Are macros really that important?

PeachyCarol

Bshmerlie wrote: »

Protein also helps prevent muscle loss when you are at such an extreme deficit. It is probably the most important macro to hit. Look into protein shakes, beans and nuts as an alternative to meat. I assuming all seafood is out as well?

^This. I don't like meat either. It's one of the reasons I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian. But I get plenty of protein. It's satiating for me, and I like retaining muscle mass to support my wonky joints.

There are plenty of vegetarian sources of protein out there, and if you eat dairy and eggs, they can be pretty low calorie and contain all of the essential amino acids. Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and eggs are all fantastically rich in protein.

Packerjohn

Traveler120 wrote: »

Packerjohn wrote: »

Traveler120 wrote: »

vlovell24 wrote: »

So, I am chugging along at 1200 calories, but I hate meat. I just hate it, and I am done with it. Honestly, I eat whatever appeals to me up to 1200 calories. I take a doc prescribed multivitamin, so shouldn't that take care of missing nutrients? Other than protein, I am thinking that I should be good to go.

You don't have to eat meat if you don't like it. What about a whole foods plant-based diet? I started developing a distaste for meat and chicken a while back and now don't eat any. With the exception of B12 and perhaps Vitamin D, you should be able to meet all your essential vitamins and minerals from whole plant foods. Relying on a multivitamin for nutrition instead of food, is kind of ridiculous and absurd.

If you're worried about protein, eat lentils and beans and a variety of other plant based foods - whole grains, potatoes, fruits and veggies etc. You don't need meat and protein shakes. Use whfoods.com if you want to see what foods are rich in various vitamins and minerals.

Macros are not important because people can meet their nutritional needs on any macros. Calories are important for weight loss and also energy to fuel your activities. Just eat a variety of real food and you'll be fine.

This is incorrect, you need a reasonable split of macros for good health.

What exactly is reasonable? It's all relative. My macros are 80%carbs, 15% protein and 5% fat. I meet ALL my micronutrient needs from my foods and only supplement B12 and D. I also match my needs to my activity level.

To some, that macro split is completely unreasonable but it works perfectly well for me as my blood tests show. That doesn't make make my macro split better or worse than someone else's. People can still meet all essential nutrients with a different set of macros. It's all relative to activity and preference.

I would say most nutrition experts would consider this is a reasonable place to start for most people:

From the US government: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/dietaryguidelines2010.pdf

Protein 10-30% of calories
Carbs 45-65 % of calories
Fat 25-35% of calories

Obviously those with specific medical conditions may have reason to vary from these guidelines.

maxit

I think that macros become more important for folks who are not eating very much to begin with.

Francl27

For me macros matter because they're the best balance for keeping me full.

lynn_glenmont

vlovell24 wrote: »

I am not a vegetarian, but I have always disliked meat. Sure, the occasional burger is alright, but steaks, chicken, etc.. is eww to me. I will give the shakes a go, and maybe some more Greek yogurt. My doc has me on a prenatal vitamin to cover folic acid, and I take 3 iron pills and a b12 every day for anemia, so I think I am good on that. Potassium is a good question....I think I could do a banana a day, or just grab a supplement. Honestly, about a month into this calorie regimen, food became nothing more than fuel. I eat to keep the hunger pains away, and I get the 1200 calories because it's the minimum amount. The last 2 weeks or so, I just haven't been into eating. Funny how that's working I guess. A lifetime of using food as a crutch, and when I started to separate food from emotions, it became no different than drinking water or using the bathroom. Just another body function that has to be taken care of. Thanks for the replies everyone. Vitamins, choking down the protein, and getting the 1200 calories. Got it.

It sounds like your doctor has an eye on your micronutrient needs. Plus, you mention "more" Greek yogurt, as though you already consume some-- if you eat dairy and/or eggs, that should cover most of the same micronutrient bases as meat. That's why lacto-ovo-vegetarians don't have the same nutrient and supplement concerns as vegans.

Potassium is not a special concern for non-meat-eaters. In fact, the best sources are fruits and vegetables. You're not going to be able to tell if you're getting enough from MFP logging unless you only eat whole foods using entries drawn from the USDA database, which include potassium values, and the few entries based on the relatively small number of food package labels that include potassium. Labels in the U.S. are not currently required to show potassium. If you add potassium to what you're tracking, you'll probably a lot of entries that say they have 0 potassium, but they really do have potassium. Even a cup of coffee has more than 100 mg of potassium.

Over-the-counter supplements in the U.S. are not allowed to contain more than 100 mg of potassium, because it can damage your digestive organs in concentrated amounts, so it's hard to get 3500 mg from OTC supplements. Presumably your doctor has been doing blood work to have decided your needed the supplements you're currently on, so you might check with him or her if you're really concerned before you start trying supplements.

Traveler120

Lourdesong wrote: »

9 grams of fat for 1700 calories is unreasonable. Much of your micros aren't going to do you much good without fat.

And you talk as if macros aren't essential nutrients, and aren't the most important essential nutrients at that. You're all worried about b12 and vitamin D, but scoff at macro nutrients? Way to miss the forest for the trees.

If there were such a thing a perfect macro split for all humans(and there is not), it would still be possible to NOT get all essential vitamins and minerals. That's what I focus on and buy a variety of plant foods to ensure I'm getting all my macronutrients, micronutrients and phytonutrients. That to me is what a nutritious diet is. And it can be achieved with a wide variety of different macros because we all have different tastes, come from different cultures and traditions around the world with different staple foods which result in different macros.

Personally, I don't set out to target a specific macro split. I just go buy real plant foods(coz that's what I like) - potatoes, whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies and when I plug them into my tracker, those are the macros that come up. I limit oils when cooking. Incidentally, I like using Fitday instead of MFP because Fitday tracker shows like 22 different vitamins and minerals whereas mfp shows only 5 or 6 for the basic free versions.

Yes, my fat is low, mostly because these foods naturally have little fat. Some days I eat nuts and seeds which boosts fat content but it's not every day. I'm also working on the last stubborn 10 lbs and it seems to be working wonderfully. When I'm done, I'll eat more nuts and seeds and my fat macro will go upto a whopping 10%. Because my diet is new, I'm getting my blood tests more often. NO deficiencies. Cholesterol is normal for the first time in 5 years when I was eating a fattier, meatier diet. Plant-based rocks...for me.

Also, when I lose the last ten and increase fat to 10%, my diet will become similar to what I had growing up before I jacked it up when I moved to the US. My folks, who don't live in the US, still eat that way and they're healthy, NO chronic western diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancers etc. NO weight problems. My parents are in their 70s and my grandparents lived to their 90s in good condition. And they ate/still eat a high carb, low fat plant based diet, which is the traditional diet in their corner of the world. Worked for them and it's working for me. Maybe it's just genetics. You gotta do what works for you.