Does it matter where your macro's come from?

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  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
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    Hey, been wanting to post a question somewhat like this for awhile since there are many different opinions. Basically does it matter where your macro's come from? for example eating 2,000 calories in a day of food that is described as unhealthy (fast food, chips, ect) vs 2,000 calories of food that is described as healthy. Both foods fit into your calories and macros, but will one really produce better weight lose results than the other? would love to get everyones take on this.

    No, no you wouldn't want everyone's take on this, not really. I'm going over to this hole to cover my head until this blows over.

    Don't say I didn't warn you.

    Yup here we go. In for the show
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Hey, been wanting to post a question somewhat like this for awhile since there are many different opinions. Basically does it matter where your macro's come from? for example eating 2,000 calories in a day of food that is described as unhealthy (fast food, chips, ect) vs 2,000 calories of food that is described as healthy. Both foods fit into your calories and macros, but will one really produce better weight lose results than the other? would love to get everyones take on this.

    Like others have said, it would be a challenge to fit your macros, probably. Although for reasons I cannot explain I tried it and could come close with the McDonald's salad with grilled chicken, grilled chicken sandwich, and the bacon quarter pounder, plus a protein shake with skim milk. (If I added the calories right this assumes no exercise calories and would leave some carbs/calories to spare.)

    Of course, I also have micro goals, and I'd be well short of them. More significantly, I probably wouldn't feel that great--or at least not as energetic as normal--so in the long run that would probably affect my workouts, which would have an effect on my weight loss, and for me this diet would almost certainly leave me unsatisfied, which would affect my ability to comply with it.

    So I think it would make a difference to my weight loss in those ways, but that's different from the argument that you would gain eating those calories because of where they are from alone (which I wouldn't, that's a deficit if I sustained it) or the converse, which is that so long as you eat "healthy" or "natural" (or whatever) foods you can't get fat.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
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    Food selection can impact your body in more than just weight loss. Your choice in food can affect your cognitive ability, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. While you can lose weight eating below maintenance, you should strive to eat better food selections (i.e. lean meat, veggies, low-glycemic carbs vs. ice cream, chips, pizza) MOST of the time. Doing it 100% of the time is not reasonable to suggest and everybody needs a break, but you should have better food selection roughly 90% of the time.

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