What is the right macronutrient mix for weight loss?

180OneEighty

I have seen a lot on the boards about macronutrients, and a lot about what the ratio should be for building muscle. I have just under 100 lbs to lose and MFP recommended a split for me, but it seems to be really heavy into carbs (165 carbs, 44 fat, 66 protein). I am losing weight and am under my daily calorie goals but I want to be as successful as possible. The only exercise I am doing right now is walking. What is the best ratio for fat/weight loss??? Or, shouldn't I be worried about macros yet? Can anyone recommend any reputable resources to help? Thanks!!!

jgnatca

You have it figured out! It is very difficult to change the proportion of macros but if you do, I suggest you try no more than 5% difference from what you are doing now. Are you having any trouble hitting your carb macros?

Unknown

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EvanKeel

MrM27 wrote: »

There is no right mix as far as percentages goes.

A good start is:

.6-.87g per lb of bodyweight in protein
.4-.45g per lb of bodyweight in fat
Distribute the rest as desired.

That.

And since the OP hints at fat loss/body composition, a progressive lifting routine might also be in order to help maintain muscle.

auddii

MrM27 wrote: »

There is no right mix as far as percentages goes.

A good start is:

.6-.87g per lb of bodyweight in protein
.4-.45g per lb of bodyweight in fat
Distribute the rest as desired.

This. And how you distribute the rest will likely be discovered through trial and error. Some people operate better on lower carbs, others need the carbs to have energy to get through the day. If I eat too many carbs, I'll get hungry really fast, and I'll end up overeating for the day, so I tend to do low-ish carbs.

Find what works for you, gives you enough energy for your lifestyle, keeps you satiated so that you don't overeat, and will help you meet your goals.

cwolfman13

There really isn't one...focus on your calorie intake first, ultimately that is what matters for losing weight.

That said, when you're dieting you definitely want to make sure you're getting a pretty high level of protein intake to help preserve lean mass and use your macros to help you balance out your diet...beyond that, your macro ratios are going to be more about fitness performance and body composition more than anything. They really don't have a tremendous bearing on weight loss.

180OneEighty

That helps a lot. Thanks guys!

lemurcat12

MrM27 wrote: »

There is no right mix as far as percentages goes.

A good start is:

.6-.87g per lb of bodyweight in protein
.4-.45g per lb of bodyweight in fat
Distribute the rest as desired.

I also agree with this.

The other option I'd recommend is just monitoring what you are eating for a couple of weeks and then seeing how your numbers compare to these and to the MFP defaults. If your protein is low, I'd try to fix it. If you are having trouble staying full, I'd troubleshoot that. If you notice differences from day to day in how full you are, I'd pay attention to any macro differences. And, I'd pay attention to the possibility that things might change over time, especially if you change your activity level. I find that it worked best for me to lower carbs some (NOT low carb) beyond the MFP recommendation (which seemed high to me too), but to increase them some when I was being really active and I might increase them again now that I'm closer to goal and am consistently active.