The Ideal Macronutrient Ratios for Weight Loss

Upping your protein is scientifically proven to aid weight loss, improve body composition, and increase satiety. Despite what you may have heard, eating fat does not by default make you fat. However, for healthy weight loss, you want to be sure to eat the right amount. Learn more

This guide is based on scientific evidence, following our policy for evidence-based guides. Click for more info.

Ideal macros for weight loss

When you lose weight, you want to make sure to do it in a healthy way.

This means mainly losing fat mass without losing much muscle mass. It also means preserving your resting metabolic rate, improving your metabolic health, and eating in a way you enjoy and can sustain long term.

But what are the best percentages of carbohydrate, fat, and protein — often called macronutrients or “macros” — to achieve healthy weight loss? High protein? Low carb? Low fat? High fat?

While each individual might find a different answer, many people will succeed with a high protein, low carb diet.

As stated above, that would mean a range of 5-15% carbs, 25-35% protein, and 45-65% fat (For an 1,800-calorie diet, that equates to around 20 to 70 g carbs, 110 to 160 g protein, and 90 to 130 grams fat).

For a 1,800-calorie diet% calories approximate total gramsCarbohydrate 5-15% 20-70gProtein 25-35% 110-160gFat 45-65% 90-130gWhat would this look like in terms of what food is on your plate? Here are three meals that fall into these ranges.

Although eating a high protein, low carb diet is not the only approach, it may be the best starting point. You can then monitor your hunger levels, food enjoyment, and healthy weight loss progress and adjust as needed.

Read on to understand why this is a successful combination for most people and how you can get started with healthy weight loss today.

Or, watch a summary of this guide in video

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The worst foods for weight loss

Before we dig into what you should eat, let’s start with the easy part — what you shouldn’t eat. And when we say “easy,” we mean easy to say, but often times, harder to do.

You want to avoid high calorie, low-nutrient foods — especially those that stimulate you to want to eat more. Most of these foods are ultra-processed and combine fat, starches, and sugar.4

But they can also be ultra-processed fats, such as oils or cream, or carbs by themselves, and of course anything with added sugar or high fructose corn syrup like sugar-sweetened beverages.5

Also, don’t forget noncaloric sweeteners. If you are adding noncaloric sweeteners to coffee or tea, that is likely less concerning. But adding them to calorie-containing foods, like desserts or snacks, can lead to overeating.6

High protein for weight loss

Protein may be the most critical macronutrient for weight loss. That may surprise some since much of the discussion around weight loss focuses on reducing carbs or fat.

Within the context of moderate and high carb diets, increasing the amount of protein demonstrates improved weight loss and body composition.7

Improved weight loss and body composition may explain why higher protein diets consistently result in better metabolic health and blood sugar control in people with and without diabetes.8

Studies also show that higher protein diets promote satiety and decrease hunger better than lower protein diets.9

In fact, most of the low carb studies showing better weight loss and improved metabolic health are also higher protein studies. This means the study participants lowered their carbs and increased the percentage of protein in their diets. We will explain more about that in the low carb for weight loss section below.

Other reasons why protein may be beneficial for weight loss

• Protein leverage means that our bodies will seek out food and nutrition until we have reached our innate set point for protein intake.10Based on the protein leverage hypothesis, eating low protein foods means you’ll overeat calories to get enough protein. Eating high protein foods will do the opposite.
• Studies show that eating protein increases thermogenesis — the amount of energy required to digest and metabolize food. The energy required can be as high as 15% of total daily energy expenditure and is consistently higher with high protein meals.11
• Eating high protein foods helps you avoid the energy-dense, nutrient-poor food that is so easy to overeat. Take a look at our guide to the top protein foods. You aren’t going to find many processed, hyper-palatable foods. That’s a win for protein!

Low carb for weight loss

Numerous studies show carbohydrate reduction results in significant weight loss, better than or equivalent to low fat diets.12

Why might a low carb diet be more effective than low fat for weight loss? With low carb, people limit hyper-palatable, high carb foods, thereby lowering their insulin levels. They also tend to spontaneously reduce their calorie intake. But one often overlooked feature of these diets is that they also have higher protein percentages than do low fat diets.

Low carb RCTs are also higher protein RCTs

n 29 randomized trials lasting at least 3 months, which measured weight loss and glycemic control on a low carb diet compared to a low fat diet:

• None show low fat was better for weight loss or glucose control.
• Thirteen show combined lower carb AND higher protein were better than the control diet.
• Nine show lower carb and higher protein was equivalent to the control diet.
• Of the seven that controlled for equal protein:
  • Three show no difference between low carb and the control diet.
  • Four show a benefit to low carb. However, one didn’t specify what participants ate, only what they were told to eat. So it is unclear if they complied or not. And another kept the protein very low at only 64 grams per day.

What about fat for weight loss?

Let’s dispel one myth right away. Eating fat does not by default make you fat.

Fat clearly plays a role in low carb diets, hence the popular name: low carb, high fat (LCHF) diets. These diets have been shown to improve weight loss and blood sugar control.20

When you reduce your caloric intake by cutting from 200-300 grams of carbs down to 20 grams, it’s necessary to obtain energy elsewhere. That energy comes from fat — both the fat you eat and your body fat stores.

The best macros for your weight loss

There isn’t one best “diet” for everyone. We recommend finding a pattern of eating that is enjoyable, sustainable long-term, and that helps you lose weight in a healthy manner.

For many, the most successful dietary approach will be higher protein and lower carb. Although this is not the only method, it may be the best starting point.

Just remember, it may not matter what your macros are if you eat highly processed, low-nutrient foods, as these foods may drive you to overeat and sabotage your health progress. No matter what nutrition plan you choose, make sure you get adequate protein, adequate nutrition, and focus on high-quality, minimally processed foods.