calories vs macros

heidi23lynn

I am new to MFP and I was curious should I just count calories or should I try to count MACROS? what works better for losing weight. I am trying to lose 20 lbs by September

janejellyroll

Weight loss is created by a calorie deficit. I think it's worthwhile to focus on calories, as that is what will drive your weight loss results.

cmriverside

If your macros are in line, your calories will be too.

I didn't pay a lot of attention to hitting macros and I lost 65 pounds by just watching calories. However - I still had 15 pounds to go to put me at 21-22 BMI.

At that point things became more about proper nutrition, careful meal planning, using a food scale always, and logging meticulously. Some people do it another way, but I needed to be on my macros (specifically getting enough protein and vegetables) in order to stay satisfied with my amount of food.

quiksylver296

If this is all new to you, calories is easier.

All macronutrients have calories.

Carbs and protein are 4 calories per gram.
Fat is 9 calories per gram.

Once you get good at hitting your calorie target, you can then start to fine tune your diet to work on your macro targets. Hitting macros is tricky and it takes some time to learn how to do it well (at least, it was for me).

BAC716

@heidi23lynn Being in a calorie deficit and getting the "quantities" or portions right is a good start. Macros put more of an emphasis on getting in the right amounts of proteins, fats and carbs to meet your goals.

Certainly not necessary to jump right into tracking macros, but I highly recommend learning more about them as you go. They will help you eat more optimally and intuitively for your needs and preferences in the future to help you look, feel and perform the way you want!