Questions re: macronutrients/percentages....

blytheny

I am relatively new to this site and these boards... joined in May, and am still trying to put all the information I am learning together into one system that works for me. NOT easy!

So, my new question is r/t macronutrients, daily percentages, etc.

Having not really been a calorie counter in the past (I've usually just gone lo carb when desperation hit, never been a lo-fat or lo-sugar girl - done WW, but find it kind of boring) this is all rather new and interesting to me.... I am amazed sometimes at the caloric contents of foods, and it has drastically changed my choices at times.

So, now that I've gotten more used to tracking everything, I am trying to break it down in more detail, and have discovered this whole new world/topic re: macro/micronutrient tracking and what everyone's different daily percentages are, based on their fitness goals.

My #1 question - where do I start with this?? My primary fitness goal is to lower my body fat, gain more muscle and become toned/stronger. (I know that means strength training, and posted recent questions re: that in the fitness forum.) So, although I DO have a weight loss goal of 15 more lbs, I also realize that may need to be tweaked as I gain muscle, and am trying to go more by how I look, feel and how my clothes fit than a number on the scale. (Which is REALLY hard for me, as I've been a "scale watcher" for my whole life.

Any advice on where to start would be great - so far, I've mostly just been watching calories and eating the way I usually have in the past, just smaller portions, healthier choices. I've only just begun really looking at my daily percentages vs. just making sure I am at or under my calorie goals... just not sure how to tweak the percentages to help reach my goals better.

Thanks!

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I'll give you the hard and fast version. Aim for 1g protein per pound of lean body mass* and .35g fat per pound of body weight. The rest of your calories can either go to additional fats/protein or carbs (or a mix of the two, just remember to look at protein and fat as minimum values).

*In case you don't already know, lean body mass = total weight - fat mass.
In a person that's 200lbs and 20% body fat, they would have 160lbs of lean body mass and 40lbs of fat. They should aim for 160g protein per day.

Now onto lifting, pick a cookie cutter beginner strength based program like starting strength. As a beginner, you don't need a lot of accessory work. Accessory work is to strengthen weak spots but as a beginner everything is a weak spot. You're better off going for compound lifts/other important exercises (bench, squat, dead lift, press, rows, dips, and pull ups) than doing a bunch of isolation.

blytheny

Thx! bumping...