Figuring out Macros

Juliet_2

Hello, what is a good app or website to come up with Macros that help with fat loss and lean muscle building? I am a little confused on numbers. Thanks.

cmriverside

Is there some reason you don't trust the default macros here on my fitnesspal?

This is a good guide from a pro trainer:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

also...the General site blog:
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-whats-the-best-carb-protein-and-fat-breakdown-for-weight-loss/

Juliet_2

I don't not trust them I am looking for more resources, thanks.

Lietchi

For protein i recommend this research based website and calculator:

https://examine.com/protein-intake-calculator/
https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/#toc

Aside from that, total calorie intake will be the most important factor. And while you can use calculators, they are based on statistical averages and only real life results will tell you if you are statistically average.

AnnPT77

julietcullins wrote: »

I don't not trust them I am looking for more resources, thanks.

Since you use the phrase "lean muscle", I'm guessing that you're new to most of this? Good for you, it's excellent that you're questioning sources, and looking to learn! That's a great start.

Be reassured: MFP's recommendations are very mainstream, consistent in most major ways with advice from sources like the World Health Organization, United States Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, UK National Health Service, etc., plus mainstream advice from registered dietitians.

Can you find sources that differ? Sure.

But don't fall for the idea that there are secrets or hacks that will give you faster weight loss, or anything like that. There are a billion hungry, skeezy marketers out there who love people to have that kind of thinking. They will sell you their answer, but odds of legitimacy are low.

I do agree that USDA recommendations are low on protein for a lot of scenarios, more oriented to avoiding deficiency in average people. (The average person isn't loosing weight, being athletically active, vegetarian, or over 60, among other things.)

If you like, you can see a USDA recommendation, tailored to your demographic details, for all the nutrients here:

https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/dri-calculator

I think the protein recommendations are better (more nuanced) from the Examine web site Lietchi posted, plus this link already posted:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

That one is not from MFP, BTW, it's just on MFP. It's from an experienced pro trainer. Though some people may doubt it, MFP does not generally delete dietary advice posted here that differs from theirs. (They only delete things that are counter to the Community Guidelines.) If they deleted things that differ from their defaults or advice, way lots more posts would be deleted!

From a muscle-building standpoint, there are a variety of other web sources, some of which are good and more tailored to those goals than the mainstream recommendations, and some of which are pure gym-bro nonsense. I won't try to sort that out.

I'll point out that the US Olympic Team has some web resources on athlete nutrition, and I'm betting they care about helping people build muscle, and use the latest well-respected research knowledge.

A general info main page is here, but there's much more in its links:

https://www.teamusa.org/nutrition

There's a downloadable PDF nutrition guide here:

https://www.teamunify.com/kslst/UserFiles/Image/QuickUpload/usoc-nutrition-guide-081416_077258.pdf

P.S. Macros aren't directly relevant to fat loss, though they may make indirect contributions via appetite or energy level. Calories are what matter directly for fat loss. Muscle gain is much more about the right exercise than about nutrition, not that nutrition is irrelevant. But good nutrition with a poor program is not going to give results.

The most efficient way to build muscle is a well-designed progressive strength training program, weight lifting or bodyweight strength (the latter tops out earlier, typically.) You can learn more about that here:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

Yes, that's another link on MFP, but written by an expert MFP user, not written by MFP.

On the nutrition front, for muscle building, you want overall good nutrition, especially but not exclusively adequate protein. Some people like to cut carbs to lose weight, often for appetite reasons, but carbs are somewhat muscle-sparing and can fuel workouts, so there are tradeoffs.

If you want to lose fat but gain muscle, and are overweight, slow loss is your best bet: It's hard to add weight (in the form of muscle) while simultaneously losing weight (in the form of fat). Calorie excess favors muscle mass gain, calorie deficit . . . doesn't. Doesn't mean some muscle gain can't happen while losing fat, but fast fat loss is pretty incompatible with muscle gain.

If you're close to a healthy weight, recomposition might be an option:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

This is also a post by a knowledgeable MFP user, not MFP staff; and the thread includes many posts from others with knowledge and experience.

Best wishes for success with your goals!

Juliet_2

Thanks so much for all the helpful info!