So much confusion/anxiety over macros
Replies
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OP, I personally feel the mfp interface is misleading. To maintain, calories matter. Over a little, under a little...it’s all fine if it averages your maintenance calories. Going over regularly will cause slow gain just as going under will cause slow loss. So displaying calories remaining uneaten in green (calories over in red) makes sense for weight maintenance. This is independent of macro split.
For macros, there are health based minimums for fiber, fat and protein. This is independent of weight loss. Further, they are MINIMUMS, not like the calorie maximum, so displaying them the same as calories is misleading. E.g. if my protein goal is 100g and I have eaten 102g, I have met my goal. It would make more sense for the display to congratulate exceeding macro goals. Being short of a macro goal would make sense to display in red, as in “x grams left to meet goal”. Note that macro goals are in grams based on body size/composition, not percentages. Hence, it would make more sense for users to enter their macro goals in grams, not percentages.
Minimums are
Protein = lean body mass*0.5g in surplus/maintenance, lean body mass*1g in deficit
If you don’t know lean body mass, estimate goal weight*80%
Fat=body weight*0.35g
Fiber =20 to 25g for women
There are no minimums or maximums for carbohydrates. Optimal macro split is personal preference after above minimums met, which can be quite a wide range for active people with big calorie budgets.
Long way of saying don’t worry about the MFP macro display. Eat a variety of food that is pleasing to you.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »I believe you should talk to your doctor instead of people on here. Everyone is different, and not all macros are created equal (50 carbs from a Mt. Dew is not the same as 50 carbs from cauliflower, fat from an avocado is not the same as fat from a twinkie)
I would respectfully disagree. You don't need a doctor to configure your macro distribution, in fact I'd guess most people who live long & healthy lives don't even know what a macro is. In fact, if you ask your primary care physician what the macro distribution of your diet should be, you'll probably get back a blank stare.
Obviously, if you have a diagnosed medical condition, more precision in your diet might be necessary, so then you might want to ask your doctor for a referral to an RD. But for a healthy person, this is majoring in the minors. If your calories are in line and you don't struggle with hunger or energy, your macros are most likely fine.
If my doctor only had a blank stare to offer when I asked him about specifics of my diet, I would find a new doctor. This community is great to get a lot of different opinions from, what worked for someone, advice and motivation, but you will find differing opinions on every single topic. If someone has questions and wants an expert opinion, then the best bet is to go to an expert like a doctor or dietitian. I've been working with a doctor for a year now, and macros are very important to him and have been important for my success. Our disagreement here only proves my original point, everyone is different.
Is this your primary care physician? Or are you going to a specialist. Most primary care physicians have very little actual education in diet and nutrition, and are often just as vulnerable to jumping on bandwagons. Some doctors do specialize in weight management, and one would hope they are then better educated in diet issues, but most people who have a few lbs to lose aren't going to any sort of nutrition or weight loss specialist. In all seriousness, a primary care doctor or generalist is NOT an expert in diet and nutrition.
I'm fortunate that my primary care doctor has a background in nutrition/sports medicine and we've spent a lot of time talking about nutrition, weight and food topics. Interestingly enough though, he's never brought up macros ratios as being something that I should be focusing on/worrying over. In fact I don't think he's ever even mentioned macros ratios. That pretty much lines up with my own experience-macros ratios are pretty insignificant, (except for people with certain medical conditions etc).
Mine too...and he's never really talked about macros either.
Same with me. My doctor is interested in nutrition and we've discussed it, and macros are definitely not something she thinks is important. If one eats a balanced healthy diet with a variety of foods macros are going to typically be within a perfectly fine range (of course, that does not apply to monodiets, whether broccoli or Twinkies, and I think presenting a monodiet of broccoli as an example of something that would have positive effects or better macros, supposedly, indicates a lack of understanding of nutrition).4 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »All I’m saying is everyone’s body is different. What might work for one person might not work for another. You can go online and pretty much find someone supporting any POV about any topic, weight loss or not. If you’re confused, have lots of questions etc, it isn’t a bad idea to speak with a doctor. It might take some time to find someone that knows their stuff, just like going to therapy, but it can be beneficial. Everyone’s input is valid because it’s your own personal experience and probably you can find some science that supports whatever you’re saying. Bottom line is that if it works for you that’s awesome, but if you’ve tried taking people’s advice and you’ve done your own research and you still have questions or you still aren’t seeing results, find a reputable health official to give you an educated opinion. I found help initially from my GP and now have transferred to a specialist with nutrition counseling. I’m not disagreeing with anyone that a lot of people can maintain weight or lose weight by not tracking macros. It worked for me when I was younger. But to tell me I’m wrong when I’m simply giving information on what has been life changing for me in terms of weight loss in the last couple years is just a symptom of everyone being an expert on everything and ignoring that there is more than one path to an end result sometimes.
This forum exists to share advice. My advice was pretty simple, but I heard from a lot of people that a doctor couldn’t help me. I heard calories in vs calories out. I heard weight loss surgery is the only thing that will work for me because of genetics. I heard keto is the answer. I heard so many things. But the only thing that worked was to dive deep with a doctor and a nutritionist and commit to finding what worked for me in a healthy way. So, I will share my experience and let anyone know that it is an option to think about if they’re having trouble or confused. Doesn’t mean my method will work for them or that it won’t. It simply says it’s an option.
But you didn't say it was an option. You said OP probably shouldn't listen to folks here and ask her doctor instead. If you had said that she could always talk to her doctor too, or that you really didn't figure it out until you talked to a doctor so if she was still confused that might be an option, I doubt you would've gotten much if any push back.
She really should see her doctor because of the period issues and not wanting to eat more than 1200 calories though.
Good point.5 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »All I’m saying is everyone’s body is different. What might work for one person might not work for another. You can go online and pretty much find someone supporting any POV about any topic, weight loss or not. If you’re confused, have lots of questions etc, it isn’t a bad idea to speak with a doctor. It might take some time to find someone that knows their stuff, just like going to therapy, but it can be beneficial. Everyone’s input is valid because it’s your own personal experience and probably you can find some science that supports whatever you’re saying. Bottom line is that if it works for you that’s awesome, but if you’ve tried taking people’s advice and you’ve done your own research and you still have questions or you still aren’t seeing results, find a reputable health official to give you an educated opinion. I found help initially from my GP and now have transferred to a specialist with nutrition counseling. I’m not disagreeing with anyone that a lot of people can maintain weight or lose weight by not tracking macros. It worked for me when I was younger. But to tell me I’m wrong when I’m simply giving information on what has been life changing for me in terms of weight loss in the last couple years is just a symptom of everyone being an expert on everything and ignoring that there is more than one path to an end result sometimes.
This forum exists to share advice. My advice was pretty simple, but I heard from a lot of people that a doctor couldn’t help me. I heard calories in vs calories out. I heard weight loss surgery is the only thing that will work for me because of genetics. I heard keto is the answer. I heard so many things. But the only thing that worked was to dive deep with a doctor and a nutritionist and commit to finding what worked for me in a healthy way. So, I will share my experience and let anyone know that it is an option to think about if they’re having trouble or confused. Doesn’t mean my method will work for them or that it won’t. It simply says it’s an option.
But you didn't say it was an option. You said OP probably shouldn't listen to folks here and ask her doctor instead. If you had said that she could always talk to her doctor too, or that you really didn't figure it out until you talked to a doctor so if she was still confused that might be an option, I doubt you would've gotten much if any push back.
She really should see her doctor because of the period issues and not wanting to eat more than 1200 calories though.
Of course.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »I believe you should talk to your doctor instead of people on here. Everyone is different, and not all macros are created equal (50 carbs from a Mt. Dew is not the same as 50 carbs from cauliflower, fat from an avocado is not the same as fat from a twinkie)
I would respectfully disagree. You don't need a doctor to configure your macro distribution, in fact I'd guess most people who live long & healthy lives don't even know what a macro is. In fact, if you ask your primary care physician what the macro distribution of your diet should be, you'll probably get back a blank stare.
Obviously, if you have a diagnosed medical condition, more precision in your diet might be necessary, so then you might want to ask your doctor for a referral to an RD. But for a healthy person, this is majoring in the minors. If your calories are in line and you don't struggle with hunger or energy, your macros are most likely fine.
If my doctor only had a blank stare to offer when I asked him about specifics of my diet, I would find a new doctor. This community is great to get a lot of different opinions from, what worked for someone, advice and motivation, but you will find differing opinions on every single topic. If someone has questions and wants an expert opinion, then the best bet is to go to an expert like a doctor or dietitian. I've been working with a doctor for a year now, and macros are very important to him and have been important for my success. Our disagreement here only proves my original point, everyone is different.
Is this your primary care physician? Or are you going to a specialist. Most primary care physicians have very little actual education in diet and nutrition, and are often just as vulnerable to jumping on bandwagons. Some doctors do specialize in weight management, and one would hope they are then better educated in diet issues, but most people who have a few lbs to lose aren't going to any sort of nutrition or weight loss specialist. In all seriousness, a primary care doctor or generalist is NOT an expert in diet and nutrition.
I'm fortunate that my primary care doctor has a background in nutrition/sports medicine and we've spent a lot of time talking about nutrition, weight and food topics. Interestingly enough though, he's never brought up macros ratios as being something that I should be focusing on/worrying over. In fact I don't think he's ever even mentioned macros ratios. That pretty much lines up with my own experience-macros ratios are pretty insignificant, (except for people with certain medical conditions etc).
Mine too...and he's never really talked about macros either.
Same with me. My doctor is interested in nutrition and we've discussed it, and macros are definitely not something she thinks is important. If one eats a balanced healthy diet with a variety of foods macros are going to typically be within a perfectly fine range (of course, that does not apply to monodiets, whether broccoli or Twinkies, and I think presenting a monodiet of broccoli as an example of something that would have positive effects or better macros, supposedly, indicates a lack of understanding of nutrition).
Mine is a Certified Diabetic Specialist so yes, we have talked about macros. Actually, we have only talked about one macro: carbohydrates. Total carbs is the one number a diabetic needs to look at and we have discussed what my maximum target should be. How I get there is totally up to me but she has commented that I should eat a variety of foods.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »I believe you should talk to your doctor instead of people on here. Everyone is different, and not all macros are created equal (50 carbs from a Mt. Dew is not the same as 50 carbs from cauliflower, fat from an avocado is not the same as fat from a twinkie)
I would respectfully disagree. You don't need a doctor to configure your macro distribution, in fact I'd guess most people who live long & healthy lives don't even know what a macro is. In fact, if you ask your primary care physician what the macro distribution of your diet should be, you'll probably get back a blank stare.
Obviously, if you have a diagnosed medical condition, more precision in your diet might be necessary, so then you might want to ask your doctor for a referral to an RD. But for a healthy person, this is majoring in the minors. If your calories are in line and you don't struggle with hunger or energy, your macros are most likely fine.
If my doctor only had a blank stare to offer when I asked him about specifics of my diet, I would find a new doctor. This community is great to get a lot of different opinions from, what worked for someone, advice and motivation, but you will find differing opinions on every single topic. If someone has questions and wants an expert opinion, then the best bet is to go to an expert like a doctor or dietitian. I've been working with a doctor for a year now, and macros are very important to him and have been important for my success. Our disagreement here only proves my original point, everyone is different.
Is this your primary care physician? Or are you going to a specialist. Most primary care physicians have very little actual education in diet and nutrition, and are often just as vulnerable to jumping on bandwagons. Some doctors do specialize in weight management, and one would hope they are then better educated in diet issues, but most people who have a few lbs to lose aren't going to any sort of nutrition or weight loss specialist. In all seriousness, a primary care doctor or generalist is NOT an expert in diet and nutrition.
I'm fortunate that my primary care doctor has a background in nutrition/sports medicine and we've spent a lot of time talking about nutrition, weight and food topics. Interestingly enough though, he's never brought up macros ratios as being something that I should be focusing on/worrying over. In fact I don't think he's ever even mentioned macros ratios. That pretty much lines up with my own experience-macros ratios are pretty insignificant, (except for people with certain medical conditions etc).
Mine too...and he's never really talked about macros either.
Same with me. My doctor is interested in nutrition and we've discussed it, and macros are definitely not something she thinks is important. If one eats a balanced healthy diet with a variety of foods macros are going to typically be within a perfectly fine range (of course, that does not apply to monodiets, whether broccoli or Twinkies, and I think presenting a monodiet of broccoli as an example of something that would have positive effects or better macros, supposedly, indicates a lack of understanding of nutrition).
Mine is a Certified Diabetic Specialist so yes, we have talked about macros. Actually, we have only talked about one macro: carbohydrates. Total carbs is the one number a diabetic needs to look at and we have discussed what my maximum target should be. How I get there is totally up to me but she has commented that I should eat a variety of foods.
Yes, definitely a doctor or dietitian addressing diabetes should discuss carbs and balancing the diet and so on.
But I'd say that's a special case.3 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »sammidelvecchio wrote: »I believe you should talk to your doctor instead of people on here. Everyone is different, and not all macros are created equal (50 carbs from a Mt. Dew is not the same as 50 carbs from cauliflower, fat from an avocado is not the same as fat from a twinkie)
I would respectfully disagree. You don't need a doctor to configure your macro distribution, in fact I'd guess most people who live long & healthy lives don't even know what a macro is. In fact, if you ask your primary care physician what the macro distribution of your diet should be, you'll probably get back a blank stare.
Obviously, if you have a diagnosed medical condition, more precision in your diet might be necessary, so then you might want to ask your doctor for a referral to an RD. But for a healthy person, this is majoring in the minors. If your calories are in line and you don't struggle with hunger or energy, your macros are most likely fine.
If my doctor only had a blank stare to offer when I asked him about specifics of my diet, I would find a new doctor. This community is great to get a lot of different opinions from, what worked for someone, advice and motivation, but you will find differing opinions on every single topic. If someone has questions and wants an expert opinion, then the best bet is to go to an expert like a doctor or dietitian. I've been working with a doctor for a year now, and macros are very important to him and have been important for my success. Our disagreement here only proves my original point, everyone is different.
Is this your primary care physician? Or are you going to a specialist. Most primary care physicians have very little actual education in diet and nutrition, and are often just as vulnerable to jumping on bandwagons. Some doctors do specialize in weight management, and one would hope they are then better educated in diet issues, but most people who have a few lbs to lose aren't going to any sort of nutrition or weight loss specialist. In all seriousness, a primary care doctor or generalist is NOT an expert in diet and nutrition.
I'm fortunate that my primary care doctor has a background in nutrition/sports medicine and we've spent a lot of time talking about nutrition, weight and food topics. Interestingly enough though, he's never brought up macros ratios as being something that I should be focusing on/worrying over. In fact I don't think he's ever even mentioned macros ratios. That pretty much lines up with my own experience-macros ratios are pretty insignificant, (except for people with certain medical conditions etc).
Mine too...and he's never really talked about macros either.
Same with me. My doctor is interested in nutrition and we've discussed it, and macros are definitely not something she thinks is important. If one eats a balanced healthy diet with a variety of foods macros are going to typically be within a perfectly fine range (of course, that does not apply to monodiets, whether broccoli or Twinkies, and I think presenting a monodiet of broccoli as an example of something that would have positive effects or better macros, supposedly, indicates a lack of understanding of nutrition).
Mine is a Certified Diabetic Specialist so yes, we have talked about macros. Actually, we have only talked about one macro: carbohydrates. Total carbs is the one number a diabetic needs to look at and we have discussed what my maximum target should be. How I get there is totally up to me but she has commented that I should eat a variety of foods.
Yes, definitely a doctor or dietitian addressing diabetes should discuss carbs and balancing the diet and so on.
But I'd say that's a special case.
Exactly my point. I know for a fact she does NOT discuss carbs with her non-diabetic or IR Patients even though she has that expertise.2 -
pagophagia wrote: »like stated in previous posts I've made, I am kind of a newbie sadly. Anyways, I'm just looking to maintain, I don't really care if I lose per se, and I do work out, lightly, but I am moderately active (cardio/walking). I use a calorie deficit that I'm comfortable with, however, I am almost always over my fats by a couple of grams. Sometimes I am over my carbs (sugars) as well, is this going to set me back? I don't really eat junk food all that much anymore btw.. I try my hardest to avoid it lol. I am always within or just sliiightly over my caloric intake, I never go above drastically. People have told me that if you're just maintaining or mild weight loss, it doesn't matter as long as you're within a caloric range but I'm so sceptical of that for some reason. I just want some explanations on macros I guess, because they give me huge huge anxiety even though I thought I was doing well..
It is simply not practical or necessary to try to hit all three macros perfectly.
I just worry about hitting my protein goal. For me, fat takes care of itself, and the rest are carbs.
Going over on carbs is not a bad thing though. When I was doing the yoga thing I knew plenty of healthy and fit vegans who must have been getting upwards of 60% carbs every day.0 -
A lot of folks have said it’s important to hit your protein and fat for health... I try to get the protein in and often get close, but my fat intake is way below what MFP says is my goal. (I have no probs getting my carbs
) So my question is: do I really need to get more fats in? I’m worried it will throw off my calorie deficit and I need to lose the last 7 lbs.... 0 -
A lot of folks have said it’s important to hit your protein and fat for health... I try to get the protein in and often get close, but my fat intake is way below what MFP says is my goal. (I have no probs getting my carbs ) So my question is: do I really need to get more fats in? I’m worried it will throw off my calorie deficit and I need to lose the last 7 lbs....
fat is essential for your body - i wouldn't go too far below what MFP recommends consistently - increasing yoru fats won't inhibit losing that last 7lbs unless you are consistently eating over your calorie goal (i.e. go for more fatty cuts of meat; have full-fat dairy vs. fat free dairy etc)1 -
deannalfisher wrote: »A lot of folks have said it’s important to hit your protein and fat for health... I try to get the protein in and often get close, but my fat intake is way below what MFP says is my goal. (I have no probs getting my carbs ) So my question is: do I really need to get more fats in? I’m worried it will throw off my calorie deficit and I need to lose the last 7 lbs....
fat is essential for your body - i wouldn't go too far below what MFP recommends consistently - increasing yoru fats won't inhibit losing that last 7lbs unless you are consistently eating over your calorie goal (i.e. go for more fatty cuts of meat; have full-fat dairy vs. fat free dairy etc)
This. Fat is an essential nutrient: Your body doesn't manufacture it from other nutrients (in a way that has the desired effect: Obviously, you can metabolize stored fat.)
Adequate fat intake is important for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K . . .), for cellular health, for hormone balance, etc.
My feeling - not as a scientist/RD, but based on reading - is that a reasonable target is something in the range of 0.35-0.45g daily per pound of healthy goal weight. Your default MFP percentages may or may not hit close to that. In my amateur understanding, a little higher in the range might be better for women; a little lower might be OK for men.
For me, at 5'5", and narrow-framed, I figure 50g per day minimum is OK . . . but like you, fat is the macro I'm most likely to be low on, if I don't pay attention. (50g = about 450 calories; nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil are especially good sources IMO, along with certain fatty fish for folks who eat fish (I don't); but some can come from other meats and dairy, too, of course, among other things).1 -
Thank you @deannalfisher and @AnnPT77 for your replies! Very helpful!2
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