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Questions re: macronutrients/percentages....

blytheny
Posts: 63 Member
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!

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!
0
Replies
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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.0 -
Thx! bumping...0
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