Counting Calories vs Hitting Macros

tgmichelleee

If you had to pick between counting calories and hitting macros (carbs, protein, fats) which would you pick?

In theory I would love to do both, but I find it almost impossible to do. I personally would pick macros only because I see more results, but the only problem is that I have to plan all my meals ahead of time which is a stress.

Also which of the two did you have better results with?

paperpudding

I try to eat a mostly healthy diet but I haven't really tracked macros.

Am coining my diet plan IFYC - if it fits your calories

maroonmango211

Ideally if you were to use a IIFYM (if it fits in your macros) type way of thinking hitting your macros would also hit your calorie goal right on the nose as well since your protein/carb/fat intake is broken up percentages of your whole calorie intake.

yarwell

if you hit all your macros you hit your calories too, or are you talking macros as percentages ?

jim180155

I watch calories first and within that framework try to get between 100 - 140 grams of protein.

To do it the other way and focus on macro percentages would be a lot tougher because I get a lot of exercise and the numbers keep shifting throughout the day. It's hard to plan ahead when you start the day with a 1400 calorie target and finish with 2600.

ndrec

i do both and it's real easy. recipe building takes me about 5 minutes more than cooking without tracking. eating out is real easy too since most foods have nutrition labels anyways. planning ahead will not be a problem when you get used to it. my main goal is to hit protein numbers.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

They're the same for me-- I don't track macros in percentages I do it by grams. So if I hit my macros I automatically hit my calories.

That said, I'd give my calorie goal more weight than my macros, if say I got to 1900 calories but hadn't satisfied my protein I'd stop eating.

pyrowill

if you hit all your macros you hit your calories too, or are you talking macros as percentages ?

For me personally I have to do it as percentages since the amount of exercise I do is varied, therfore the amount of grams of each is never a constant.

SezxyStef

They're the same for me-- I don't track macros in percentages I do it by grams. So if I hit my macros I automatically hit my calories.

That said, I'd give my calorie goal more weight than my macros, if say I got to 1900 calories but hadn't satisfied my protein I'd stop eating.

This...but as said my calories being in a deficet mean I am losing weight...

ell_v131

I make sure I hit my calorie target first, and while at that, I focus on protein as the number 1 macro. this way I get my protein in, which usually comes with the fat, and I don't care how many carbs I get.

Slim_strategy

Tracking Macros made me obsessive and prelog all the time just to make sure I hit them, now I pretty much just track calories + protein and it's a lot more manageable

jilliangetsit

Fortunately, for me I was focused on my calories first. This go around, I've decided agains the 1200 cal suggested limit by MFP and increased my daily goal to 1400 - in that I've lost 20 lb (I can eat either 200 more or less than my goal on a day to day -- varies related to my exercise)
I've just recently become more interested in my macros now that I've found foods that make multiple meals and can keep me in my daily goal range...AND MY MACROS ARE ALREADY IN CHECK! How lucky and convenient is that? I mean it fluctuates from day to day. Mainly carbs vs protein but thats all based on my workouts ie. carbs before protein after. etc.

LolBroScience

Hit your macros, you hit your cals.

tgmichelleee

if you hit all your macros you hit your calories too, or are you talking macros as percentages ?

Not as percentages but actual amounts
I try to aim for under 150-200g carbs, about 100g protein, and still experimenting with fat (feel like I do better with little higher fats)
I find it impossible to count calories and stay under my daily allotted AND hit my macros

tgmichelleee

Ideally if you were to use a IIFYM (if it fits in your macros) type way of thinking hitting your macros would also hit your calorie goal right on the nose as well since your protein/carb/fat intake is broken up percentages of your whole calorie intake.

Will definitely look into that again. I think I read about it before but thought I wouldn't be able to get enough protein in my diet

tgmichelleee

That said, I'd give my calorie goal more weight than my macros, if say I got to 1900 calories but hadn't satisfied my protein I'd stop eating.

I guess that's exactly the dilemma I'm having
thanks for the reply!

KayBallin

I focus more on calories and protein intake specifically since I do a lot of weight training.

Ang108

If you had to pick between counting calories and hitting macros (carbs, protein, fats) which would you pick?

In theory I would love to do both, but I find it almost impossible to do. I personally would pick macros only because I see more results, but the only problem is that I have to plan all my meals ahead of time which is a stress.

Also which of the two did you have better results with?

I have always done both at the same time ( always assuming that that is what it's all about ) and have lost 50 pounds in ten month.

suremeansyes

If you fill up your calories before hitting some of your macro % then that means you went over one macro % by some.

I have no problem tracking macros AND calories. Sat & Sun are off days for daaayyyyyzzzzzzz. M-F I'm much tighter.

tgmichelleee

thanks for replying everyone

The general consensus seems to be to aim for cals + protein which I think is very doable

As to "hit my macros, hit my cals" I feel like a lot of you guys are doing percentages vs actual g amounts (as I have) and have had a great deal of success, so I'll definitely look into doing that

FindingAmy77

I only track calories.

LolBroScience

thanks for replying everyone

The general consensus seems to be to aim for cals + protein which I think is very doable

As to "hit my macros, hit my cals" I feel like a lot of you guys are doing percentages vs actual g amounts (as I have) and have had a great deal of success, so I'll definitely look into doing that

No, grams. +/- 3g everyday and usually dead on.

See diary for example.