Setting Your Calorie and Macro Targets
Replies
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Sara and/or SS, I joined this group a while ago and have been lurking in the posts... But I wanted to make sure I got my calculations correct.
I just weighed myself at 178 pounds and estimated my bodyfat, since I have had it measured previously, at around 40%... I am using the calorie deficit target 1600.
Anyway when I calculated out my protein and my fat it came out as 27% and 35% respectively. Does the fat percentage seem too high?
Protein: 1x178x0.6=106gx4cal=427.2/1600=27%
Fat: 0.35x178=62.3x9=560/1600=35%
I would limit the fats a little - to about 50g, unless you have any medical issues that would indicate lower carbs and/or higher fats would be preferable.0 -
Since looking it up, now I'm even more confused. MFP seems to change my protein target from day to day? Today it has my target at 49, yesterday at 77, the day before at 64. What's going on there?
I'm also still super curious to hear how you get so much protein on a vegetarian diet. My partner and are I are both vegetarian and he's definitely interested in getting more when he weight-lifts.
The protein calculations you did are correct.
The macros change when you add exercise calories (which is one of the reasons I prefer eating to a static number - the macros stay static as well. If you hit you minimum protein and fats, most of the balance should come from carbs, unless there is a reason to restrict carbs.
How much were you grossing (i.e. ignore net and look at how much you were actually eating)? The TDEE calculators include exercise (i.e. are gross and not net) which is where a lot of the differences may be coming from.
My protein mainly comes from:
Greek yogurt
Milk
Quest bars (kind of addicted to them)
"Fake meat' made from seitan/soy
with the balance from
- eggs
- cheese
- veggies (mushrooms are surprisingly high)
- protein powder, when needed, which is not that often0 -
Hi,
I know this has probably been done to death but I'm also new and confused lol
I'm 29, Male, around 205lbs (14stone 9lbs here) and 5ft 10inches
I calculated my BMR to be 2042 calories per day and,with my daily activity level, my calorific need to then be 2807 calories per day (using Harris Benedict). I would like to lose between 1.5 and 2lbs per week.
MFP is saying I need to take in 1300 calories per day net, surely this is too high a deficit is it not? 1500 or so less than I need to just function?
Many Thanks
James
Which activity level did you select when calculating your TDEE?
Which settings did you give MFP? Which activity level and what was the weight loss per week.0 -
Since looking it up, now I'm even more confused. MFP seems to change my protein target from day to day? Today it has my target at 49, yesterday at 77, the day before at 64. What's going on there?
I'm also still super curious to hear how you get so much protein on a vegetarian diet. My partner and are I are both vegetarian and he's definitely interested in getting more when he weight-lifts.
The protein calculations you did are correct.
The macros change when you add exercise calories (which is one of the reasons I prefer eating to a static number - the macros stay static as well. If you hit you minimum protein and fats, most of the balance should come from carbs, unless there is a reason to restrict carbs.
How much were you grossing (i.e. ignore net and look at how much you were actually eating)? The TDEE calculators include exercise (i.e. are gross and not net) which is where a lot of the differences may be coming from.
My protein mainly comes from:
Greek yogurt
Milk
Quest bars (kind of addicted to them)
"Fake meat' made from seitan/soy
with the balance from
- eggs
- cheese
- veggies (mushrooms are surprisingly high)
- protein powder, when needed, which is not that often
Ah, hm. Taking a random sampling from June...1264, 1417, 1711, 1524, 1621, 1779, 1503
I guess the scary part is the TDEE being more general, because my activity level does vary quite a bit, and what if my calculations are off and then I end up gaining?
I'm trying to stay off milk as I was told it could contribute to my acne and I sometimes get throat issues with yogurt..I do like fake meat but haven't been using it as much since my partner gets grossed out by it (same with eggs). I love cheese, though it's still dairy, and often high in fat, and am not a fan of the texture of mushrooms :-/ So I tend toward beans, lentils, cous cous, cottage cheese, tofu..
This may be a remedial question, but what's the benefit of high protein over carbs, or rather, the big concern of me running below my target?0 -
Saving to read the helpful info later.0
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Let me first say, I just joined this group and I want to thank Sara and SS for all the information provided. I've learned so much. Most of what I thought was right is really just BS (saying goodbye to ice cream, measuring vs weighing, calorie intake...) which gives me hope for accomplishing my goals without having to nibble on carrots and celery for the rest of my life.
Moving on to this specific post... I know I have been doing things all wrong so I am trying to start from scratch. By using TDEE with light activity, and a 20% cut, my calorie goal came to about 1600. After doing my macros, I'm even more concerned so here's what I calculated those to be... 20% protein, 45% fat, and 35% carbs. Please note that previously I had set my calorie goal at 1200 and unfortunately I was not using this as the net calorie goal so with exercise it was closer to 1000 (at least I think it was-measuring cups, EEK). Questions...
1. Should I immediately start eating at the new calorie goal or gradually increase from 1200 to the new goal?
2. After customizing MFP, I assume that I am ignoring net calories as "your daily goal" includes exercise calories. Am I correct?
3. Should I take a larger cut than just 20% considering I am aiming for a 2lb week loss?
4. My macros seem off, specifically for fat. Should I decrease the fat macro and balance it between others?
My Stats:
Female
29 yrs
193 lbs
5'7''
trying to lose about 60 lbs
full time desk job + 3 kids to run after
Thanks for the help. I've done ok over the past 3-4 months but I have really been struggling with staying on target (overeating, lack of energy, decreasing motivation...) and of course it has resulted in a yo-yo of 2-3 lbs so here I am trying to figure out how to stop.0 -
I just joined this group. This is a great thread; thank you so much for all the information! I am 4 lbs from my weight loss goal and really wanting to focus on strength training/building muscle.Hi!
If you don't mind saying, how tall are you and how much do you weigh. I do not usually see females calculating out to much less than 100g, which is why I was surprised by the number.
I have a question about this. I've been curious about my BF% for a while (but not sure if I'm brave enough to post pics for an estimate
). I'm a 37 y/o female, 5'7" and 132 lbs. I would say I have a small frame and not a lot of muscle; I've been running 3-4x/wk for the past year (~30 mins) and done strength training sporadically the past 4-5 months. After recent weight loss (hadn't really weighed below 139 since I was 21), my arms and legs (other than upper thighs) are fairly slim but I still have a significant belly. Not sure how much of that is fat versus the lingering effects of carrying twins full-term (they just turned 5) and a weak core. My Tanita scale says my body fat percentage is around 30-31% which would make my LBM only 91 lbs. Do you think that is possible? If my LBM is likely at least 100 lbs, my BF% would be closer to 24%, which would be a lot more encouraging. 
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I just joined this group. This is a great thread; thank you so much for all the information! I am 4 lbs from my weight loss goal and really wanting to focus on strength training/building muscle.Hi!
If you don't mind saying, how tall are you and how much do you weigh. I do not usually see females calculating out to much less than 100g, which is why I was surprised by the number.
I have a question about this. I've been curious about my BF% for a while (but not sure if I'm brave enough to post pics for an estimate). I'm a 37 y/o female, 5'7" and 132 lbs. I would say I have a small frame and not a lot of muscle; I've been running 3-4x/wk for the past year (~30 mins) and done strength training sporadically the past 4-5 months. After recent weight loss (hadn't really weighed below 139 since I was 21), my arms and legs (other than upper thighs) are fairly slim but I still have a significant belly. Not sure how much of that is fat versus the lingering effects of carrying twins full-term (they just turned 5) and a weak core. My Tanita scale says my body fat percentage is around 30-31% which would make my LBM only 91 lbs. Do you think that is possible? If my LBM is likely at least 100 lbs, my BF% would be closer to 24%, which would be a lot more encouraging.
bump
I did also PM you both a link to pics I took for your body fat % estimation if it would be better to look at those and give me a less general answer. Would love your input on both or either when you get a chance.
Thanks, Sara and SideSteel!0 -
Since looking it up, now I'm even more confused. MFP seems to change my protein target from day to day? Today it has my target at 49, yesterday at 77, the day before at 64. What's going on there?
I'm also still super curious to hear how you get so much protein on a vegetarian diet. My partner and are I are both vegetarian and he's definitely interested in getting more when he weight-lifts.
The protein calculations you did are correct.
The macros change when you add exercise calories (which is one of the reasons I prefer eating to a static number - the macros stay static as well. If you hit you minimum protein and fats, most of the balance should come from carbs, unless there is a reason to restrict carbs.
How much were you grossing (i.e. ignore net and look at how much you were actually eating)? The TDEE calculators include exercise (i.e. are gross and not net) which is where a lot of the differences may be coming from.
My protein mainly comes from:
Greek yogurt
Milk
Quest bars (kind of addicted to them)
"Fake meat' made from seitan/soy
with the balance from
- eggs
- cheese
- veggies (mushrooms are surprisingly high)
- protein powder, when needed, which is not that often
Ah, hm. Taking a random sampling from June...1264, 1417, 1711, 1524, 1621, 1779, 1503
I guess the scary part is the TDEE being more general, because my activity level does vary quite a bit, and what if my calculations are off and then I end up gaining?
I'm trying to stay off milk as I was told it could contribute to my acne and I sometimes get throat issues with yogurt..I do like fake meat but haven't been using it as much since my partner gets grossed out by it (same with eggs). I love cheese, though it's still dairy, and often high in fat, and am not a fan of the texture of mushrooms :-/ So I tend toward beans, lentils, cous cous, cottage cheese, tofu..
This may be a remedial question, but what's the benefit of high protein over carbs, or rather, the big concern of me running below my target?
Protein is needed to maintain (or gain if at a surplus) muscle mass. If you do not get sufficient protein you run the risk of losing more muscle than you would otherwise.
If your calculations are off and you end up gaining (but look at trends not daily/weekly fluctuations on their own) then just tweak your intake accordingly.0 -
Let me first say, I just joined this group and I want to thank Sara and SS for all the information provided. I've learned so much. Most of what I thought was right is really just BS (saying goodbye to ice cream, measuring vs weighing, calorie intake...) which gives me hope for accomplishing my goals without having to nibble on carrots and celery for the rest of my life.
Moving on to this specific post... I know I have been doing things all wrong so I am trying to start from scratch. By using TDEE with light activity, and a 20% cut, my calorie goal came to about 1600. After doing my macros, I'm even more concerned so here's what I calculated those to be... 20% protein, 45% fat, and 35% carbs. Please note that previously I had set my calorie goal at 1200 and unfortunately I was not using this as the net calorie goal so with exercise it was closer to 1000 (at least I think it was-measuring cups, EEK). Questions...
1. Should I immediately start eating at the new calorie goal or gradually increase from 1200 to the new goal?
2. After customizing MFP, I assume that I am ignoring net calories as "your daily goal" includes exercise calories. Am I correct?
3. Should I take a larger cut than just 20% considering I am aiming for a 2lb week loss?
4. My macros seem off, specifically for fat. Should I decrease the fat macro and balance it between others?
My Stats:
Female
29 yrs
193 lbs
5'7''
trying to lose about 60 lbs
full time desk job + 3 kids to run after
Thanks for the help. I've done ok over the past 3-4 months but I have really been struggling with staying on target (overeating, lack of energy, decreasing motivation...) and of course it has resulted in a yo-yo of 2-3 lbs so here I am trying to figure out how to stop.
Hi! Sorry for the delay in responding. Would you mind starting a thread as there may be some Q&A we need to do to get you on the right track and it's easier to do that in a 'dedicated'' thread. Also, if you do start one, could you answer the questions from here in that thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/910257-the-new-and-improved-asking-questions-about-your-intake
Thanks0 -
I just joined this group. This is a great thread; thank you so much for all the information! I am 4 lbs from my weight loss goal and really wanting to focus on strength training/building muscle.Hi!
If you don't mind saying, how tall are you and how much do you weigh. I do not usually see females calculating out to much less than 100g, which is why I was surprised by the number.
I have a question about this. I've been curious about my BF% for a while (but not sure if I'm brave enough to post pics for an estimate). I'm a 37 y/o female, 5'7" and 132 lbs. I would say I have a small frame and not a lot of muscle; I've been running 3-4x/wk for the past year (~30 mins) and done strength training sporadically the past 4-5 months. After recent weight loss (hadn't really weighed below 139 since I was 21), my arms and legs (other than upper thighs) are fairly slim but I still have a significant belly. Not sure how much of that is fat versus the lingering effects of carrying twins full-term (they just turned 5) and a weak core. My Tanita scale says my body fat percentage is around 30-31% which would make my LBM only 91 lbs. Do you think that is possible? If my LBM is likely at least 100 lbs, my BF% would be closer to 24%, which would be a lot more encouraging.
bump
I did also PM you both a link to pics I took for your body fat % estimation if it would be better to look at those and give me a less general answer. Would love your input on both or either when you get a chance.
Thanks, Sara and SideSteel!
Hi! Sorry about the delay - I will get back to you re BF estimate this weekend.0 -
Hey! Thank you for the detailed information on setting macro targets- particularly the reasoning behind it. It's very interesting!
Here's a question for you folks- what are your macro recommendations for those of us on protein-restricted diets? I have kidney issues, and when I asked my doctor about intake, he recommend I not eat more than 0.8 g/kg of protein daily (about 80 grams/day at my current weight). Any recommendations on how to split carbs and fat up among the remaining calories?
Thanks!0 -
bump0
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Hey! Thank you for the detailed information on setting macro targets- particularly the reasoning behind it. It's very interesting!
Here's a question for you folks- what are your macro recommendations for those of us on protein-restricted diets? I have kidney issues, and when I asked my doctor about intake, he recommend I not eat more than 0.8 g/kg of protein daily (about 80 grams/day at my current weight). Any recommendations on how to split carbs and fat up among the remaining calories?
Thanks!
It would depend on why protein is restricted (i.e. any health reasons why any other macro needs to be restricted), but generally, you should go for carbs as they are muscle sparing to the extent that you do not want to use protein for energy (which it will do via a process called gluconeogenesis) - so having more carbs mitigates the need to use protein for energy so it can be used for muscle repair. Its not as efficient as using protein directly, but it will mitigate the risk. Another way to mitigate the risk is to keep your deficit on the lower side.
So, in short - set your protein to what is suggested by your doctor, set your fats as minimum - but the balance, try to fill with carbs more than fats.0 -
Hey! Thank you for the detailed information on setting macro targets- particularly the reasoning behind it. It's very interesting!
Here's a question for you folks- what are your macro recommendations for those of us on protein-restricted diets? I have kidney issues, and when I asked my doctor about intake, he recommend I not eat more than 0.8 g/kg of protein daily (about 80 grams/day at my current weight). Any recommendations on how to split carbs and fat up among the remaining calories?
Thanks!
It would depend on why protein is restricted (i.e. any health reasons why any other macro needs to be restricted), but generally, you should go for carbs as they are muscle sparing to the extent that you do not want to use protein for energy (which it will do via a process called gluconeogenesis) - so having more carbs mitigates the need to use protein for energy so it can be used for muscle repair. Its not as efficient as using protein directly, but it will mitigate the risk. Another way to mitigate the risk is to keep your deficit on the lower side.
So, in short - set your protein to what is suggested by your doctor, set your fats as minimum - but the balance, try to fill with carbs more than fats.
Ahh, that's good to know. Thank you!0 -
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Best Article I have read on MFP!0
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Bump.0
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She certainly is an inspiration! Much of this information, and particularly the abbreviations, are new to me. I'm 53 weigh 235. I have lots of muscle under my fat and am built like a peasant. I walk 2.6 miles day and climb 20 stairs to public transit burning 1876 calories weekly. Now that I'm dieting, I'm not hungry and typically eat 1,200 calories. I don't understand how these figures impact each other or what they are supposed to tell me.
Based on Sarah's figures, these are my estimates for me, right?
:
Protein: 1 x 235 CW x .55 (LBM) = 129g x 4 calories = 517 calories dividied by 2050 (calories target) =25%
Fat: 0.35 x 235 = 82.25g x 9 calories =740.25 calories divided by 2050= 36%
Carbs: balance of 39%0 -
I am so grateful I found this forum. Following the OP's TDEE and Macro calculations, I got:
TDEE: 1700cals/day
My current weight is 103lbs.
I workout 2 to 3x a week (HIIT and weights), but I just started 2 months ago, and I lost 5lbs then. I eat clean like 80% of the time. I make sure I get enough Protein, and monitor my carbs. I set MFP to 1200 cals a day but I dont stress myself if I go over a few. I also eat my exercise back. Problem is I don't know my body fat percentage. I have a small frame (5'1" and 25 yrs old), a lot of people's telling me that I'm too skinny but I still have fats around my thighs, arms and most specially my mid section. If it would help, leggings from Abercrombie kids would fit me(probably the largest size) and for adult size I usually get size 2 for jeans and XS for tops. I have seen some gains since I started lifting weights, I'm more toned now (but i want more lean gains so I dont look like Im a 25 yr old girl locked in a body of a 16 yr old) and I'm aiming to work on my abs. I do have "morning abs" most of the time (when I eat healthier) but it disappears after my first heavy meal, so I think I still have to lower my BF%.
My questions are:
-Should I still do caloric deficit so I can lower my BF%? I'm scared I'll be too skinny and also, I've read that trying to gain muscles while in a caloric deficit isn't such a good idea. Im scared to go caloric surplus to get more lean gains but I am thinking about doing a maintenance.
-do i still lose BF% in my mid section if I do caloric maintenance and works out like 3x a week?0 -
I joined this group just to be able to say thank you. I used your formula for calculating my TDEE using my tracking. It was within 3 calories of what IIFYM gives me when I use theirs. My deficit is giving almost exactly the weight loss that the figures are showing that I should lose.
I set my goals based on what I thought my body was telling me...I just didn't know if I was accurate or not...until I did all that calculations.
Thanks again...it was a bit of inspiration that I am on the right track.0 -
I have no idea on really settng or understanding some of this but I have been told more than a few times and it seems to help to up my protein to 100 grams or more a day and I found myself sluggish the day after strength training and instead of waitng til I got home to eat I have changed it up and am now drinking protein shake as I leave gym and it has helped The whys I do not understand completely and this is making me realize there is a lot more to nutrients and balance that I am totally clueless on. It makes it harder that I still have a problem and do not feel hunger on a consistant basis so I really have to rely on MFP and alarm on phone to remind mme to keep eating. So why is upping protein that much so important for me and I can feel it helping?0
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Do wish I had found this group earlier but its never too late
So from these calculations, using my total body weight of 181 lbs and approximately 26% BF my macros should be:
Protein: 1 x 181 CW x .74 (LBM) = 134g x 4 calories = 536 calories dividied by 1700 (calories target) =31% (rounded to 30%)
Fat: 0.35 x 181 = 63.35g x 9 calories =570 calories divided by 1700 = 34% (rounded to 35%)
Carbs: balance of 35%
So set the macro's to 35/30/35 and see how I get on
As a plus this looks like it will enable a higher cheese ratio on a given day :-)0 -
She certainly is an inspiration! Much of this information, and particularly the abbreviations, are new to me. I'm 53 weigh 235. I have lots of muscle under my fat and am built like a peasant. I walk 2.6 miles day and climb 20 stairs to public transit burning 1876 calories weekly. Now that I'm dieting, I'm not hungry and typically eat 1,200 calories. I don't understand how these figures impact each other or what they are supposed to tell me.
Based on Sarah's figures, these are my estimates for me, right?
:
Protein: 1 x 235 CW x .55 (LBM) = 129g x 4 calories = 517 calories dividied by 2050 (calories target) =25%
Fat: 0.35 x 235 = 82.25g x 9 calories =740.25 calories divided by 2050= 36%
Carbs: balance of 39%
Sorry for the delay in responding. I need to check this thread more often. How much are you losing a week on the 1,200 calories?0 -
I am so grateful I found this forum. Following the OP's TDEE and Macro calculations, I got:
TDEE: 1700cals/day
My current weight is 103lbs.
I workout 2 to 3x a week (HIIT and weights), but I just started 2 months ago, and I lost 5lbs then. I eat clean like 80% of the time. I make sure I get enough Protein, and monitor my carbs. I set MFP to 1200 cals a day but I dont stress myself if I go over a few. I also eat my exercise back. Problem is I don't know my body fat percentage. I have a small frame (5'1" and 25 yrs old), a lot of people's telling me that I'm too skinny but I still have fats around my thighs, arms and most specially my mid section. If it would help, leggings from Abercrombie kids would fit me(probably the largest size) and for adult size I usually get size 2 for jeans and XS for tops. I have seen some gains since I started lifting weights, I'm more toned now (but i want more lean gains so I dont look like Im a 25 yr old girl locked in a body of a 16 yr old) and I'm aiming to work on my abs. I do have "morning abs" most of the time (when I eat healthier) but it disappears after my first heavy meal, so I think I still have to lower my BF%.
My questions are:
-Should I still do caloric deficit so I can lower my BF%? I'm scared I'll be too skinny and also, I've read that trying to gain muscles while in a caloric deficit isn't such a good idea. Im scared to go caloric surplus to get more lean gains but I am thinking about doing a maintenance.
-do i still lose BF% in my mid section if I do caloric maintenance and works out like 3x a week?
Couple of things.
- a lot of peoples abs kind of disappear towards the evening after they have eaten, I know mine do.(which is why my head is cut off half the time in my pics...I usually take pics first thing in the morning and nobody wants to see my face when I have just woken up!)
- if I were you I would eat at maintenance and recomp . It's slower than bulking, but you do not gain fat that way - you basically lose fat and gain muscle. Also, depending on how long you have been lifting for, you can make newb gains, so it may be quicker than people who have been lifting for longer.0 -
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I have no idea on really settng or understanding some of this but I have been told more than a few times and it seems to help to up my protein to 100 grams or more a day and I found myself sluggish the day after strength training and instead of waitng til I got home to eat I have changed it up and am now drinking protein shake as I leave gym and it has helped The whys I do not understand completely and this is making me realize there is a lot more to nutrients and balance that I am totally clueless on. It makes it harder that I still have a problem and do not feel hunger on a consistant basis so I really have to rely on MFP and alarm on phone to remind mme to keep eating. So why is upping protein that much so important for me and I can feel it helping?
It may be that it helps your blood sugar levels. People reacts very differently re timing and macro mixes (not re weight loss, but re how they feel/energy levels).0 -
Do wish I had found this group earlier but its never too late
So from these calculations, using my total body weight of 181 lbs and approximately 26% BF my macros should be:
Protein: 1 x 181 CW x .74 (LBM) = 134g x 4 calories = 536 calories dividied by 1700 (calories target) =31% (rounded to 30%)
Fat: 0.35 x 181 = 63.35g x 9 calories =570 calories divided by 1700 = 34% (rounded to 35%)
Carbs: balance of 35%
So set the macro's to 35/30/35 and see how I get on
As a plus this looks like it will enable a higher cheese ratio on a given day :-)
Is your calorie target including exercise calories or do you add that to it?0
This discussion has been closed.