How important are macros?

armydreamers

I always stick to my calorie goal without much trouble but I go over on carbs! I've noticed that when I consistently go over on the carbs my weight loss stalls. Is that just because carbs cause me to retain water or something? My carb goal is 150g. Is that pretty normal?

ahoy_m8

Not as important as calories, but they can make a difference in how long you stay full. Yes, eating carbs does have associated water storage (4g water to 1g glycogen), and yes 150g sounds normal. Many people say protein and fat keep them full longer, and if you watch your macros, fat and protein should be considered minimums your body needs. Cheers!

cookielover_96

It makes a big difference you can eat your daily calorie intake but what if you only ate carbs? You'd be missing out on eating enough of others. Not only track your calories but your macros as well- if the nutrition values looks correct upon logging.

AlphaCajun

As far as just losing weight goes, not that important unless you have a medical condition BUT as far as feeling well, hitting actual nutrition goals, feeling full and not having cravings for certain things they're super important. There's no cookie cutter number for every person, start with the suggested ratios and move them around to see how you feel. For me, high carb days end with me being hungry and looking for sweet stuff so I try to moderate them to keep that at bay.

Equus3nMom

I have found that when I hit my macros, even if I am just at my calorie goal, the weight keeps coming off. If my carbs are a bit high, then it's slower to come off. Also, my inches change faster when I hit the macros right.

Yi5hedr3

That may be normal, but certainly not optimal. Keeping carbs below 100 grams/day is best for MOST people.