The carnivore diet, a straightforward eating plan centered around animal products, has gained traction among individuals seeking muscle gain, improved fitness performance, weight loss, and potential health benefits. To optimize this diet and achieve specific goals, understanding and managing macronutrients ("macros") is key. This article provides a comprehensive guide on calculating and implementing macros for the carnivore diet.
Understanding the Carnivore Diet
The carnivore diet is a simple meal plan that focuses on meat and meat-derived products. As the name suggests, this diet plan is designed for meat-eaters. On the carnivore diet, you eat only animal-based food, foods derived from animals (like dairy), and seafood. Its origins date back to the 1800s when various health experts proposed a meat-only diet for the treatment of diabetes and to support general health. While Baker has a devoted fan base, his medical credentials have come under question, causing him to lose his medical license (although he subsequently regained privileges with limitations). Plant-based foods are not consumed on the diet, except for coffee and tea.
Foods to consume:
- Animal-based fats (butter, bacon fat, duck fat, or tallow)
- Eggs
- Fish
- Full-fat dairy products
- Meat, including poultry and game
- Organ meats
Foods to avoid:
- Candy or other sweets
- Fruit and fruit juice
- Grains or grain-based foods (baked goods, bread, pasta, whole grains)
- Legumes (beans, chickpeas, peanuts, lentils)
- Nuts and seeds
- Oils, especially plant-based oils
- Processed meats
- Vegetables, including root vegetables
Beverages recommended on the diet include water, coffee (no sugar or sweeteners), and tea. Some alcohol is allowed in moderation. However, these will only contribute minimal carbohydrates to your meal plan.
The Importance of Macros
Macros are the primary nutrients our bodies require in large amounts to function optimally. They consist of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Each of these macronutrients plays a vital role in our overall health, providing energy, supporting growth and development, and regulating various bodily functions. Proteins help grow and repair tissues, while fats provide energy and absorb vital vitamins. Macros must be balanced for good health.
- Proteins: Essential for the growth, repair, and maintenance of our body's tissues, including muscles, bones, skin, and hair. They also play a crucial role in the production of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.
- Fats: A concentrated source of energy, providing more than double the energy per gram compared to proteins and carbohydrates. They are necessary for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), the production of hormones, and the maintenance of healthy cell membranes. Fats can be categorized as saturated, unsaturated (including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), and trans fats.
- Carbohydrates: The body's preferred source of energy, as they can be easily broken down and converted into glucose, which our cells use for fuel. Carbohydrates can be classified as simple (sugars) or complex (starches and fibers).
While the standard American diet consists of all three of these, carnivore is unique in that you won’t consume many carbs.
Read also: Keto Diet Macro Tracking Tips
Macronutrient Ratios on the Carnivore Diet
There are no specific recommended or assigned macros on the carnivore diet. In fact, Baker even suggests that you don’t worry about macros at all, but instead focus on food choices rather than animal-based diet macros. You also don’t need to count calories on this diet plan. But some fans of the diet still track macros on the carnivore diet. The eating plan is very high in fat and protein. Carbohydrates are extremely limited, with some sources advising that you consume as close to zero carbs as possible. However, other sources suggest that you may consume up to 10% of your calories from carbs. Even though there are no prescribed macro ratios for the carnivore diet, you are likely to consume 65% to 80% of your calories from fat, 20% to 35% of your calories from protein, and 0% to 10% of calories from carbs.
A common starting point for carnivore diet macros is:
- Fat: 70-80% of total calories. Opt for fatty cuts of steak, bacon, pork belly, butter, tallow, lard, eggs, and creamy cheeses to boost fat intake.
- Protein: 15-30% of total calories.
- Carbohydrates: 0-10% of total calories, primarily from dairy. Dairy foods contain lactose, a form of sugar. So, you are advised to seek out dairy products with as little lactose as possible, such as heavy cream, butter, and hard cheeses. Keeping your carb intake lower helps to get and keep your body in a state of ketosis, where your body uses fat for fuel instead of glucose (sugar).
Individual Needs and Adjustments
Your personal needs, like age or activity level, can change how much protein or fat you need. Genetics also have an exciting role here-some people thrive perfectly well on lower-fat variants of the carnivore diet due to their specific genetic makeup.
- Activity Level: If you live a highly active lifestyle and undertake intense daily workouts, you’ll have higher protein requirements to support muscle growth and recovery.
- Body Composition: The amount of lean muscle mass you have influences your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Consequently, this influences the number of calories you burn at rest.
- Health Goals: Your specific health goals, such as weight loss, muscle gain, or improved athletic performance, will impact your macronutrient distribution. For instance, someone aiming for weight loss might consume a higher proportion of protein to maintain lean muscle mass while reducing their overall caloric intake.
Calculating Your Carnivore Diet Macros
Calculating your carb intake, subtract the calories from protein and fats from your total daily caloric target.
Determine Your Daily Caloric Needs: Use a macro calculator or consult with a nutritionist to estimate your daily calorie needs based on your age, gender, weight, height, and activity level. The Katch-McArdle equation is a formula used to estimate an individual's Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which represents the number of calories your body needs at rest to maintain basic bodily functions like breathing, blood circulation, and cell production.BMR (Katch-McArdle) = 370 + (21.6 * LBM in kg)BMR (Katch-McArdle) = 370 + (9.82 * LBM in lbs)To determine your total daily calorie needs, you can multiply your BMR calculated from this equation by an activity factor based on your daily activity level:
Read also: Guide to Macros for Women's Weight Loss
- Sedentary (little/no exercise): BMR * 1.2
- Lightly active (light exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR * 1.375
- Moderately active (moderate exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR * 1.55
- Very active (hard exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR * 1.725
- Super active (very hard exercise, physical job, training 2x/day): BMR * 1.9
Calculate Protein Intake: Aim for about 1.2 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, depending on your activity level, health goals, and body composition.
Calculate Fat Intake: To maintain weight, you can calculate your daily caloric needs and adjust your fat intake to account for the remaining calories after considering protein consumption. For example, if a 70-kilogram individual requires 2,500 calories per day and consumes 600 calories from protein (150 grams), they would need to consume about 1900 calories from fat (approx. 211 grams).
Calculate Carbohydrate Intake: The carnivore diet is a very low-carb or no-carb diet by default, as it consists mainly of animal-based foods. Some individuals may choose to include trace amounts of carbohydrates from dairy products, organ meats, or eggs.
Implementing Your Macro Goals
With your macro goals in place, it's time to implement them.
- Track Your Food Intake: It's essential to track your daily food intake to ensure you're meeting your macronutrient goals. You can use a food diary or smartphone app to log your meals and track your macros.
- Plan Your Meals: To prevent overeating or undereating, you can proportion your meals in advance, in bulk. Set aside time at the start of each week to plan your meals, shop for ingredients, and cook in bulk.
- Choose the Right Snacks: Some easy and delicious snack options include beef jerky, hard-boiled eggs, or cheese. A snack should help quench your hunger and align with your macros on the carnivore diet. The right snacks on a carnivore diet can help you stabilize hormones and reduce overeating instances by providing satiety. Our meat chips feature just two ingredients - meat and salt. You get a healthy serving of protein, and depending on which specific meat snack you go with, you’ll have no trouble meeting your fat goals either.
- Monitor Your Progress: Are you achieving your goals? Do you feel energized and satisfied? As your body changes and your goals evolve, you may need to adjust your macros accordingly. Monitor your progress and make adjustments to your protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake based on your body's needs and your evolving goals.
Tips for Success
- Stay Consistent: If you hit your carnivore macros one day and miss the mark the next, you’ll end up spinning your wheels.
- Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your body's signals, such as hunger, fullness, and energy levels.
- Seek Support: Connect with others who follow the carnivore diet, either in person or online.
- Be Patient: Achieving your goals on the carnivore diet may take time.
Potential Benefits of Tracking Macros
Tracking macros on a carnivore diet paves the way for more targeted health goals. While you don't need to count calories or macros obsessively, being aware is beneficial. Some potential benefits include:
Read also: Weight loss with macros explained
- Weight Management: Adjusting calories through fat intake can help with weight loss or gain. Weight gain can result from consuming more energy from fatty meats than what your body expends through activities and metabolism.
- Performance Optimization: Ensuring adequate protein for muscle maintenance and recovery.
- Nutritional Adequacy: Balancing fat and protein for optimal energy and satiety.
- Goal Achievement: Tailoring your approach based on whether you want to lose fat, maintain weight, or gain muscle.
Potential Drawbacks and Considerations
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Many nutrition experts question the diet simply because it lacks important nutrients that are primarily derived from plant foods, like fiber, vitamins, and some minerals.
- Lack of Long-Term Studies: The long-term effects of the carnivore diet are still being studied.
- Cardiovascular Health: Research reported that the diet may increase cardiovascular oxidative stress and inflammation, which are independently tied to the development of cardiovascular disease.
- Sustainability: Foods lack diversity, which may make the meal plan hard to stick to.
Before starting the carnivore diet, speak to your healthcare provider to see how eating animal-based foods might affect your current health.