Advice please about MACROs

palwithme

Hello!

I would like to get some advice about an appropriate macro split. I started exercising and counting calories in July of 2014 and and so far have lost 46 pounds. I have been doing cardio five days a week for 60 to 90 minutes at a time. I haven't really watched my macros during this process. As of last week I started strength training with the help of a trainer. So far it is going great. He told me to be careful and hit all my macros. But, I have no idea what they should be. I do better on lower carb (in my opinion), and I still have about 44 pounds to lose, so I think I should stay on the lower carb track. One of the threads mentioned a 40 carb/40 protein/20 fat split is very effective and that sounded good to me, but I have no idea. Thoughts?

HardcoreP0rk

I try to hit 40:30:30 and have significant difficulty getting enough protein to do it. It's a worthy goal, and if you end up somewhere between 40:30:30 and 50:25:25 then you should be ok. Caloric deficit is going to be the most important for someone with significant weight to lose, in my opinion.

If you continue to do 60-90 minutes of cardio five days a week, you will likely need all those carbs. I wouldnt go any lower than 40% carbs.

marcolbmp

palwithme wrote: »

One of the threads mentioned a 40 carb/40 protein/20 fat split is very effective and that sounded good to me, but I have no idea. Thoughts?

This is what I would recommend. Also another way to look at it is try to get .75 grams of protein for every pound you weigh. Ideally it would be 1 gram for every pound of lean mass, but the above mentioned works just as well for most.

There are quite a few very knowledgeable people here, I'm sure you'll get some great advice. At the end of the day though, it's all trial and error, just have to see what works best for you.

palwithme

I should add I am still doing an 60 to 90 minutes of cardio a day plus the strength training every other day.

marcolbmp

If your cardio consists of basic straight rate cardio, maybe you want to incorporate HIIT training during your lift days and straight rate on your active rest days.

palwithme

Thanks for the info! It is going to be difficult to eat that much protein without fat, but other people have figured it out so I guess I can. I just googled HIIT - sounds like what I need.

jacksonpt

Recommended macros will usually involve a range, somewhere between minimum and ideal based on your goals. It's not always as black and white as people, websites, formulas, etc. suggest.

Speaking very generally, people should be aiming for -

fat: .25-.5g per lb of total body weight
carbs: 1-3g per lb of total body weight
protein: .75-1.5g per lb of lean body mass

Where you fall within those ranges should be dictated by things like personal preference, sustainability, performance, and goals.

HardcoreP0rk

palwithme wrote: »

Thanks for the info! It is going to be difficult to eat that much protein without fat, but other people have figured it out so I guess I can. I just googled HIIT - sounds like what I need.

Ya know, I wouldnt cut the fat that slim if it were me. I think that has more to do with my love of healthy whole foods and good fats like avocado and olive oil... but just keep it in mind. I tend to end up 50% carbs, 20% protein and 30% fat when I'm eating intuitively and staying within calorie goals. Its a real effort for me to hit 40:30:30 but staying within total calories is totally easy.

palwithme

HardcoreP0rk wrote: »

palwithme wrote: »

Thanks for the info! It is going to be difficult to eat that much protein without fat, but other people have figured it out so I guess I can. I just googled HIIT - sounds like what I need.

Ya know, I wouldnt cut the fat that slim if it were me. I think that has more to do with my love of healthy whole foods and good fats like avocado and olive oil... but just keep it in mind. I tend to end up 50% carbs, 20% protein and 30% fat when I'm eating intuitively and staying within calorie goals. Its a real effort for me to hit 40:30:30 but staying within total calories is totally easy.

Thanks. I am a fan of fat too. Mostly cheese. I have cut way back on that, maybe too much.

Mr_Knight

A lot depends on your activity level and personal preferences. As long as all the numbers are at least 20, you're unlikely to run into too much trouble.

In terms of weight loss, there will be minimal differences in outcomes - just pick something that works for *you* in terms of sustainability.

lemurcat12

Mr_Knight wrote: »

A lot depends on your activity level and personal preferences. As long as all the numbers are at least 20, you're unlikely to run into too much trouble.

In terms of weight loss, there will be minimal differences in outcomes - just pick something that works for *you* in terms of sustainability.

This. If you want to try 40-30-30 go ahead--it works for lots of people, including me. But don't feel like you need to pick it or that it's inherently superior to MFP's defaults, and if you find yourself struggling or not feeling as well on a particular breakdown adjusting it is fine.

I think it makes sense to just see what you are eating for a while and when you feel hungry or not and then modify it in response, but if the structure of 40-30-30 helps that's great too.

palwithme

I think I will start with 40/30/30 and see how it goes. I tried going low carb to break out of a stall I was in with my weight loss, and it worked, but now I don't feel that great.