April 1, 2025
Truth is, fat loss is simple. It’s not easy by any means, but simple. It’s an equation with only two variables: calories in vs. calories out. Calories come in the form of 4 macronutrients, 3 of which are essential (protein, fats, and carbohydrates) and one is not (alcohol). Both protein and carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, while fats provide 9 calories per gram, and alcohol 7 calories per gram.
In order for your body to burn fat, you must intake less calories than your body requires to maintain its current weight. This can be found by taking your RMR (resting metabolic rate) and multiplying it by an appropriate activity modifier:
For example, if your RMR is estimated to be around 2,265 calories/day and you fit the description of “Moderately Active”, then your maintenance caloric intake would be calculated as 2,265 x 1.55 = 3,511 calories/day.
The recommended way to safely and sustainably lose fat is to consistently intake below your caloric maintenance level by a few hundred calories each day. All the while, continuing resistance training and prioritizing protein to build and maintain muscle mass.
Of the macronutrients, protein should be fixed at the necessary amount for your weight (~.9g/lb), then carbs and fats should be adjusted to fit within your calorie restrictions. Some people do better with higher fats and lower carbs, and some vice versa, so it’s worth some experimentation to see how you respond to each. As a good starting point, shoot for about 20-30% of your daily calories coming from fats (less than 10% saturated), then the rest from carbs and adjust from there.
Referring to our previous example; say you weigh 190 lbs and your maintenance caloric intake is 3,511 calories/day. For the sake of easy math, we’re going to shoot for 3,000 calories per day. Since the protein is non-negotiable, let’s start by calculating those calories. 190 x .9 = 171 grams of protein per day. Multiply that by the 4 calories/per gram, and that gives us 684 calories coming from protein, leaving us with 2,316 calories left. Next, let’s calculate fats. We’re going to shoot for ~25% of our total calories coming from healthy fats, so here comes the math: 3,000 x .25 = 750. 750/9 = 83 grams of fat per day. We’re now left to fill the remaining calories with carbs (and a bit of alcohol if you must, haha). So, assuming a no alcohol day, we’ll fill the remaining 1,566 calories with 392 grams of carbs, ideally mostly complex carbs that are minimally processed and high in fiber.
Here at Whole Man Health, we believe that most people’s health will drastically improve simply by increasing protein intake to or beyond the .9g/lb of bodyweight threshold, prioritizing whole foods high in nutrients, properly hydrating, and exercising consistently via resistance training and cardiovascular training. However, if you would like to dive deeper into the nuances of dieting for fat loss or muscle growth, we are happy to provide education and guidance.
*Each Whole Man Health member can find their estimated RMR in their client folder and within their DEXA report*
