Setting Your Calorie and Macro Targets
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Bump.0
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Ok, I get that now! Thank you, Heybales! I will check out that spreadsheet when I get a chance.0
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Wow,@Heybales, that spreadsheet is detailed! I filled it in as best I could (I'm not a spreadsheet kind of gal) and it gave me a TDEG of 1327. Ugh, so low! I like to eat :-) but I guess because I'm short and don't have a lot to lose (15-20lbs) that is the reality. Plus I am lifting heavy 3x/wk. so water retention factors into my scale weight. guess I will have to up my cardio significantly. Thanks for your help.0
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Well, be aware that is for fat loss and muscle retention, not performance.
That is like max deficit using some results from studies that show muscle mass could be retained despite the deficit.
Like you got bigger deficit if just weight lifting, because a study showed that while lifting with enough protein intake, muscle was retained.
The more you want performance and body transformation though, the closer to TDEE you want to eat.
And if not a sedentary desk job, confirm you got some realistic hours of standing time if at home with kids or more active job.0 -
Interesting stuff@ Heybales. I'm experimenting with my TDEG. Yesterday was right in the middle between that max. deficit & TDEE.0
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Help. I am new to this whole thing. I have about 80 lbs to lose. I am trying to figure out the protein, carb and fat ratio. I am confused.0
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Read the original first post again. You've got to figure out if you want to eat back exercise calories or just set a calorie goal. I've found that my exercise is pretty consistent so I just set a calorie goal and don't worry about exercise calories burned and eating them back.Help. I am new to this whole thing. I have about 80 lbs to lose. I am trying to figure out the protein, carb and fat ratio. I am confused.
For you macros, consider 0.8 to 1 gram protein per pound of lean body mass as a minimum. Example: 200lb person at 30% body fat would want to eat about 112 to 140 grams of protein. That would be about 448-560 calories from protein.
Fat should be about 0.3 grams per pound. Example: 200lb person would eat about 60 grams of fat, 540 calories.
Total calories for moderate weight loss should be about 10-12 calories per pound. Example: 200lb person total calories = 2,000-2,400.
So, easy math: 2,000 calories - 448 protein calories - 540 fat calories = 1,012 calories remain for carbs, ~253 grams of carbs.
~50%Carb, ~27%fat, ~23%protein
You really shouldn't eat much less fat or protein but you can eat more fat and protein and less carbs.
Hope that helps.
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Still an AWESOME post! Very helpful!0
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I just found this post! and it is great! so much makes sense now. Although I am still a bit confused about setting the macros.0
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*big applause*0
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What about protein after a person has lost their excess weight?0
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I also find this confusing. I weight160pounds with about 30% body fat. Based on your calculation, I should consume 112g protein/day (448calories) and 53g fat/day (480calories) or 928 calories from fat and protein. I am trying to lose weight and estimate 1,200 calories per day - this leaves 272 calories for carbs, or about 70 g. This would yield 48% protein, 23% fat and 30% carbs. Seems rather protein heavy to me. Or does your formula assume that someone is NOT trying to lose weight? In other words, should I reduce the grams of protein and fat. I always have this question when folks recommend how much of this or that someone should eat. I don't know if they're basing their answer on maintaining your weight or losing weight... Thanks.
Where are you getting 1,200 calories from?My calculated fat % came up higher than my protein %. Is that normal? It feels so wrong... Fat 24% and Protein 26%. Hubby's was Fat 35% Protein 25%. He's got quite a bit more weight to lose...
What are your stats, the total calories your are working with and how much do you have to lose?
1900 TDEE not trying to lose so much as increase muscle and lower body fat
Hubby TDEE 3400, trying to lose 70 lbs.
What are your stats? Also, what bf% are you assuming?
Cheers
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30% for me, 36% for DH0
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bump0
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maybe I am not doing something right. I am 206lbs and if I do the math my macros have me at 40% protein (159 grams), 40% fat (71 grams), and 20% carbs.
Carbs seem to low and fat seems to high. Protein I'm ok with0 -
maybe I am not doing something right. I am 206lbs and if I do the math my macros have me at 40% protein (159 grams), 40% fat (71 grams), and 20% carbs.
Carbs seem to low and fat seems to high. Protein I'm ok with
Your calorie goal is probably pretty low then (I'm guessing 1600?). Carbs are going to suffer as a result. In a big calorie deficit, you need protein and fat for normal bodily functions, muscle repair/retention, etc but you don't need the carbs so they end up getting cut. If your low carbs are causing compliance issues then you may want to look at your overly aggressive deficit. Or just live with it, either way.0 -
K thanks, and yes 1580 is my goal (my actual ends up being higher with exercise)0
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Hitting my protein seems to be the issue for me for some reason, but I'm working on it.
Thanks0 -
Hitting my protein seems to be the issue for me for some reason, but I'm working on it.
Thanks
When I am in a low calorie goal and have a blow it meal, sometimes protein shake is the only way I hit the protein/calorie goal. For instance today I was out and about, cold, sick and didn't want to cook when I got home so I hit McDonalds for Filet of fish and triple cheeseburger and hit 900 calories for only 46 grams of protein. A protein shake at 52 grams of protein and 260 calories was probably one of the few things I can keep shelf stable to make up protein. Of course two scoops of whey in coffee has pretty much 0 satiation so playing make up on protein with powders can leave you hungry and is not how I meet protein goals the vast majority of the time.0 -
How do you get a 52 gram protein shake? You use 2 scoops?0
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Yeah, that's two scoops.0
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Great Info. I am new to the app, can you tell me why my calorie count does not decrease when calories are burned from exercise. Goal minus foods plus exercise....not sure why. Thanks for any help.0
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neverbackdown45 wrote: »Great Info. I am new to the app, can you tell me why my calorie count does not decrease when calories are burned from exercise. Goal minus foods plus exercise....not sure why. Thanks for any help.
Because MFP estimates a daily burn that includes NO exercise, just daily life.
Then take a deficit to eating goal to cause weight loss.
When you exercise, you just burned more than it planned on, so you log it, daily burn went up.
Then you take the same deficit, and eating goal is higher.
So it makes no assumptions you'll actually exercise, but when you do, you get to eat more.
So you could view it as happening several ways. Using some figures.
Estimated non-exercise daily burn - 2000
Deficit - 500
non-exercise Eating goal - 1500
Workout 600 calorie burn + 2000 daily = 2600
2600 - 500 deficit = 2100 eating goal
What MFP does to keep it simple though is just add exercise on to eating goal.
Eating goal 1500 + 600 exercise = 2100 new eating goal.
Or in your question : 1500 - 1100 eaten + 600 exercise = 1000 left.
Same thing, different order.0 -
Keep in mind, MFP does not count calories for exercises entered in to strength training. While it does burn calories, there are too many variable to estimate burn even remotely accurately.0
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Keep in mind, MFP does not count calories for exercises entered in to strength training. While it does burn calories, there are too many variable to estimate burn even remotely accurately.
Actually, you have to log it into Cardio as either Strength Training, Circuit Training, or Calisthenics.
True the stats logging section of reps and weights has no calorie component to it.
And actually the database is based on the common METS database where the values used do come from studies.
They are actually pretty decent - if you hold to the parameters the studies used, like rests between sets and rep ranges.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16277826
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjb21wZW5kaXVtb2ZwaHlzaWNhbGFjdGl2aXRpZXN8Z3g6MjgyY2EyMzQzNWFlN2Q3OA
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjb21wZW5kaXVtb2ZwaHlzaWNhbGFjdGl2aXRpZXN8Z3g6MjdiN2Y3NzAwYTU1YWExZQ0 -
Thanks for the info.0
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Saw this earlier and couldn't find it again, will need to read this more carefully. Overload of information.
Every time I read new (new-to-me) information pertaining to calories and macros, I’m second guessing my settings to meet my goals. Absorbing and comprehending the vast amount of information and trying to customize to my needs is plain old difficult.0 -
If someone has a chance to double check my math, fat seems high and protein low (used 35 bf%)...1450 cals on a deficit (TDEE 1567/1607).
Protein: 1 x 135 x .65 = 87.75g x 4 calories = 351/1450 = 24%
Fat: .35 x 135 = 47.25g x 9 calories = 425.25/1450 = 29%0 -
If someone has a chance to double check my math, fat seems high and protein low (used 35 bf%)...1450 cals on a deficit (TDEE 1567/1607).
Protein: 1 x 135 x .65 = 87.75g x 4 calories = 351/1450 = 24%
Fat: .35 x 135 = 47.25g x 9 calories = 425.25/1450 = 29%
You got it.
Trig is next topic, you may proceed.
Though - are you sure you got the rough TDEE level correct? You mention 2 TDEE's, is that 2 site estimates?
It only speaks to hours of exercise weekly. But if your daily activity is NOT a sedentary desk job with no kids or pets, that daily activity is probably Lightly Active on it's own.
You must add the 2 together then for better estimate of TDEE. Lowballing it isn't better.0
