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Ketogenic Calculator

Ketogenic Calculator

Updated Mar 14th, 2026 – Written by Craig Clarke

Starting on a ketogenic diet? Let’s calculate how much you should eat.
We use the information you put in to create an accurate keto nutrition profile for you.

  • What unit type do you prefer?

    METRIC

    IMPERIAL

  • Your gender

  • Height & weight
    • What is your height in centimeters?
    • What is your current weight in kilograms?
    • What is your height in feet?
    • and in inches?
    • What is your current weight in pounds?

  • Your age
    What is your current age?

  • Body fat percentage

    What is your body fat percentage?

    BMI and body fat are two different measurements. If you don't have calipers or a DEXA machine, use our guide to visually estimate body fat percentage.

    What is your body fat percentage?

  • ACTIVITY LEVEL

    How active are you on a daily basis?

    • Sedentary
      Not much activity with little to no exercise. Typically a desk job.
    • Lightly Active
      Daytime walking with less than 20 minutes exercise per day. Usually light strolls after meals.
    • Moderately Active
      A lightly active day job with physical labor or scheduled exercise (i.e. riding your bike to work or lifting a few times a week).
    • Very Active
      A very active day job (i.e. construction or industrial worker) or intense amount of exercise every day.

    • Add your own custom level

      If you use a heart rate monitor and want to input a specific calorie expenditure. The number you input will replace our calculations entirely.

      Note: This is for advanced users only.

  • DEFICIT / SURPLUS

    What are your end goals of a ketogenic diet?

    • Lose Weight
    • Maintain
    • Gain Muscle

    How much of a deficit do you want?

    %

    It's recommended to never go above a 30% calorie deficit. It's also recommended that you never go above a 15% calorie surplus. If you do, negative results may happen.

  • CARBS & PROTEIN

    How many carbs do you want to consume?

    It is highly recommended that on a ketogenic diet, you keep your carb intake to 5% or less of total calories. This works out to be an average of 20g net carbs a day.

    Net carbs.

    How much protein do you want to consume?

    Protein shouldn't be over-consumed on a ketogenic diet. If too much is eaten, it could lead to slower weight loss and smaller levels on ketones in the blood.

    • If you're sedentary, we suggest between 0.6g and 0.8g protein.

    • If you're active, we suggest between 0.8g and 1.0g protein.

    • If you lift weights, we suggest between 1.0g and 1.2g protein.

    g.
    Calculate

  • Your macros

    How much should you be eating per day?

    • 0 calories
    • 0 g fats
    • 0 g carbs
    • 0 g protein
    Based on your inputs, we suggest you eat: 0 calories. From those, 0g fats, 0g net carbs, and 0g protein

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How do I use your calculator to get my macros?

While inputting your information, you may find that some of the sections and terms are confusing. If this is the case for you, simply click the lower case “i” logo located near the title of each section of our keto calculator. After you click the lower case “i” logo, you will be directed to a brief explanation that should answer your questions.

If you are still unsure of how to use the keto calculator or if you think you aren’t getting the right keto macro numbers, read through the other Q&As and comments below, you will probably find the answer there.

If you still don’t find the answer, please submit a comment with the question and we will address it as soon as possible.

Why do you need my gender/age/height/weight?

Most people aim for a specific goal on a ketogenic diet. We aim to make sure the results of the calculator are accurate and can be used by anyone.

Our keto calculator uses the Mifflin-St.Jeor Formula which was the most accurate (versus the Katch-McCardle Formula or the Harris-Benedict Formula) in a few studies. In this formula, the gender, height, weight, and age are needed to calculate the number of calories to consume.

Why do you need my body fat percentage?

Our keto calculator uses body fat percentage to calculate your lean body mass. Using this number, we’re able to calculate how much protein you need to sufficiently lose weight without losing excess muscle. Eating too little or too much protein on a ketogenic diet (or any diet) can lead to dangerous or unwanted results.

DEXA scans are proven to be the most accurate measurement of body fat. They’re commonly available at gyms and some doctor offices when requested. If you don’t have access to this, you can always go the old-fashioned route and use a good quality caliper. The last resort is using a guide to visually estimate – this can sometimes be a little bit inaccurate, so try to over estimate your body fat percentage.

Why do you need to know my activity level?

This will give us an idea of how much the minimum amount of calories your body will burn in a day. Our keto calculator uses this to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). We use this number, along with your body fat percentage, to estimate how many calories you’ll need for your goals.

The BMR is simply a number of calories we burn while our bodies are at rest and from eating and digesting food. Together they form what’s known as TDEE, or total daily energy expenditure. This is the keto calculator’s estimate for your total calories burned per day. If you use a heart rate monitor or third party software to monitor your calories, you can use the custom input in the activity level section for an even more accurate macro profile.

What is a deficit/surplus?

A deficit or surplus just relates to the number of calories you want to intake. A surplus means you are eating more than your body needs. A deficit means you are eating less than your body needs.

Typically if you are losing weight, you want to have a deficit in calories. 10-20% is standard for people. 20-30% ranges are considered high deficits and are typically difficult to do (you will be fighting hunger). You can go up to a 30% deficit, but going past that can lead to metabolic damage in the long run (study).

Typically if you want to gain muscle, you want to have a surplus in calories. You need extra calories if you want to put on lean mass. Typically, 5-10% is suggested, but going over 10% can lead to excess weight gain.

Why should I eat so few carbs?

There are numerous benefits that are scientifically proven on the ketogenic diet. On keto, it’s a general rule of thumb to stay under 30g net carbs a day. We recommend for weight loss to stay at or below 20g net carbs a day.

The end goal of a ketogenic diet is to be in a metabolic state known as ketosis. We do this through starvation of carbohydrates.

How much protein should I be eating?

Protein intake is imperative when it comes to keto. Too much and you can lower your ketone levels, too little and you can lose excess muscle. You want to be in the sweet spot.

If you’re sedentary, we recommend having between 0.6g and 0.8g protein per pound of lean body mass.
If you’re active, we recommend having between 0.8g and 1.0g protein per pound of lean body mass.
If you want to gain muscle, we recommend having between 1.0g and 1.2g protein per pound of lean body mass. You should not need to consume more protein than that, according to these studies.

It can seem complicated, but it’s honestly not! It’s just a ratio of protein. If you are 100 lbs. of muscle and want to gain muscle (1.0g protein), you eat 100g protein.

If you’re still confused, don’t worry – the keto calculator automatically sets your protein based on your activity level.

I’m not sure about my macros, are they right?

Generally speaking, many people are concerned that the keto calculator results in too many calories to eat. It’s very common for the average person to lose weight on a 1600 calorie a day keto diet. If you’re not 100% sure or confused about anything, you can also read more about macronutrients on a keto diet >

You should try to eat according to the macros given and try to spread your meals out during the day. Don’t worry about getting exact numbers to the tee. You can afford a small fluctuation in your macros, but as long as you are close to your ranges, it will balance itself out.

If you’re just getting started and still want to learn more about keto, consider reading our extensive guide to keto >

Why do calories matter? Isn’t a keto macronutrient calculator useless if I am already limiting carbs?

After hearing about the keto diet and how it helps you burn fat, you may be wondering why we even have a keto calculator. According to many low carb diet proponents, all that really matters when it comes to losing fat is cutting the carbs — Isn’t this true?

High-quality research studies have been published on this specific topic, and the data clearly shows that – regardless if you are on a high carb or low carb diet — you will lose weight if you are in a calorie deficit and gain weight if you are in a calorie surplus. For a closer look at the research and why calories matter, check out this article.

Due to the irrefutable importance of calorie consumption for weight loss and weight gain, a keto macro calculator is one of the most valuable tools that you can use to increase your chances of diet success.

Do I have to use the keto macro calculator to get results?

Simply by eating keto foods and cutting out the carbs, most people will eat fewer calories than usual and start losing weight consistently. However, following the diet in this way can increase your likelihood of hitting a weight loss plateau and not knowing what to do next.

One of the most efficient and effective ways to diet is by using a macronutrient calculator, like the ruled.me keto calculator, as a guide for how much you should eat. It will provide you with estimates for the fat, protein, carbs, and calories you should consume each day to get the results you want.

To help you stay on track to meeting your macro needs, we recommend using a calorie tracking app like MyFitnessPal or Cronometer. If you’d like to learn how to use these apps for the keto diet, read through our carb (and calorie) tracking guide.

By using our keto calculator, you will find out how much of each macronutrient (i.e., fat, protein, and carbs) you need to eat so that you can:

  • Significantly increase your chances of getting the results you want
  • Enter and stay in ketosis
  • Stay on track with your keto diet (especially if you track your macros as well)
  • Stop guessing how much you should be eating
  • Enjoy all of the benefits of keto dieting and ketosis

What exactly do the results mean?

After you entered all of your data and calculated your macros, you will get results that look something like this:

Example results from the keto calculator

Let’s start with the calories. Simply put, a calorie is a basic unit of energy that helps us understand how much energy we can potentially get from the food we eat. Calorie intake is one of the most critical variables to be aware of when you are trying to change your body composition.

If you eat fewer calories than you need to maintain your weight (which is also known as a calorie deficit) then you will lose weight. Conversely, eating more calories than you need to maintain your weight (which is also known as a calorie surplus) will cause you to gain weight.

Notice that I am saying “weight” loss and “weight” gain rather than “fat” loss and gain. By manipulating your calorie consumption, you will predictably change the numbers on the scale, but whether or not those numbers reflect a strong bias toward fat loss depends on the other numbers from your keto macro calculator results.

Fat, muscle, and water can all be lost and gained during the course of your diet. The proportion of weight you lose as fat, muscle, and water depends heavily upon the macronutrient content of your diet (i.e., how much fat, protein, and carbohydrates you eat). If you’d like to learn more about the macronutrients, check out our guide to macros.

Depending on the info that you enter into our keto calculator, you will get different ratios of fat, protein, and carbs. In general, carbs should remain low because they will prevent you from entering into ketosis and getting all of the benefits of the keto diet. By limiting carb consumption to this degree, many people will lose a considerable amount of water weight as well.

Protein is essential for maintaining and gaining muscle mass. Eating less protein than recommended by our keto calculator will typically cause you to lose more muscle mass while eating the right amount of protein will help you maintain or gain muscle mass (as long as you are doing some form of resistance training as well).

While you are restricting carbs, your fat intake will be used as a lever to increase and decrease calorie consumption so that you can gain, maintain, or lose weight. If you are eating the right protein along with the right amount of calories and fat, then the percentage of the weight you lose from fat will increase.

To find out how many calories of each macronutrient you should eat, make sure you convert the macro numbers that you get from our keto calculator to calories first. Here are the conversions for each macronutrient to make it easier for you:

  • 1 gram of carbs = 4 calories
  • 1 gram of protein =4 calories
  • 1 gram of fat= 9 calories

My protein is higher than my fat recommendation. What should I do?

You may notice that the percentage of grams of protein you have to eat is much higher and fat is a lot lower than the percentages that are typically recommended for keto. This can happen for two reasons:

  1. You didn’t convert grams to calories. You must convert the grams of fat and protein to calories and then calculate your macronutrient percentages. Calorie percentages, not gram percentages, are what the recommended keto percentages are based on. Usually, once you account for the fact that one gram of fat has five more calories than one gram of protein the calorie percentages will end up being what you expect from a typical keto diet.
  2. Your goals and activity levels require you to eat more protein. Even after you convert grams to calories, you may find that your suggested protein intake is high (above 30%) and fat is a bit low for keto (less than 60%). This commonly happens for keto dieters who lift weights and won’t impair your progress with the keto diet.

The only problem that high protein intake can cause, however, is lower levels of ketone production. If this is the case for you and you want to maintain a higher level of ketosis, then try decreasing your protein intake to the lower end of the recommended range or restricting carbs a bit more.

In general, as long as you are restricting carbs enough and eating the right amount of protein for your body composition goals and activity levels, you should be able to get all of the benefits of the keto diet — even if your macro percentages don’t fit precisely into the recommended keto percentages.

Why does your keto calculator only calculate net carbs?

Total carbs is not a precise indicator of the carb content of a food. When you see “total carbs” on a food label, the number beside it represents the cumulative total of grams of dietary fiber, sugar, and sugar alcohol that are in that food item or beverage. Net carb content, on the other hand, relates to the carb content of the food that is digested at four calories per gram and impacts your ketones levels.

By giving you your suggested carb consumption in net carbs, we are providing you with the most direct way of knowing how many carbs you need to eat to enter ketosis. Any dietary fiber or sugar alcohol that is added on top of that will usually have a little to no direct effect on your ketone levels and body composition.

For example, if we told you to eat 50 total carbs rather than 20-30 grams of net carbs, you could be eating anywhere between 0 and 50 grams of net carbs. At 0 grams of net carbs, most people will get into ketosis within the first week and experience deeper levels of ketosis as the weeks progress. On the other hand, while eating 50 grams of net carbs per day, many people will struggle to get into ketosis and sustain higher ketone levels.

By following a strict net carb limit, you will know exactly what you need to eat to get into ketosis reliably and what variable you should change if you want to stimulate more ketone production.

(Note: If you live in Europe, Australia, or Oceania, the carb content on the label reflects the net carbs in a serving of that food, so you will not have to subtract fiber from that number because it already has been done.)

Does your calculator have a fiber intake option?

Our keto calculator will only tell you your suggested carb, fat, and protein intake. The general recommendation for fiber intake is 14 grams per 1,000 calories consumed. The simplest way to meet your daily fiber needs are by eating more low carb vegetables, having some keto bread with your meals, or taking fiber supplements.

If you find that your fiber needs are difficult to meet with your current net carb limit, then simply eat enough fiber so that you have regular bowel movements one or more times a day.

What should I do after I use your keto macro calculator?

Once you get an estimate for your keto macros with our keto calculator, we recommend checking out our keto guide, keto recipes, keto food list, carb tracking guide, and our other keto blog posts.

Click on this link to check out our keto recipe catalog (with new keto recipes added every week). This will give you a good idea of what you can eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert while you are keto dieting. I also suggest checking out our keto food list so you have a better idea of what you should and shouldn’t eat.

Once you know what you will be eating on keto, you will probably be wondering how much of you should eat for each meal. Since meal size depends on the individual and his/her goals, we recommend using a calorie tracking app and our carb tracking guide to help you figure out the macronutrient content of your meals. As you track your macros, you will be able to figure out what adjusts you need to make to your diet to reach your goals.

How do I meet my macros with a ketogenic diet?

The simplest way to meet your macros is by cutting out non-keto foods and eating keto-friendly foods. Here’s a brief food list for you to start with:

Do Not Eat

  • Grains – wheat, corn, rice, cereal, etc.
  • Sugar – honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.
  • Fruit – apples, bananas, oranges, etc.
  • Tubers – potato, yams, etc.

Do Eat

  • Meats – fish, beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, etc.
  • Low Carb Vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, and other low carb vegetables >
  • High Fat Dairy – hard cheeses, high fat cream, butter, etc.
  • Nuts and seeds – macadamias, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
  • Avocado and berries – raspberries, blackberries, and other low glycemic impact berries
  • Sweeteners – stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and other low-carb sweeteners >
  • Other fats – coconut oil, high-fat salad dressing, saturated fats, etc.

To see more specific advice on how to meet your macros on keto, click here for a comprehensive keto food list. Or, if you want a different idea of how to get to these macro calculations, you can also see our 14 Day Keto Diet Plan for ideas.

If you are looking for more specific suggestions on how to meet your protein and/or fat needs on keto, we will explore that in greater detail in the next two questions.

How do I reach the protein intake level that was recommended?

The easiest way to meet your protein needs is by making sure you are consuming a good protein source at each meal. Here is a list of some of the most common protein sources you can add to your keto meals:

  • Wild Caught Fatty Fish
  • Shellfish
  • Whole Eggs
  • Red Meat
  • Pork
  • Poultry
  • Organ Meat
  • Other Less Common Meats
  • Bacon and Sausage (without any added sugar, maltodextrin, or dextrose)
  • Nut Butter
  • Higher Protein Cheeses
  • Low Carb Protein Powders

Most keto dieters will be able to meet their protein needs with 2-3 keto meals that contain one or more of these protein sources. If keto recipes aren’t enough to help you meet your protein needs, all you need to do is add one of the high protein foods from the list above.

Here are a couple of examples:

To add as much protein as possible with minimal calories and fat:

  • Add an unflavored protein powder to your keto sauce or dressing. (caution: this may change the thickness of your sauce or dressing)
  • Add white meat chicken, turkey, or other lean meats or fish to your meal.
  • Have egg whites with your meal.
  • Make a quick protein shake with a low carb protein powder.

To add extra protein and fat to your meal:

  • Add higher fat meats like bacon, sausage, and fattier cuts of meat to your meals.
  • Have whole eggs with your meal.
  • Add extra high protein cheese (e.g., parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese) to your meal.
  • Have some high protein nuts and nut butters (e.g., almond butter, peanut butter).

For more high protein and/or high fat keto meal ideas, check out our keto recipes. Dishes that feature seafood or meat will typically have the highest protein content.

How do I eat all of the fat that the keto calculator recommends?

When you are first starting the keto diet, eating so much fat may seem like a daunting task.

How are you supposed to consume all of that fat and enjoy it at the same time? By knowing what keto-friendly options are available to you.

Here are some high-fat keto foods that you can eat to meet your fat needs:

  • Fatty Fish
  • High-fat Meats (such as pepperoni and bacon)
  • High-fat Cheese (like mascarpone and cream cheese)
  • Animal Fat (non-hydrogenated)
  • Lard
  • Tallow
  • Avocados
  • Egg Yolks
  • High-fat Nuts (like macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, and pecans)
  • Butter/Ghee
  • Mayonnaise
  • Coconut Butter
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Olive Oil
  • Coconut Oil
  • Avocado Oil
  • Macadamia Oil
  • MCT Oil
  • Heavy Cream
  • Sour Cream
  • Fat Bombs

To meet your macros most efficiently, try combining high protein with high-fat foods or have foods that are both high in protein and fat at every meal. For example, having a fatty fish or fatty cut of meat with high-protein cheese (and low carb vegetables) is a simple and easy way to have a keto-friendly meal that will help you meet your protein and fat needs. On the other hand, if you just want to increase your fat intake, then find ways to add oil, animal fats, butter, fat bombs, and/or high-fat cheeses to your meals or snacks.

Here are some specific examples for you:

To add more fat and protein to your meals:

To add as much fat as possible to your diet:

For more high fat and/or high protein keto meal and snack ideas, check out our keto recipes.

How do I track my net carbs?

The simplest way to make sure you are limiting carbs enough is by using an app like Cronometer that calculates net carbs for you.  In our guide to carb tracking on keto, we teach you how to configure Cronometer (and MyFitnessPal) for keto diet success.

You can also track net carbs by calculating them yourself and adding them up throughout the day. If you need help finding the net carbs in the foods you are eating, read through this quick post.

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Leave a Comment ↓

Comments

  1. Dan Christie says
    June 11, 2014 at 6:06 pm

    WOW thanks for the quick response. Still nothing though. I tried at work last night and at home now. I can do all other steps just nothing in the Energy Exp. IDK maybe i have 2 bad computers lol.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      June 11, 2014 at 6:08 pm

      Sure! May I ask what internet browser you are using? I just tried through my phone, my computer, and my laptop and all of them worked. So I’m not sure what would be going on.

      I tested via android browser (based on chrome), chrome, and firefox. I don’t have internet explorer on any of my computers, though.

      Reply
  2. Dan Christie says
    June 11, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    Explorer…… i will try with a diffrent browser. Thank you again for the quick response.

    Reply
  3. Dan Christie says
    June 11, 2014 at 6:42 pm

    Yep it was the browser. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

    Reply
  4. nick says
    June 13, 2014 at 10:36 pm

    so i have lost 30lbs in past 3 months with this and love it! i want to use the ketogenic diet to build muscle now and it states i need to eat 314g of fat a day! i dont think that is feasible without eating too many saturated fats or too much omega 6. when i was eating alot of omega 6, i was getting joint pain.

    any suggestions on attaining that much fat a day???

    Reply
    • Craig says
      June 14, 2014 at 6:48 am

      Nick,

      I would gauge first to see how your body feels and if you do need that much fat. Sometimes with exercise the calculator can overestimate some. Specifically depending on what you choose as the options.

      To get that much fat without getting the large amount of omega 6’s, you could specifically focus on saturated fats. Coconut oil, olive oil, butter, animal fats, etc. This will help out with balancing the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.

      Reply
  5. Tammy says
    June 17, 2014 at 10:21 am

    Hi Craig! You’ve been very helpful to me as I am a beginner. I, like many others, did the calculator and came up with the following:
    I weight about 141 pounds and am 5’3. I used a calculator to figure out that my fat percentage is, I think 24.97%. I would love to lose between 15 – 20 pounds. What is a macro? Is that the protein?

    1857 kcal daily calorie intake
    20 g Net Carbs
    63 g Protein
    169 g Fat

    I also work out about three times a week. Nothing major: swimming, walk/run, etc. I can do the carb count. That is easy to figure out, but the macros is what confuses me. I just wanted to confirm that macros is protein. Is the calculator usually pretty accurate when trying to lose weight? I would love to get past this weight which I’ve been at forever. Even after having four kids, my body always seems to end of around 140! 🙂

    Thank you for helping me and so many others get healthy!

    Tammy

    Reply
  6. Niraj says
    June 19, 2014 at 6:41 pm

    Hi Craig

    Thanks for a great site and all the amazing info. I will be starting the diet next week and just getting everything sorted out so would appreciate it if you could kindly look at my calculations to see if I am on the right track.

    Age: 40
    Weight: 96kg
    Height: 174cm
    Body fat: 40% (estimate)
    Activity Level: Sedentary but will be walking for 45min daily and doing sit ups, push ups and squats daily as well.

    My goal is to lose 16kg by the second week of December this year which will brig me down to 80kg (man those were good days when I was 80kg…:-)). My calculations say that my daily cal intake should be 1634kcal with 20g crab, 76g protein and 139g fat… are these correct?

    Thanking you in advance.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      June 19, 2014 at 9:38 pm

      Hey Niraj,

      I calculated these:
      1736 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
      20 g Net Carbs (5%, 80 kcal)
      89 g Protein (20%, 356 kcal)
      144 g Fat (75%, 1300 kcal)

      Just based on the fact that you’re going to be doing some walking and exercise, I figure using a slightly small deficit and adding in a bit of protein will help.

      Reply
      • Niraj says
        June 20, 2014 at 12:29 am

        Thank you for the prompt response Craig. I just have a couple more questions…

        I am taking the family Disneyland in December and there is a very good chance that I might fall off the wagon for a week or two.

        Will my body get out of ketosis totally? Even if I continue to exercise regularly…
        Will the weight come back on twice as fast?
        Will I ever be able to eat rice and bread etc freely?

        Thanks in advance again.

        Cheers

        Reply
        • Craig says
          June 21, 2014 at 12:53 am

          Sure thing – and sorry for the late response with this one. If you fall off the wagon for even 1 day, it will knock you out of ketosis. Though with exercise you can quickly get back in – this won’t be the case with a 1-2 week splurge on carby foods. I suggest trying to pre-pack some snacks to hold you over, but if all else fails you’d have been on this diet for a long time so you’ll have gained a lot of the benefits from it 🙂

          Putting weight back on is really in your own control – if you stop eating this way, then it’s up to you to keep nutrients proper. If you binge eat carbs again, I won’t say that you won’t put weight back on, because you probably will.

          You can transition back out of this diet and eat carbs/rice/bread again – but you might notice how horrible you actually feel eating these foods after spending a good amount of time on this diet (seriously, we evolved on fats – so it’s good for us). A lot of people transition out of keto to go to a Paleo diet, which is less restrictive on carbs and more focused on eating whole/real foods.

          Hope that helps!

          Reply
          • Niraj says
            June 23, 2014 at 3:01 am

            Thanks for that Craig.

            Just one last query mate… If I did take a break from the diet 2 or 3 times a year, and then went back onto it will I be doing any harm to my body? The breaks would be no longer then a week at a time.

            You see I take a couple of trips away every year for my parent’s birthdays etc were the whole family gathers and… well lets just say I seem to go on a seefood diet…. where I see food and eat it.

            Is there any danger in my body going into ketosis and out 2 or 3 times a year?

            Cheers

          • Craig says
            June 23, 2014 at 2:34 pm

            I mean that kind of depends on a lot of factors. The foods you eat will impact how you feel – so you may not even want to go off the diet. But there isn’t any “real” danger of going off the diet a few times a year – at least nothing significant compared to staying on a high carb/processed food diet.

  7. Sim says
    June 22, 2014 at 7:02 pm

    Hi Craig –

    Thanks for the awesome calculator. I gave birth 13 months ago and was able to drop all the pregnancy weight and an extra 15 lbs through nursing (apparently, it puts you in a keto state if done amply). Since weaning my child, I have gained 10 lb (sedentary lifestyle + persistent sugar cravings). I am 5’2″ and now at 115 lbs. I would like to shed 10 lbs. Is there any way to target weight loss? All my weight resides in the abdominal area (belly bulge and love handles)….is there a carb:fat:protein ratio that will target belly fat specifically?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Craig says
      June 23, 2014 at 2:34 pm

      Fat loss is never really “targetted”. Of course you can target muscle growth in certain areas, but fat loss will usually happen all around the body. It’s just up to you to stick with it until you look how you want.

      Reply
  8. kathy says
    June 24, 2014 at 5:29 pm

    Hello Craig, I was wondering if these macros seem right to you. I am currently 257lbs and 62.25 inches tall. I used the calculator that was suggested to find my body fat percentage and the result was 66.4%. So my macros would be 1230 calories, 20 carbs, 52 protein and 105 fat.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      June 24, 2014 at 5:32 pm

      As long as your bodyfat % is correct, then yes – those macros are correct. Since you have a decent amount of weight to lose (a lot of it is body fat, so you can afford a larger deficit than most), you will need to recalculate your macros in 10 pound increments. Every time you lose 10 lbs, try to redo your macros to see what you need (it should increase as you lose body fat).

      Reply
      • kathy says
        June 24, 2014 at 5:34 pm

        Thank you Craig.

        Reply
        • Craig says
          June 24, 2014 at 5:35 pm

          Sure thing Kathy! 🙂

          Reply
          • Kathy says
            June 24, 2014 at 9:53 pm

            I just finished filling in MFP and it said that I am eating too few calories and that I will not be able to get the nutrition that I need and will go into starvation mode. Should I be concerned?

          • Craig says
            June 24, 2014 at 10:07 pm

            I would make sure that your bodyfat % is correct, because that plays a huge calculation in the way your calories are calculated. 66.4% seems quite high for someone your weight, so I would double check with that to make sure it’s correct first if you are worried.

          • kathy says
            June 24, 2014 at 10:44 pm

            I recalculated and got 64.6%. It’s really hard to get a hip measurement when I have a big old stomach apron hanging in the way. I think I will just go with 60% which will give me 1390 calories, 61 protein, 118 fat and of course 20 grams or less of carbs. Also, I am 61 years old and 62.25 inches tall and very sedentary. I hope I will be able to lose weight at this level.

          • Craig says
            June 24, 2014 at 11:53 pm

            Sounds good Kathy. At 60% body fat, you will have a large amount of fat stores to dig into for energy, so I wouldn’t worry if MFP says you’re in starvation mode. If you feel absolutely starving, then eat more – bottom line. If you feel as though you’re okay – then keep with it 🙂

  9. sarah says
    June 27, 2014 at 7:34 am

    Hi Craig, loving the site and the books. I’m into my 8th week, started at 198lbs and down to 180lbs so far. im losing between 1 to 2 lbs a week.

    Do you think my levels are correct or do i need to tweak… Im 38, 5ft 3″, 180lbs, 1400calories, carbs 18g, fat 93g, protein 122g. i dont do any exercise but i do have a 1 year old and 5 year old so quite active with them.

    Thanks for your help.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      June 29, 2014 at 2:08 pm

      Sarah, I can’t tell without knowing your bodyfat%, but it sounds close to about right. You may need to increase calories slightly as you lose some weight so just double check on that.

      Reply
      • sarah buck says
        August 22, 2014 at 3:07 am

        Thanks Craig, body fat is 33% and now down to 171lbs, i’ve increased my calories to 1510 and my fat 76, protein 126 that’s as close as i can get on mfp to 5%. 18%. and 76%.

        I seem to be a little stuck as not lost for a couple of weeks but loving the lifestyle and i’ll keep at it.

        Thanks again.

        Reply
  10. op says
    June 28, 2014 at 12:15 am

    I weigh 153 lbs. work out 3 time a week. 2 days primarily of compound movements with moderate to heavy weight, and a total body circuit day. If i follow the calcs i am reducing my protein from my usual diet of about 130 – 150 grams daily. Should i keep my protein high on work out days (say .8 or .9g/lb of lean body mass)? and .6 on days i’m not working out or just always on the higher side? I think i’ve been in ketosis for a few days now but i feel flat and flabby how long before i see measureable results?

    Reply
    • Craig says
      June 28, 2014 at 12:55 pm

      It will take a few weeks to see results from keto, but you have to be strict with yourself if you are going to commit to it. As for your protein, I would aim for a 0.9 – 1.1g protein per pound of lean body mass during work out days 🙂

      Reply
      • op says
        July 6, 2014 at 9:19 am

        thanks craig. ok one more question how many grams of protein per meal should i not exceed?? i read some things on the internet that say if you eat too much protein per sitting you get kicked out of keto. again i’m 153 lbs, and work out 3 times per week.

        Reply
        • Craig says
          July 6, 2014 at 9:24 am

          I’ve read articles that say to not exceed 29g protein, I’ve read articles that say don’t exceed 35g protein, and I’ve read articles that include IF and say that it doesn’t matter as much as some people think. If you’re having a huge problem with losing weight, then I would suggest trying to not go over 35g protein per meal – but if you’re not having a huge problem and you’re doing IF at the same time, I wouldn’t worry too much about it 🙂

          Reply
  11. Indira says
    June 29, 2014 at 1:17 pm

    Hi, I’m a newbie on keto diet. I’ve been on regular diet for 18 months already ,I’ve los 130+pounds by now; however, my current goal it’s to get rid of my fat and get a leaner and toned look. Im tring to calculate the necessary macros to get in ketosis. Im 5’6″,165lbs, very active (i do circuit training and heavy lifting 5-6 days a week) please help ! 🙂

    Reply
    • Craig says
      June 29, 2014 at 2:01 pm

      Indira, you just need to read the instructions above each section and then fill in your information. You’ll need to enter weight, bodyfat %, protein ratio, and exercise.

      Reply
  12. Kathy says
    July 4, 2014 at 1:56 pm

    Hi Craig….I’m confused about something, I’ve been following a keto diet for a couple of months now at a macro ratio of 5% carb, 65% fat and 30% protein. This seems to be the standard for the keto diet. When I input my numbers into your calculator it tells me I need 17% protein and 78% fat. I don’t understand why it’s such a huge discrepancy, wouldn’t that much fat be an issue? (when I did the calculations I was 173 lb, bodyfat of 37%, little exercise (just walking the dog)) People are saying that your calculators are the best they’ve seen on the web and I would tend to believe that (especially since I have your recipe books which are amazing) but I’m hesitant to change my macros because I don’t really understand why there’s such a huge difference. Thanks!!!

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 4, 2014 at 2:00 pm

      Kathy,

      The ketogenic diet is relatively muscle sparing, so you don’t need to eat too much protein in order to preserve muscle mass. Excess protein will just be converted into glucose (which you don’t want) by the process of gluconeogenesis. So, you don’t want to have too much protein in your body, otherwise your body will create glucose and your blood ketone levels will go down. 30% is quite high protein for keto, though. Normally the 20-25% is more of a “normal” range but 15-20% is more of the “weight loss” standard if exercise isn’t in the equation.

      Reply
      • Kathy says
        July 4, 2014 at 2:56 pm

        Thank you so much for that explanation, that makes perfect sense! I’ll adjust my macros in MFP to show the new calculations (and watch the weight melt away, right? lol) Thanks!!

        Reply
  13. Amy says
    July 5, 2014 at 9:29 am

    Hello,

    Just a little concerned about the numbers I’m getting off the keto calculator and want to get your recommendations. I am 5’9″ 145 and 19-20% BF (I think) and have been at a weight loss plateau for 2.5 months with IIFYM and 1750 kcal/day. I lift 3 days per week (full body), Run 25 mi/week, 5 days functional training x 1 hour (step mill 30min, row 10 min, various resistance exercises to strengthen shoulders and knees), 4-5 hours HIIT per week. This has been my routine 2+ years and I split everything into morning and evening workouts. My goals are not weight loss per se, but dropping body fat and controlling anxiety (which is MUCH worse with sugars). I do not wish to add more muscle mass at this time and would be okay with some muscle loss.
    The keto calculator puts me up around 2900 kcal/day which is much higher than any other calculator I’ve used. My body appears very efficient with calories but am curious about the concept of “metabolic damage” and have tried eating at maintenance only to rapidly gain weight. What do you recommend?

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 6, 2014 at 9:22 am

      Amy,

      What you can do is instead of using both the activity level AND filling in the amount of exercise you do, is just to use the activity level by itself (don’t fill in the actual hours you exercise unless you know exactly how much you do via heart rate monitor). This should reflect a better number for you. If you feel like that’s enough for your body then no big deal. But, if you’re feeling tired, hungry, and lacking energy a lot – then I suggest increasing the calories.

      Reply
  14. Candypoetrygirl says
    July 7, 2014 at 10:06 am

    Stumbled onto your website via Pinterest and downloaded the 30-day plan!
    I am so excited to get started!
    Thank you for the keto calculator because I do worry about macronutrients and filling in my very complex looking weight chart weekly.

    I just read you a few hours ago but i am already thankful for all your hard work!

    Grazie!

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 7, 2014 at 11:20 am

      Glad to hear Candy! I try my hardest to bring as much information to the table as I can with my knowledge 🙂 Thank you for the awesome feedback!

      Reply
  15. Brooke says
    July 7, 2014 at 9:15 pm

    Hi Craig,

    Your site is great! buuuut I’m still confused on whether or not my macros are correct. Can you help me out?

    Reply
  16. Vera says
    July 9, 2014 at 8:59 pm

    I am currently on a very low calorie diet offered by my doctors office. It is described by the doctor as a ketogenic diet. It is about 108 grams protein, 40 grams carb, about 24 grams fat, and 800 calories a day. I have lost 14 pounds in one month but I can no longer afford to be on the program and quite honestly I am hungry and I miss real food. I do want to stay on a ketogenic diet though and I found your website. I weigh 185 and I am 5’4″ with about 37% body fat. I put in a 25% deficit and my macros are

    1383 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
    20 g Net Carbs (6%, 80 kcal)
    67 g Protein (19%, 266 kcal)
    115 g Fat (75%, 1037 kcal)

    That is a big difference from what i have been consuming. Does that seem like good numbers? Should I do anything special to transition or just switch over? I was wondering if a 2 day fat fast would help. I tested for ketosis while I have been on this vlcd and the strips only read a small amount of ketones, and I have no clue if I am truly in ketosis or if I’m losing weight due to the large calorie deficit.

    I did low carb when I was 19 and lost 100 pounds in less than a year very easily. Now that i am almost 30 with a very stressful job with long hours I struggle with doing a low carb diet on my own. I think having these set numbers to follow will help, along with strict planning and no cheating. Thank you for your awesome website with great info and recipes.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 10, 2014 at 3:28 pm

      That kind of diet will put you in ketosis, but it won’t be nutritional ketosis. You will most likely lose weight because of the huge calorie deficit, but you will also create damage to your metabolism.

      I suggest that you start at a 30% deficit, and over the next month work your way up in calories to a 20% deficit. This way, your metabolism takes some time to repair itself and you don’t pack on pounds while you do it. The macros there look fine to me (seeing as keto is a high fat diet), but I would suggest working your way up and even higher in calories than that. 25% deficit is still quite large, so you should want to work towards a 20% deficit.

      The fat fast wouldn’t make a big difference, I would suggest doing a regular eating schedule so that your metabolism can begin repairing itself – 800 calories is very low so don’t expect very quick weight loss in the beginning.

      Staying strict is definitely key. I think you’ll find a ton of awesome recipes on the site – and I also have a meal plan you can download for free if you can’t afford to donate a few bucks for it. If you have any more questions feel free to post! Thanks for stopping by and hope to see more of you around 🙂

      Reply
      • Vera says
        July 13, 2014 at 12:08 pm

        Thank you so much for the reply and support. Your love for this lifestyle and passion for helping others is very apparent throughout your site. I have a feeling I will we stopping by daily 🙂

        Reply
        • Craig says
          July 13, 2014 at 12:10 pm

          Thank YOU for the kind words and encouragement 🙂 I do my best to try to help people, and I’m just really glad it’s going so well!

          Reply
  17. Twins says
    July 15, 2014 at 6:07 am

    Hey, I’m here to thank you for all the good job. I’m really enjoying my life with this keto-diet. Everything is new again as I can eat what I love without any guilt. I’ve been on a LCHF for 2months but I started using your calculator about a week and 2days ago. I immediately started having headaches and other symptoms I never had for those two months on LCHF, maybe that’s because I wasn’t really on a very low carb.
    I weigh 167lbs, 29%bf, 5f6″ female. I workout 5-6days a week, otherwise I’m quite sedentary. I have stop feeling the headaches as I was drinking about 3-4litres of water with1tsp of sea salt to stay normal. I have been very strict with my self on 11g net carbs, 72g protein and 142g fat. I am beginning to feel like I’m not losing any fat because my measurements did not change. Usually on my former diet my measures change weekly with a half inch on every measurement which I was ok with. I just wanted something very quick, much enjoyable and easy that’s why I started this. How long will it take to see results or am I doing something wrong. I feel fatter. I’ll appreciate your advice

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 16, 2014 at 12:39 am

      On your previous diet, how many calories were you eating a day? If it was a low amount then there may be some metabolic damage. It is pretty common for people that go into a normal calorie range to gain a little weight first and then, once they equalize, start losing again.

      Reply
  18. Twins says
    July 15, 2014 at 4:14 pm

    I want to thank you for your concern for everyone out there. You are really kind because many other sites like yours don’t get to answer questions as quick as you do. Thanks again.
    I’m a female 166lbs, 29%bf, 5f6″. I’ve been on this diet for a week plus. I’m happy with everthing so far. I started low carb( in a different way) since 2months now and I’ve lost 8lbs so far. I later found out about ketosis and I’m giving the keto-diet a try. I want to get done to 145lbs so I ve over 20lbs to lose.
    Presently I eat an average of 1650cals, 142g fat, 71g protein and 11g net carbs. I’ve not lost a pound since I began. Pls I’m I doing something wrong. I workout 5-6days a week. I do HIIT workouts for an average of 45minutes. Aside from this I’m totally sedentary.
    Pls advice. When will I start to see changes. Can I up my carbs after the first two weeks and lastly can I eat fried plantain and low sugar fruits( berries and tart kiwi).

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 16, 2014 at 12:53 am

      I answered your question before, but now you have given some more information. I would say your calories may be too low, and your protein may also be too low if you’re doing HIIT. Try for a larger calorie range (bring your activity level up) and a protein ratio of 0.8g.

      I would not suggest carbing up after the first 2 weeks because that would pretty much subtract all the work you’ve put into it. You want to become fat adapted, and this can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks – which takes time. If you start introducing fruits and higher gylcemic carbs into this, then it will work against the progress you’ve gained. I would suggest staying away from fruits and other things if you plan to take this seriously (at least until you become fat adapted).

      Reply
  19. Ayush says
    July 17, 2014 at 6:38 am

    Craig,

    I am 120 kgs and I workout 6-7 days a week. I do cardio 10 mins followed by weight training. One body part per day.
    After weigh training I do 30 minutes of hard cardio again.

    I plan of doing 20/4 IF with Keto Diet.

    I am starting this lifestyle tomorrow. My friend is already following this type of a lifestyle with a carb cycle once every 4 weeks or so.

    The thing that I am fearing most is that if I do a calorie deficit of 700-1000 calories, and eat 70-90 gms of protein with more fat and 25 gms of carbs basically eat 1200 calories in below division.
    35 % of calories from FAT
    45 % of calories from Protien
    18 % of calories from Fibre
    2 % of calories from Fat

    I am just worried of long term health risks if I eat like this and fast as both IF and High Protein Low Carbs Diet are said to have ketosis as a general characteristic.

    I am worried Keto has following disadvantages:

    1. Studies show long-term, low-carb diet may damage the metabolism, particularly when combined with a low calorie diet and excessive cardio exercise.
    2. Very Restrictive Diet
    3. Possible stress on the kidneys, environmental and energy-resource unsoundness, and monotony
    4. Nausea, Vomiting, Bad Breadth, Odorous Urine
    5. Dizziness
    6. Headaches
    7. Loss of Calcium
    8. Loss of Muscle
    9. Cardiac arrhythmias
    10. Liver Problems

    I have read KETO is very popular, nevertheless, may have undesirable effects on health.

    I want to start KETO with If to lose weight for an event in 8 weeks.

    Kindly reply soon
    Kindly reply or email at [email protected]

    Regards
    Ayush

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 17, 2014 at 10:36 am

      Ayush,

      There is a huge difference between being fat adapted through ketosis and forcing yourself into ketosis through (pretty much) starvation. Yes, eating high protein and extremely low calorie with put you in ketosis, but this is not the point of this website. This website shows how to attain nutritional ketosis (and eventual fat adaption that follow with it). Ketosis from a nutritional perspective is not a diet that you severely reduce calories on. Actually, given that you exercise so much, you’d be looking at like 1600+ calorie range. But, your percentages are skewed. You don’t need that much extra protein from cardio alone (only for the weight lifting), so you can use the calculator to add in a 0.8 or 0.9g protein ratio.

      1. Yes, all long term severely reduced calorie diets will cause metabolic damage. This is not the point of keto.
      2. It’s not that restrictive when you’re eating 70-80% calories from fats. Actually, you get a lot of options.
      3. The protein in the diet you mention can put stress on the kidneys. There is a slight strain on the kidneys in keto, but drinking proper amounts of water would clear that up/
      4. Nausea and vomiting and not all that common on keto. Bad breath and smelly urine are, though, because you are expelling unused ketones in the form of acetone.
      5. This is common with a severely restricted calorie diet.
      6. Headaches are common in the first week, but if you drink salt and take a multi, then you will most likely replenish your electrolytes and not have such symptoms.
      7. Most of us take multivitamins, but you can also find a lot of nutrients in fatty animals and organ meats.
      8. Keto is muscle sparing. Of course if you’re doing a severely restricted calorie diet combined with excessive cardio (which it seems like you may be doing), then muscle loss is going to happen. If you’re eating a proper keto diet with a mix of HIIT Cardio and Weight Training…then you shouldn’t be losing muscle.
      9. Not all that common, but sometimes linked with a lack of magnesium or potassium, which many supplement or get from organ meats.
      10. There’s actually studies that show the opposite if you’re properly following keto.

      What would be the point in doing IF for you? It seems like if you are going to eat under 1,000 calories a day, then it won’t really matter when you eat. You need to research this diet more, because this diet has nothing to do with starvation when done correctly. In fact, you should be pretty satiated throughout the day because you will be eating majority of fats and moderate protein. The diet you’re describing is a diet that is intended for fast weight loss, but causes severe metabolic damage, muscle loss, and usually ends up getting the weight put back on afterwards.

      Check out the other information on the site and really take a look at the type of ketosis I am talking about (specifically, nutritional ketosis). Starvation is just an unhealthy way to reach your goals.

      Hope that helps, but I sincerely hope you don’t choose to do the type of diet you’re talking about.

      Reply
  20. brent best says
    July 18, 2014 at 10:26 am

    The calculator said I should be at 111g of protein per day but I am 6’8 246 pounds and Im trying to add muscle mass. Earlier in the article it said I can go to 1.2g of protein if im trying to add muscle mass. What are your thoughts? My fats are at 357g and carbs at 20g

    Reply
  21. Nikki says
    July 19, 2014 at 1:48 am

    Craig,

    I am 5’5 and currently weigh 175 lbs with a body percent fat estimated at 42% (fat is all upper body).
    I am looking to lose about 40 – 45 pounds. in order to get my body into ketogenic mode..would you suggest changing any of the values produced by your calculator? Note: I do HIIT Training 5 days a week for 30 min/day and 1 day of yoga and 1 day of pilates for 30 min/day.

    2,283 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
    20 g Net Carbs (4%, 80 kcal)
    61 g Protein (11%, 244 kcal)
    218 g Fat (86%, 1960 kcal)

    I am desparate for this lifestyle to work. I know that I am very carb sensitive and I am hoping this diet works. I would be very much apprecative of any advice to ensure that I start my new lifestyle change off in the right direction.

    Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 19, 2014 at 9:47 am

      I would start at these macros, and then adjust 2 weeks after you have started based on if you are losing or not. If this is what the calculator gave you, go for it and then adjust later 🙂

      Reply
      • Carl says
        July 19, 2014 at 10:57 am

        Hi Craig,as per your request here are my numbers..
        3192 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
        30 g Net Carbs (4%, 120 kcal)
        162 g Protein (20%, 648 kcal)
        269 g Fat (76%, 2424 kcal)

        bodyweight is 300 lbs,goal is weight loss and very active due to training and work.Thanks.

        Reply
        • Craig says
          July 19, 2014 at 11:04 am

          Hey Carl, can you give me your bodyfat % also?

          What kind of training and work do you do? I’d like to know so I can properly adjust macros as needed.

          Thanks!

          Reply
          • Carl says
            July 19, 2014 at 11:33 am

            Hey Craig, i’d say bodyfat at 40% and training is 30 minutes cardio,30 minutes weight training and work is physical 10 hour shifts building diggers/dumpers so similar to labouring.

          • Craig says
            July 19, 2014 at 11:36 am

            I’d start off with something like this:

            2816 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
            20 g Net Carbs (3%, 80 kcal)
            162 g Protein (23%, 648 kcal)
            232 g Fat (74%, 2088 kcal)

            But, if you find yourself getting hungry then return to the macros you had. If you haven’t already started going to the gym, or are brand new to keto, you may want to hold off on the extra exercise for a few weeks until you become fat adapted (you’ll feel that energy surge when you become fat adapted). Looks like you’re well on your way to the right track, though. I wish you the best 🙂

  22. Carl says
    July 19, 2014 at 11:44 am

    Thanks Craig appreciate the help and the support mate.I’ve been training regularly again lately so i’ll see how it goes without the carbs,may need to take a break or reduce the days.Looking forward to trying a bullet proof coffee pre workout,definitely looking forward the keto energy surge!!

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 19, 2014 at 12:09 pm

      Sure thing! Try to get that BPC in 1-2 hours before the workout. If you drink it all pre-workout (20-30 mins prior) then you might feel a bit sick. I know me and some others did. If you drink it 1-2 hours before, it gives you some time to get the energy, too. Good luck – always feel free to post questions.

      Reply
  23. Lisa says
    July 21, 2014 at 6:45 pm

    Hey Craig, I am not really trying to lose weight, but have made the switch to the keto lifestyle because of the energy it gives me. I train 5-6 days a week with a variety of HIIT, weights and power yoga in the AM. I LOVE the original bulletproof coffee recipe and drink two cups everyday. Should I be eating some protein for breakfast as well because of the intense workouts? Or maybe add half a scoop of whey protein to one of the cups of coffee (thats actually really good). But then I find that if I were to add protein to breakfast, then I am way over my protein ratio for the day by dinner. I’ve actually lost weight without even trying because of this lifestyle-it’s great. Any help you can give would be appreciated, it’s still very new to me as I’ve been a vegan for a long time so big change!

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 23, 2014 at 5:24 pm

      Lisa, you could just do pure protein post workout, but if you’re finding that you’re having trouble with the protein staying down, then I’d suggest trying to balance your other meals or plan a day ahead so you can work everything out so that it is proper when it comes to the end of the day.

      Reply
  24. Lisa says
    July 22, 2014 at 8:16 am

    I’m a bit confused too. I love this calculator, but can you recommend a good food counter? I used cronometer for years and it was awesome when I was veg, now I’ve made the switch to keto and it’s no good for me. Also, I never really tracked my protein intake before and am having a difficult time finding things to eat that don’t put me well over my protein ratio for the day. I love to start my day with two cups of bulletproof coffee, but I would love to put a scoop of chocolate whey protein in the second cup for after my workout, but of course there is a huge amount of protein in it. Even if I just eat an omelet with my coffee I seem to be in trouble. Maybe I don’t need the protein in the morning, but I’ve always had protein after my workouts. I train pretty hard, alternating between hiit with weights and strong power yoga. It seems I need something to help my body recover other than just the caffeine and fats. But then I struggle with going over my protein intake for the day. I guess I should also mention I’m not trying to lose weight but just maintain. Any help would be appreciated

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 23, 2014 at 5:26 pm

      I use an excel spreadsheet to calculate macros, but I have used MyFitnessPal in the past and it has done fine. As for the other stuff – I answered in your previous comment 🙂

      Reply
  25. Candice says
    July 23, 2014 at 1:10 pm

    Hi Craig,

    I am very new to this keto lifestyle and your site has been my go to guide for everything keto! You’re amazing! Thank you for all of your hard work and excessive research, you make it so easy for us to grasp this healthy lifestyle.

    I have a quick question concerning the keto calculations and MFP’s calculations.
    I’m 5’4, 111 lb, 23.7 body fat, work out 90min/5x per wk (60min cardio/30min weights). I’m not trying to lose weight, but I would like to be more toned, not sure if that would mean I am trying to gain muscle or maintain what I already have.
    My question is, once I put in my daily exercises plus the calories burned in MFP, I am left with higher numbers of macros. Would I really have to consume all of those macros or can I stick to your keto calculations. Yours is so much more doable than trying to consume 200g of fat and 85g of protein.
    Thank you so much in advance 🙂

    P.S. Made your choc chip cookies and the taste and texture were awesome. In my 2nd batch, I swapped out the chocolate chips for macadamia nuts and unsweetened coconut flakes for my dad and he loved em!

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 23, 2014 at 5:36 pm

      Awesome to hear on the cookies Candice!

      What I would do is fill out the keto calculator on here. You’ll probably end up with a good 2,000 calories to eat during the day if you’re wanting to maintain. So I’d suggest following those. Some people can get away with less, especially since you’re doing a lot of cardio. But, if you want to be more toned, I’d say reduce the cardio, increase the weight training, and follow the macros (the higher ones). You need calories and fuel to build muscle – and the protein and fats will help with this 🙂

      Reply
  26. Twins says
    July 23, 2014 at 5:41 pm

    Hey Craig,
    I hope this finds you well. Thanks for taking the pain to answer. I’ve been away and there was no internet available for a couple of days so I just saw your answer to my question. Once I had even sent another question on eating fruits after two weeks of beginning this but I could not find your reply until now. I didn’t eat the fruits until today. I eat some black berries but I’ll stop so that it doesn’t affect my progress. I think you are right about the metabolic damage as I eat only 1200 cal on my former diet and I do HIIT 5-6days on a low carb diet, low protein diet. My food was mostly fat. I stopped after using your calculator. I now eat 1650 cal but honestly I’ve been gaining weight, having acne and constipation is worse. I cant afford probiotics tabs. Pls is there any advice on what to do so I can start losing weight. I believe in this diet though everyone around me now make fun of me thinking how could you eat all these fats and expect to lose weight. I’ll appreciate your kind words.
    Note: I was 167lbs with body fat 29% starting this diet
    I’m now 172 after 2weeks. With body fat 30%
    I eat 1650cal 142g fat, 71protein, 15g carbs.
    I want to get down to 145lbs

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 23, 2014 at 5:49 pm

      At the moment, do you do any exercise? You said you do HIIT on a low carb, low protein diet. So I am a little confused if you’re still doing it or not. Let me get an idea of what your daily eating habits look like also 🙂

      Reply
  27. Twins says
    July 23, 2014 at 8:13 pm

    Yes Craig but I feel heavy at first but now I have increased energy so I did a lot more in the last routine

    Reply
  28. Twins says
    July 23, 2014 at 8:19 pm

    I train while fasting, at the last hour of my fast which is 16/8 fast. I dont eat meat because I have a very serious digestive issue with meat. My breakfast is usually bpc then I eat chicken, eggs, tuna and mackerel. I only eat spinach, broccoli , cauliflower , romaine lettuce as a side. I drink coconut and almond milk made by myself but I still stay within my net carb range of 11-15g.
    I drink green tea and 2-3litres of water with salt.

    Reply
  29. Twins says
    July 23, 2014 at 8:24 pm

    I hope I’m not confusing, I drink 2cups bpc then 16hrs later I start to eat those I mentioned. My fats come mainly from coconut oil, red palm oil, ghee and olive oil (for dressing).

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 24, 2014 at 7:38 pm

      If you’re still having a problem with the weight loss, I may suggest trying to do your diet without the IF. Just balanced meals (not higher than 30g of protein in 1 sitting, if you can) and it may help out with your range of ketosis 🙂

      Reply
  30. Madrid2014 says
    July 24, 2014 at 10:27 am

    Hello Craig. I hope you are well.

    I have been doing a lot of research on the Keto diet, It seems so logical in using it to lose the unwanted fat.

    I have started the diet today.

    I train with weights three times a week Mon / Wed / Fri. I train each day for about an hour. I haven’t done any cardio.

    I would say my body fat is maybe 22 % or more. I’m still wanting to train three times a week and keep my progress with the muscle, but I want to lose some fat as well. Especially on the belly. It’s a bit of a pot belly from too many beers. I stopped drinking now though, but it’s still there. Probably the inner fat [visceral fat ]

    I have used the Keto calculator above for the Deficit or Surplus Percentage [ Gain Mass ] Does the calculation look ok Craig ? Thanks.

    3161 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
    20 g Net Carbs (3%, 80 kcal)
    75 g Protein (10%, 300 kcal)
    309 g Fat (88%, 2780 kcal)

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 24, 2014 at 7:39 pm

      If you’re wanting to gain mass, then you won’t lose fat. You will gain both muscle and fat at the same time. Depending on your goals, this could be good – but you’d have to do a calorie deficit in the end to “cut” the fat. Otherwise, if you don’t normally exercise too much, if you start training at a slight deficit, it is possible to put both muscle on and lose fat – though this will fade after 2 months or so.

      Usually I tell people to decide what they want – because after a few months (if you haven’t trained) then losing fat and gaining muscle is pretty difficult to do at the same time.

      Reply
  31. Madrid2014 says
    July 25, 2014 at 4:32 am

    Thanks for the reply Craig.

    I have been thinking about it and I’m going to miss trying to gain mass for now. I need to lose this belly fat.

    I have done the calorie intake again Craig and chose the Moderately active this time. I will still do the weights but not go full out. Are these calculations better ?

    2069 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
    20 g Net Carbs (4%, 80 kcal)
    73 g Protein (14%, 293 kcal)
    188 g Fat (82%, 1695 kcal)

    Thanks Craig.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 26, 2014 at 11:39 am

      Those sound better, yes. You may want to increase protein just a hair because of the fact you’ll still be doing weight lifting. But other than that, they look just fine 🙂

      Reply
  32. Lucie says
    July 25, 2014 at 6:57 pm

    Do I have to eat the number of grams the calculator lists? Or does going by the % work too?

    Reply
  33. Madrid2014 says
    July 27, 2014 at 6:32 am

    Thanks Craig.

    I will just add some more protein then.

    I think it’s so much easier when you can just work with the values in grams. 🙂

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 27, 2014 at 7:09 am

      Sounds like a plan 🙂 I’m one of the few that still believe in caloric deficits to lose weight. And, although there are a lot of other factors, calories still play a part in it to me (and from the other successes that I’ve seen from people that visit the site). I wish you the best of luck in your journey!

      Reply
  34. Madrid2014 says
    July 27, 2014 at 10:48 am

    Yes Craig. The calories do play a big part in. If we take the massive bodybuilders for example. They eat about six to seven times a day, the ones on the steroids need to eat big to get big.

    They have a different diet yes, but if the diet is changed as well as the values, then the calories are important to lose weight. I actually enjoy checking the nutritional labels to see exactly what I am taking in, plus writing them down.

    Thanks again Craig. 🙂

    Reply
    • Craig says
      July 29, 2014 at 12:42 pm

      Haha, well I’m glad you enjoy it! Not many people can say that 😛

      Sure thing – if you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

      Reply
  35. Alex says
    July 31, 2014 at 8:20 pm

    Hello Craig,

    I’m 6’1″ 260lbs with BF about 33%. I’m former military, and just got back into working out. Fasted a.m. cardio 30 mins 5 days and weight training 30 mins 3 days a week. Is the 20% deficit okay for me? Here are my requirements according to the calculator:

    2742 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
    20 g Net Carbs (3%, 80 kcal)
    105 g Protein (15%, 418 kcal)
    249 g Fat (82%, 2244 kcal)

    Reply
  36. Alex says
    July 31, 2014 at 8:26 pm

    Also, I used moderately active since it’s about 4 hours or so of working out per week. Will my performance be affected before fully adapted? Any information you can provide will be helpful. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 1, 2014 at 11:32 am

      Yeah, you will definitely feel a performance decrease for a couple of weeks between induction and fat adaption, but once you’re there you’ll feel better than ever 🙂

      Reply
  37. Christina says
    August 4, 2014 at 11:28 am

    Hey Craig! Thanks for this calculator.

    I’m 5’10 and 170lbs with 28% BF. Trying to get to 150-155. I do 45-60 mins of weight training 5-6 days a week and 20 minute HIIT 2-3 days/week. I have a new trainer who’s had me on keto for about a month, but I haven’t lost any weight. She’s been having me eat 1300 calories/day with a weekly cheat meal/carb night.

    The calculator says I should be eating about 1900-2000 calories. Do you think raising my calories would help me start losing weight? I work super hard, so I’m really confused why I haven’t seen much progress.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 4, 2014 at 6:40 pm

      Well your 1300 calories + the training regimen you are on sounds extremely low calorie. I’d say you need to increase them, yes, but you might expect to put on a pound or two before you start losing. If you plan to increase, increase slowly over the course of 2 weeks or so, so you metabolism can adjust to normal over time. Right now, your metabolism is probably shot from the lack of energy/food you’re giving your body, so adjusting slowly would be the best bet here.

      Reply
  38. Nasim says
    August 5, 2014 at 8:54 am

    Hi Craig !

    I’m 5’3 and 114.5 lbs with around 22% body fat. I do cardio for an hour 2 times a week and strength training an hour per week. I’m trying to get down to 108 lbs while maintaining my muscle mass. These are my macros based on the calculator. Please let me know if they look fine. (I used 20% deficit which I’m not sure about that either)

    1425 kcal Daily Calorie Intake
    20 g Net Carbs (6%, 80 kcal)
    54 g Protein (15%, 215 kcal)
    126 g Fat (79%, 1130 kcal)

    right now I’m on a low carb low fat diet. I eat mostly proteins and green vegetables with total calories of 100-1100 per day but based on the calculator I’m able to eat more while loosing weight !!! I’m kinda afraid to do that cause 1425 cal daily is way more than what I’m eating right now. Am I gonna see weight gain in the beginning and is there any way to prevent that ? Do you thing I should use a higher deficit number ?

    Thank you so much !

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 5, 2014 at 4:53 pm

      Nasim,

      You want to work up to your calories over 2-3 week period, although I’d say you need to eat more than that. A 10% deficit would probably be better in your situation since you’re already quite small. You may see a slight bit of weight gain, but eating 1000 calories a day may have given you some metabolic damage, and you should work on repairing that so your body can work normally. Low fat, low-carb diets are good for weight loss, but they also promote muscle loss and increased weight gain afterward (due to metabolic damage). Hope that helps, stick with it!

      Reply
      • Nasim says
        August 5, 2014 at 11:23 pm

        Thank you so much !

        I was thinking about doing the fat fasting just for 2 days to start going into ketosis. What do you think about that ?

        Reply
        • Craig says
          August 6, 2014 at 10:44 am

          I don’t see the point, to be honest Nasim. You seem to just want to lose weight quickly if you’re using a high deficit and want to do fat fasting – this can cause metabolic damage and will end up being counter-productive to weight loss. I would try to stick with proper macros before suggesting a fat fast.

          Reply
  39. MADRID2014 says
    August 5, 2014 at 6:04 pm

    Hey Craig.

    Just a little progress report. I have been on the Keto diet two weeks now. I have lost 5lb in weight already. I know that the initial weight loss is just water weight loss. How long does it actually take to start losing the fat ?

    I have done some measuring [ especially the belly ] and it’s the same size as it was before the diet. I know it does take time but any idea how long before the fat [ visceral fat ] starts burning off ?

    Thanks Craig.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 6, 2014 at 10:38 am

      Normally once you are actually fat adapted, the fat will start coming off at a good pace. This is around 4-6 weeks in. Though you should see some actual fat loss in the next 2 weeks.

      Reply
      • MADRID2014 says
        August 6, 2014 at 12:43 pm

        Thanks for replying Craig.

        I know it takes time for the fat loss to happen. I don’t think that I have that much water to lose to be honest, well that’s if the visceral fat doesn’t hold much water lol.
        My neck, shoulders, arms and legs are a pretty normal size, it’s the belly that sticks out a bit. I know we can’t spot reduce the fat the fat will start dropping off from the body where the least fat is first. The belly will probably be the last place. But no problem, I will keep ketoing on.. 🙂

        Thanks Craig.

        Reply
        • Craig says
          August 7, 2014 at 8:42 am

          Sounds like a plan – give it some time and I think it’ll show some more results. It’s all about having patience when it comes to weight loss 🙂

          Reply
          • MADRID2014 says
            August 7, 2014 at 9:58 am

            Most definitely is patience Craig.

            It took quite a while for it to come on, so it will take a while for it to come off..lol

            Thanks Craig. 🙂

          • Craig says
            August 8, 2014 at 9:59 am

            For sure, I’m glad you said that 🙂 It does take time for weight loss, and if you have the patience for it, you’ll be rewarded! Good luck!

  40. Caitlin says
    August 5, 2014 at 8:21 pm

    First let me say, wow! That’s amazing how much time and energy you give to every question!
    Okay, I’m still getting the hang of all this, just starting really.
    I’m 25 female, 5’1 and 198 lbs. (does height and gender play into the calculator?) My numbers came out to be 1454 kcal Daily Calorie Intake, 20g Net Carbs (6%, 80 kcal), 65 g Protein (18%, 261 kcal), 124g Fat (77%, 1113 kcal). I’m still stuggling with keeping my protein down, always comes out to 73 or so. I believe going up to 10g over doesn’t hurt, right?
    Would you say having PCOS and insulin resistance would warrant a change in numbers?
    There are so many places to look for answers, I don’t even know where to start.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 6, 2014 at 10:41 am

      Being PCOS can influence numbers but I highly suggest you experiment first to see if you need to adjust. The protein counts can be difficult, but I’m sure you’ll figure out some inventive ways to get fats in without the protein. I use a method of calculating macros based on bodyfat and weight (which gives lean body mass). It shouldn’t matter if you’re a man or woman, it’s based on how much fat and how much muscle you have (more muscle = higher TDEE = more calories needed). Going up 10g in protein shouldn’t hurt a lot, but I’d suggest keeping to around the values you got, and then adjusting to see what changes.

      Hope that helps 🙂 Since you’re just starting, I definitely think you should just keep track of your macros and adjust to your own preference/where you feel best, and see if you lose weight (remember at least 2 weeks experimentation). That way you can continue adjusting to see where things are going wrong IF things are actually going wrong.

      Reply
  41. April says
    August 6, 2014 at 9:56 am

    I cannot get the Keto calculator to work. Any ideas?

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 6, 2014 at 10:43 am

      You may have to wait for the page to fully load before you type the numbers in. Give it a few extra seconds when you get to the page, and then once it’s finished loading, it should work. There’s a javascript file I coded to work as the calculator, and there’s other javascript on the site that has to load first (for interaction) so just give it a couple extra seconds 🙂

      Reply
  42. Nasim says
    August 6, 2014 at 11:12 am

    Thank you so much for your answer !

    So starting from today I’ll go on the keto diet with 10% deficit ( which is around 1570 kcal as you mentioned). I’ll work up my calories to that over 2-3 weeks and hopefully I’ll see results. The reason I really want to do this diet is that this diet seems easier to maintain in longterm comparing to low cal diet. Also I’ve been feeling tired recently during the day with the low cal diet.

    FYI: I made my coffee with coconut oil and heavy cream today and omg it was soooooo delicious !!!!

    Reply
  43. April says
    August 6, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    I’m 5’9″, 180 lbs, approximately 34% body fat. I workout 5-6 days a week, lifting weights for about 2 hours 3 days a week and then 45 – 60 minute cardio workout 2 – 3 days a week. I would like to be a 20 to 25% body fat 160 to 165 lbs.

    My initial thoughts are to have 25 carbs right before I workout (30 to 60 min) and limit other carbs to 25. I am not sure how to determine how many kcals I burn per minute for my exercise. Based on my current stats and using 1 Kcal burnt per minute of cardio & weights the following is my recommendation:

    2,674 kcal Daily Calories
    50 g net carbs – 7%
    144 g protein (used 1.2) – 22%
    211 g fat – 71%

    Thoughts? Recommendations?

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 7, 2014 at 8:46 am

      1.2 might be a bit high considering you’re only weight lifting a few times a week. You might want to scale back to 1.0 or 1.1g protein per pound lean body mass. As for eating carbs prior to your workout, I normally suggest trying a standard ketogenic diet (not eating extra carbs prior to workout) first. It takes around 4-6 weeks to become fat adapted (when you get all your strength back), but I think it’s the best bet for people looking to lose weight. A lot of your exercise is going to be endurance exercise, which really gets little benefit from carbs.

      As for your calories, if you don’t have an accurate way to measure your calories burnt (a heart rate monitor that’s accurate), then don’t fill the exercise section out and use the activity factor instead.

      Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • April says
        August 7, 2014 at 9:46 am

        Thank you so much for responding and the advice. I took your recommendations and recalculated. This calculator and your response is so helpful. I actually weighed 270# at my heaviest and my lightest was a 158# with definite muscle wasting. I was to be a super lean 160-165#! Thanks again! New goals below!

        2306 kcal Daily Calories
        30 g Net Carbs – 5%
        120 g Protein – 21%
        190 g Fat – 74%

        Reply
        • Craig says
          August 8, 2014 at 10:16 am

          Looks better – just keep an eye on that protein. See how it goes and adjust if you need to 🙂

          Reply
          • April says
            August 13, 2014 at 9:07 am

            So I dropped my protein from 120 to 109 grams of protein and adjusted the other %’s according to the calculator.

            I worked out last night, lifting weights. During the last part of my workout I started drinking a protein shake. It has 2 g of fat, 2 net carbs, and 50 grams of protein. I checked my ketone level last night and it was 0.3. I checked it this morning and it was 0.7. I plan to check it again this afternoon.

            Appreciate your thoughts!

            My question is the protein I am having for workout recovery throwing me out of ketosis? Should I break the protein up and have 25 grams earlier in the afternoon as in a snack and only do 25 grams for recovery.

          • Craig says
            August 13, 2014 at 10:51 am

            I would suggest breaking up the protein between 2 meals if that’s what your ketone levels are getting to. The protein shake isn’t exactly throwing you out of ketosis, but the protein itself is in excess and at once, so it can get turned into glucose. Normally if you work out extremely hard, you can afford to do this, but if you’re seeing your blood ketone levels that low, I’d suggest breaking it up.

  44. April says
    August 18, 2014 at 3:00 pm

    In a month, which includes 1 week transitioning to a Keto diet and 2 weeks’ish in ketosis, I am down 1.2% BF (1.8#) and picked up 2.7# of lean mass. I am super happy with the results!!!

    I had been playing around with protein at 1.0 and have dropped it today to 0.8. I want to gain a little lean mass but reduce fat from 32.8% to 25% and reduce total mass from 176 to 160-165#. I workout 5-6 days a week doing CrossFit 2 days, Weight Lifting 3 days, and 1 active recovery day (long walk, elliptical, low impact).

    0.8 puts me at 96 grams of protein a day. Thoughts?

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 19, 2014 at 9:51 am

      April,

      0.8 sounds alright, you should just keep your eye on it and make sure you don’t feel any side effects from it (noticeably weaker, etc.). Otherwise, I don’t see a problem in reducing protein slightly 🙂

      Reply
  45. IshaMode says
    August 18, 2014 at 11:22 pm

    Hi Craig,

    I’ve been a regular lifter for the past 3-4 years but can never seem to get to the single digit body fat. I’m a male currently at 225lbs and about 15-20% body fat with a goal of getting to 185lbs and hopefully single digit BF%. I lift heavy 4 times a week (deadliest, squats, bench press, military presses …etc) and do about 30 mins of cardio 4 days a week.

    For the past year I was on a high protein low fat diet eat about 220g protein, 45g fat and 140 carbs (100g on rest days) averaging about 1700-1800 cal with a weekly reefed at around 2200 cal on Sunday’s. I have reached a point where I’m stalling with very little return on all my effort in dieting and exercise.

    I work out first thing in the AM and would like to shift to a TKD diet. My goal is definitely weight /fatloss and I’m not sure what my deficit % and macros should be. I have decent muscle mass and would like to retain as much as possible. Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 19, 2014 at 9:54 am

      Isha,

      Stay with a higher protein value like 1.1g per pound of lean body mass. You will want a smaller deficit of around 10% to begin with. I would suggest trying a standard ketogenic diet first (for at least 2 months, so you can become fat adapted) to see what will work best for you. You will feel weaker at first, but will gain all the strength back over a few weeks.

      The reason I’m not suggesting TKD just yet is because your main goal is fat loss. Keto is muscle sparing so you shouldn’t lose much muscle during the whole weight loss period (though not surprisingly, you may lose a bit just because of general weight loss).

      Reply
  46. April says
    August 22, 2014 at 11:51 am

    How do you feel about using the 0.6 grams multiplier on non lifting days and 0.8 – 1.0 on lifting days/high intensity days?

    Also I feel like the very active may be too many calories because while I workout 5-6 days a week, I have a sedentary job. I was thinking of using moderately active but only doing a 15% deficit. Trying to figure out which ratios will help me get to a 20-25% 160#

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 23, 2014 at 2:18 pm

      I think you can just experiment a little bit and see what ends up working best for you. Some people prefer eating lower calories/protein on their off-days, while others eat big all the time. It’s really personal preference and what you see working best for you.

      Reply
  47. Laura says
    August 23, 2014 at 11:15 am

    Hi Craig. I’m loving your site and purchased your 30 meal plan the other day and came back today to re-download it, I had downloaded the original at work and didn’t have it this morning to start trying out your recipes. As with everyone else, I need a little help with my macros. I’m trying to stay at 1200 calories/day. I’m mid 40s, sedentary/desk job, 143 lbs, 5’3″. I’m really excited to be trying this! I started drinking bulletproof coffee w/MCT and Kerrygold butter a month ago and love it, but being mid 40 and perimenopausal, losing weight has been almost impossible for the last few years. No matter what diet I try, I’m usually hungry, tired, and staring at a scale that never changes. I’m hoping the keto diet is the answer and I’m looking to get down to 125lb. I love to cook and I’m happy that your recipes are REAL food, because I just can’t get myself to do one more juice fast, one more diet that involves food delivery that tastes like cardboard and doesn’t fill me up and spend any more money on fad diets that I just can’t stick to.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 24, 2014 at 11:52 pm

      I hope it works out for you Laura – for your body weight, 1200 calories seems a tad on the low end of the spectrum. If you sign up for the newsletter, you can get a guide to calculating your macros using the keto calculator on the site. It should be pretty easy to do 🙂 If you need any help just let me know!

      Reply
  48. Mish says
    August 24, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    Hi Craig. This is completely new to me. I cant work out my Macros on the calculator as there are some things I am not understanding here. In short, I am 51 yrs old, 5 ft tall, weigh 73 kgs & would like to get to 50kgs, although this may not be totally realistic, given my age? I believe at a guess my BMI must be around the 35 – 40% range. I do zero exercise but this will come. I have eaten unhealthy my whole life, was diagnosed D2 in Dec 2013 & am winning with changing this by excluding carbs in my diet. Have read loads on LCHF lifestyle & getting the jist of it & now taking things very seriously. The exercise will come but I need to get my eating habits right first – Can you help me here with my Macros and Calorie intake based on what I have given you here? Would really appreciate it.

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 25, 2014 at 12:02 am

      Hey Mish. It’s important to understand that BMI and bodyfat percentage is two different things. BMI is more of a number that is inaccurate depending on how much muscle you have. Bodyfat is the actual percentage of fat on your body. It’s important that the bodyfat number is correct, as most of the calculations are based off of this number – so once you have an idea of what your bodyfat % is at, let me know and I can help you out 🙂

      Reply
  49. Mahwish says
    August 28, 2014 at 5:42 am

    Hi Craig,
    I am on a mega Keto stall for over 6 weeks now. Although the weight is not increasing; I am not losing as well!!! Its standing like a rock on 73 kg.
    I am doing everything right and following all the steps, and am spot on the macros. Don’t really know what to do!!

    My weight is 73 kg, height 170 cm and body fat 30.1% BMI 25.5
    I started Keto in june and lost about 6 kg in the first 6 weeks… It has been almost 2 months and weight is just not dropping.

    I am worried that I might lose all the determination soon, It is pulling me down, everyday now…
    I really don’t want to go back to the old lifestyle of comfort eating!!

    Please help..

    Best,
    Mahwish

    Reply
    • Craig says
      August 28, 2014 at 7:35 am

      Hey Mahwish – I would go back and recalculate your macros. Make sure that they’re on point and that your deficit isn’t too high. After that, I’d re-evaluate the amount of dairy and nuts in your diet. If it’s a lot, try to cut back on it. Lastly, I’d make sure you’re tracking everything correctly. There’s a lot of hidden carbs in things that are listed on MyFitnessPal and other trackers that show 0 but are actually 0.8 or almost 1g of carbs for a small amount.

      You may find it more successful to go back to a “simpler” way of eating for a while, not including any treats into your diet, but keeping it straightforward and simplistic.

      Hope that helps!

      Reply
  50. sue in CA says
    August 28, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    yes, thank YOU so much, I did not understand what people meant about knowing my macros, I was clueless!

    Reply
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