If fat loss is your primary goal, figuring out total food intake is pretty simple.

Let’s say you have a target weight of 180 lbs. Multiply that number by 10 to get total daily calories. That’s 1800.

Next, prioritize protein (especially if you’re resistance training). A common recommendation is 1 gram per pound of the target weight, so that’s 180 grams of protein.

Cut that number in half to determine totals for carbs and fats. In this example, that’s 90 grams each.

Now let’s double-check our math:

180 grams of protein x 4 calories/gram = 720 calories.
90 grams of carbs x 4 calories/gram = 360 calories.
90 grams of fat x 9 calories/gram = 810 calories.
TOTAL CALORIES: 1,890

These are ballpark numbers, and of course there will be variables — specifically the amount and type of exercise you do as well as age and gender. But it’s an easy starting point. Of course, if you prefer lower-carb, you can simply increase the fat or protein to make up the difference. Likewise, if the protein amount is too much food to get down, or you prefer endurance activities to weights, you can cut that number by up to 20%.

Thanks for reading,
Dan

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