Hitting your Calories vs. Hitting your Macros

charliefowlr

Hello! I'm new to this group and also to Keto. I'm only 2 days into this.
Over the past two days I have hit my macros (set in grams) on the head,
but I'm over on my calories by 40 or more calories.
Is that a trivial amount or have I biffed my numbers?

If my ultimate goal is weight loss then which is more important: Hitting my macros or hitting the calorie goal?
And if it is hitting my calorie goal, what should my macros look like?

tcunbeliever

I always allow +/- 20 grams and +/- 200 calories because hitting goals exactly is not reasonable for me. You are close enough by my standards!

baconslave

Macros vs. calories?
Calories, every time.
Now if it's just 40, that might not be a deal breaker if you have a large deficit. The closer you are to your goal weight, the less wiggle room for calorie overage there is, IME.

kpk54

Calories for weight loss.
Macros for personal preference, satiety, fitness goals etc.

charliefowlr

baconslave wrote: »

Macros vs. calories?
Calories, every time.
Now if it's just 40, that might not be a deal breaker if you have a large deficit. The closer you are to your goal weight, the less wiggle room for calorie overage there is, IME.

I usually eat around 1500-1800 cal a day, before starting keto. Every Keto Macro Calculator I used to get my numbers has my calories in the 1320-1350 range. This seems like a huge deficit to me but I'm new to this so... maybe I'm wrong?

baconslave

charliefowlr wrote: »

baconslave wrote: »

Macros vs. calories?
Calories, every time.
Now if it's just 40, that might not be a deal breaker if you have a large deficit. The closer you are to your goal weight, the less wiggle room for calorie overage there is, IME.

I usually eat around 1500-1800 cal a day, before starting keto. Every Keto Macro Calculator I used to get my numbers has my calories in the 1320-1350 range. This seems like a huge deficit to me but I'm new to this so... maybe I'm wrong?

What the keto calculators spit out at you depends on your height, current weight, what activity level you indicate, and how fast you said you wanted to lose. So without knowing how tall you are or anything I can't say how steep that is. Was the 1500-1800 an MFP weight loss goal number or a non-keto calc? Or is that a weight maintenance number?

Without all that info I can't say how accurate any of that is. I can say, for keto, use MFP's Cal goal based on your stats and activity level, and just 1)max your carbs at 20-50g total and 2) prioritize enough protein. The fat macro will fall where it needs to be naturally.

Follow MFP's Cal goal. If that is too steep (you are too weak or too hungry), and it may be if you have less than 30-50lb to lose, recalc to lose 1- 1.5 lb instead of 2 a week. Once you get within 20lb to goal, it is more reasonable to expect less loss, more like a half pound/week.

I'm on my phone so sorry if the answer is incomplete or has typos.