How important are macros?

GetFitFritch_26

Hi everyone!

I am just starting off my weight loss journey, and I am a little lost when it comes to macros. I have been researching it, but I am finding different answers everywhere.

How big of a role do macros play in weight loss?
Will it hinder my weight loss to keep my 40c-30f-30p?
What is the best ratio for me to have?

Hornsby

They matter very little assuming there is some balance. The best macros varie by person. Basically, find the macro ratio you prefer and helps you adhere to a calorie deficit.

tcunbeliever

My understanding is that macros don't really play much role in actual weight loss - eating less is eating less regardless of where those calories come from.

However, macros can play a big role in how satisfied you are with what you eat. Some people find fat more satisfying (that would be me), others find carbs or protein more satisfying...whatever ratio keeps you on target so you are not feeling hungry all the time or craving things that make you miserable - that's the ratio for you...it may take some time to figure out...

AnvilHead

Macros don't matter for weight loss. However, they do matter for satiety/adherence, overall nutrition and workout performance. There is no one "best" ratio. 40/30/30 is fine if that's what works for you.

cwolfman13

Macros don't really have anything to do with weight loss. Being aware of your macros can help you establish a more balanced diet and can impact fitness performance and has some bearing on body composition...nothing really to do with weight loss.

I'm in a small cut right now as I put on a bit of weight while I was laid up with an injury...I don't log anything and I'm only vaguely aware of what my macros are...I'm doing just fine.

A 40/30/30 split is pretty common and is called "the zone"...or the zone diet. It generally results in more protein than one is accustomed to which is good for preservation of lean mass when dieting, though, I also believe all of the hand wringing over this is a bit over the top.

Personally, I look at macros more for performance...and like I said, I'm only vaguely aware of what they are...If I logged, I'd probably be in the ball park of where I think they are. I focus more on just getting solid nutrition...lots of veggies, some fruit, whole grains and whole food starches and legumes/lentils, lean protein sources and healthy fats. My diet revolves largely around whole food nutrition and that's where I put my energies...not really too worried about if I'm exactly X grams of protein or whatever...I think people get way wrapped up in that stuff (I did when I was logging) and it's one of the reasons I quit logging...I was pretty over the top OCD with the numbers and my mental health suffered...

red99ryder

I just log calories and my macros seem fall in line pretty close .. always over on sugar but I like sweet coffee and fruit

PaulaWallaDingDong

Does someone have the pyramid handy?

lemurcat12

GetFitFritch_26 wrote: »

Hi everyone!

I am just starting off my weight loss journey, and I am a little lost when it comes to macros. I have been researching it, but I am finding different answers everywhere.

How big of a role do macros play in weight loss?

Not much. Getting more protein, up to a level (like .8 g/lb of goal weight), along with the right activity, will help with maintaining more muscle, but generally not a huge difference, and less of one the more you have to lose.

Protein also may help with satiety and some find that macro breakdown matters for that (I really don't -- as long as I eat a generally healthful diet satiety is not an issue at all, so I am more concerned with choices within the macros than percentages or total grams of fat or carbs).

They could matter for fitness/training goals, but this will be more individual again.

For weight loss, no, no big deal. People sometimes use them as a proxy for eating a balanced healthy diet.

Will it hinder my weight loss to keep my 40c-30f-30p?

Nope. (I like that ratio when at a deficit, it's pretty much what I followed.)

What is the best ratio for me to have?

Up to you, although again I'd recommend enough protein (which 30% will be).

sijomial

How big of a role do macros play in weight loss?
Small. Protein is important for muscle retention and recovery from exercise but it doesn't have to dominate your diet or be absolutely precise.

Will it hinder my weight loss to keep my 40c-30f-30p?
Highly unlikely.

What is the best ratio for me to have?
Experiment.
Adherence is very personal, a "perfect" diet you can't adhere to is pointless.
We are very adaptable creatures, we thrive on a wide variety of diets/macros.

malibu927

Get your calories down first and foremost. When you're comfortable enough with your logging and loss, then you can play with the macro percentages to see what works best for you.

ryry_

Very little IMO. I track calories mostly. I am vaguely aware of my protein and aim to get as much in as is sustainable but I don't stress out about it.

TR0berts

PaulaWallaDingDong wrote: »

Does someone have the pyramid handy?

courtneyfabulous

For those responses saying that having proper macros is only about satiety that is incorrect. That is only one factor that macros are helpful for. It's important to get the right amount of protein – yes for satiety, but also it is very important especially while in a caloric deficit to preserve lean muscle mass. If you get too little protein, or are in too much of a calorie deficit overall, your body will use your muscle for energy not just your stored fat. Ideally you want to lose mostly fat and as little muscle as possible for health reasons and a better physique. Getting the right amount of fat is important for satiety but also for hormonal function. Getting the right amount of carbohydrates is important too – too many and your hunger and cravings will be higher and it will be hard to stick to your diet, but too little and you will feel tired and not have enough energy to exercise, and your metabolism will slow down. So there's a bit more to it than just feeling full.

Yes all you need to lose weight is to be in a caloric deficit. But if you want to feel good,m and have most of that "weight" you're losing be body fat then it's kind of important to pay attention to macros.

Also it's hard to tell you if those ratios are correct without knowing a lot more information because macros are not just about a proportion, but the actual grams.

Basically you need to first figure out how many calories you should be eating, then find out how many grams of protein you need for your specific needs & stats. Then you use a calculation and your stats to figure out how many grams of fat you should have. Then you figure out how many calories those are (protein is 4 calories per gram, fat is 9 calories per gram) and subtract that from your total calories, and the remainder of your calories should come from carbohydrates (carbs are 4 calories per gram).

There are calculators online that can help make this a lot easier to figure out.

But you see it's not like a straight ratio would work for everyone because it depends how many calories you're consuming and your protein needs. 40c/30p/30f might be just right for you. 50c/25p/25f happens to be just right for me but might be wrong for you. My own percentages might change if I hit a plateau or want to lose faster and need to drop my calories - because my protein and fat needs in grams would stay the same and I would just reduce my carbohydrates. But if I change my activity level or lose weight my protein and fat amounts might change. You see?

But to be perfectly honest I find what works best for me is just to get enough protein and eat within my calorie goal. I feel like if I do that and eat a balanced healthy diet the carbs & fats generally end up in a good range without me having to really worry about it. For me 100 grams of protein is the right amount. But I couldn't tell you how many grams you need without knowing your gender, age, height, weight, activity level, exercise, etc.

crzycatlady1

Weight loss comes down to creating the correct calorie deficit for your weight loss goals. Everything else is secondary to that. I've never tracked macros-lost 50lbs and have been successfully in maintenance for a few years now. I only focus on my calorie intake.

Unknown

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trigden1991

Unless you are an elite athlete they aren't a massive factor. Overall calories are far more important.

That being said, having sufficient protein and lifting weights will help retain muscle.