What is most important...calories or macros?

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2

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  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
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    I meant 35% carb, 35% fat and 30% protein. I misread it.
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
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    So I need to eat MORE than 1500 calories when I work out? How much more? I am lucky if I am hitting the 1500 on a regular basis. Would that cause me not to lose weight?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,047 Member
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    justjenny wrote: »
    So I need to eat MORE than 1500 calories when I work out? How much more? I am lucky if I am hitting the 1500 on a regular basis. Would that cause me not to lose weight?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
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    I am a little confused by this. According to the calculator here, my total calories are over 2300. Can that be right?


    1305
    BMR (Calories)

    1088
    Activity (Calories)

    2393
    Total Calories
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,047 Member
    edited July 2017
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    justjenny wrote: »
    I am a little confused by this. According to the calculator here, my total calories are over 2300. Can that be right?


    1305
    BMR (Calories)

    1088
    Activity (Calories)

    2393
    Total Calories

    Absolutely possible. So, to lose one pound per week, you would eat 1900 calories a day (I'm assuming you figured your numbers above by using a TDEE calculator.) That would include exercise calories. Did you read that post I linked? Myfitnesspal does not calculate your recommended calorie goal using TDEE, it uses a calculation that instructs you to eat MORE for exercise. If you calculated your above numbers on that scooby calculator, that is TDEE - so that would include your activity and your exercise. Two different methods. Myfitnesspal doesn't include exercise.

    Keeping it simple:
    If you have less than 50 pounds to lose, set Myfitnesspal goals to "Lose one pound per week." If you have less than 25 pounds to lose, set it to "Lose 1/2 pound per week." Eat the amount it tells you to eat (your calorie deficit is already calculated) THEN if you exercise, enter that into the Exercise page. Eat those calories in addition to your base calories. Keep good records for six weeks and make small adjustments at the end of that time based on your results.

    All these methods are best-guesses. I have to eat a full 600-800 calories more than any of the calculators tell me I *should* eat. I did the experiment and used my own data - that's the only thing that really works.
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
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    Yes, I did ready the post. Thank you. I used this calculator
    http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

    I just changed my Fitness Pal settings as per your info. I went down to .5 pound loss per week. (I had it set a 2 lbs a week). It took my calories from 1500 to about 1440.
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
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    These are my new fitness pal goals...

    1,440 calories 180 carbs 48 fat 72protein

    I started this workout about a week ago.

    https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/2-week-training-schedule-to-lose-fat-and-gain-muscle.html

    If I log all food and follow this routine, how long will it take (roughly) to lose 15 pounds?
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,780 Member
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    There is some level of confusion here including the fact that mfp gave you more calories to eat when you reduced your deficit.

    While adequate protein and adequate fat are important for lean mass preservation and hormonal production respectively, the mfp macro defaults are not exactly terrible as starting points.

    Start with the defaults, aim to hit the protein macro as a minimum. Aim to not be under ~45g of fat @ 130lb bodyweight. Aim to get at least 25g of fiber a day and let the rest be determined by choice and satiety.

    However all this is majoring in the minors as getting your overall calories to the correct number is probably the first thing you need to do.

    If you're using your Fitbit I suggest you use it to record your weight and connect it to trendweight.com to observe your weight trend over time.

    Especially as a woman you do not have a set weight throughout your cycle and with exercise thrown in the mix being able to see a successful slow half pound to 1 pound loss a week will be an exercise in futility without some help.

    I have less water weight variation than most and while losing at a rate of half a pound a week for a year... I could have sworn that i was maintaining or regaining!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,047 Member
    edited July 2017
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    justjenny wrote: »
    Yes, I did ready the post. Thank you. I used this calculator
    http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

    I just changed my Fitness Pal settings as per your info. I went down to .5 pound loss per week. (I had it set a 2 lbs a week). It took my calories from 1500 to about 1440.

    well, you should have gotten less calories at, "lose 2 pounds," vs, "lose 1/2 pound," but that's not a big deal.

    So, when you exercise, you will be given (I'm using random numbers for example only) an additional 300-500 calories. Eat that in addition to your 1440. So you'll be eating more like 1800-2000 on exercise days...which is exactly what that exrx calculator would tell you...1900 to lose weight.

    Just keep good records. It is pretty difficult to lose once you are close to (or already AT) a healthy weight. Accurate food logging is the most important thing, full stop. It will take as long as it takes. Cutting more calories just isn't sustainable, will lead to non-compliance (or binges) and can lead to health problems. Slow and steady.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    yeah there is something funky with the setting if it was giving her 1500cal for 2lbs and only 1440 for .5
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,047 Member
    edited July 2017
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    deannalfisher wrote: »
    yeah there is something funky with the setting if it was giving her 1500cal for 2lbs and only 1440 for .5

    I think she may have manually set her calories and macros judging by this and by her initial macros in her OP. I think she just doesn't understand how it all works - yet. :wink: This site can confuse the heck out of people - we have so many varying points of view, and people try to synthesize various methods and don't get the big picture. I probably didn't help with the sexypants link.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    yeah there is something funky with the setting if it was giving her 1500cal for 2lbs and only 1440 for .5

    I think she may have manually set her calories and macros judging by this and by her initial macros in her OP. I think she just doesn't understand how it all works - yet. :wink: This site can confuse the heck out of people - we have so many varying points of view, and people try to synthesize various methods and don't get the big picture. I probably didn't help with the sexypants link.

    lol! I need to check out the sexypants link - but I know that for me TDEE has been much easier than MFP but it can be confusing - thankfully, I have folks I pay money to who tell me how much to eat and recalculate based on my feedback :)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,047 Member
    edited July 2017
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    deannalfisher wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    yeah there is something funky with the setting if it was giving her 1500cal for 2lbs and only 1440 for .5

    I think she may have manually set her calories and macros judging by this and by her initial macros in her OP. I think she just doesn't understand how it all works - yet. :wink: This site can confuse the heck out of people - we have so many varying points of view, and people try to synthesize various methods and don't get the big picture. I probably didn't help with the sexypants link.

    lol! I need to check out the sexypants link - but I know that for me TDEE has been much easier than MFP but it can be confusing - thankfully, I have folks I pay money to who tell me how much to eat and recalculate based on my feedback :)

    Yeah, it was in the Eat Train Progress group which was gangbusters here for a while, and it's also in the sticky post/most important threads. I prefer the MFP way, but that's because my exercise is not as consistent as some people and I like the accounting for exercise/food on the day I actually do it.

    They explain the difference, here:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

    I know you probably know, it's just a good place to drop that link. :smile:
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
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    Thanks all. It is all so confusing. Yes, the 1500 was set manually based on other ways I was trying to lose weight. Alas, nothing has worked. Something starts to work, I lose 2 or 3 pounds and then by the end of the week, I am right back where I started. :( I was always under the impression of eat less, move more...but that doesn't work anymore. I am beyond frustrated to say the least.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,047 Member
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    @justjenny

    Another one:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/737101/relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
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    Thank you cmriverside! This helps a lot!
  • evergreenlake
    evergreenlake Posts: 73 Member
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    Try calculating your BMR yourself? I find it's very different than what MFP calculated for me.
    655+ (4.35 x your weight in lbs) + (4.7 x your height in inches) + (4.7 x your age in years)
    Then multiply that by your activity factor, and subtract around 500 calories for a healthy deficit. :) Gauge Girl Training has a great YouTube video about how to do the calculations yourself and figure out your macros from it!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited July 2017
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    justjenny wrote: »
    Thanks all. It is all so confusing. Yes, the 1500 was set manually based on other ways I was trying to lose weight. Alas, nothing has worked. Something starts to work, I lose 2 or 3 pounds and then by the end of the week, I am right back where I started. :( I was always under the impression of eat less, move more...but that doesn't work anymore. I am beyond frustrated to say the least.

    Are you using a food scale?
    Are you double checking that the database entries you're using are correct?

    You are not going to lose weight every week, even if you do everything perfect. Your body is more than just fat, the other stuff (especially water) will fluctuate every day, so you are not just seeing fat on the scale. It is about eating less and moving more, but you need to be patient and give what you are doing time to work! You should be looking for a trend down over months, not the beginning of the week to the end of the week :)
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,780 Member
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    justjenny wrote: »
    Thanks all. It is all so confusing. Yes, the 1500 was set manually based on other ways I was trying to lose weight. Alas, nothing has worked. Something starts to work, I lose 2 or 3 pounds and then by the end of the week, I am right back where I started. :( I was always under the impression of eat less, move more...but that doesn't work anymore. I am beyond frustrated to say the least.

    And this frustration with you being up again by the end of the week is what my blabber about using a trending weight app connected to your fitbit for data entry is all about!

    You can be losing fine and hitting your goals and you would NOT know it by weighting yourself and looking at the resulting number.

    https://trendweight.com/u/be441bc8e6d543/chart/3m.png

    Discrete weigh in on April 14 vs May 15: GAIN of 1.7lbs. Actual Trend: LOSS of 0.4lbs
    Discrete weight in on May 9 vs June 8: GAIN of 0.1lbs. Actual Trend: LOSS of 1.6lbs
  • haroldrios1692
    haroldrios1692 Posts: 90 Member
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    Calories come from the macros you eat daily whether its protein, carbs or fats or a combination of all of these. If you are simply trying to lose weight then overall calories consumed is what really matters. If you are trying to achieve a certain type of physique or (body recomposition) like for a competition or just want to be muscular and lean then macros comes into play along with the calories that make up those daily macros. Because in order to lose body fat (you need to be in calorie deficit) and preserve muscle you need certain amount of protein daily and some fats as well...and carbs well they make life a little more fun.

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