Macros

bethanydaniel5
bethanydaniel5 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey All! I need some help figuring out what my macros should be...just carbs, proteins, and fat. I'm eating 1900 calories/day, just trying to lose weight slow and steady right now so I can keep it off. I'm not trying to bulk up or become a fitness competitor or anything. What are good percentages to have my macros at?

Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited September 2019
    40c/30p/30f is a typical starting point (those are percentages, not grams). Give it a try and if you don't like it, tweak it.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    I just went with the default macros mfp set for me. I don't pay much attention to the macros. I focus on staying in a calorie deficit and lose weight.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,421 Member
    I mostly used the defaults. 50C 30F 20P

    It's really up to you. I lost 70+ pounds at varying macros. I tend to eat higher fat and lower carbs these days, around 45C 35F 20P
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,421 Member
    https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-whats-the-best-carb-protein-and-fat-breakdown-for-weight-loss/
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    So long as you eat a good variety of foods, it may not matter that much. For a long time I just tracked calories and didn't monitor macros at all. I went by how I felt. If you do that for a while, you can look back at your macros and determine what works best in terms of regulating energy and appetite.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Macros don't directly affect weight loss. They're important for health and satiety, but weight loss is 100% caused by consistently being in a calorie deficit, not by what macros you eat. Therefore, you should make sure that you get the minimum fat and protein for health; beyond that, macros are personal preference unless you have any relevant medical conditions.
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  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    dodea48 wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    Macros don't directly affect weight loss. They're important for health and satiety, but weight loss is 100% caused by consistently being in a calorie deficit, not by what macros you eat. Therefore, you should make sure that you get the minimum fat and protein for health; beyond that, macros are personal preference unless you have any relevant medical conditions.

    too much sodium is bad

    Sodium has nothing to do with fat loss. Eating a higher amount of sodium than usual may cause temporary water retention, which is irrelevant to fat loss.

    Beyond that, whether or not one needs to worry about sodium and what might constitute "too much" depends on any medical conditions that the individual may have.
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  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    dodea48 wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    Macros don't directly affect weight loss. They're important for health and satiety, but weight loss is 100% caused by consistently being in a calorie deficit, not by what macros you eat. Therefore, you should make sure that you get the minimum fat and protein for health; beyond that, macros are personal preference unless you have any relevant medical conditions.

    too much sodium is bad

    Sodium is not a macro. So I am not seeing the relevance.

    OP, macros are indeed personal preference. Getting sufficient protein and essential fats is important, but the later is pretty hard to avoid and the former will be met on the MFP default if you aren't super low cal.

    I found 30/30/40 (40 carb) a nice starting point for me.

    (I also cared about some other stuff, like eating sufficient fiber and a nutritious overall diet, but I note that you didn't ask about that so won't interject random likely unnecessary advice in the thread.)
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    dodea48 wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    dodea48 wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    Macros don't directly affect weight loss. They're important for health and satiety, but weight loss is 100% caused by consistently being in a calorie deficit, not by what macros you eat. Therefore, you should make sure that you get the minimum fat and protein for health; beyond that, macros are personal preference unless you have any relevant medical conditions.

    too much sodium is bad

    Sodium has nothing to do with fat loss. Eating a higher amount of sodium than usual may cause temporary water retention, which is irrelevant to fat loss.

    Beyond that, whether or not one needs to worry about sodium and what might constitute "too much" depends on any medical conditions that the individual may have.

    Excess sodium increases blood pressure because it holds excess fluid in the body, and that creates an added burden on the heart. Too much sodium will increase your risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and kidney disease. ... Even foods such as breads and cereals can have high amounts of salt.May 30, 2013

    All of that is true but the question was about macros for weight loss. Discussion of sodium derails the thread.

    OP, start with the MFP defaults. Pay attention to what satisfies you more, do you do better with higher protein? What about higher carbs or fat? Tweak your macros accordingly until you find your happy place.

    FYI my "happy place" is 35% carb 35% protein and 30% fat.

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