recommended diets for men. This system is based on calculating the amounts of the three major nutrients: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, in addition to distributing calories to each element, which are known as "macros". The macro system includes dividing daily calories into the following percentages: 10-35% proteins, 20-35% fats, and 45-65% carbohydrates.

Are macro meals healthy?

 

For many, macros or a flexible diet plan are an effective way to lose weight and achieve specific goals, especially for those who exercise. This system also does not rely on food deprivation, which increases the chances of a successful healthy diet without returning to overeating.

Why is nutrition so important?

 

Believe it or not, proper nutrition is just as important as your exercise. Although eating healthy may not directly increase your strength, it will better guide you towards achieving your goals. A balanced diet contributes to achieving many benefits, such as increasing energy levels, boosting your metabolic rate, and improving your endurance. By sticking to the recommended food groups, you will notice an improvement in the quality of your sleep and an increase in your ability to focus! Your nutrition directly affects your physical fitness.

What are the benefits of the macro diet?

 

The macro diet includes three essential nutrients that play a vital role in maintaining the body’s health and preventing disease, in addition to providing many other health benefits. These elements are:

1- **Protein in the macro system** The body needs to eat foods rich in proteins, as they contribute to building and repairing tissues and enhancing enzymatic reactions, in addition to strengthening the immune system. Protein can be obtained from sources such as meat, fish, nuts, and eggs.

2- **Fat in the macro system** Fats play an important role in storing the energy the body needs to perform daily tasks efficiently. It also contributes to protecting the nerves and balancing hormones, and helps in absorbing essential nutrients and maintaining body temperature. Healthy fats can be obtained from avocados, nuts, fatty fish, and meat.

3- **Carbohydrates in the macro system** Carbohydrates consist of sugar, starch, and fiber, which are essential elements to provide the body with the necessary energy. Healthy sources of carbohydrates include fruits, beans, oats, rice, pasta, and potatoes. So, if you are looking for a balanced diet, including these elements is essential.

**How ​​to calculate macros**

 

**Set your macro goals**To start tracking macros, you must first set your goals. Before you start tracking your ratios, analyze your diet and study the differences. Depending on your diet, you may have different macro needs.

Calculate the amount of calories you consume per day. Generally, men are advised to aim for 2,500 calories per day, while women are advised to aim for 2,000 calories. To get an accurate calorie goal, it is best to use a calorie calculator. This tool will help you determine your recommended goal by entering your height and weight.

**Setting Percentages** Now it’s time to use the calculator. You need to determine the appropriate amount of macronutrients for your diet. We recommend using our handy percentage calculator. Let’s say your daily goal is 2,000 calories. You should set your fat percentage between 20-30%.

What are the side effects of men adopting a macro diet?

 

Following a macro diet can exacerbate eating disorders, as it can often turn into an obsession with counting calories, limiting your food choices and potentially losing motivation to lose weight.

Macro Breakdowns Based on Goals?

 

**Macros for Building Muscle** When it comes to building muscle, protein is the most important nutrient. You should first determine the minimum amount of protein you need and start from there. It’s best to aim for between 0.7 and 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight if you’re looking to gain lean muscle mass. While getting the right amount of protein is important, it’s also important to take advantage of the other two macros. Carbohydrates provide the energy you need to perform well during exercise, while healthy fats help regulate hormones, metabolism, reproduction, and mood.

**Diet Recommendations**: The optimal ratio for gaining muscle is 40-50% protein, 20-40% carbohydrates, and 20-30% fat.

**Macros for Losing Fat** It may seem counterintuitive, but you don’t have to completely eliminate fat to start losing body fat. In fact, some optimal ratios of fat can be helpful in this context. The biggest challenge in losing fat is maintaining a calorie deficit. So, it’s important to create a meal plan that includes foods you love and that help you feel full.

**Eating meals high in protein** can help you feel full longer and help maintain muscle mass while you lose weight. On the other hand, carbohydrates can spike insulin levels, which increases hunger, which can be difficult when trying to stick toOr a diet.

**Diet recommendations:** To achieve fat loss, you should stick to a diet high in protein (40-50%), high in fat (30-40%), and low in carbohydrates (10-30%). This type of diet is similar to the famous "keto" diet, which has been very successful for many people who are overweight and obese.

**Maintenance Macros** You will enter the maintenance phase when you feel satisfied with your physical fitness. Maintenance means maintaining your current percentage of body fat while maintaining the same muscle mass.

The maintenance phase is the most "balanced" phase of your diet. The goal here is to continue your current exercise and lifestyle. In this phase, fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are all equally important.

**Diet recommendations:** To maintain your physical fitness, it is best to eat an equal portion of each type of macro (33-33-33). If you want to increase one macro, choose either protein or carbohydrates, which will enable you to continue building muscle and losing fat.

**Macro Splits Based on Your Body Type**After understanding how macros impact your fitness goals, it’s important to consider the role of your body type. Your body type helps determine your carb tolerance. Depending on your body type, you may need to adjust your carb to macro ratio.

There are three main body types: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. These types are broad, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself somewhere between “endo/meso” or “ecto/meso.”

Even if you decide you fall somewhere in the middle, these categories will help you understand which type of macronutrient split works best for you. You can always start with the type that best resembles you and adjust your diet as needed.

**Ectomorphs**Ectomorphs typically have a thin bone structure, a small frame, and a fast metabolism. Ectomorphs are generally considered lean and are often labeled in the fitness community as “hard gainers.”

Ectomorphs, on the other hand, have a harder time gaining weight and gaining muscle mass. However, they have a much easier time staying lean. Ectomorphs tend to need a higher percentage of carbohydrates to prevent muscle breakdown, requiring a higher overall calorie intake.

**Dietary Recommendations:** Ectomorphs should stick to the upper end of the carbohydrate range, which is between 30-60% of total calories. Higher percentages of carbohydrates will help promote muscle mass gains.

**Mesomorph** A mesomorph is a type of person with a muscular build. They often have strong, athletic bodies and well-defined muscles, as well as broader frames and dense bone structures. Mesomorphs typically have little difficulty gaining muscle or losing fat, although they do tend to gain fat more easily than other body types.

They can handle moderate levels of carbohydrates due to their high ability to store glycogen in their muscles. However, weight gain is likely to occur if carbs and calories are excessively high.

**Dietary Recommendations:** Mesomorphs do best when carbohydrates are between 20-50% of total daily calories. To promote fat loss, increase your protein and fat intake while decreasing your carbohydrate intake. To promote muscle growth, your macros should be more balanced. In both cases, fat should not exceed 40% of your diet.

**Endomorph** Endomorphs have a round or pear-shaped body, with short limbs and a stocky build, as well as a slower metabolism. People with an endomorph body shape can gain a lot of muscle, but they also tend to store more adipose tissue, making them more susceptible to fat accumulation. Since excess carbohydrates in their diet are converted to fat, eating large amounts of carbohydrates can make it difficult for them to achieve a lean body or lose weight.

**Dietary Recommendations:** Endomorphs should stick to a minimum carbohydrate intake of between 10-40%, with variations depending on specific goals. When looking to gain mass, it is recommended that carbohydrates make up 30-40% of the diet, while the average ratio (20-30%) is recommended when trying to maintain weight, and the lower range for fat loss is between 10-20%. The keto ratio is designed to suit the needs of endomorphs who are aiming to lose weight.

As with other body types, proteins and fats make up the rest of the calories, with 25-50% of total calories recommended to come from protein and 15-40% from fat.

When dividing macros according to your body type, you should start by determining the ratio of carbohydrates that works best for you. Once you have determined the amount of carbohydrates you will be eating, you can easily distribute protein and fat.

**How ​​to Calculate Macros for Weight Loss**

 

Macro calculations depend on several factors, such as age, size, and level of physical activity. Therefore, men who exercise need different amounts of carbohydrates and proteins compared to others. However, there are some general tips that you can follow when calculating macros:

1. **Determine your calorie needs** You can calculate your calorie needs using a calculator or through a body weight chart.

2. **Count your macros** Once you know how many calories you eat, you can use percentages to determine how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates you should eat each day, which requires some math.You can also save time by using a macro calculator. For example, if a woman eats 1,500 calories and exercises for half an hour most days of the week, she will need about 150 grams of carbohydrates, 112 grams of protein, and 50 grams of fat per day.