IIfym confusion

AmberGebell
AmberGebell Posts: 113 Member
edited November 16 in Food and Nutrition
Hello I am a bit confused as to what to do in this situation, I went to The IIfym website to plug in my numbers out of curiosity and I put my calories as 1540 as MFP suggests and it sent me an email which I attached regarding what my macros should be for those calories, But as I exercise I get more calories to eat which in turn my macro allowance goes up on too, Would I need to upgrade MFP to really manipulate the macros? ruopqtc9wiuq.png

Replies

  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    I don't believe you can adjust the number of grams per the settings in MFP ... it is based of Percentages of your daily calories ... Therefore ...
    Protein is 4 calories per gram, as are carbohydrates, and fat is 9 calories per gram.
    You can adjust the amount of Fiber grams in the setup as that is an actual gram target.

    Thus ... at 1540 calories, you need to set MFP to be
    Protein = 119 x 4 = 476 / 1540 = 30 - 31% protein
    Fat = 66 x 9 = 594 / 1540 = 38 - 39% fat
    Carb = 118 x 4 = 472 / 1540 = 30 - 31% carbs ....

    Then, when you add exercise equivelent calories to your allowed calories, the percentages you set for the macros will automatically increase as the allowed calories go up, or decrease as they go down.

    This help? Hope so.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,645 Member
    If you tweak the macros in MFP (you can only do it "by percentage," but it still gives you a corresponding number of grams), and add exercise calories, the macro grams will go up.
  • AmberGebell
    AmberGebell Posts: 113 Member
    Yes exactly! That is what I am running into
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    If you're using the numbers from iffym then you do not add in exercise on top of that because they already factored it in unlike mfp's calculations. Either don't enter it or only enter it a one or two calories. Then it won't adjust your macros either.
  • AmberGebell
    AmberGebell Posts: 113 Member
    @Ready2Rock206 I don't quite understand what you mean?
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,645 Member
    AmberGebell wrote: »
    Yes exactly! That is what I am running into

    That's how MFP is designed to work, since it's assuming your daily goal is based on no exercise, so if you add exercise calories, you get more calories, and since macros make up calories, there is no way possible (not just within MFP. Within life as we know it) to increase calories without increasing macros.

    If, as Ready2Rock206 says, IIFYM is already including exercise calories, you shouldn't be recording them at all. If you like to keep a record of exercise on MFP but don't want to add calories, you can tap (or click) on the exercise and change the number of calories to 1 so it won't make a real difference in calories/macros.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    From what I remember reading of your posts OP, you seem to be regularly active/lean and lifting. If you use the TDEE method you might feel more comfortable.
  • RayahEllen
    RayahEllen Posts: 40 Member
    To alter the grams and not have MFP do the calculations based off percentage, yes, you have to buy the premium version. The percentages are the basic version of the app and the premium version lets you alter the grams specifically.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    AmberGebell wrote: »
    @Ready2Rock206 I don't quite understand what you mean?

    You got your calorie goal from another site that includes your exercise but then you're coming to a site that doesn't, changing your calories to that goal but then adding exercise to eat more calories. You're combining 2 different programs. That's why it isn't working the way you expect. You should pick one and follow just that program. Both can be done here but when you combine you'll run into issues. At least that's what I interpreted you're doing.
  • AmberGebell
    AmberGebell Posts: 113 Member
    Ok yes! I use the Fitbit that tracks my steps plus I weight train 6 days a week and do cardio in addition to weights 3 times a week and I really like to use the fit bit and MFP in combination, I like to see the numbers. So I think what you are saying is that is Order for IIFYM to work off my TDEE, I would have to not use Fitbit to get my exercise calories. But on the IIFYM calculation it did give me 1990 calories to eat but it gave me option to add my custom calories which I put 1550 which MFP gives me and it worked macros on that calorie range, but yes when my exercise calories get added from Fitbit, My macros change and causes confusion, So I will just stick to this lol
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    You're making this too hard. Get .8-1g of protein per pound of body weight, a minimum of .35g of fat per pound of bodyweight, and the rest in carbs to create the deficit you want. If your TDEE is 2000 and you want to lose .5 lbs per week, eat 1750. The end.
  • broseidonkingofbrocean
    broseidonkingofbrocean Posts: 180 Member
    Nikion901 wrote: »
    I don't believe you can adjust the number of grams per the settings in MFP ... it is based of Percentages of your daily calories ... Therefore ...
    Protein is 4 calories per gram, as are carbohydrates, and fat is 9 calories per gram.
    You can adjust the amount of Fiber grams in the setup as that is an actual gram target.

    Thus ... at 1540 calories, you need to set MFP to be
    Protein = 119 x 4 = 476 / 1540 = 30 - 31% protein
    Fat = 66 x 9 = 594 / 1540 = 38 - 39% fat
    Carb = 118 x 4 = 472 / 1540 = 30 - 31% carbs ....

    Then, when you add exercise equivelent calories to your allowed calories, the percentages you set for the macros will automatically increase as the allowed calories go up, or decrease as they go down.

    This help? Hope so.

    I believe you can if you pay the monthly fee with MFP.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories