In this YouTube segment, JJ Virgin discusses the importance of balancing macronutrients for fat loss, emphasizing that there are actually four macronutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, and alcohol. She explains that alcohol, providing 7 calories per gram, is a toxin that the body must metabolize first, which halts fat burning while it is being processed. She then moves through the three traditional macros. For carbohydrates, she notes that humans can survive without them (e.g., ketogenic diets) but argues that eliminating carbs may not be optimal for adrenal health or gut microbiome, and stresses an individualized "N of 1" approach rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all diet. Regarding fats, she highlights that only a tiny fraction of their calories are needed for digestion, but a minimum of 30–60 g per day is essential for essential fatty acids (especially omega‑3 and omega‑6) that support cell membranes and brain function. Protein is presented as the top priority: it provides structural support, muscle maintenance, high satiety, and a strong thermic effect, consuming about 25 % of its calories in digestion. She recommends 0.7–1 g of protein per pound of target body weight. Finally, she offers a practical starting macro template—approximately 100 g of carbs, 60 g of fat, and protein set to the 0.7–1 g/lb target—encouraging listeners to adjust based on personal response, prioritize whole‑food carb sources, and use her protein calculator.
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So how important is balance when it comes to macronutrients for fat loss? And to start the discussion of macronutrients, one thing I think is important is that I always talk about 3 macronutrients, but you know what the reality is? There's 4. So we have protein, we have fats, we have carbs, we also have alcohol. And I need to mention that because alcohol is a very unique macronutrient. I think we just tend to think it just doesn't count. Oh boy, does it count. 7 calories per gram. But the reality is, this is why it counts the most. When you drink alcohol, when you're eating and drinking, your body has to handle that first because alcohol is a toxin to your system. So when you're drinking alcohol, first thing your body's going to do before it deals with the protein, fat, and carbs is got to deal with the alcohol. And so that means that you're not burning fat if you're drinking alcohol because your body's metabolizing alcohol rather than dealing with fat, right? Rather than burning fat. All right, let's now dig into protein, fat, and carbs. I'm going to go with carbs first. And here's the interesting thing with carbs. You can live without them. We can live solely on a ketogenic diet, solely on protein and fat with water, must have water, right? But it doesn't mean it's the best thing for you. And when I talk about the best diet for fat loss, here's the reality. It's the best diet for you. And we're all our own N of 1. And that's really super duper important. Anyone tell you that there's one diet for everybody and it's, this is the way, it's ridiculous. But there is the best diet for you and how you do with carbs and fat. Really, I think that's where the N of 1 comes in. So. I'm just going to table it right now, but just let you know that yes, you can live without carbs. However, probably not the best thing for your adrenals or your gut microbiome. Now, fat is interesting. It only requires— it requires very little, like 0 to 3% of its calories to be used in the digestion and metabolism of fat. And we need probably 30 to 60 grams of it a day. I think 30 grams is sort of like the foundational— remember, fats are essential, especially omega-6s. Omega-3s are essential for us. We got to get them from diet. They make up our cell membranes. They are super important for our brain function. So they can do a lot of stuff in the body. However, we can make the rest of our fats from our essential fatty acids, but somewhere in the neighborhood, depending on your size, 30 grams plus a day is probably the bare bones minimum that you will want to have a day for fat. So if you are doing a low-fat diet, don't make it a no-fat diet. Get some fat in. It is essential. Next one I'm going to talk about is protein. If you've been around my community at all, you know that I'm a big fan of protein. And that for all of us looking to age powerfully, I think that we need to make protein intake our number one priority, which is why I say eat protein first. What does protein do? Where I think of fat and carbs as our fuel macronutrients, protein's really our function or structure macronutrient. It's going to help us build muscle. It's going to help us with satiety. It's going to help us with better thermic effect of food. So it helps with structure, but it also requires a lot more energy to be digested and assimilated. That muscle protein turnover is expensive. And we also know that it all has better satiety. So you use about 25% of the calories from protein in the digestion, uh, and assimilation of protein. And then you also have really good satiety. It is the most satiating of the macronutrients. Protein, fat, and fiber are like the satiety trifecta. But protein and fiber specifically can trigger the release of GLP-1. So I always like to have people make sure that they're focusing their diet on protein. They're getting 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of target body weight of protein. We'll throw my protein calculator in the show notes if you need it. And so that you make sure that you get that in, it's non-negotiable. Then you throw in the right fats and the right carbs. And remember, we can live without carbs, but quite often if you are struggling with stress, if you're struggling with energy, if you're doing a lot of working out, you'll feel better with some carbs. I find most people, if they put kind of 100 as their baseline for carbs and 60 grams of fat as their baseline for fat, and then kind of see where they feel best after that. So your protein's in there, it's non-negotiable, 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of target body weight, 60 grams of fat, 100 grams of protein, or of carbohydrates, and then play around after that. And remember, with carbohydrates, you're really reaching for those carbs that are as close to nature as possible, that are great sources of fiber for your gut microbiome.
