Setting Macros

BraveWingsSheFlies

I need help setting my macros. I'm 35; female. 5' and 151-lbs. My goal is to lose weight. I workout 6-days/wk for at least a half hour; mixture of cardio and weight training. My current calories are set at 1,200.

Wolverine_76

Thats gonna take so working out i'll FR you and we can talk it through

dogs_n_wine

Hope this helps!
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html

Yi5hedr3

Real goal should be to lose fat. Reducing carbs to under 100 grams/day will help will that.

Carlos_421

Check out this thread:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets#latest

I plugged in your stats to the calculator on http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ and it calculated your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, the number of calories you burn by just being alive) as 1,303 and your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the number of calories you actually burn in a day including everyday activities and exercise) as 1,822.

To burn one pound of fat per week, you need to eat 500 calories fewer than you burn (500 x 7 = 3,500, which is how many calories are in a pound of fat). For you, that's 1,322.

So eating 1,322 calories per day (not eating back exercise calories because they're calculated into your TDEE already) will lead to a pound per week of fat loss.

Now for macros:
For muscle retention (making sure the weight lost is fat and not partially muscle as well) and for workout recovery, you want to get enough protein. For active individuals and those losing weight, that's about .8 to 1.2 grams per pound of lean bodyweight (if you aren't sure of your lean bodyweight, you can use your goal weight).

For brain health, proper hormone function, vitamin absorption, healthy joints, heart health and more, you need adequate fat. You want to shoot for .35 to .42 grams per pound of total bodyweight.

Carbs will be your primary energy source and will come from whatever calories are left after meeting your protein and fat goals (treat fat and protein as minimums, carbs are more flexible).

Protein and carbs each have 4 calories per gram. Fat has 9 calories per gram.

So for you - just as an example, I'll use minimum recommendations and assume a goal weight of 110 lbs (I have no idea what your real goal weight is or what it should be):

110 lbs x .8 grams protein = 88 grams of protein per day ( x4 calories = 352 calories)
151 bls x .35 grams fat = 53 grams of fat per day ( x9 calories = 477calories)

1,322 calories per day - 352 calories from protein - 477 calories from fat = 493 calories from carbs

493 calories from carbs / 4 calories = 123 grams of carbs per day

Lastly, it's not life or death that you hit these numbers exactly every day. Getting in the general ballpark is fine.