What should my macros and calorie goal be?

meghanpfister

I'm a 43 year old female going through perimenopause and most macro calculators I've used vary significantly, which leaves me super confused.

csplatt

What are your goals?

AnnPT77

What csplatt asked, mostly.

But also: Don't stress. The MFP default macros aren't a terrible place to start, unless a person tries to cut calories too aggressively far for their current size. There's no getting adequate nutrition on too few calories, no matter how the percents are set. Or pick the macro mix from some other calculator from some other reputable source as your goal to start. NBD.

In particular, don't let confusion or stress about macros delay starting logging your food (assuming logging's your intention) and evolving your eating in a generally more positive direction. You can tweak your macro settings later, as often as you choose.

As long as you're not already diagnosed with some pre-existing major deficiency or relevant health condition, and eat even semi-reasonably, you can take your time adjusting macros as you learn more, and notice how you feel. Malnutrition doesn't set in on day one, and - within a reasonably healthy range of eating styles - doesn't set in until darned near infinity. Reaching closer to optimum is good, but there's no huge penalty from taking a bit of time.

Besides, if the key goal is weight management - as it is for many joining here - nutrition's effect is only indirect through energy level or appetite. You'll notice any big effects, in the unlikely event they happen.

Since you mention being peri, I'm wondering if that might be a factor in your coming here. The deep secrets hidden in paid content of the "menopause is doom" marketers tend to be: Get solid protein, eat mostly whole foods, get some healthy fats, lift weights, do a moderate (non-exhausting) amount of fun cardio, eat your veggies and fruits.

Note: Menopause isn't doom. That's just marketing. I've been in menopause for nearly 25 years, put there at 44-45 by chemotherapy. I'm also severely hypothyroid, another supposed "doom"; and old (69 now, 60 when I reached goal weight), both also purported doom. I'm managing weight fine (plus health, nutrition and fitness) in line with my personal goals. No doom.

If you tell us what your goals are - weight, fitness, appearance, performance, whatever, somewhat specifically - we might be able to give more specific suggestions.

Right now, the only one I've got is this research-based protein calculator from a site that's generally regarded as up-to-date and unbiased:

https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/

The guide there is also good. Last time I read the whole thing, it suggested that it was fine to use a lower weight, maybe healthy goal weight, in the calculator if currently substantially overweight. We don't need bunches of extra protein to maintain our fat mass; it's for maintaining lean mass.

Personally, I treat my protein goal as a minimum, and shoot for 0.35-0.45g minimum fat daily per pound of bodyweight. Protein and fats contain essential nutrients, things our body can't make out of anything else so we need to eat some. Carbs aren't essential in that technical sense, so more flexible, more a matter of individual preferences or reactions.

Best wishes!

meghanpfister

Oops, I guess listing my goal would have been helpful. I'm overweight and need to lose about 30 lbs.

yirara

Macros are totally individual. Try to get at least a basic amount of protein, and the rest will sort itself out. Really, unless there's an actual medical reason try to ignore the macros for now. For weightloss, with only 30lbs to lose 1lbs per week, initially maaaaybe 1.5lbs per week would be an appropriate goal. If you get too little calories, like 1200 per day then reduce your weightloss goal. Try this for at least 4-6 weeks and see where you are then.

AnnPT77

meghanpfister wrote: »

Oops, I guess listing my goal would have been helpful. I'm overweight and need to lose about 30 lbs.

I'd suggest that you set up your MFP profile to get a starting calorie goal, and suggest that a pound a week would be a reasonable target loss rate for at least a while.

It may feel differently, but 30 pounds is not a lot to lose, in context of this app. Even the 50 I lost is far from what many people are striving for. Losing very fast is harder to stick with, increases health risks from loss itself, and can negatively affect appearance as well (hair thinning/loss, looking haggard, muscle loss, etc.). Unless your current weight is in itself a significant health threat, I'd suggest that moderate loss rate.

I don't agree with a PP that macros are totally individual. Some aspects need to be individualized for personal situation and goals, but reasonable nutrition is not a free-for-all, do-whatever kind of thing. Sure, people can decide not to work on improving nutrition, that's a personal decision, but that you asked about macros in the first place makes me think you're not the person who'd want to do that.

I'm going to give you advice, and I'm going to phrase it as directions. But I want to underscore that it's just my opinion based on personal experience and reading. I'm not your doctor, registered dietitian, coach, or anything similar. Imagine, as you read it, that there's "IMO" in every idea.

Start logging, and start by seeing how your eating measures up to the MFP default macros. But since your goal is weight loss, I'd suggest making your first priority calorie level, and feeling reasonably full on that calorie level. Try to stay +/- 50 calories-ish of your daily goal on average, to start, so you can evaluate later whether that calorie goal delivers the results you expect.

Notice days when you feel more full and happy, and think about what eating patterns contributed to that (food choices, nutrients, eating timing) and notice whether other things in your life affect appetite, too (sleep, stress, exercise, etc.).

Starting with calories and satiation focuses on your stated main goal of weight loss, and being able to stick with that goal long enough to lose your whole 30 pounds reasonably smoothly. It's unlikely to take a huge amount of time, maybe a couple of weeks or so, to get that part of it in reasonably sustainable shape, though maybe not perfect. After about 4-6 weeks of sticking near calorie goal, or one whole menstrual cycle, your average weekly weight loss over the whole time period will tell you if you need to fine-tune your calorie goal to dial in your desired weight loss rate.

At that stage when you're in a routine that feels fairly sustainable, I'd suggest using that protein calculator I linked above to fine-tune your protein goal. Put in your goal weight, but your weight loss intention. It will give you an optimal number of grams based on current research, plus may give a "may have additional benefits" higher number. You can decide where you'd like to fall in that range. If you have free MFP, set the protein percent in your goals to something that give you a protein gram goal close to that number. If you have premium MFP, you can set it in grams to the exact value, and can choose whether exercise calories will increase it or not.

I previously mentioned that I'd suggest 0.35-0.45g fats daily per pound of body weight. Same thing with that, set to a percent comes close or a gram value, depending on whether you have free or premium MFP.

Personally, because protein and fats contain essential nutrients and carbs don't, I treat my protein and fats goals as minimums, don't care if I go over within calories, and therefore use carbs to balance calories.

Once you have more personalized goals set, you can start working your routine eating habits gradually toward those goals. I recommend focusing on habits and giving yourself some time because micromanaging day to day is more work in the long run. Figuring out new routine habits takes more thought up front, but makes things easier in the long run.

As you test-drive the customized goals, notice how you feel, learn more, adjust them if it seems right, see how that works: Experimenting and personalizing is good. It's good to stay in a reasonable range, but there IS a range of reasonable. Unless pure mayhem happens (unlikely ), I'd suggest giving any significant change in tactics at least a couple of weeks' trial, because sometimes there's an adaptation period.

Key point: It's never essential to be exactly exact on macros. Over a little some days, under a little on others, pretty close on average . . . that will be fine.

Also, repeating, macros are about health, energy level, body composition, and that sort of thing. It's calories that determine fat gain or loss. Choosing good nutrition can make that easier by keeping us more full and energetic, but the direct influence is still calories.

Again, just my advice and opinion, basically the kind of approach I used myself to lose around 50 pounds, and stay at a healthy weight for about 9 years since. No one process works perfectly for everyone. No one set of nutrient goals works perfectly for everyone. We're unique individuals.

You can figure this out, and you can take some time doing it without risking your health. Neither fat loss nor nutrition is like a magic spell where we have to get every syllable perfect immediately or bad things happen. Reasonable overall, pretty close on average - that'll work.

Personal opinion here for sure: People may come along and tell you their approach is perfect for everyone, that they have the perfect diet, blahblahblah. I'm very suspicious of those people, because they're ignoring many people here and elsewhere who seem to have achieved weight loss, long term maintenance, and good health through some method other than their "one true way". Some people do it the way I did, some don't.

You can find your own "true way", I'm certain. Make a plan, start working it, notice results, adjust the plan, keep going. You'll succeed.

Best wishes!

csplatt

For what it’s worth, I ignore macros and am very successful just counting the calories. Granted I do aim to have a well rounded diet with fruit, veggies, grains and protein.

Alatariel75

csplatt wrote: »

For what it’s worth, I ignore macros and am very successful just counting the calories. Granted I do aim to have a well rounded diet with fruit, veggies, grains and protein.

+1 to this. I do not pay much attention to my macros at all, but I prioritise proteins and veggies in my meals, and I'm not fond of the pasta/bread/rice carbs (my carb loves lie more on the sugar/junk side, so I avoid), and I'm not scared of fat (I have wrought iron pans, no non-stick, I use small amounts of butter or oils to cook, and don't do "low fat" dressings etc) and so I end up with a reasonable level of protein and a moderate carb/fat spit that suits me really well. I think I'd go a little bananas if I was all out watching the numbers, though.

AnnPT77

IMO, macros are in a sense analogous to calories.

Some people count macros, and from her post, OP seems to want to count them.

Other people change their eating to be generally more health promoting (more protein, more veggies, less "junk"; or well-rounded with fruit, veggies, grains, and protein . . . or however they choose to think of it). In that context, counting the macros is optional.

That's analogous to calories, in the sense that some people want to count them - most of the people here, probably - while other people manage their weight by just eating in a generally less calorie-dense way, managing portions and that sort of thing.

Either approach can be fine, in the case of macros or calories, as long as the process takes the person to their personal goals.

totameafox

I have always been successful at losing weight when I have tried. The first time I've lost 42lbs before letting it slide. I did that on calorie count alone. I had no idea what macros were. I barely knew that protein, fats, carbs and such were as they are part of the public education given, but that log ago left the brain. I ate mostly frozen meals and didn't allow my 'cheat' days to go over my tdee for that day. I lost the first 32 sitting on my bum and only started feeling 'great' after I started walking each day.

The next time I learned what protein and fiber was. I didn't care about carbs. I was still counting calories but I was cooking most of my food this time. So I felt much more energetic than the first time around. I lost about 30lbs this way.

I'm not super focused on the macros now. I prepare all of my meals now. My choices keep my carbs 50-100g and my sugar below 20g. It's just nice to see where the rest fall.