Suggested calories accurate?
MikeHoncho8D
Posts: 1 Member
I just signed up to MFP (I used to use the fitbit app), and I was noticing that it was saying my suggested amount of protein for the day was 90 something. That number should be closer to 200 going by the 1g per lb on non training days, and 1.5 g per lb on training days. I assume I’m doing something wrong in the setup.
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Replies
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MFP doesn't use 1gr per lb as the norm for protein, it goes by a macro distribution in percentages (20% protein is standard).
If you don't like that, then you can customize your nutrition goals in the settings (but I don't think you'll be able to distinguish between training days and non training days).6 -
MFP has a default percentage based calculation for macros. You can change it. If you want more and be able to track it that way.0
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MFP doesn't use 1gr per lb as the norm for protein, it goes by a macro distribution in percentages (20% protein is standard).
If you don't like that, then you can customize your nutrition goals in the settings (but I don't think you'll be able to distinguish between training days and non training days).
Yes to this, and to clarify a bit...
On that bolded part - if you are using this site the way it is designed, you will add your exercise (training) into the "Exercise" tab on those days and the calculator will increase your Macro Goals in the percentages you've chosen.
Alternately you could pay for the Premium version and set each day yourself.
1g per pound of weight is overkill on protein for most people. MikeHoncho, why so high?
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The MFP calorie advice is based on the M st. J formula which is a population average subject to some personal variation. You can play with it here:
https://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html
The macro breakdowns are highly debated and are really left to the individual to determine. I don't worry about them all that much.
I don't believe you ever need 1.5g prot/lb lean body mass. And, it's hard to eat high prot while on calorie deficit. It just gets burned for fuel, which is inefficient. The RDA is only 0.4 prot/lb lean body mass, so you might put that is the absolute minimum (I eat about twice that).
You can tell if it's a problem by your energy level. If you're feeling low energy all the time, allocate more of your calories to fats and carbs.
Best of luck.2 -
cmriverside wrote: »MFP doesn't use 1gr per lb as the norm for protein, it goes by a macro distribution in percentages (20% protein is standard).
If you don't like that, then you can customize your nutrition goals in the settings (but I don't think you'll be able to distinguish between training days and non training days).
Yes to this, and to clarify a bit...
On that bolded part - if you are using this site the way it is designed, you will add your exercise (training) into the "Exercise" tab on those days and the calculator will increase your Macro Goals in the percentages you've chosen.
Alternately you could pay for the Premium version and set each day yourself.
1g per pound of weight is overkill on protein for most people. MikeHoncho, why so high?
Does it actually change your macros?? I wasn't aware of that -- I though the only time anything on goals would change is if you log cardio activity (in which case it adds those exercise calories). I didn't know that if you logged a strength workout that it would change anything...is that new or has it always done that. Maybe I just didn't pay attention.0 -
westrich20940 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »MFP doesn't use 1gr per lb as the norm for protein, it goes by a macro distribution in percentages (20% protein is standard).
If you don't like that, then you can customize your nutrition goals in the settings (but I don't think you'll be able to distinguish between training days and non training days).
Yes to this, and to clarify a bit...
On that bolded part - if you are using this site the way it is designed, you will add your exercise (training) into the "Exercise" tab on those days and the calculator will increase your Macro Goals in the percentages you've chosen.
Alternately you could pay for the Premium version and set each day yourself.
1g per pound of weight is overkill on protein for most people. MikeHoncho, why so high?
Does it actually change your macros?? I wasn't aware of that -- I though the only time anything on goals would change is if you log cardio activity (in which case it adds those exercise calories). I didn't know that if you logged a strength workout that it would change anything...is that new or has it always done that. Maybe I just didn't pay attention.
Strength training won't add a whole lot of calories (hence, macros) - so, no, not by much.
Why are you trying to hit such a high number on protein?1 -
westrich20940 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »MFP doesn't use 1gr per lb as the norm for protein, it goes by a macro distribution in percentages (20% protein is standard).
If you don't like that, then you can customize your nutrition goals in the settings (but I don't think you'll be able to distinguish between training days and non training days).
Yes to this, and to clarify a bit...
On that bolded part - if you are using this site the way it is designed, you will add your exercise (training) into the "Exercise" tab on those days and the calculator will increase your Macro Goals in the percentages you've chosen.
Alternately you could pay for the Premium version and set each day yourself.
1g per pound of weight is overkill on protein for most people. MikeHoncho, why so high?
Does it actually change your macros?? I wasn't aware of that -- I though the only time anything on goals would change is if you log cardio activity (in which case it adds those exercise calories). I didn't know that if you logged a strength workout that it would change anything...is that new or has it always done that. Maybe I just didn't pay attention.
You should distinguish between logging exercises under Strength (versus Cardiovascular) which lets you record sets and reps but doesn't give extra calories, and choosing "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training) under Cardiovascular which will give calories for the duration you choose.3 -
westrich20940 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »MFP doesn't use 1gr per lb as the norm for protein, it goes by a macro distribution in percentages (20% protein is standard).
If you don't like that, then you can customize your nutrition goals in the settings (but I don't think you'll be able to distinguish between training days and non training days).
Yes to this, and to clarify a bit...
On that bolded part - if you are using this site the way it is designed, you will add your exercise (training) into the "Exercise" tab on those days and the calculator will increase your Macro Goals in the percentages you've chosen.
Alternately you could pay for the Premium version and set each day yourself.
1g per pound of weight is overkill on protein for most people. MikeHoncho, why so high?
Does it actually change your macros?? I wasn't aware of that -- I though the only time anything on goals would change is if you log cardio activity (in which case it adds those exercise calories). I didn't know that if you logged a strength workout that it would change anything...is that new or has it always done that. Maybe I just didn't pay attention.
You should distinguish between logging exercises under Strength (versus Cardiovascular) which lets you record sets and reps but doesn't give extra calories, and choosing "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training) under Cardiovascular which will give calories for the duration you choose.
*Face Palm* .... It didn't even occur to me to search for a strength workout in the cardio area.2 -
westrich20940 wrote: »westrich20940 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »MFP doesn't use 1gr per lb as the norm for protein, it goes by a macro distribution in percentages (20% protein is standard).
If you don't like that, then you can customize your nutrition goals in the settings (but I don't think you'll be able to distinguish between training days and non training days).
Yes to this, and to clarify a bit...
On that bolded part - if you are using this site the way it is designed, you will add your exercise (training) into the "Exercise" tab on those days and the calculator will increase your Macro Goals in the percentages you've chosen.
Alternately you could pay for the Premium version and set each day yourself.
1g per pound of weight is overkill on protein for most people. MikeHoncho, why so high?
Does it actually change your macros?? I wasn't aware of that -- I though the only time anything on goals would change is if you log cardio activity (in which case it adds those exercise calories). I didn't know that if you logged a strength workout that it would change anything...is that new or has it always done that. Maybe I just didn't pay attention.
You should distinguish between logging exercises under Strength (versus Cardiovascular) which lets you record sets and reps but doesn't give extra calories, and choosing "Strength training (weight lifting, weight training) under Cardiovascular which will give calories for the duration you choose.
*Face Palm* .... It didn't even occur to me to search for a strength workout in the cardio area.
IMO, it's actually one of the best available ways to estimate calories for a strength workout. I gather a few of the more recent fitness tracker models now use the same method (METS) for strength training calorie estimates, but any estimate for strength training based on heart rate is likely to be crazy-far off.0 -
Unless you're a body builder, eating that much protein a day is useless. the 1gram per pound of body weight is very inaccurate. It's more like .36 grams per pound for a sedentary person at a normal body weight. Keep your macros balanced. If you're losing weight and building muscle try to aim for 35% of your macros a day in protein. Over-consuming protein while trying to lose weight is not going to help you any more than just sticking to a balanced diet. For normal people, or even people who are trying to be lean and muscular, 35% of your calories from protein is more than sufficient.
If you're trying to bulk up, yeah you're gonna need more. But that's a whole other animal. I eat between 90-120g of protein a day. If I followed 1g per 1 pound of protein, I'd have to consume 226 grams of protein a day! That's absolutely insane, and being a vegetarian, it would mean I'd have to eat way more calories than I should be, because nothing you eat is just straight up protein. Don't forget 1 gram of protein is 4 calories. In order to adhere to this, sticking to my 1800 calories a day diet, I'd have to consume more than half of that in protein alone which is not possible if I want to continue losing weight.1
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