Can anyone answer a MACRO question?

Giovanna9563
Giovanna9563 Posts: 23 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi and Happy Nee Year!
If anyone is counting macros, could u please tell me what macro calculator you use? I signed up for 5 different ones and every one gives me vastly different numbers to follow.
Is there a website that you found accurate that has worked for you?
Thanks so much!!

Replies

  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
    What are the goals you are trying to achieve?
  • fuzzylop_
    fuzzylop_ Posts: 100 Member
    I just use 0.73g/lb (1.6g/kg) using the upper end of a healthy body weight (based on bmi) instead of my current weight as my protein intake, fat should be at least 20% but not more than 35% of daily calories per day, and the rest carbs.

    I don't have a specific calculator I can recommend though. I think mfp defaults are fine a lot of times, though.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Macros are largely personal preference. Pick one that doesn't seem too difficult, start logging accurately and consistently, and then start monitoring how your appetite responds.

    Other than losing weight, do you have any goals you were hoping tracking macros would help with?

    I just started with the MFP default macros. Over time I realized my appetite was less of a problem when my protein was a little higher, so I took 5% off carbs and added it to protein.
  • Giovanna9563
    Giovanna9563 Posts: 23 Member
    hipari wrote: »
    What are the goals you are trying to achieve?

    Trying to lose. I lost 35lbs and froze for months. Mfp has me down to 1200 caps which every nutritionist says is way to low.
    I was encouraged to count my macros but every macro calculator gives me ranges that aren’t even close.

  • Giovanna9563
    Giovanna9563 Posts: 23 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Macros are largely personal preference. Pick one that doesn't seem too difficult, start logging accurately and consistently, and then start monitoring how your appetite responds.

    Other than losing weight, do you have any goals you were hoping tracking macros would help with?

    I just started with the MFP default macros. Over time I realized my appetite was less of a problem when my protein was a little higher, so I took 5% off carbs and added it to protein.

    Just losing. I’m just wary of mfp where they dropped my calories to 1200 and I’ve been stuck. I can go lower and from what I read/hear, 1200 is too low. I’ll check out what they recommend and see if it compares to any I’ve calculated. Thank u!
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    It's all just math, and if MFP is way lower, you should check the inputs.

    MFP is before exercise, so if you do exercise you should (mentally) add the calories from your workouts in comparing the two. Also, if you are reasonably active outside of exercise, consider whether you told MFP "sedentary."

    One big difference, usually, is people often jump at the largest deficit MFP offers (2 lb/week in the US, or 1 kg/week places that use metric). That results in a goal of maintenance cals (if sedentary and before exercise) minus 1000. With those inputs, most women not on the tall side, or without large amounts to lose (and even some with large amounts to lose) will naturally get 1200.

    Unlike MFP, most TDEE calculators INCLUDE all activity, including exercise, and they have a percentage deduction (often something like 15%), so the results will be different.

    For example, let's say my TDEE with exercise averages to about 2200, but is about 1800 if I were sedentary and did not exercise. If I told MFP "2 lbs" or even "1.5 lbs", I get 1200. But if I do a TDEE calculator, I get 2200-15% or 2200-330 or 1870. However, the calculators are using the same numbers to come to those very different results.

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