Weight Loss Tip: Focus on your Macro Percentages
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After a year, I've just now gotten carbs up to 30% of my calories. I guess I'm missing why watching your macros is a weight loss tip.0
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I was vegetarian for a long time and a couple of years ago I switched to vegan. I always say: If you can't look a non human animal in the eye and say out loud "I'm going to kill you now", and do it, you should not eat it.
Being vegan is easier than people think. It's just a matter of bringing a great variety in your food. Really that's all. Only supplement I have is for B12, because I'm too lazy to keep an eye on that, and those supplements are vegan. Really. People make a lot of fuss about it, but it's easy.
Did you know that women who lead a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle have less Monthly problems and less to no problems at all during the menopause? I'm 55 and had NO!!! problems at all. None, no hot flushes, nothing at all. It just stopped and that was it. My sister, who isn't vegan/vegetarian is 58 and still has problems. Just a nice thing to know :-)
Just like with anything it takes some prep, planning, and getting used to! I'm glad you have found something that works for you and you've seen positive results and are sticking to it!
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DeguelloTex wrote: »After a year, I've just now gotten carbs up to 30% of my calories. I guess I'm missing why watching your macros is a weight loss tip.
Watching your macros was simply a suggestion from me in order to pay attention to foods and what they contain it's not the be all end all and will instantly give you results and that you MUST follow this of course different things work for different people and your needs may be different! I'm happy that you have found success and I wish you continued success in your journey!
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emmy_marino wrote: »This may be a contentious point but I think personal trainers should focus on .. oh I dunno.. training and leave nutrition advice to those who know what they're talking about either through being a registered dietician or actual knowledge with scientific basis
starvation mode - derp
I say this as someone who is happy at around 50% carbs .. cos yum carbs
I am at 45-50% carbs myself too. Love the carbs!!!
Let me clarify "starvation mode": lack of energy, lethargy etc meaning you cannot get as good of a workout you are miserable and fatigued and you are not giving your body adequate nutrients to function optimally. Not giving your body the nutrients it needs to recover after workouts. HENCE not burning as many calories! Call it what you will if starvation mode scares you then give it another term.
I didn't come on here pretending to be some dietician again just referring the average user on here to explore this app look into yes the caloric deficit but also at where these calories are coming from. You need protein to build and fuel muscle, you need carbs for energy and daily function, and fat for energy and nutrient absorption (some nutrients cannot be absorbed in the body without fat). I didn't prescribe a meal plan nor make anyone eat a certain kind of way the 40-60% carb intake is a well known GENERAL avg and not specific to an individual! As you first start this weightloss journey it's a good safe place to start when you don't know where to begin and as you get more knowledable in the field or see a professional you can adjust these numbers accordingly. Sheesh everyone calm down even personal trainers have to learn about nutrition and come out with BASIC knowledge about nutrition. I went to school for this I didn't just read one text book and take a test and call myself a personal trainer. I also properly refer my clients to a nutritionist for their diet that is not my scope of practice but I can give them guidance at first. Like a nutrition 101 basic info they could start with its in textbooks it's not rocket science but it is foreign to people that have never been exposed to it so why not get your clients thinking about nutrition and what they put in their bodies and talk to them about balance.
Oh I know you are well-meaning
I posted advice on your very first thread and suggested that you just join in the conversations offering your advice on specific questions but make sure you can back it up.
Unfortunately when you post generic advice, at an audience you don't know, you are going to get people going 'now hang on a second here'.
You have intimated that you have a special background that you seem to think means MFP users should give your posts special credence ... which means that those who have some knowledge will respond to your posts to ensure that lurkers do take what you say under advisement.
PS for the benefit of those who do not know ... a nutritionist is not a dietician .. I could become a nutritionist online in a weekend if I chose
I agree with this totally
Probably well meaning but....generic advice, touting being a personal trainer and mentioning "starvation mode" even to get the attention of people has made me question your intent and actual knowledge.
I agree leave the nutrition advice to a well qualified up to date RD.
Macros imo should be personalized and throwing random numbers out there for a large population doesn't sit well with me.
*it is almost impossible to build muscle while in a calorie deficit...you are either obese and new to lifting or new to lifting....and eating more protein isn't the way to build muscle....you need resistance/heavy lifting in there too...If we stick to our caloric restrictions but want to increase muscle mass we need more protein thus less calories in that pie chart are left for carbs and fat hence altering your percentages.
This among other things (which I won't mention as it goes against TOS) lead me to question knowledge as well...
Perhaps the next time you think something needs special note like the PIE chart on the app...just mention it...don't give advice about it.
Alright me responding at 4 am in the morning obviously was a bad choice however I should have been specific in that case where most people trying to loose weight have an excess amount of fat and therefore they go into a calorie deficit and up their protein intake and results have yeilded an INCREASE in muscle mass and a decrease in FAT and a decrease in weight on the scale (I always tell clients not to worry so much about the numbers on the scale and find a different measure of success like circumference measurements or body fat percentage etc) So sorry for not being specific people here are starting to apply what I said to specific individuals and specialized populations I'm not talking about body builders and marathon runners this forum said "GENERAL weightloss tips" and although watching your Macros is not in itself going to give you weight loss it promotes a shift and an emphasis on BALANCE! I cannot stress that enough now different approaches work for different people and I encourage to find what works for you but if you completely don't know what to look at when you're looking at macros 40-60 percent of carbs 20-30 percent of fat and the remaining protein is a great place to start. Common now we aren't here to break apart and take out of context what people write about... its about encouraging a healthy shift sorry for not putting a disclaimer at the bottom of my original post I really figured that that was a given. Like I mentioned earlier my post should have been "hey guys try looking at your macros" the person reading about macros for the first time is prob like what the heck does this mean what's average where do I begin so even My Fitness Pal automatically starts you at these ranges and allows you to specifically change it if you need to. Maybe ask My Fitness Pal why they start you within that range too since this personable trainer is "questionable". Again this app and this post is a generalized guideline, YOU may not fall within this generalized guideline based on your needs find what works for YOU!
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MFP sets macros at minimums recommended by government departments I believe..
and I doubt very much that clients who JUST increase protein without resistance training or heavy lifting are building any muscle...come on.
I had an excess of fat (about 60lbs of it) make sure I get in lots of protein and lift heavy and if I built any muscle it's not much and it was when I was eating at maintenance over a 7 month period.
again...education is key and if people are interested in it certain personal trainers on this site is where they go..not someone touting that they are and giving out bad information.0 -
I was vegetarian for a long time and a couple of years ago I switched to vegan. I always say: If you can't look a non human animal in the eye and say out loud "I'm going to kill you now", and do it, you should not eat it.
Being vegan is easier than people think. It's just a matter of bringing a great variety in your food. Really that's all. Only supplement I have is for B12, because I'm too lazy to keep an eye on that, and those supplements are vegan. Really. People make a lot of fuss about it, but it's easy.
Did you know that women who lead a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle have less Monthly problems and less to no problems at all during the menopause? I'm 55 and had NO!!! problems at all. None, no hot flushes, nothing at all. It just stopped and that was it. My sister, who isn't vegan/vegetarian is 58 and still has problems. Just a nice thing to know :-)
Anecdotally, some women have an easier time with their periods after they go vegan. But it isn't universal. I have been vegan for nine years and I still get some bloating, cramps, mood swings, etc. My mom is vegan and was vegan when she went through menopause and she still had to deal with some of the issues related to it.
Veganism isn't a cure-all.0 -
I find the pie chart sort of amusing sometimes, but I doubt I'd ever let that visualization of balance determine my intake. I'm significantly more interested in grams than I am percentages.0
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MFP sets macros at minimums recommended by government departments I believe..
and I doubt very much that clients who JUST increase protein without resistance training or heavy lifting are building any muscle...come on.
I had an excess of fat (about 60lbs of it) make sure I get in lots of protein and lift heavy and if I built any muscle it's not much and it was when I was eating at maintenance over a 7 month period.
again...education is key and if people are interested in it certain personal trainers on this site is where they go..not someone touting that they are and giving out bad information.
Promoting balance in your macros I highly doubt is bad information and of course in order to build muscle (man or woman) you need to lift heavy and lift heavy consistently again this isn't a post about gaining muscle mass if it were I would've gotten into specifics. I used and rieterated generalized norms and minimums that the app also uses but my use of it and my knowledge on it is "questionable".
This post is about BALANCE is love to get into Kinesiology and Biomechanics with you guys no problem but don't see it being helpful to the average client who is already overwhelmed with simply counting calories and moving more.
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I find the pie chart sort of amusing sometimes, but I doubt I'd ever let that visualization of balance determine my intake. I'm significantly more interested in grams than I am percentages.
I definitely monitor everything on here and try to bring it around full circle the grams work for you so stuck with it
whatever you are comfortable with and whatever works or has been prescribed to you by a professional! Our roads to success are all different!
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If this post does nothing more than make people research what this is all about I feel like it is successful!0
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Kudos to the OP for not taking everything personal and not getting defensive. It usually ends in bickering and the OP leaving never to be heard from again.0
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So, there's no real way to say this without being a little finger-pointy, but...
Rhetorically, I find your posts somewhat suspicious. You're certainly upbeat and have a working relationship with your 1 and shift keys. But various references to being a personal trainer (across two posts), along with a reference to "professional" help just now...I don't know.
You may not be aware of this, but other less ethical users who have also called themselves trainers, have sometimes tip toed over the line when it comes to using the main forums to drum up business for themselves. So before that happens...
All I'm saying is that you can give all sorts of wonderful advice, and your profession has nothing to do with it.0 -
So, there's no real way to say this without being a little finger-pointy, but...
Rhetorically, I find your posts somewhat suspicious. You're certainly upbeat and have a working relationship with your 1 and shift keys. But various references to being a personal trainer (across two posts), along with a reference to "professional" help just now...I don't know.
You may not be aware of this, but other less ethical users who have also called themselves trainers, have sometimes tip toed over the line when it comes to using the main forums to drum up business for themselves. So before that happens...
All I'm saying is that you can give all sorts of wonderful advice, and your profession has nothing to do with it.
Although I am new to this app as a contributor I did some trial posts and in a way introducing myself, what I'm here for, and what I do! I learn from my clients and they learn from me! Although I am new to my fitness pal as actually being interactive I am not new to this industry.
When I refer to professional I mean like going to a registered dietician! It is strictly stated as a personal trainer you need to know and understand the nutritional component however you are not licensed to hand out specific meal plans but just general info and guidelines in order for your clients to reach their goals.
With your last sentence I absolutely agree it's all about the research you've done and also some of this is trial and error but not to a point where you are putting yourself in danger. I stated that I was a personal trainer because that does give some validity to my posts and I have studied on it. The spectrum is so vast and there are many personal trainers that are completely out of wack with their knowledge of nutrition those are some of the downfalls of our industry.
I'm strong believer in motivation and positivity and I want to attract like minded individuals to connect no matter what you do we all learn from one another.
I was really testing the waters on this apps and I am really happy with the response you learn from both positive and negative responses and it pushes you to be better.
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I stated that I was a personal trainer because that does give some validity to my posts and I have studied on it. The spectrum is so vast and there are many personal trainers that are completely out of wack with their knowledge of nutrition those are some of the downfalls of our industry.
Yeah, I get that's probably why you stated it, but that concept is fallacious for reasons you point out in the subsequent sentence. Additionally, perfectly competent trainers will tend to disagree on topics. So, the fact that they're both trainers is, and should be, irrelevant.
Any information presented should be able to stand on its own merits, which will no doubt get discussed at length.
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emmy_marino wrote: »I'm a personal trainer here in NYC and have used this app a lot! I find this app really helps me stay accountable and helps me stay on track with my nutrition! As I used this app more and more I discovered some of its awesome features! My fav is the Macro pie chart (you can get to it at the bottom of your diary).
The app already pre-sets your percentage breakdown and as you get more educated on nutrition you can start to play with those percentages. In order for your body to function properly your carbs should be between 40-60% of your food intake of course you want keep your carbs down but if you deplete your body of the necessary carbs it will go into starvation mode (not good for the metabolism).
The best results I've seen so far using this apps has been through monitoring my Macro pie chart throughout the day and it helps me with my meal choices too! For example I usually try and keep to have balanced meals but in the mornings I tend to be more carb heavy... Not a prob for a snack I'll just have a protein shake or have more protein for lunch and cut down on the carbs (remember fruits count as carbs!) I've seen some amazing results in my body try using this method for a week and see how it works for you!!!
Links on bold?
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I stated that I was a personal trainer because that does give some validity to my posts and I have studied on it. The spectrum is so vast and there are many personal trainers that are completely out of wack with their knowledge of nutrition those are some of the downfalls of our industry.
Yeah, I get that's probably why you stated it, but that concept is fallacious for reasons you point out in the subsequent sentence. Additionally, perfectly competent trainers will tend to disagree on topics. So, the fact that they're both trainers is, and should be, irrelevant.
Any information presented should be able to stand on its own merits, which will no doubt get discussed at length.
Agree with that one! I feel sometimes people don't get taken seriously if they don't state who they are what they do and where they come from.
I finally realized that while Instagram and Twitter and all those other social mediums are great not everyone on there is interested in fitness and nutrition where as here on MFP anyone using it is actually trying to learn more or using it as a helping tool whether you are trying to bulk up or loose weight or maintain we are all like minded individuals interested in what we put in our bodies. That drove me to get on here and get more active in the community!
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emmy_marino wrote: »emmy_marino wrote: »Nowhere in my post did I mention hey everyone ignore everything else that's important to your health and just focus on your Macro percentages... Simply put some people haven't even looked at that part of the app and simply and solely focus on a calorie deficit which of course is the key to weightloss ... Calories in vs calories out. Do you guys think it's healthy that hey I stayed within my calorie goal but ate 70% carbs of those calories... Obviously not! Losing weight should not be harming your body you should be nurishing it and keeping running efficiently. Trying to open people up to learn and explore things past just the calorie deficit. I've seen too many clients that are not seeing results simply because they are not giving their body enough to go on they have become calorie deficit machines and take it to the extreme. I'm sorry feeding your body 1200 calories and intensely working out 5 days a week can work for a couple weeks but you WILL burn out! Here are some things we can agree on:
1) Min amount of carbs are required for your body to function properly it is your main source of energy and keeps you going.
2) Macros are important in that since you are depleting your calories per day to loose weight that you still make sure you are meeting your body's needs
Low fat diets have be shown to not work long term. Extreme low carb diets, while they will give you results, will not last long term as well. So why not encourage balanced meals and sustainable long term healthy choices. Or simply open people up to new things and a different way of looking at things in conjunction with what they already know.
Have you ever heard of people doing 80/10/10? It works for them.
Completely agree with you again my only goal is speaking to the general average population and not specific to anyone in a specific training program. I was thinking more of the new comers to this app and just drawing attention to different feature in this app. The 40-60 range is for the avg; for the person starting out that doesn't know where to begin and the average person isn't expending nor needing that high carb intake the unused carbs in your body eventually turn into fat. It's all related to biomechanics and how and what kind of fuel your body needs based on what activity you do.
How does that work in a calorie deficit?
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This may be a contentious point but I think personal trainers should focus on .. oh I dunno.. training and leave nutrition advice to those who know what they're talking about either through being a registered dietician or actual knowledge with scientific basis
starvation mode - derp
I say this as someone who is happy at around 50% carbs .. cos yum carbs
LOLs. I think this is a reminder that just because someone is certified in one completely separate field, doesn't make them experts in another.0 -
yopeeps025 wrote: »emmy_marino wrote: »emmy_marino wrote: »Nowhere in my post did I mention hey everyone ignore everything else that's important to your health and just focus on your Macro percentages... Simply put some people haven't even looked at that part of the app and simply and solely focus on a calorie deficit which of course is the key to weightloss ... Calories in vs calories out. Do you guys think it's healthy that hey I stayed within my calorie goal but ate 70% carbs of those calories... Obviously not! Losing weight should not be harming your body you should be nurishing it and keeping running efficiently. Trying to open people up to learn and explore things past just the calorie deficit. I've seen too many clients that are not seeing results simply because they are not giving their body enough to go on they have become calorie deficit machines and take it to the extreme. I'm sorry feeding your body 1200 calories and intensely working out 5 days a week can work for a couple weeks but you WILL burn out! Here are some things we can agree on:
1) Min amount of carbs are required for your body to function properly it is your main source of energy and keeps you going.
2) Macros are important in that since you are depleting your calories per day to loose weight that you still make sure you are meeting your body's needs
Low fat diets have be shown to not work long term. Extreme low carb diets, while they will give you results, will not last long term as well. So why not encourage balanced meals and sustainable long term healthy choices. Or simply open people up to new things and a different way of looking at things in conjunction with what they already know.
Have you ever heard of people doing 80/10/10? It works for them.
Completely agree with you again my only goal is speaking to the general average population and not specific to anyone in a specific training program. I was thinking more of the new comers to this app and just drawing attention to different feature in this app. The 40-60 range is for the avg; for the person starting out that doesn't know where to begin and the average person isn't expending nor needing that high carb intake the unused carbs in your body eventually turn into fat. It's all related to biomechanics and how and what kind of fuel your body needs based on what activity you do.
How does that work in a calorie deficit?
It doesn't.
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