How many macros do you do for weight loss and why?

stephaniec715

I have tried to look up different websites to figure out how many macros I should be consuming for weight loss, But there are so many different answers. Without paying to get the info from a real nutritionist, I'm just curious what you all do? Also… what do you do when you are way low on your calories? I had breakfast lunch and dinner and a small snack earlier in the day but I still have 400 calories to go. What would you do? Fat bombs? Protein shake? Thanks

MichelleSilverleaf

Go with MFP's default numbers and adjust according to your preferences. It's calories that matter for weight loss, macros are more about health and nutrition.

sedj241

For weight lost I go with a 40/40/20 (protein/fats/carbs). I keep carbs low so I can taps in my sugar reserve, I keep the protein high to try to prevent or lessen the muscle lost, and I keep the HEALTHY fats high so I can stay fuller longer. If I snack, I do it within my calorie range and macros. This method helps keeps me sane and I can go go longer without cheat days, maybe 2-3 weeks.

100_PROOF_

Macros have nothing to do with weight loss. You seem to be confused.

Weight loss comes down to calories. Your macro split doesn't matter for weight loss, your calories are what counts for weight loss.

My split is 40 -30-30 BTW. Carbs don't cause weight gain or whatever the myth of the month is.

AnnPT77

For starters, just set up your MFP profile and use the default macros, treating protein & fat goals as minimums. The defaults aren't crazy for most people.

If you need to consume more calories, look at where your macros are deficient, and eat something accordingly. If protein is low, eat something with protein (tuna, chicken, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, etc.) If fat is low, eat something with fat (nuts, avocado, peanut butter, etc.). If carbs are low but nothing else is, eat anything that sounds tasty in the moment (including a treat or alcoholic drink if you wish), because there is no minimum essential amount of carbs.

AnvilHead

stephaniec715 wrote: »

I have tried to look up different websites to figure out how many macros I should be consuming for weight loss, But there are so many different answers. Without paying to get the info from a real nutritionist, I'm just curious what you all do? Also… what do you do when you are way low on your calories? I had breakfast lunch and dinner and a small snack earlier in the day but I still have 400 calories to go. What would you do? Fat bombs? Protein shake? Thanks

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

Macros are relevant for satiety, workout performance, body composition goals, energy levels, overall nutrition/health, etc. But speaking purely in terms of weight loss, your macro split doesn't matter. Calories are what matter. It doesn't matter if you choose to eat low-carb, low-fat or whatever, weight loss will be the same for equivalent calorie counts.

DarianJP

Just make sure you’re hitting an appropriate protein intake for your stats and fill in the rest with fats and carbs depending on which one satisfies you more. Fats aren’t inherently bad and neither are carbs.

fb47

stephaniec715 wrote: »

I have tried to look up different websites to figure out how many macros I should be consuming for weight loss, But there are so many different answers. Without paying to get the info from a real nutritionist, I'm just curious what you all do? Also… what do you do when you are way low on your calories? I had breakfast lunch and dinner and a small snack earlier in the day but I still have 400 calories to go. What would you do? Fat bombs? Protein shake? Thanks

25%-30% of my calories goes towards fat (I like it in the higher end usually simply because there's almost fats in everything it seems these days), I keep 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, the rest all carbs. The most important thing is calories for body composition, the macros aren't that important individually except you need to hit a certain minimum for fats and you need to get adequate protein which is especially important if you're an active person.