Macro %'s for losing body fat.

alung2k3

Hi all, just looking for abit of advice on how to setup my macro's to reduce body fat/lose weight.

My setup right now is using I.F as a way of controlling calories. It's certainly working (lost nearly 2 stone so far) and I'm strict and driven when I have a plan.

I've been trying to do some research but couldn't get a definitive answer of a recommended macro setup specifically to target fat.

Am I right in saying that generally carbs is a no no and should focus on fats & protein?

Thanks all.

puffbrat

Calories for weight loss, macros for satiety and health. You can lose fat while eating lots of carbs as long as they fit within your calorie goal, there are many people on this site who have done so.

MikePTY

The reason you are not getting a clear answer is because there is no specific macro breakdown required to lose fat. If you are losing weight due to a calorie deficit, you will be burning fat. You can do that with low carb or high carb. There is certainly no need to cut carbs in order to do it.

MichelleSilverleaf

alung2k3 wrote: »

Am I right in saying that generally carbs is a no no and should focus on fats & protein?

Not really. Veggies are great!

sardelsa

As mentioned, your number one priority will be a calorie deficit. Macros can help with satiety, muscle retention and workout performance. I would imagine when you say you want to lose fat you want to keep the muscle? In particular I would aim for 0.8-1g protein per lb goalweight minimum, and an adequate amount of fats (at least 0.4g per lb goalweight) and the rest carbs. Carbs are definitely not a no-no. While some people might restriction them, many find them satisfying and help boost workout performance especially if you are lifting weights (which will also be key for retaining muscle so make sure you are doing that too).

oribouros

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGkRFM5T0Ng

Check videos on youtube of gaugegirltraining, she explains pretty well how one should proceed. You basically need a strategy for this, if your plan is to lose weight from the body fat only, and not weight from overall mass (muscle as well).
But to put it simply, you need to:
- be in the calorie deficit you set up for yourself, (there are equations to calculate BMR, TDEE and then subtract from that number);
- within the macros, check protein first. You should be eating about 0.8 to 1g of protein per lb of non fat mass in your body - muscle, bones, etc, so when under this calorie deficit you are maintaining muscle mass (she also explains what this means better than I do!)
- then check the fat, I believe some people work better on a high fat diet than others, and again, she also explains what the minimum amount should be according to your variations;
- in the end, whatever calories you have left (within calorie deficit), get the carbs.


Sorry to make this reply so short, but I find it better to just link you to people that are educated on the matter rather than just me babbling about it

And I forgot to mention, once you have this optimal balance of how your diet should be and what macros consist of, just adjust your MFP setting manually, to fit these parameters.

alung2k3

Thanks for the replies. I will take a look at the links!

cwolfman13

alung2k3 wrote: »

Hi all, just looking for abit of advice on how to setup my macro's to reduce body fat/lose weight.

My setup right now is using I.F as a way of controlling calories. It's certainly working (lost nearly 2 stone so far) and I'm strict and driven when I have a plan.

I've been trying to do some research but couldn't get a definitive answer of a recommended macro setup specifically to target fat.

Am I right in saying that generally carbs is a no no and should focus on fats & protein?

Thanks all.

You can't target fat with any particular macro ratio. Macro ratios are largely about performance and satiety. I do put a premium on protein, particularly in a deficit as it helps to preserve muscle mass. There's nothing wrong with carbs...there are numerous highly nutritious carbohydrates available to you...carbs aren't just "junk" and sugar.