Back at it 🙂

Aries0480
Aries0480 Posts: 2 Member
edited August 2023 in Getting Started
Trying this out again. I’ve been up and down for years. Emotional eating is a big part of my story. My biggest question at this point is how to decide how much to designate toward protein and carbs. I do not know what the amount is which is healthy, keep me satisfied/satiated and still lose weight.

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,168 Member
    edited August 2023
    The MFP defaults aren't a bad start for most people, as long as you don't go too crazy aggressive on targeted weight loss rate, assuming you're trying to lose. ("Crazy aggressive" for most cases is above 0.5-1% of current weight per week, and the lower end is better IMO unless severely obese and under close medical supervision for deficiencies or complications.)

    Maybe start with trying to dial in the MFP default macros, see how that goes, and how you feel? You can adjust from there.

    Calories are going to be what directly determines the weight loss part - well, fat loss, anyway, which is what most of us really want, right? Nutrition is important for health, and can indirectly affect weight loss. For example, sub-ideal nutrition can tank energy level so we move less and lose weight slower than expected; or it can spike appetite/cravings and make it harder to stick with a sensible calorie goal. The direct effect on fat loss is still via calories, though.

    Final note: It's not necessary (even for health) to be exactly exact on macros every single day. Pretty close, on average, is OK. If you're a few grams under on fat or protein one day, a little over another day, and average out around your goals over a few days or a week, that should be fine.

    Best wishes!

    ETA: Protein and fats are "essential nutrients" in the technical sense that our bodies can't make them out of any other nutrients, so we need to eat a certain minimum of those. Carbs aren't essential in that sense, so can be more flexible. Of course, people with certain healthy conditions (such as diabetes) may need to manage carbs more carefully. Also, some people find that carbs spike their appetite. They'll probably benefit from lower carbs. Other people find that low carb tanks their energy level. They'll probably benefit from relatively higher carbs. I'd suggest getting reasonable levels of protein and fats, then managing carbs based on how you feel.

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