Macros help!!
ladygirl123
Posts: 37 Member
I'm just not getting it! I'm 47 years old, height 4'11, weight 121 lbs. according to iifym.com my TDEE Is 1595 minus 15% that would make it 1,356 calories - I'm afraid calories are too high but I'm doing it anyway. According to MFP for my weight and height I should be at 1200.
Macros set
protein 1 gram per body weight
Fat .45 of body weight
Rest In carbs
So...
35% fat
30% protein
35% carbs
Is this right??
My weight is not budging unless I have a cheat day it goes up 2 pounds then goes right back to 121 not lower.
for last 4 weeks - lifting 5 days a week 1 day beast cardio. I just started adding 3 additional days of 20 minutes of HITT cardio on elliptical right after working arms, back or shoulders. Do I need to do more cardio? I hate cardio lol
Macros set
protein 1 gram per body weight
Fat .45 of body weight
Rest In carbs
So...
35% fat
30% protein
35% carbs
Is this right??
My weight is not budging unless I have a cheat day it goes up 2 pounds then goes right back to 121 not lower.
for last 4 weeks - lifting 5 days a week 1 day beast cardio. I just started adding 3 additional days of 20 minutes of HITT cardio on elliptical right after working arms, back or shoulders. Do I need to do more cardio? I hate cardio lol
0
Replies
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Short people are at a disadvantage when it comes to calories because we just can't eat as much.
However, macros have nothing to do with weight loss. Total calories is all that matters as regards losing and gaining weight. Macros matter a great deal, however, for body composition. Personally, I would keep protein higher than fat. Mine is currently set at 40% protein, which is a challenge some days, but it's great for satiety as well as protecting muscle mass.
If you aren't losing, then one of three things is happening:
1. Calories out is wrong. You've miscalculated your TDEE. Try using several different calculators and average them. Make sure that your activity level is entered correctly.
2. Calories in is wrong. Use a digital kitchen scale for everything, or else you are eating more than you think you are. You can't use cups or spoons to measure solids. That's not what they're for. Measure everything by weight and you'll be able to track it accurately.
3. Water retention: You retain water for lots of reasons, including increased consumption of sodium or carbs, hormonal fluctuations, and muscle repair after changing or increasing activity.0 -
Ok so adjust your macros, if what your doing is not working you hsve to adjust. Macros still need to be clean eating! How many meals a day? I would try 40/40/20.
Cardio am 25 -30 minutes. Train/lift in evening.
cardio AM train in the PM. yes its 2 different things and needs to be split to get the effect. other wise you would already have results so lets start with 5 days a week take sat & sun off, 25 min of cardio in the AM. get up and have 8 oz of water and then hit steady state cardio for 25 min.0 -
If your stats are accurate, then you're more like 1430-1470 calories to maintain (if sedentary). If you work out a little bit, then 1620-1680. Definitely do not go with the 1200 figure. Cutting too drastically will not only remove fat, but you will also lose muscle. It is counter-productive.
Choose one of those targets cut 10-20% off of that figure to lose weight. If sedentary, you don't need as much protein as an active individual, but a good target range if you work out would be 0.60-0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight.
That dietary fat goal is okay as a minimum, as long as you consistently hit it. If your weight is not budging then you are either overestimating your activity level or underestimating the calories you are consuming.
I do very little cardio... 1-3 miles two or three times a week. Cardio is good for heart health, but I would personally stick with a proven lifting routine. You would learn a lot from @usmcmp ... she is a strong, knowledgeable, determined, woman on MFP with similar goals as you.
For what it's worth, my protein percentage is based on 25% and I have a lot of muscle. Don't go by percentages; go by total grams based on scientific research for promotion of new muscle synthesis and overall health.0 -
jpcarducci wrote: »Ok so adjust your macros, if what your doing is not working you hsve to adjust. Macros still need to be clean eating! How many meals a day? I would try 40/40/20.
Cardio am 25 -30 minutes. Train/lift in evening.
cardio AM train in the PM. yes its 2 different things and needs to be split to get the effect. other wise you would already have results so lets start with 5 days a week take sat & sun off, 25 min of cardio in the AM. get up and have 8 oz of water and then hit steady state cardio for 25 min.
What you are suggesting is totally unnecessary for weight loss. She doesn't need to eat clean, she doesn't need to eat a specific number of meals, she doesn't need an arbitrary macro split that isn't based off weight/lean mass, she doesn't need to workout twice per day, she doesn't need fasted cardio.
What she does need is to weigh her food.
Also, you are at a normal weight for your height. It is at the higher end of the normal BMI scale, so you could possibly lose a few more pounds. What is more likely is that you need to gain some lean mass to help you lean out. What does your lifting schedule look like? Do you follow a program or just do what you want?0 -
My suggesttion was trying something different because what she is doing is not giving her the results she is happy with. Truly you have to weigh your food to get true macro count unless you are an expert an eyeballing. But hey your a pro, right?0
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jpcarducci wrote: »My suggesttion was trying something different because what she is doing is not giving her the results she is happy with. Truly you have to weigh your food to get true macro count unless you are an expert an eyeballing. But hey your a pro, right?
Your suggestions were to make things more complicated instead of going back to basics. Shouldn't you ensure she's actually following through on foundation principles before throwing in fancy stuff? Those suggestions are things bodybuilders use to gain a 1% edge, but they won't help her if she doesn't actually know how much she's eating.0 -
OP - do you use a food scale to weigh all solid foods? What is your lifting regimen like? homemade program or structured one?0
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jpcarducci wrote: »Ok so adjust your macros, if what your doing is not working you hsve to adjust. Macros still need to be clean eating! How many meals a day? I would try 40/40/20.
Cardio am 25 -30 minutes. Train/lift in evening.
cardio AM train in the PM. yes its 2 different things and needs to be split to get the effect. other wise you would already have results so lets start with 5 days a week take sat & sun off, 25 min of cardio in the AM. get up and have 8 oz of water and then hit steady state cardio for 25 min.
what does clean eating have to do wit this?
and I agree with @usmcmp what you are suggesting is not necessary. why would you combine running with lifting on the same day ..sounds like a recipe for burn out...0 -
Clean eating is exactly what it says, how hard to understand. You can hit macros by eating fast food but that doesnt make the correct way. Burn out, how? 25 min of cardio and light lifting program later the day. Burn out would be over doing cardio for no reason. Again my suggestion was trying something different, every person's body is different. They way she wrote her post. I assumed she already new the basics.
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jpcarducci wrote: »Clean eating is exactly what it says, how hard to understand. You can hit macros by eating fast food but that doesnt make the correct way. Burn out, how? 25 min of cardio and light lifting program later the day. Burn out would be over doing cardio for no reason. Again my suggestion was trying something different, every person's body is different. They way she wrote her post. I assumed she already new the basics.
what are you defining as clean food vs unclean food?
who is recommending hitting macros through just fast food?
I think OP will do find if she stays in her calorie targets and hits micro/macros.
clean eating has nothing to do with anything.
ETA - Yes, burn out. If I woke up early every morning before work to run for 25 minutes and then went to the gym in the afternoon and lifted heavy my lifts would suck.0 -
jpcarducci wrote: »Clean eating is exactly what it says, how hard to understand. You can hit macros by eating fast food but that doesnt make the correct way.
I am not attacking you here, but hopefully you and others can learn something. Plain and simple... You are a victim to marketing.
The term "clean" that you are using derived from clean bulking, which is to bulk at 10% more than your TDEE (maintenance calories) as to not pack on a lot of extra unnecessary fat during the bulking process (as say someone who bulks at 20% would encounter). This is labeled as "dirty bulking", which is still completely acceptable. Hugh Jackman dirty bulks, so does The Rock.
Clean eating has nothing to do with eating whole foods. Eating whole, minimally processed foods should be commonplace... It should be a given. Defining that eating practice as "clean eating" is completely misinformed. Limiting processed foods, junk foods, highly processed foods, etc. is not clean eating. It is normal eating. Your diet should be mostly comprised of whole foods if you are a human being.0 -
Yes! But she didn't post diet so my suggestion was just to make sure she eating healthy to meet her macros. Aka clean eating i guess i could have worded it differently, again assumed that people understood clean eating! I didnt take as an attack! If she said i eat healthy foods in her post i would have never said "clean eating"0
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@ndj1979
The point is trying something different fir her body, to find what works for her. It might not work for you but i thought the same thing, and works great for me.
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jpcarducci wrote: »Yes! But she didn't post diet so my suggestion was just to make sure she eating healthy to meet her macros. Aka clean eating i guess i could have worded it differently, again assumed that people understood clean eating! I didnt take as an attack! If she said i eat healthy foods in her post i would have never said "clean eating"
eating healthy does not equal eating clean.
You can have an overall diet that has eggs, whole wheat, turkey, fast food, ice cream, vegetables, etc that hits micros/macros and that would be healthy.0 -
Wow man forget it, we agree to disagree.0
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jpcarducci wrote: »Yes! But she didn't post diet so my suggestion was just to make sure she eating healthy to meet her macros. Aka clean eating i guess i could have worded it differently, again assumed that people understood clean eating! I didnt take as an attack! If she said i eat healthy foods in her post i would have never said "clean eating"
Sorry, I think you're missing the point. There's no such thing as "clean" eating. It's a poorly marketed bro-science catchphrase. Ice cream and tacos can be perfectly healthy in the right context...the right context being, that's not all you eat. There is no dichotomy between fast food and healthy eating. You can include fast food or "junk" food in your healthy diet and meet all your nutrient requirements. That doesn't mean you eat every meal at McDonald's.
If a person eats at the perfect 15% deficit and meets her reasonably set macros and gets, on average, 100% of her micronutrients, then please tell me exactly what difference it makes if there's a slice of frozen pizza and a piece of pie or Li'l Debbie cake amid all those other nutritious foods.0 -
Hey if you want to incorporate fastfood, pizza and icecream in your diets, good for you! IT JUST MIGHT NOT WORK FOR HER.0
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jpcarducci wrote: »Hey if you want to incorporate fastfood, pizza and icecream in your diets, good for you! IT JUST MIGHT NOT WORK FOR HER.
How so? Calories are calories. Macros are macros. If she's meeting her requirements, how is the fact that some of them come from ice cream going to affect her?0 -
Here is the pyramid of importance for weight loss (food centered only to uncomplicate things).
When someone says they are not losing weight we start with the foundation, how much they are eating compared to how much their body needs. Then we move to macros. Right now we are trying to get her to answer the question of calories and whether she weighs her food. After that we will move into macros, which will include the fact that if she wants to hit her macros she can't eat only pizza and ice cream, but saying she can't have them at all could actually be counterproductive.
To me, pizza and ice cream are clean. You have bread, vegetables, dairy and some meats in pizza which means you get some of each macro. Ice cream is dairy, which studies have shown that calcium can help with fat loss.0 -
jpcarducci wrote: »Ok so adjust your macros, if what your doing is not working you hsve to adjust. Macros still need to be clean eating! How many meals a day? I would try 40/40/20.
Cardio am 25 -30 minutes. Train/lift in evening.
cardio AM train in the PM. yes its 2 different things and needs to be split to get the effect. other wise you would already have results so lets start with 5 days a week take sat & sun off, 25 min of cardio in the AM. get up and have 8 oz of water and then hit steady state cardio for 25 min.
What you are suggesting is totally unnecessary for weight loss. She doesn't need to eat clean, she doesn't need to eat a specific number of meals, she doesn't need an arbitrary macro split that isn't based off weight/lean mass, she doesn't need to workout twice per day, she doesn't need fasted cardio.
What she does need is to weigh her food.
Also, you are at a normal weight for your height. It is at the higher end of the normal BMI scale, so you could possibly lose a few more pounds. What is more likely is that you need to gain some lean mass to help you lean out. What does your lifting schedule look like? Do you follow a program or just do what you want?
Hey, thank you so much for all your replies. I do weigh practically everything I eat. I only use measuring spoons for liquids - Anything that's tsp-tbsp serving. I try to only have healthy fats like coconut oil, avocado, almonds etc.! I eat 5-6 times a day, small meals..of course I have my cheat days, I have the worse sweet tooth, but I try not have anything at home that would tempt me.
I do only want to lose a few more pounds and or inches. It just seems the older I get the tougher it is to achieve this.
I am currently doing at home Body Beast program, on my 4th week. 5 days of weight lifting and one day of Cardio and abs. Working at my pace and fitness level. I'm not afraid to lift and although I'm not as strong, I'm willing to work hard to get there. For Lower body I can lift as high as 2 DB 25lbs, For back as high as 22.5 lbs., biceps and shoulders as high but struggling 15lbs - I don't work chest for personal reasons.
I just decided last week to add 20 minutes of HIIT cardio on the elliptical right after days working on arms, shoulders and back. I figured if I go to strictly lifting and less cardio maybe I'll finally get some lean muscle. My routine before this was kickboxing classes even insanity class, HITT on the elliptical 30-45 minutes and lifting on my own or the gym, maybe 2-3x week, I got bored with this since it wasn't even making much of a difference. but it might have been because At that time I wasn't diligent with logging my food either. I Only logged if I went up to 125lb, I would go into panic mode lol...then I would count calories...1200 and would go back down to 120-123lbs.. Soo I've been yo-yoing from 119-125 for years. Never took into account macros until now. I was still cautious though with keeping fats and carbs down and fiber and protein up. I know now, big mistake. I appreciate all your help and feed back. What do you suggest? @usmcmp0 -
ladygirl123 wrote: »jpcarducci wrote: »Ok so adjust your macros, if what your doing is not working you hsve to adjust. Macros still need to be clean eating! How many meals a day? I would try 40/40/20.
Cardio am 25 -30 minutes. Train/lift in evening.
cardio AM train in the PM. yes its 2 different things and needs to be split to get the effect. other wise you would already have results so lets start with 5 days a week take sat & sun off, 25 min of cardio in the AM. get up and have 8 oz of water and then hit steady state cardio for 25 min.
What you are suggesting is totally unnecessary for weight loss. She doesn't need to eat clean, she doesn't need to eat a specific number of meals, she doesn't need an arbitrary macro split that isn't based off weight/lean mass, she doesn't need to workout twice per day, she doesn't need fasted cardio.
What she does need is to weigh her food.
Also, you are at a normal weight for your height. It is at the higher end of the normal BMI scale, so you could possibly lose a few more pounds. What is more likely is that you need to gain some lean mass to help you lean out. What does your lifting schedule look like? Do you follow a program or just do what you want?
Hey, thank you so much for all your replies. I do weigh practically everything I eat. I only use measuring spoons for liquids - Anything that's tsp-tbsp serving. I try to only have healthy fats like coconut oil, avocado, almonds etc.! I eat 5-6 times a day, small meals..of course I have my cheat days, I have the worse sweet tooth, but I try not have anything at home that would tempt me.
I do only want to lose a few more pounds and or inches. It just seems the older I get the tougher it is to achieve this.
I am currently doing at home Body Beast program, on my 4th week. 5 days of weight lifting and one day of Cardio and abs. Working at my pace and fitness level. I'm not afraid to lift and although I'm not as strong, I'm willing to work hard to get there. For Lower body I can lift as high as 2 DB 25lbs, For back as high as 22.5 lbs., biceps and shoulders as high but struggling 15lbs - I don't work chest for personal reasons.
I just decided last week to add 20 minutes of HIIT cardio on the elliptical right after days working on arms, shoulders and back. I figured if I go to strictly lifting and less cardio maybe I'll finally get some lean muscle. My routine before this was kickboxing classes even insanity class, HITT on the elliptical 30-45 minutes and lifting on my own or the gym, maybe 2-3x week, I got bored with this since it wasn't even making much of a difference. but it might have been because At that time I wasn't diligent with logging my food either. I Only logged if I went up to 125lb, I would go into panic mode lol...then I would count calories...1200 and would go back down to 120-123lbs.. Soo I've been yo-yoing from 119-125 for years. Never took into account macros until now. I was still cautious though with keeping fats and carbs down and fiber and protein up. I know now, big mistake. I appreciate all your help and feed back. What do you suggest? @usmcmp
Your cheat days are undoing all of your work. Instead of having a cheat, fit foods you want into your calories for the day. Cheating means that your diet is too strict for you to stick to.0 -
jpcarducci wrote: »Hey if you want to incorporate fastfood, pizza and icecream in your diets, good for you! IT JUST MIGHT NOT WORK FOR HER.
if she is in a calorie deficit why would that not work?0 -
Simple question Do you know how her body works? As i stated it might not work for her. There are good calories and there bad calories, just like good carbs and bad carbs also with fats. She has to change something up to know what doesnt work. Its not rocket science!0
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jpcarducci wrote: »Simple question Do you know how her body works? As i stated it might not work for her. There are good calories and there bad calories, just like good carbs and bad carbs also with fats. She has to change something up to know what doesnt work. Its not rocket science!
Simple answer: yes. Barring an actual medical condition, human bodies have the same general physiology.0 -
ladygirl123 wrote: »jpcarducci wrote: »Ok so adjust your macros, if what your doing is not working you hsve to adjust. Macros still need to be clean eating! How many meals a day? I would try 40/40/20.
Cardio am 25 -30 minutes. Train/lift in evening.
cardio AM train in the PM. yes its 2 different things and needs to be split to get the effect. other wise you would already have results so lets start with 5 days a week take sat & sun off, 25 min of cardio in the AM. get up and have 8 oz of water and then hit steady state cardio for 25 min.
What you are suggesting is totally unnecessary for weight loss. She doesn't need to eat clean, she doesn't need to eat a specific number of meals, she doesn't need an arbitrary macro split that isn't based off weight/lean mass, she doesn't need to workout twice per day, she doesn't need fasted cardio.
What she does need is to weigh her food.
Also, you are at a normal weight for your height. It is at the higher end of the normal BMI scale, so you could possibly lose a few more pounds. What is more likely is that you need to gain some lean mass to help you lean out. What does your lifting schedule look like? Do you follow a program or just do what you want?
Hey, thank you so much for all your replies. I do weigh practically everything I eat. I only use measuring spoons for liquids - Anything that's tsp-tbsp serving. I try to only have healthy fats like coconut oil, avocado, almonds etc.! I eat 5-6 times a day, small meals..of course I have my cheat days, I have the worse sweet tooth, but I try not have anything at home that would tempt me.
I do only want to lose a few more pounds and or inches. It just seems the older I get the tougher it is to achieve this.
I am currently doing at home Body Beast program, on my 4th week. 5 days of weight lifting and one day of Cardio and abs. Working at my pace and fitness level. I'm not afraid to lift and although I'm not as strong, I'm willing to work hard to get there. For Lower body I can lift as high as 2 DB 25lbs, For back as high as 22.5 lbs., biceps and shoulders as high but struggling 15lbs - I don't work chest for personal reasons.
I just decided last week to add 20 minutes of HIIT cardio on the elliptical right after days working on arms, shoulders and back. I figured if I go to strictly lifting and less cardio maybe I'll finally get some lean muscle. My routine before this was kickboxing classes even insanity class, HITT on the elliptical 30-45 minutes and lifting on my own or the gym, maybe 2-3x week, I got bored with this since it wasn't even making much of a difference. but it might have been because At that time I wasn't diligent with logging my food either. I Only logged if I went up to 125lb, I would go into panic mode lol...then I would count calories...1200 and would go back down to 120-123lbs.. Soo I've been yo-yoing from 119-125 for years. Never took into account macros until now. I was still cautious though with keeping fats and carbs down and fiber and protein up. I know now, big mistake. I appreciate all your help and feed back. What do you suggest? @usmcmp
Your cheat days are undoing all of your work. Instead of having a cheat, fit foods you want into your calories for the day. Cheating means that your diet is too strict for you to stick to.
Ok perfect thanks. I agree with that. based on all the info I provided what should my macros and daily calories be?jpcarducci wrote: »Hey if you want to incorporate fastfood, pizza and icecream in your diets, good for you! IT JUST MIGHT NOT WORK FOR HER.
if she is in a calorie deficit why would that not work?
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The new studies in the scientific journals are explaining how calories in do not equal calories out for weight loss. If you eat NO processed foods, no iodized salt, no sugar, no artificial anything, especially sweteners, and eat only organic dairy and meat to eliminate exposure to antibiotics and growth hormones, and only organic produce to reduce exposure to round-up which kills your good bacteria in your gut... then you will lose weight. 1400 calories of clean eating is far superior to even 1000 calories of anything processed, as it has a much different effect on the body in terms of how the sugars are processed and stored. Try getting rid of everything in a box for a week, take some probiotics, and see the difference.0
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snickers061703 wrote: »The new studies in the scientific journals are explaining how calories in do not equal calories out for weight loss. If you eat NO processed foods, no iodized salt, no sugar, no artificial anything, especially sweteners, and eat only organic dairy and meat to eliminate exposure to antibiotics and growth hormones, and only organic produce to reduce exposure to round-up which kills your good bacteria in your gut... then you will lose weight. 1400 calories of clean eating is far superior to even 1000 calories of anything processed, as it has a much different effect on the body in terms of how the sugars are processed and stored. Try getting rid of everything in a box for a week, take some probiotics, and see the difference.
Oh really? Which studies? I have seen zero studies saying that.0 -
snickers061703 wrote: »The new studies in the scientific journals are explaining how calories in do not equal calories out for weight loss. If you eat NO processed foods, no iodized salt, no sugar, no artificial anything, especially sweteners, and eat only organic dairy and meat to eliminate exposure to antibiotics and growth hormones, and only organic produce to reduce exposure to round-up which kills your good bacteria in your gut... then you will lose weight. 1400 calories of clean eating is far superior to even 1000 calories of anything processed, as it has a much different effect on the body in terms of how the sugars are processed and stored. Try getting rid of everything in a box for a week, take some probiotics, and see the difference.
Could you please link these studies? I haven't seen one on this.0 -
jpcarducci wrote: »Simple question Do you know how her body works? As i stated it might not work for her. There are good calories and there bad calories, just like good carbs and bad carbs also with fats. She has to change something up to know what doesnt work. Its not rocket science!
What's a bad calorie? Can you define that?
She admitted she cheats, so she's wiping out her deficit. It's not rocket science.0 -
jpcarducci wrote: »Simple question Do you know how her body works? As i stated it might not work for her. There are good calories and there bad calories, just like good carbs and bad carbs also with fats. She has to change something up to know what doesnt work. Its not rocket science!
CICO applies to everyone as do the the general principles of math and science.
Please just stop. You have derailed this thread enough.
there are no good and bad calories, or good or bad carbs...0
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