Are Macros As Important As Calories?

TynaBaby17

Hello!
SO I do really well counting my cico, and I 90% of the time meet my goal, but I don't always hit the macros right. Sometimes I got over on protein or sugar or carbs, even though my total calorie count is at my goal.
Is going over on a macro going to effect my weight loss if my calorie intake is still under or at my goal for the day?

JaydedMiss

nope calories are key

JeromeBarry1

If the only goal is weight loss, calories and CICO is of supreme importance.

With variety in your diet, your macro distribution will vary. Problematic shortages accumulate over several weeks, so you have little risk of developing them with a varied diet.

MsAndieMarie

I only look at macros leading up to big triathlons to make sure I have enough fuel pre-, during, and post- race. After that, on any other days,.......CICO!

CarvedTones

I am on the free account where it is by % and in maintenance all 3 are well over recommended minimums. For my weight, I need a little under 60g of protein. My computed goal is around 95 + whatever the exercise calories add. So I try to make sure it goes over 60 but I don't feel compelled to get to 95.

quiksylver296

What everybody else said.

Just a note: Sugar is not a macro. Sugar is a carbohydrate.

CarvedTones

quiksylver296 wrote: »

What everybody else said.

Just a note: Sugar is not a macro. Sugar is a carbohydrate.

Every day I get a little notification that I am going over on sugar because I eat so much fruit and I have a little junk in there; I got so used to certain meal choices while losing that now I am sometimes looking for snacks to add enough so I don't keep losing. Anyway, as long as you aren't diabetic and aren't coming up short on macros because you eat too much sugar, going over the suggested max on it is no big deal.

Nama_Slay38

TynaBaby17 wrote: »

Hello!
SO I do really well counting my cico, and I 90% of the time meet my goal, but I don't always hit the macros right. Sometimes I got over on protein or sugar or carbs, even though my total calorie count is at my goal.
Is going over on a macro going to effect my weight loss if my calorie intake is still under or at my goal for the day?

Macros is what makes up your calories

genchiyu

Going over on a macro won't effect your weight loss if your calorie intake is still under or at your goal for the day.
That is if your only goal for now is to lose weight.

lynn_glenmont

quiksylver296 wrote: »

What everybody else said.

Just a note: Sugar is not a macro. Sugar is a carbohydrate.

Sugar is a carb. Carbs are a macro. Hence, sugars are a macro. (A = B. B = C. Hence, A = C.)

Sugar is a nutrient (a substance that provides something your body can use for some of its functions, in this case, energy). Nutrients can be divided into macronutrients and micronutrients. Sugar is not a micronutrient, as it is commonly and healthily consumed in amounts of multiple grams per day, whereas micronutrients are commonly and healthily consumed in amounts measured in milligrams or micrograms. Hence it is a macronutrient. Yes, it is a subcategory of a more comprehensive category of macronutrient, but it is still a macronutrient.

Saying sugar is not a macro because it is a carbohydrate is like saying a poodle isn't a mammal because it's a dog.

Or, it's like saying monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and saturated fats are not macros, only "fats" are macros. All fats are some kind of specific fat, so by that logic, no fats are macros.

If sugars are not a macro, but carbs are, and I eat something with 30 g of carbs, of which 10 g were sugars, does that mean there was only 20 g of the carb macro because the sugars aren't a macro? And I guess fiber and oligosaccharides aren't macros either, so really none of the carbs count as a macro, because they're all some specific type of carb?

CarvedTones

But the confusing thing about sugar and carbs on mfp is that the feedback in my diary often shows I am coming up short on carbs, but I am over on sugar.

livingleanlivingclean

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

quiksylver296 wrote: »

What everybody else said.

Just a note: Sugar is not a macro. Sugar is a carbohydrate.

Sugar is a carb. Carbs are a macro. Hence, sugars are a macro. (A = B. B = C. Hence, A = C.)

Sugar is a nutrient (a substance that provides something your body can use for some of its functions, in this case, energy). Nutrients can be divided into macronutrients and micronutrients. Sugar is not a micronutrient, as it is commonly and healthily consumed in amounts of multiple grams per day, whereas micronutrients are commonly and healthily consumed in amounts measured in milligrams or micrograms. Hence it is a macronutrient. Yes, it is a subcategory of a more comprehensive category of macronutrient, but it is still a macronutrient.

Saying sugar is not a macro because it is a carbohydrate is like saying a poodle isn't a mammal because it's a dog.

Or, it's like saying monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and saturated fats are not macros, only "fats" are macros. All fats are some kind of specific fat, so by that logic, no fats are macros.

If sugars are not a macro, but carbs are, and I eat something with 30 g of carbs, of which 10 g were sugars, does that mean there was only 20 g of the carb macro because the sugars aren't a macro? And I guess fiber and oligosaccharides aren't macros either, so really none of the carbs count as a macro, because they're all some specific type of carb?

"Carbohydrates" are the macronutrient. All the components - sugar, fibre etc are what makes up the total carbohydrate. (just like fat is the macronutrient, but it is composed of saturated, mono, poly and trans fats)

JaxxieKat

Not in terms of weight loss, but if you are eating plant based, or you're strength training, it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on your protein.

fb47

CarvedTones wrote: »

But the confusing thing about sugar and carbs on mfp is that the feedback in my diary often shows I am coming up short on carbs, but I am over on sugar.

To be fair, I don't look at sugar. Sugar isn't as bad as people make them to be. Carbs for me takes way more priority over sugar in my POV.

AnnPT77

For weight loss, it's all calories.

Balanced macros are about nutrition amd health. If you're variably a little under or over one or another macro on different days, don't sweat it unless you want to establish tight nutritional goals (for athletic performance, because of health conditions, whatever).

If you're persistently, consistently, significantly under on either protein or fats, work on getting a little closer more of the time. If you're under on carbs, don't worry about it at all, unless your energy level is sub-par.