Low Carb Diet Macros for Women: Ideal Ratios for Health and Weight Loss
For decades, low-carb diets have been a divisive form of nutrition and weight loss. While many tout its benefits such as weight loss, improved blood sugar, and improved cognitive function, equal parties warn against its unsustainability.
The fact is that a low-carb diet can improve satiety and increase metabolism, leading to greater weight loss. This has been identified as a potential method for treating type 2 diabetes. Meanwhile triglycerides (fat in the blood) and bad cholesterol decrease, resulting in improvements in blood pressure.
From the outside, decreasing an essential macronutrient can appear to be unsustainable, however, many find it effective and have excellent long-term success.
In this article, we discuss low-carb diet macros for women. We define low-carb, ideal rations for different fitness goals and a sample low-carb meal plan to help you get started.
Understanding Macros for a Low-Carb Diet
Low-carb diets have become a mainstay within the dieting space. As many people began to experiment with decreasing carbohydrates for weight loss, they began to notice the benefits of increased energy, decreased weight, and improved cognitive function.
Limiting carbohydrate intake has exhibited faster total weight. This is due to decreased water weight and a decrease in glycogen, the body’s reserve of carbohydrates stored in muscle and liver is depleted.
Traditionally, carbohydrates would make up a large portion of our macronutrient intake. This means that when we decrease carbohydrate intake, we need to increase protein and fats to compensate for the deficit.
Protein can keep us fuller for longer and increase thermogenesis, this is the metabolic process where our body burns calories to produce heat, boosting metabolism. This reduction in daily calorie consumption combined with boosted metabolism leads to better weight loss, fat mass loss, and preservation of lean mass.
Low-carb is separated into different categories based on the level of restriction. Below are the ranges to help you understand:
- Very Low Carbohydrate: Less than 10% or 20g to 50g per day
- Low Carbohydrate: Less than 26% or less than 130g per day
- Moderate Carbohydrate: 26–44%
- High Carbohydrate: 45% or greater
Why Low Carb Macros are Different for Women
Women and men process store and use fat differently which should be considered when calculating our macronutrient intake. During a low-carb diet, we place a greater emphasis on protein and fats.
Women maintain a greater body fat percentage and use fat more preferentially during exercise compared to men. Healthy fats are essential for the production of reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone.
While macronutrient intakes between men and women appear the same, women’s use for reproductive health, fuel, and protection of vital organs means we must not reduce our intake below healthy levels.
Ideal Low Carb Macro Ratios for Women’s Health
Calculating our macronutrient intake requires us to adjust our protein and fats while using our remaining effectively to improve energy levels, and load up on essential nutrients.
A general rule is:
Below we address how to do each, to ensure a successful low-carb diet.
Protein Recommendations for a Low Carb Diet
Low-carb diets place a greater emphasis on our protein intake. Complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are filling and provide our body with energy, and their absence from our diet means we must increase protein. Fortunately, protein is great at keeping us full, which is exactly what we need when reducing carbohydrates.
During a low-carb diet, protein should make up approximately 30–50% of your total calories. The recommended protein intake for a low-carb diet is approximately 1.2–2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Healthy Fats for Energy and Satiety
Healthy fats large portion of our low-carb diet. They provide our body with energy and improve satiety. Like protein, our fat must increase to approximately 30–40% of our total calorie intake to provide fuel to the body in the absence of carbohydrates.
Furthermore, dietary fats absorb nutrients, support cell growth, and improve cholesterol, and cognitive function.
Prioritize healthy fats, such as omega-3 (polyunsaturated fat) found in fatty fish, walnuts, flaxseed, eggs, mackerel, and chia seeds. These are great for reducing cardiovascular disease risk.
Managing Carb Intake Effectively
Decreasing our carbohydrate intake does not mean they are not important to our diet. During the low-bard diet, we must use our remaining carbohydrates to provide additional fuel and provide our body.
As mentioned carbohydrate intake can range between 10–30% of our calorie intake during a low-carb diet. We recommend consuming complex carbohydrates as they are loaded with dietary fiber and have been associated with gut, bowel, and heart health, plus the reduction of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Complex carbohydrates can be found in whole grains, fruit, and vegetables, all of which complement many low-carb meals and are loaded with essential nutrients
Sample Low Carb Meal Plan with Macro Ratios
Like any nutrition plan, low-carb diets come with an adjustment period. It can be particularly difficult for individuals who consume most of their daily calorie intake through bread, pasta, and rice.
If this is the case, we recommend easing yourself into the process by reducing your carbohydrates to 30% before lowering below 26% into that low-carb bracket.
The following is an 1,800 low-carb, meal plan, allowing 500 calories for each main meal and 300 calories for our snack. Below we display each meal, its calories, and macronutrients.
The aim is to select meals to meet your calorie and macronutrient requirements. This can be done by increasing or decreasing portions for each meal. This may be taking two servings or adding an extra snack to your day.
While your macros won’t always be perfect, tracking and sticking to your calorie and macro intake will help you achieve incredible results. Below you will also notice that some dishes have higher carbs than your meal requirements. If you select a meal will a higher carb content, just be sure to reduce your carb intake from your next meal to fit in with your daily goal.
Here are the 1,800-calorie, low-carb meal plan macronutrient ratios:
- Calories: 1,800
- Carbohydrates: 20% of total calories = 135g
- Protein: 50% of total calories = 180g
- Fats: 30% of total calories = 60g
Breakfast Ideas for Low-Carb
Breakfast macronutrient breakdown:
- Calories: 500
- Carbohydrates: 20% of total calories = 38g
- Protein: 50% of total calories = 50g
- Fats: 30% of total calories = 17g
Lunch Ideas for Low-Carb
Lunch calorie and macronutrient breakdown:
- Calories: 500
- Carbohydrates: 20% of total calories = 38g
- Protein: 50% of total calories = 50g
- Fats: 30% of total calories = 17g
Dinner Ideas for Low-Carb
Dinner calorie and macronutrient breakdown:
- Calories: 500
- Carbohydrates: 20% of total calories = 38g
- Protein: 50% of total calories = 50g
- Fats: 30% of total calories = 17g
Snacks and Small Meals
Snack calorie and macronutrient breakdown:
- Calories: 300
- Carbohydrates: 20% of total calories = 22g
- Protein: 50% of total calories = 30g
- Fats: 30% of total calories = 10g
Tips for Tracking Macros on a Low Carb Diet
Low-carb diets tend to place less emphasis on tracking calorie and macronutrient intakes. However, we recommend recording your meals for greater weight loss success.
Below is our list of tips for tracking your macros for a successful low-carb diet.
Use A Nutrition Tracking App
First and foremost, we must invest in a good-quality nutrition-tracking app to log our meals. Besides streamlining the tracking progress, it can help you learn the carb content of each food, helping you discover new meals.
Track Every Meal
When it comes to tracking your low-carb diet macros, we recommend tracking every single meal. Low-carb diets are amazing for rapid weight loss, which can lead to believe they don’t need to track their calorie, macronutrient, and carbohydrate intake.
However, like all diets weight loss can plateau, and simply cutting carbs won’t get you to your next weight loss milestone.
No matter how small the meal or how little the amount of carbohydrates, you need to log it into your app. While logging just a couple of grams of carbohydrates may seem tedious, it provides us with data on exactly what we have done to achieve our weight loss goals.
Furthermore, it educates us on the nutritional value of different foods, helps us practice good tracking habits, and develops an understanding of our eating habits and weight loss.
Set Realistic Low-Carb Goals
Like eating plans, low-carb diets are a marathon and not a sprint. While the rapid weight loss of low-carb diets will have you chomping at the bit to drastically drop carbs for overnight success, it can be unsustainable.
As mentioned, cutting carbs for the first time can be difficult, especially for individuals who consume their carbs through bread, pasta, and rice.
We recommend dropping your carbohydrate to 30% of your calorie intake. From here, we can reduce by a further 5–10% over the next month until our carbs are at 20%. Gradually decreasing may seem overly cautious, but it can improve sustainability and adherence.
Save Meals and Common Foods
One of the best things you can do when tracking your low-carb diet is to save your favorite meals and common foods. While nutrition apps offer a streamlined tracking approach, logging our meals each day can still take time. By saving our favorite meals and foods, we can speed up the process, meaning less time on our phones and more time eating and creating healthy, nutritious meals.
Monitor Your Micronutrient Intake
Monitoring your micronutrient intake is essential during a low-carb diet. While we understand that tracking your calories and macros can feel overwhelming, we recommend taking a little extra time to pay attention to your micronutrient intake.
When we reduce our carbohydrate intake, we also reduce the range of food that provides our body with vital vitamins and minerals. For example, whole grains such as brown rice are an excellent source of vitamins B, E, A, iron, protein, fiber, and magnesium. Meanwhile, fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, B6, potassium, iron, zinc, and magnesium.
When we limit our carbohydrate intake, we reduce the vitamins and minerals obtained through these food sources. As we age, these vitamins and minerals become essential to our function and quality of life as they support our connective tissue, immune systems, hormones, and brain, heart, and eye health.
During menopause, these micronutrients offer considerable support to our bodily systems and can help to alleviate symptoms.
Tracking your micronutrients can take time, so we suggest taking a relaxed approach and scrolling through the macronutrients as you log your meals. As you begin and continue to enter your common foods and meals, you will begin to understand your requirements, where you are successful, and what your deficiencies are. This will help you address your needs in your meal planning, ensuring greater long-term health.
Recap: Adjusting Your Macro Ratios Based on Your Goals
The low-carb diet has become a mainstay for many, helping them lose weight and improve blood pressure. While its rapid benefits come from the loss of water weight and decrease of glycogen store, the additional protein intake provides fullness and a boost in metabolism that provide potential for long-term weight loss success.
If you are thinking or trying a low-carb diet ensure you:
- Track your calories and macronutrients using a nutrition-tracking app.
- Set realistic low-carb goals.
- Gradually decrease your carbohydrate percentage.
- Track your micronutrients to avoid deficiencies.
- Use your remaining carbs wisely, prioritize complex carbs
- Prioritize healthy fats such as omega-3
From the outside, low-carb diets can produce rapid weight loss, however, it is the management of calories, macronutrients, and the remaining carbohydrates that make it sustainable long-term. Follow these tips and you will ensure successful long-term weight loss.
FAQs
How does a low-carb diet benefit women’s health and weight loss?
A low-carb diet can support weight loss by reducing insulin levels, promoting fat burning, and curbing appetite. It may also improve blood sugar regulation, support hormonal balance, and enhance energy levels for women.
Can women over 40 follow a low-carb diet effectively?
Yes, women over 40 can benefit from a low-carb diet, as it may help manage age-related weight gain, improve metabolism, and support hormonal health. Adjusting macros to include sufficient protein and healthy fats is crucial for maintaining muscle mass and overall health.
How much protein should women consume on a low-carb diet?
Women on a low-carb diet should aim to consume 0.6-1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily, depending on activity level and health goals. Protein helps preserve muscle mass and promotes satiety, making it an essential macro.
What are good sources of healthy fats for a low-carb diet?
Healthy fats for a low-carb diet include avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel), and full-fat dairy. These provide essential nutrients and sustained energy.
What are good sources of healthy fats for a low-carb diet?
Women can customize their low-carb macros by adjusting protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake based on their goals. For weight loss, a higher protein and moderate fat ratio may work best. For improved energy and endurance, slightly increasing healthy fats can be beneficial. Consulting a nutritionist can help tailor macros to individual needs.
