staying in my limit

thearianadiaz

does it matter where maintenance calories come from as long as i stay in my caloric limit?

Strudders67

No. Although eating all your calories in chocolate and cakes or drinking them in beer and wine every day won't do your overall health much good.

MFP suggests macros at certain percentages as a goal to aim for because a balanced diet, with the right proportion of carbs, protein and fats, should see you satied, getting the nutrients you need etc and therefore more likely to not over-indulge and put weight on. However, if you want a large slice of cake or to have a night out on the booze, if your intake is in line with your calories, you'll maintain the same weight.

briscogun

@Strudders67 basically nailed it, although I find that if I have drinks or really salty/fried type foods I'll "gain" like a pound or two the next morning due to the water retention. So in some ways where your calories come from CAN have an effect on your weight. At least for me it can. But YMMV...

Orphia

Yes, you don't want big ups and downs of fun food all the time.

"Where you get your maintenance calories from" -

You might also want to know you can get more calories from another day in the week if you have less on another day.

mylittlerainbow

I keep trying to get my protein up there, but meanwhile, I exceed my fat every single day. Sugar and carbs are close but comfortably under the limit, and sodium is usually about 1/3 of what the limit is. I add protein powder to a few things each day when I can't get it any other way because I think protein is important when you're working out (as are carbs, which I know we burn for fuel). It's hard as a vegetarian!

chocolate_owl

You posted pretty recently about losing your period, yeah? I think thing #1 for you is to focus on getting enough calories in to maintain a healthy weight. Doesn't really matter how at first. If you have to eat ice cream or a donut to get those calories, do that until you're healthy again. If you've lost your period due to disordered eating, I'm not sure obsessing over macros is the best thing for you right now. If there's a medical issue that's caused you to lose your period, your doctor may want you to focus on getting certain nutrients.