Macro Maths and Why Protein IS the Weight-Loss Secret

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of counting calories, reading food labels, or even figuring out what a “macro” is—you’re not alone. But if you’re serious about sustainable fat loss, learning how to track your food and balance your macronutrients is one of the most effective tools in your kit. The good news? It doesn’t have to be obsessive, restrictive, or complicated.

Let’s break it down.

Step 1: Understand What a Calorie Deficit Actually Means

To lose body fat, you need to eat fewer calories than your body burns—this is called a calorie deficit. Your body taps into stored energy (read: fat) to make up the difference.

But too steep a deficit and you’ll risk losing muscle, feeling exhausted, and rebounding hard – no good when you’re going for real change that lasts.

How to calculate your deficit:

1. Estimate your maintenance calories (what you need to stay the same weight you are now). You can use an online TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator for a rough estimate, or visit LIFT Clinic for a precisely accurate Resting Metabolic Rate test to find out exactly how many calories you need.

2. Subtract 15–25% from your maintenance number for a moderate, sustainable deficit.

   • Example: If your maintenance is 2,200 kcal, a 20% deficit = 440 kcal → your target = 1,760 kcal/day.

Step 2: Build Your Macros (Protein First, Always)

Not all calories are created equal. The breakdown of your calories into protein, carbohydrates, and fat—your macros—can dramatically influence how you look, feel, and perform during a fat loss phase.

For fat loss, consider:

• Protein: 33–40% of total intake (your “majority” macro – this should be 1.6-2.2g/KG of your weight)

• Fats + Carbs: the rest (proper proportions are determined by lifestyle and metabolic factors such as activity level, insulin sensitivity, skeletal muscle index, etc. – a consult with Coach Amanda can clarify!)

Why so much protein?
Because protein:

• Preserves lean muscle mass (so you lose fat – not calorie-burning muscle)

• Keeps you full longer (satiety is why weight loss drugs like GLP-1 work, by the way – not magic)

• Has the highest thermic effect (your body burns more calories digesting it)

How to do the math:

1. Start with protein:

   • 33% of a 1,760 kcal diet = ~580 kcal

   • 580 ÷ 4 (because protein has 4 kcal/g) = 145g of protein/day

2. Add your desired/recommended proportion of fats (example, 27%):

   • 27% of 1,760 = ~475 kcal

   • 475 ÷ 9 kcal/g = 52g of fat/day

3. Fill the rest with carbs:

   • Remaining ~705 kcal → 705 ÷ 4 = 176g of carbs/day

Now you’ve got your macro targets to help you lose fat:
1760 kCal/day broken into: 145g protein / 52g fat / 176g carbs

Step 3: Start Tracking (Without Going Overboard)

Calorie tracking apps like MyFitnessPal (which syncs with the Coach Amanda Lim app, should you want an accountability partner in your food-trackin’ journey) make this process a lot easier.

But here’s some hard  truth: they’re only as accurate as you are.  Estimation has ruined many a calorie-tracking journey, and especially in the beginning, it’s crucial to “assess, don’t guess” – gather data like a scientist:

• Use a food scale, especially crucial for dense foods like oats, rice, nut butters, and oils

• Log as you go—don’t try to remember everything at the end of the day; recall data is….not superb

• Be consistent: track weekdays and weekends – your fat loss doesn’t take days off, sadly

• Create a few “go-to meals” in the app that hit your macros so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel daily

• Watch for hidden calories: sauces, cooking oils, and lattes add up fast – log ’em and you’ll see 😉

Parting Thoughts for the Fit-Minded

You don’t have to track forever. Think of it like using Google Maps—at some point, you’ll know the route by heart.

But if you want clarity, structure, and results from your nutrition, tracking your food (at least temporarily) gives you the data to make smart, confident decisions.

And remember: hitting your protein consistently, eating mostly whole foods, cooking at home, and sticking to your calorie range 80–90% of the time beats a couple weeks of “perfection” (that inevitably crashes) every time.