So, you’re ready to do it. You’ve done your research. You know the ins and outs. You’ve researched the foods you can eat. You know all about the benefits. Now, it’s time to get things rolling.
You’re ready to start the ketogenic diet.
(If you need a refresher on all things keto, check out our ultimate guide.)
Unlike the Paleo diet, the keto diet uses specific ratios of fats, protein, and carbohydrates (aka – macronutrients) to ensure you see success and meet your goals.
Your goals – this is exactly why a calculator like ours is incredibly helpful as your depart on your keto journey. We are all different – different shapes, ages, and sizes with different goals in mind.
By using our calculator, you will have an idea of exactly how much *you* need to eat to make sure that you’re on the right track to looking and feeling your best.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach.
How does this calculator work?
There are a variety of different formulas to calculate necessary macronutrients. We start this process by figuring out just how many calories you need in a day to maintain your weight. We do this by finding your basal metabolic rate using a formula called – the Mifflin – St Jeor Formula. Your basal metabolic rate is how much energy your body uses while at rest.
We then add this to the energy expenditure you select when asked about your physical activity level. This gives us your total daily energy expenditure – or TDEE.
What are your goals?
Next, we take into account your goals – whether that’s to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain. You have different options when it comes to your calorie surplus or deficit. A surplus means that your calorie intake will be above your TDEE to help you gain weight. A deficit means that you will below.
With our calculator, you can choose different percentages of a deficit or surplus depending on how quickly you want to gain or lose weight.
Body fat percentage and net carbs
Next – two important steps. Body fat percentage and net carbs.
Inputting your body fat percentage is a critical piece. This allows our calculator to more accurately determine what your TDEE is. There are a couple of ways to estimate your body fat percentage.
The first being a DEXA scan – a body composition x-ray that can usually be found in gyms or some doctor’s offices. This is the most accurate way to get a body fat percentage reading. Another option would be to use skinfold calipers. They can easily be bought on Amazon. If neither of these are options, using a visual estimator – this guide from Nerd Fitness is a great option.
Last piece – net carbs. What the heck are net carbs, you may be asking.
The easiest way to explain is by the following equation: Net Carbs = Total Carbs – Total Fiber
On the keto diet, your goal is to limit net carbs to 50 grams, or preferably lower, per day to reach ketosis. Starting with 30 may be good goal. When it comes to nutrition, this is a highly individualized topic – so you can start to think of yourself as a science experiment. It will take a while to find out what works best for you!
Voila – Your keto macros
Depending on what you choose for all of these options, the calculator gives you your daily calorie requirement broken down simply into your “macros” – carbs, fat, and protein amounts.
What’s next?
So you have your macros – what comes next?
Once you have your macros from our calculator, you can begin tracking your food. Using a food tracking app, such as Myfitnesspal or Cronometer, will be essential in making sure this happens. We also recommend investing in a digital food scale. This will allow you to most accurately track your food.
Tracking your food, counting your macros, and measuring your food is not essential for every day for the rest of your life. But we do recommend that you commit to this practice for at least 30 days.
Do you know what 16 grams of almond butter looks like?
If you haven’t tracked your food before, chances are you don’t. It takes a while to learn what certain amounts of food look like. And because we want our body to stay in ketosis (and that requires us to eat enough fat and limit our carbs), we need to be familiar with how much of certain foods to eat.
You’re ready!
Using this calculator is your first step in meeting your wellness goals. Now, you’re set and ready to start your keto journey!
Got questions for us? Be sure to drop us a comment and we’ll help you figure it out.
If you want to make keto even easier, be sure to keep an eye out for our keto meal plans – coming in 2019. If you want to be notified when we release these, sign up here (link).
You may also be interested in these resources:
Download Your FREE Paleo Starter Kit Today!
- 3-Day Paleo Diet Meal Plan
- Comprehensive Paleo Diet Shopping List
- 5 of Our Favorite Paleo Diet Recipes
