Macros help!

latyciamoya

ok I'm finding it impossible to eat the amount of protein. does this mean I should change my ratios? there's like no way I can eat that much protein and stay under my calories and fat...

sarahkw04

latyciamoya wrote: »

ok I'm finding it impossible to eat the amount of protein. does this mean I should change my ratios? there's like no way I can eat that much protein and stay under my calories and fat...

What's your protein macro? Mine is 120 and I struggled at first, but this week marks the first week I've managed to hit it consistently. It's definitely a challenge. I come in around 2100 calories most days. I've been eating Kodiak cakes or Lil Buff Cakes for breakfast, a salad topped with a protein like ground turkey or chicken for lunch, and this week, dinner has been pulled chicken chili which has black beans and kidney beans to add protein. I don't use cheese or sour cream.

Snacks turned out to be my saving grace. I eat an apple with peanut butter or a Luna protein or RX bar. Protein shakes come into the mix when I need that last boost!

ahoy_m8

Agreed, vodka better than beer, depending on qty of course.

OP, it helps me to think of my macros as MINIMUMS and calories as a maximum. So I TRY to be over on fat, fiber, & protein. Re: how much protein you are trying to get, is it based on total body weight? or LBM? Just wondering if you can do well with less.

latyciamoya

I don't really know what it's based on I went with the MFP settings that must have been based on my stats and goals and then changed it a bit based on what someone recommended.

carbs 160g 50%
protein 100g 30%
fats 30g 20%

latyciamoya

and my calories are 1,330

SusanMFindlay

latyciamoya wrote: »

I don't really know what it's based on I went with the MFP settings that must have been based on my stats and goals and then changed it a bit based on what someone recommended.

carbs 160g 50%
protein 100g 30%
fats 30g 20%

Odd. MFP usually gives 50% carbs, 20% protein, 30% fats. You could try that.

kimny72

OP, don't stress too much about macros, they are guidelines and different people fare better with different macro %s.

What are your goals? If your primary goal is weight loss, then your primary focus should be your calories. Macros can help you with satiety and fitness goals. Protein has helped me a lot with feeling full on less calories, but fiber and fat can help with that as well. You kind of have to play around with it until you find what works for you! My protein goal is @ 100g on 1600 calories. I very rarely make it to be honest, but I'm getting closer - chicken, eggs, greek yogurt, lentils, and protein shakes help. But I don't sweat it.

Most importantly - don't get so stressed out about the macro stuff that you just give up altogether! Plenty of people here have lost their weight while never giving a second glance to their macros. If it ends up just frustrating you, just push it aside and focus on hitting your calorie goal while eating a varied diet. Good luck :drinker:

latyciamoya

yes I believe those percentages were what I was first given but the carbs scared me..
well my main goal is more to lower my body fat percentage; I don't really care how many lbs I weigh. and to tone my tummy. all my weight is in my tummy.. my body fat is 33% but I've lost 45lbs since January just by eating healthier and smaller portions.. and working out obviously. if using macros is supposed to help you feel satiated then I've definitely got it wrong because I've been getting pretty hungry in the afternoon feeling weak and tired. trying to keep the calories low is what is making this hard...I don't see how I can eat more carbs without going over my calories? I'll switch back to the original percentages and see how tomorrow goes.

SusanMFindlay

If you don't want to eat more carbs, don't. 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein was what worked for me when I was lifting seriously. The LCHF crowd goes even lower carb than that, boosting fat to compensate. I don't know their exact macros, but I'd guess something like 10% carbs, 20-30% protein, 60-70% fat. I'm sure someone on that plan can correct those numbers.

Figure out what works for you as long as you're getting enough protein (0.8-1 gram per pound of lean body mass) and a reasonable amount of fat (0.4 g per pound) and don't go too overboard with the protein.

AnvilHead

latyciamoya wrote: »

thank you. so according to that link, MFP has obviously determined the macros I should consume based on my stats and activity level I imputed. if I'm understanding correctly. so I think I will definitely try and follow it, as it is, and see how it goes!

MFP's default macros are the same for everybody - your stats and activity level don't change their recommendations. You can easily go in and change them to whatever suits you best. I have mine set to 40c/30f/30p because it's on point for my protein and fat targets (as calculated in grams) and also provides me with good satiety. I also find that it almost perfectly fits my normal eating habits - I usually come reasonably close to 40/30/30 without even consciously tailoring my eating toward hitting them (and I don't make an effort to hit them right on the nose - anywhere in the ballpark is close enough.)

latyciamoya

ok I'll try 40 30 30. I'm not sure what my lean body mass is. but I've been going over on fat both days I've been trying this, so hopefully now I'll be under. either way I've lost a bunch of weight so that's good! just need to feel a bit more satiated. I'd say I also start to freak out in the afternoon and not want to snack because I'm trying to stay under my calories which I know isn't good- I need to snack! I ended up quite well under my cals yesterday so I could have had a better snack but I was already over on my fat too. anyways I'll try these new ratios thank you guys!

CharlieBeansmomTracey

doesnt matter if you go over macros as long as you are at or a little below your calorie goal you will be fine and will still lose weight. carbs dont make you fat eating too much food is what makes you gain weight, and that happens eating in a surplus(over your TDEE)