Setting Your Calorie and Macro Targets
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I have read this entire thread and didn't see the answer to this. Apologies if I missed it.
I have figured out my macros based on my current weight and last known BF% (from 5 lbs ago), based on a 2000 calorie a day diet. I set MFP to "highly active", which guesses my TDEE at about 2500.
Often, however, according to my Fitbit, I go over 2500 -- often to 2750, 2800, or higher. And the Fitbit tells MFP to give me more calories.
My question is: do I dole out these extra calories using the same 50/25/25 ratio I set up the 2000 calories in? Or, as long as I get my 112g of protein and 55g of fat every day, it doesn't matter what the extra 250-300 calories are made up of?
And in general should I set my daily calorie goal to be higher (last month, my Fitbit calculated my daily TDEE as 2771) and just work the extra calories into the equation? My average daily intake in May was 2059 and I lost 5.5 lbs, which was the single best month I've had since January. (My weight loss has been very slow this time, so I was slightly more aggressive in May.)0 -
My general understanding (and I'm not claiming to be an expert here) is once youv'e statisfied your general protein requirement for the day and your'e other basic macros, additionally needed calories can be carbs mostly....I don't think you want to add a lot of extra fat and protein is generally more expensive and just broken down anyway.
Anyway I posted my question because I see women maybe dedicating an hour a day to fitness including some weight lifting and then being compelled to eat a ton of protein, like 135 or 150 grams a day. I think it may be much more than they really need.
Kinda off track but I remember reading a study of sugar cane workers who burnt 6,000 cals a day and pure cane juice accounted for their additional energy calories beyond their general diet (so providing about 4,000 calories from just sugar) and they were lean and healthy.
I'm concerned that some can get tunnel vision with the protein intake .0 -
I have read this entire thread and didn't see the answer to this. Apologies if I missed it.
I have figured out my macros based on my current weight and last known BF% (from 5 lbs ago), based on a 2000 calorie a day diet. I set MFP to "highly active", which guesses my TDEE at about 2500.
Often, however, according to my Fitbit, I go over 2500 -- often to 2750, 2800, or higher. And the Fitbit tells MFP to give me more calories.
My question is: do I dole out these extra calories using the same 50/25/25 ratio I set up the 2000 calories in? Or, as long as I get my 112g of protein and 55g of fat every day, it doesn't matter what the extra 250-300 calories are made up of?
And in general should I set my daily calorie goal to be higher (last month, my Fitbit calculated my daily TDEE as 2771) and just work the extra calories into the equation? My average daily intake in May was 2059 and I lost 5.5 lbs, which was the single best month I've had since January. (My weight loss has been very slow this time, so I was slightly more aggressive in May.)
Since protein and fat is grams based on weight, not how much you eat, the carbs is what will increase.
Sadly the way MFP works, if your burn increases, then your eating level increases, and since they go by % of food eaten only, those grams go up.
So you could just memorize your protein and fat grams, since they are shown at the bottom of your Food diary, and then just work to hit those along with total calories if Fitbit says you actually burned a lot more.
Round to a nice even number. Couple grams below or above truly calculated grams is no big deal if easier to memorize.
Nothing wrong with trying to hit the ratio with more food, but as rocky said, it can start to get interesting figuring out how to get the extra in, plus it can be more expensive if that matters. But it doesn't hurt, but generally won't help either unless you got some metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetes.0 -
Since protein and fat is grams based on weight, not how much you eat, the carbs is what will increase.
Sadly the way MFP works, if your burn increases, then your eating level increases, and since they go by % of food eaten only, those grams go up.
I figured that all I needed to concentrate on was the grams, but then there's so much talk about macros as percentages that I wondered, maybe I need to keep the percentages stable too? (Which can be a pain, because sometimes I feel like I'm doing nothing but eating entire chickens.)
Thanks.0 -
When I figured out my macros it worked out to be 28% Protein, 47% fat and 25% carbs. The fat seems really high to me. Can that be correct?0
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Since protein and fat is grams based on weight, not how much you eat, the carbs is what will increase.
Sadly the way MFP works, if your burn increases, then your eating level increases, and since they go by % of food eaten only, those grams go up.
I figured that all I needed to concentrate on was the grams, but then there's so much talk about macros as percentages that I wondered, maybe I need to keep the percentages stable too? (Which can be a pain, because sometimes I feel like I'm doing nothing but eating entire chickens.)
Thanks.
Macros are talked about as % first because that's how MFP does it, second it's a quick and rough way to get enough protein in just saying 40/30/30, almost guarantees you'll get the grams in, without doing any math.
While many people throw out that ratio that came from Dr Sear's Zone diet and prior Maffetone's workout and diet method, rarely do they advocate eating as few calories as Zone gives you.
I think it's turned into total fad.0 -
When I figured out my macros it worked out to be 28% Protein, 47% fat and 25% carbs. The fat seems really high to me. Can that be correct?
0.35 gram per lb of body weight?
protein 0.82 gram per lb of body weight?
No way anyone could answer your question if correct without the stats to actually check it like you did.0 -
When I figured out my macros it worked out to be 28% Protein, 47% fat and 25% carbs. The fat seems really high to me. Can that be correct?
That does seem high. What is your calorie target (gross)? What are your stats?0 -
Since protein and fat is grams based on weight, not how much you eat, the carbs is what will increase.
Sadly the way MFP works, if your burn increases, then your eating level increases, and since they go by % of food eaten only, those grams go up.
I figured that all I needed to concentrate on was the grams, but then there's so much talk about macros as percentages that I wondered, maybe I need to keep the percentages stable too? (Which can be a pain, because sometimes I feel like I'm doing nothing but eating entire chickens.)
Thanks.
It is best to base your goals off grams. Of your intake goes up, this does not mean that your protein or fats should necessarily go up - which it will if you use a % based approach.0 -
My general understanding (and I'm not claiming to be an expert here) is once youv'e statisfied your general protein requirement for the day and your'e other basic macros, additionally needed calories can be carbs mostly....I don't think you want to add a lot of extra fat and protein is generally more expensive and just broken down anyway.
Anyway I posted my question because I see women maybe dedicating an hour a day to fitness including some weight lifting and then being compelled to eat a ton of protein, like 135 or 150 grams a day. I think it may be much more than they really need.
Kinda off track but I remember reading a study of sugar cane workers who burnt 6,000 cals a day and pure cane juice accounted for their additional energy calories beyond their general diet (so providing about 4,000 calories from just sugar) and they were lean and healthy.
I'm concerned that some can get tunnel vision with the protein intake .
My target is 160g of protein a day when cutting, so those numbers do not look that out of whack to me. Protein is not necessarily more expensive. Not sure what you mean by 'broken down'. .
However, generally, once you have hit your protein and fat target, it is often best to get the balance from carbs for energy and performance reasons. However, personal preference and individual circumstances (such as PCOS) may mean that it is best to limit carbs a bit and get the balance from other macros.0 -
When I figured out my macros it worked out to be 28% Protein, 47% fat and 25% carbs. The fat seems really high to me. Can that be correct?
That does seem high. What is your calorie target (gross)? What are your stats?
I weigh 260 and I'm eating 1750 calories to lose 1lb per week. I did .35 x 260 = 91 x 9 = 819/1750 = .468 which I rounded to 47%. Is that correct? I appreciate the help.0 -
When I figured out my macros it worked out to be 28% Protein, 47% fat and 25% carbs. The fat seems really high to me. Can that be correct?
That does seem high. What is your calorie target (gross)? What are your stats?
I weigh 260 and I'm eating 1750 calories to lose 1lb per week. I did .35 x 260 = 91 x 9 = 819/1750 = .468 which I rounded to 47%. Is that correct? I appreciate the help.
The fat recommendation is for people who do not have a significant amount of weight to lose. I would cap your fat minimum at about 60g, which would be about 30% of your intake.
I assume you 'eat your exercise calories back' as I would imagine that you should be at more than 1lb a week based on your stats.0 -
When I figured out my macros it worked out to be 28% Protein, 47% fat and 25% carbs. The fat seems really high to me. Can that be correct?
That does seem high. What is your calorie target (gross)? What are your stats?
I weigh 260 and I'm eating 1750 calories to lose 1lb per week. I did .35 x 260 = 91 x 9 = 819/1750 = .468 which I rounded to 47%. Is that correct? I appreciate the help.
The fat recommendation is for people who do not have a significant amount of weight to lose. I would cap your fat minimum at about 60g, which would be about 30% of your intake.
I assume you 'eat your exercise calories back' as I would imagine that you should be at more than 1lb a week based on your stats.
Thanks for the advice I will do that. Sometimes I do eat my exercise calories back, but not always. I just started and I did lose more than 1lb in a week. That is just what MFP says I will lose per week.
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When I figured out my macros it worked out to be 28% Protein, 47% fat and 25% carbs. The fat seems really high to me. Can that be correct?
That does seem high. What is your calorie target (gross)? What are your stats?
I weigh 260 and I'm eating 1750 calories to lose 1lb per week. I did .35 x 260 = 91 x 9 = 819/1750 = .468 which I rounded to 47%. Is that correct? I appreciate the help.
The fat recommendation is for people who do not have a significant amount of weight to lose. I would cap your fat minimum at about 60g, which would be about 30% of your intake.
I assume you 'eat your exercise calories back' as I would imagine that you should be at more than 1lb a week based on your stats.
Thanks for the advice I will do that. Sometimes I do eat my exercise calories back, but not always. I just started and I did lose more than 1lb in a week. That is just what MFP says I will lose per week.
After a few weeks, your weight loss should settle down to something more predictable (at first, you lose quite a bit of water and food weight as well as fat) - you can tweak your intake up or down, depending on the way your losses are trending (looking at it over a few weeks rather than day to day).0 -
Thank you for your information. At 5'0", every extra pound shows!0
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Hello everyone, first off I totally apologise as I am a COMPLETE newb to all this and to the forums but I am in desperate need of some help as I am completely lost! after losing 3 stone myself in the last 4 years with little knowledge and just cutting out drink and altering what i was eating ( student lifestyle!) I stopped losing, so to shift the last stone I spent a year on slimming world (UK) which I really didn't agree with nutritionally and it has been a slow year of low fat. I am only now looking into learning about macros etc as this last stone keeps creeping back ( no doubt thanks to the unlimited eating of some foods slimming world allows!) but I am still very confused. I weigh around 68 kgs and am 5'7 and have a moderately active lifestyle ( walk 7kms a day 5 days a week, gym a couple of times- need to learn how to lift but dont currently just do 30 mins of moderate bike) I am trying to use myfitness pal and it is saying 1200 cals a day with 150gs of carbs, 40 fat and 60 protein. Is this right? reading up on this thread has made things a little clearer but just so much information. so sorry to sound so new- but any help/guidance thoughts on what I should be aiming for would be amazing. I am aiming to lose a little weight maybe a stone maximum and generally improve nutirtion and then work on learning to lift.0
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Hello everyone, first off I totally apologise as I am a COMPLETE newb to all this and to the forums but I am in desperate need of some help as I am completely lost! after losing 3 stone myself in the last 4 years with little knowledge and just cutting out drink and altering what i was eating ( student lifestyle!) I stopped losing, so to shift the last stone I spent a year on slimming world (UK) which I really didn't agree with nutritionally and it has been a slow year of low fat. I am only now looking into learning about macros etc as this last stone keeps creeping back ( no doubt thanks to the unlimited eating of some foods slimming world allows!) but I am still very confused. I weigh around 68 kgs and am 5'7 and have a moderately active lifestyle ( walk 7kms a day 5 days a week, gym a couple of times- need to learn how to lift but dont currently just do 30 mins of moderate bike) I am trying to use myfitness pal and it is saying 1200 cals a day with 150gs of carbs, 40 fat and 60 protein. Is this right? reading up on this thread has made things a little clearer but just so much information. so sorry to sound so new- but any help/guidance thoughts on what I should be aiming for would be amazing. I am aiming to lose a little weight maybe a stone maximum and generally improve nutirtion and then work on learning to lift.
How much did you set your weekly weight loss goal at and what did you set your activity level at?0 -
Hello! I'm new to all this (especially the forum thing) so I'm sorry if this is a bit awkward...
I worked out my TDEE as 1560 a day (I'm 5'2 and weigh 156lbs, and am currently doing around 90mins of cardio a week but looking to up that/include strength exercises. My target weight is around 133lbs). I've set my projected weight loss as 1lb a week. I worked out my LBM using an online calc so it might be incorrect but I do have a lot of fat to lose/muscle to build. I was just wondering if someone could check my calculations to see if I've got my macros right?
Protein: 1x 155 x 0.55 (LBM) = 82.3g x 4 calories = 341 calories divided by 1560 = 22% - round down to 20% (I wanted more protein in my diet though so upped this to 25%)
Fat: 0.35 x 155 = 54.25g x 9 calories = 488.25 calories divided by 1560 = 31% round down to 30% (I brought this down to 25% for weight/fat loss)
Carbs = 50%
I then entered this all in to MFP and it worked out the grams etc.
Does this look okay? I was also wondering if someone could advise me on sugar intake? It's currently set to 40g a day on MFP - is this okay? I just want to get it all right so I don't have to worry so much about it.
Thanks in advance! 0 -
Hello! Thank you for this helpful post!
I had a body scan last month which was rather confronting. The suggestion given is to lose 18kg of body fat.
Currently have a lean muscle mass of 53%.
I work out 4-5 times per day and I am in a job that has me on my feet 80% of the time.
Calorie intake was suggested at 1600 increasing to 1800 on work out days with a macro breakdown of 30/35/35 (120g carbs, 140g protein and 62g fat).
Until today I hadn't been able to make sense of the numbers so I couldn't give you any results.
I've also been told I need to stay away from the scales as previous diets have had me in such a deficit I need to feed my body back up?
Do you think I'm on the right track here?
Thank you0 -
Hello! I'm new to all this (especially the forum thing) so I'm sorry if this is a bit awkward...
I worked out my TDEE as 1560 a day (I'm 5'2 and weigh 156lbs, and am currently doing around 90mins of cardio a week but looking to up that/include strength exercises. My target weight is around 133lbs). I've set my projected weight loss as 1lb a week. I worked out my LBM using an online calc so it might be incorrect but I do have a lot of fat to lose/muscle to build. I was just wondering if someone could check my calculations to see if I've got my macros right?
Protein: 1x 155 x 0.55 (LBM) = 82.3g x 4 calories = 341 calories divided by 1560 = 22% - round down to 20% (I wanted more protein in my diet though so upped this to 25%)
Fat: 0.35 x 155 = 54.25g x 9 calories = 488.25 calories divided by 1560 = 31% round down to 30% (I brought this down to 25% for weight/fat loss)
Carbs = 50%
I then entered this all in to MFP and it worked out the grams etc.
Does this look okay? I was also wondering if someone could advise me on sugar intake? It's currently set to 40g a day on MFP - is this okay? I just want to get it all right so I don't have to worry so much about it.
Thanks in advance!
Principle is correct, math is wrong.
You are getting your % by using the TDEE figure - but are you going to be eating your TDEE figure?
No, you are going to be eating less than TDEE.
Also, just know the grams for protein and fat - when you go in to manually set them, MFP shows you the grams, even though you change the %'s. Just change the % until you hit or go over the required grams.
First set the eating goal, save out, then go back in though to change the macros.0
