Struggling to hit Macros at 1200 Calories a day

adrianaaguilar09

Over the last year I gained 25 pounds . I started MFP at 133 lbs 2 weeks ago and am down two pounds. It's weirdly new to me to eat through out the day trying to hit a certain amount of calories. I'm slowly getting there but usually end my day at 700-900 calories with no exercise. I'm trying to hit 1200 calories , as that was the amount MFP said I should hit based off my measurments and goal.

I notice I'm extremely off on hitting my fat and carb macros ..never hitting them. I ALWAYS go over on protein.

How do you guys hit your carb / fat macros with out going over the calorie deficit.

I would really like to hit my 1200 calories a day. I think I need to find a balance of the carbs and protein etc. because Sometimes I'll hit my protein and fat and then I have alot of carbs to go and I wonder how I can eat those carbs with out pushing over calories , protein, and fat.

For those that are on a 1200 calorie deficit with no exercise what is a daily diary like ? / any foodies with recommendations?


Calories 1200
Carbohydrates 150 g 50 %
Fat 40 g 30 %
Protein 60 g 20 %

RelCanonical

Please eat more calorie-dense foods in order to meet your calorie goal. Don't worry about macros until you get your calories up. You can make small adjustments to better fit a macro balance after. Calories come first. Try adding oils, peanut butter, full-fat dairy, or other calorie dense items.



There are rounding errors and entry errors in the MFP database, so don't take your macro makeup too seriously. Just hit protein and fat the best you can. Carbs don't have to be met, just treat them as leftovers.

MikePTY

More calories is whats most important. If that puts you more over on proteins, or fats, or carbs, or whichever, that's not important. Especially if you are already meeting your protein intake. Focus on giving your body enough energy so you can do this healthily.

janejellyroll

If macronutrient goals are making it hard for you to get enough to eat, then you should consider whether or not you really need them. You need to make sure you get sufficient protein and fat, but other than that, it's just personal preference. Carbohydrates are optional, so you can use those calories for more protein or fat if you find you enjoy that more (that said, there are lots of carbohydrate-rich foods that make it easier to hit your other nutritional goals and are delicious).

Focus on getting enough to eat and then sort out the macronutrients.

When it comes to meeting my nutritional needs, I found pre-logging to be a huge help. I log what I plan to eat the day before and that gives me time to make adjustments if I find I need more of something.

kshama2001

adrianaaguilar09 wrote: »

Over the last year I gained 25 pounds . I started MFP at 133 lbs 2 weeks ago and am down two pounds. It's weirdly new to me to eat through out the day trying to hit a certain amount of calories. I'm slowly getting there but usually end my day at 700-900 calories with no exercise. I'm trying to hit 1200 calories , as that was the amount MFP said I should hit based off my measurments and goal.

I notice I'm extremely off on hitting my fat and carb macros ..never hitting them. I ALWAYS go over on protein.

How do you guys hit your carb / fat macros with out going over the calorie deficit.

I would really like to hit my 1200 calories a day. I think I need to find a balance of the carbs and protein etc. because Sometimes I'll hit my protein and fat and then I have alot of carbs to go and I wonder how I can eat those carbs with out pushing over calories , protein, and fat.

For those that are on a 1200 calorie deficit with no exercise what is a daily diary like ? / any foodies with recommendations?


Calories 1200
Carbohydrates 150 g 50 %
Fat 40 g 30 %
Protein 60 g 20 %

Trying to hit all three perfectly is just not practical. I focus on protein, as it and fiber fill me up. I don't have a problem with not getting enough fat, and the carbs fall where they may.

To get more calories and fat, have more foods like oil, butter, peanut butter, and nuts.

cwolfman13

Your macros aren't really of any particular importance...focus on your calories and getting enough calories. You can tweak your macros down the line if you wish once you have calories sorted out. Calories are what matter for weight management.

musicfan68

Ultimately for weight loss, macros don't matter. Don't worry about them. You need to eat more - you severely under eating if you are counting, weighing and measuring your food right.

Maxxitt

You should think of the protein and fat grams as minimums, really - going over is not going to hurt you as long as you are still in a deficit. Going under puts you at risk for lean mass loss (protein) and problems with hormone regulation and nutrient absorption and digestive process (fat). It's absolutely critical to up your calories though - 700-800 calories/day is not sustainable without medical supervision. Remember what you USED to eat, during that time you gained 25#? Add a bit of that back in. If I had 400-500 calories, I'd have a handful of mixed nuts (1 oz = ~170 calories), more fruit, and something whole-grain. Or a sandwich lol

kgeyser

adrianaaguilar09 wrote: »

Over the last year I gained 25 pounds . I started MFP at 133 lbs 2 weeks ago and am down two pounds. It's weirdly new to me to eat through out the day trying to hit a certain amount of calories. I'm slowly getting there but usually end my day at 700-900 calories with no exercise. I'm trying to hit 1200 calories , as that was the amount MFP said I should hit based off my measurments and goal.

I notice I'm extremely off on hitting my fat and carb macros ..never hitting them. I ALWAYS go over on protein.

How do you guys hit your carb / fat macros with out going over the calorie deficit.

I would really like to hit my 1200 calories a day. I think I need to find a balance of the carbs and protein etc. because Sometimes I'll hit my protein and fat and then I have alot of carbs to go and I wonder how I can eat those carbs with out pushing over calories , protein, and fat.

For those that are on a 1200 calorie deficit with no exercise what is a daily diary like ? / any foodies with recommendations?


Calories 1200
Carbohydrates 150 g 50 %
Fat 40 g 30 %
Protein 60 g 20 %

You can change your macro ratios in the system. I find the 50% carb goal to be way too high for the way I tend to eat, so I just moved the macros around. Calories are what matter for weight loss, but there's something reassuring about seeing all the numbers match up.

lynn_glenmont

If you've only lost two pounds in two weeks, it's extremely unlikely you are only consuming 700 to 900 kcal a day. Do you use a food scale to determine how much you are eating?

Silentpadna

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

If you've only lost two pounds in two weeks, it's extremely unlikely you are only consuming 700 to 900 kcal a day. Do you use a food scale to determine how much you are eating?

Over a long term 1 pound per week rate, this statement is true. 700-900 calories per day would result in a quicker loss. However, in a mere two weeks, there is nothing extremely unlikely about it. Technically it's just as likely she could have gained a pound or two in fluctuation alone.

The question of whether she uses a scale is obviously still valid and pertinent.

Sorry to nitpick this but we caution folks all the time about how fluid fluctuations can mask fat loss (or gain). It would certainly apply here as well wouldn't it?