Higher protein keto involves prioritizing protein at every meal and with snacks. Higher protein keto is not low fat. It’s still keto. The ratios tend to be something like 5% calories from carbs, 35-45% calories from protein, and 50-60% calories from fat. In practical terms, if you’re eating 115 grams of protein per day, then fat intake would be about 80-90 grams, and carbs fewer than 20 grams per day. Those are my macros and only an example. What should yours be? You can use this guide from Diet Doctor to see the ranges of protein you might target.
Another general (and simple) rule of thumb is to eat 100 grams of protein for the first 5 feet of height and add 5 grams per inch. Someone who is 5’ 2” would then need to set a goal of eating 110 grams of protein per day or an average of about 35 grams per meal eating three meals per day. This simple formula has protein at the higher end of the Diet Doctor range for many of us. This formula is generally the same for men as for women. If you’re more active or older, you may want to consider eating a little extra protein since our bodies absorb less protein as we age.
You may need to begin with one target for macros and then adjust. Some people find they feel best at lower amounts of protein than the highest range while others, especially those who are active, thrive at higher levels. If you’ve been eating a lot of fat, then you may want to gradually decrease the amount of fat you consume until your fat grams are less than or equal to protein. If you experience hunger when lowering fat, increase protein. There is no maximum amount of protein, so default to eating more protein when you are hungry.
Remember, higher protein keto does not mean low fat. You don’t have to fear that, but you want to be mindful of how much you consume. Once fat adapted, you don’t necessarily need to add extra fat just for the sake of adding fat.
This may feel like a huge mind shift for some people and it doesn’t mean that fat is bad. In fact, I’d argue that some people need higher fat when just beginning keto. I am convinced that it helps people to transition to burning fat instead of carbs. I’ve seen literally tens of thousands of people increase fat and lose weight, particularly in the beginning, but I’ve also seen folks who need to shift to lower fat to continue to reach their goals. Neither is wrong, so please remember that high fat keto also serves a role, as long as you’re getting adequate protein.
Read Part III: How should I start eating higher protein keto.
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