Calorie defecit vs tracking macros

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foamking4u
foamking4u Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Which is most important? How will affect my results if im having a hard time staying in my macros % but am under my calories

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  • foamking4u
    foamking4u Posts: 12 Member
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    Want to drop about 35 lbs but i dont want to get scrawny doing it. My protein is higher than it should be but i always thought that was a good thing
  • foamking4u
    foamking4u Posts: 12 Member
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    Actually i just started back to the gym this week after 3 years of being lazy.. downloaded the app and just hit the treadmill in the morning before work. Going to keep doing that along with lifting in the evenings starting next week. Plan on doing high reps/push pull until i drop some weight and then go heavier for less reps to get the right kind of big
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited January 2019
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    Counting macros gives you a calorie count since protein and carbs each have 4 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram.

    What many do is to have protein and fat macro goals which they aim to meet or exceed and then let carbs fall where they fall while staying close to their calorie goal. That's a lot easier than trying to dial in all 3 macros.
  • foamking4u
    foamking4u Posts: 12 Member
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    Thanks for all of the info.. you seem to really know what youre talking about. I cant believe i let myself get to this point. Gonna fix it though
  • foamking4u
    foamking4u Posts: 12 Member
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    Counting macros gives you a calorie count since protein and carbs each have 4 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram.

    What many do is to have protein and fat macro goals which they aim to meet or exceed and then let carbs fall where they fall while staying close to their calorie goal. That's a lot easier than trying to dial in all 3 macros.


    Yeah.. trying to hit all 3 seems near impossible so far
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,267 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    A lot of people who count macros usually have physique goals that call for precision. From where you're at, it sounds like you're more focused on dropping weight and retaining muscle while doing it.

    Since MFP's data base is crowd-sourced a lot of the macros on the entries are a bit off, even if the calories are right. It's easier to focus on calories first, protein second, then meet your fat minimum (for hormone health) at the very least, and let the rest of your calories fall where they may in order to keep yourself satiated while eating at deficit. Only you will know what keeps you feeling full since satiety seems to be a very individual thing.

    Dieters need more protein than the general population, especially if they're lifting. An easy rule of thumb (since most people don't know their lean mass) is to eat .65-.85 grams of protein per pound of ideal body weight if not a bit more.

    The minimal fat intake you should have is .35-.45 grams per pound of ideal body weight. You can, of course, have more, especially if you find it filling.

    "Spend" the rest of your calories however you wish.

    All of this ^^^ . . . plus the minor footnote that if you consume alcohol, your macros won't balance numerically to your calories, because alcohol has about 7 calories per gram that is neither carb, protein, nor fat. Not accusing you of anything; just pointing out something that trips up people arithmetically now and then. :)

    Close on macros is fine, too - a small number of grams over one day, under the next is NBD. If you're persistently under an important goal, then that's something to work on. Extra protein, within reason, isn't harmful to a healthy person.

    If sound nutrition overall is a goal, don't forget plenty of nice, colorful, varied veggies/fruits for micronutrients and some added fiber. :)
  • foamking4u
    foamking4u Posts: 12 Member
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    Thank you. The only time i had to watch my weight was 30 years ago for wrestling.. whole different ballgame from 16 to 46.. lol..all of this is new to me. I appreciate all of the advice and info. Its crazy to me how knowledgeable you all are. If i can begin to grasp half of your knowledge i will be well on my way
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    foamking4u wrote: »
    Thank you. The only time i had to watch my weight was 30 years ago for wrestling.. whole different ballgame from 16 to 46.. lol..all of this is new to me. I appreciate all of the advice and info. Its crazy to me how knowledgeable you all are. If i can begin to grasp half of your knowledge i will be well on my way

    This made me :laugh:. So much truth there!
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited January 2019
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    Try pre-logging your food. You can swap foods in and out until you get a reasonable calorie total AND macros you are happy with. It's not hard, just takes some practice. Once you have it all set, simply eat according to that plan.

    And FWIW... tracking macros doesn't always work because protein + carbs + fat doesn't always = total cals.

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