Setting Your Calorie and Macro Targets
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I calculated my TDEE on one of the suggested links....it says I should be eating 2775 calories per day (now I'm avg 1200). That sounds awfully high to me - and scary !!
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated
You've provided no info to guide with.
Not scary to me, because I have no idea in the scheme of things if that sounds high or not.
BMR method and number, TDEE activity level used?
I am helping her on another thread.1 -
I calculated my TDEE on one of the suggested links....it says I should be eating 2775 calories per day (now I'm avg 1200). That sounds awfully high to me - and scary !!
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated
You've provided no info to guide with.
Not scary to me, because I have no idea in the scheme of things if that sounds high or not.
BMR method and number, TDEE activity level used?
I am helping her on another thread.
Thank you SO much !!! Sorry if I'm a pain ! lol0 -
Thank you for this post! I've just joined the group and have started reading through all of the info. I figured getting my macros in order is a good place to start. I was going 40/30/30 before, only because that seems to be mentioned often. I'm using the MFP 1200 net plan for 1.2 lb loss (trying to figure TDEE has given me wildly varying numbers).
Using the average body fat % from heybale's spreadsheet (25.34% at 146lbs, 70cm), I have an LBM of 109. I'd need to set my protein at 40% to get the minimum (35% is just under at 105g). Fat would also need to be 40% to get the minimum 51g. That only leaves room for 60g carbs (20%). Does that seem right??
All of these numbers and calculation have me so confused!1 -
Thank you for this post! I've just joined the group and have started reading through all of the info. I figured getting my macros in order is a good place to start. I was going 40/30/30 before, only because that seems to be mentioned often. I'm using the MFP 1200 net plan for 1.2 lb loss (trying to figure TDEE has given me wildly varying numbers).
Using the average body fat % from heybale's spreadsheet (25.34% at 146lbs, 70cm), I have an LBM of 109. I'd need to set my protein at 40% to get the minimum (35% is just under at 105g). Fat would also need to be 40% to get the minimum 51g. That only leaves room for 60g carbs (20%). Does that seem right??
All of these numbers and calculation have me so confused!
My first question is why you are on 1,200 calories. (I assume that is 170cm - 5 7"). This seems awfully low and is why you do not have much left for carbs.0 -
Thank you for this post! I've just joined the group and have started reading through all of the info. I figured getting my macros in order is a good place to start. I was going 40/30/30 before, only because that seems to be mentioned often. I'm using the MFP 1200 net plan for 1.2 lb loss (trying to figure TDEE has given me wildly varying numbers).
Using the average body fat % from heybale's spreadsheet (25.34% at 146lbs, 70cm), I have an LBM of 109. I'd need to set my protein at 40% to get the minimum (35% is just under at 105g). Fat would also need to be 40% to get the minimum 51g. That only leaves room for 60g carbs (20%). Does that seem right??
All of these numbers and calculation have me so confused!
My first question is why you are on 1,200 calories. (I assume that is 170cm - 5 7"). This seems awfully low and is why you do not have much left for carbs.
Actually, that should be 70in... see what I mean about being confused?? I'm on 1200 net because that's where MFP put me. I do try to eat back my exercise calories. My diary is open, if you'd like to take a look. I weigh and log everything. I wear a Polar HRM during workouts and log those, as well.0 -
Thank you for this post! I've just joined the group and have started reading through all of the info. I figured getting my macros in order is a good place to start. I was going 40/30/30 before, only because that seems to be mentioned often. I'm using the MFP 1200 net plan for 1.2 lb loss (trying to figure TDEE has given me wildly varying numbers).
Using the average body fat % from heybale's spreadsheet (25.34% at 146lbs, 70cm), I have an LBM of 109. I'd need to set my protein at 40% to get the minimum (35% is just under at 105g). Fat would also need to be 40% to get the minimum 51g. That only leaves room for 60g carbs (20%). Does that seem right??
All of these numbers and calculation have me so confused!
My first question is why you are on 1,200 calories. (I assume that is 170cm - 5 7"). This seems awfully low and is why you do not have much left for carbs.
Actually, that should be 70in... see what I mean about being confused?? I'm on 1200 net because that's where MFP put me. I do try to eat back my exercise calories. My diary is open, if you'd like to take a look. I weigh and log everything. I wear a Polar HRM during workouts and log those, as well.
What did you set as your activity level and how much weight to lose each week? How active are you in the day? (e.g. Is your job a desk job? Manual labor? Walk around a lot? Do you have kids you have to run around after? )0 -
I set my activity level as Sedentary. I work a desk job, about an hour commute each way. My kids are grown and out of the house. I believe I set up my account wanting to lose 1.5lbs/wk.0
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I set my activity level as Sedentary. I work a desk job, about an hour commute each way. My kids are grown and out of the house. I believe I set up my account wanting to lose 1.5lbs/wk.
Even if you work a desk job, your activity will be higher than sedentary (even though the explanation on here would indicate that it is OK for a desk job - it understates it) so you should put yourself at lightly active. (I have a desk job and am a lazy bish outside the gym and am between lightly and moderately active based on my results). You should also set your loss target to be no more than 1lb a week based on how much you have to lose.
That will provide a more reasonable calorie target, which should leave you with more available calories for carbs (or any of the other macros).0 -
I set my activity level as Sedentary. I work a desk job, about an hour commute each way. My kids are grown and out of the house. I believe I set up my account wanting to lose 1.5lbs/wk.
Even if you work a desk job, your activity will be higher than sedentary (even though the explanation on here would indicate that it is OK for a desk job - it understates it) so you should put yourself at lightly active. (I have a desk job and am a lazy bish outside the gym and am between lightly and moderately active based on my results). You should also set your loss target to be no more than 1lb a week based on how much you have to lose.
That will provide a more reasonable calorie target, which should leave you with more available calories for carbs (or any of the other macros).
Changing to lightly active and 1lb/wk gives me 1380 net. Then I should custom set my macros 121g protein (35%), 54g fat (35%), and 104g carb (30%). Does that seem more reasonable?0 -
I set my activity level as Sedentary. I work a desk job, about an hour commute each way. My kids are grown and out of the house. I believe I set up my account wanting to lose 1.5lbs/wk.
Even if you work a desk job, your activity will be higher than sedentary (even though the explanation on here would indicate that it is OK for a desk job - it understates it) so you should put yourself at lightly active. (I have a desk job and am a lazy bish outside the gym and am between lightly and moderately active based on my results). You should also set your loss target to be no more than 1lb a week based on how much you have to lose.
That will provide a more reasonable calorie target, which should leave you with more available calories for carbs (or any of the other macros).
Changing to lightly active and 1lb/wk gives me 1380 net. Then I should custom set my macros 121g protein (35%), 54g fat (35%), and 104g carb (30%). Does that seem more reasonable?
Looks better. Remember to eat at least some of your exercise calorie back. MFP will add them to the macros based on your percentages - you just need to get to the grams you noted above and then eat the rest how it suits you - this way you can up the carbs you eat. Keep track of your weight - if you are losing quicker than about 1lb a week over a month, up the calories a bit. I would not drop them though.0 -
Thank you, Sara! I'm going to give this a try for a few weeks and see how it goes 0
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I set my activity level as Sedentary. I work a desk job, about an hour commute each way. My kids are grown and out of the house. I believe I set up my account wanting to lose 1.5lbs/wk.
Even if you work a desk job, your activity will be higher than sedentary (even though the explanation on here would indicate that it is OK for a desk job - it understates it) so you should put yourself at lightly active. (I have a desk job and am a lazy bish outside the gym and am between lightly and moderately active based on my results). You should also set your loss target to be no more than 1lb a week based on how much you have to lose.
That will provide a more reasonable calorie target, which should leave you with more available calories for carbs (or any of the other macros).
Changing to lightly active and 1lb/wk gives me 1380 net. Then I should custom set my macros 121g protein (35%), 54g fat (35%), and 104g carb (30%). Does that seem more reasonable?
Looks better. Remember to eat at least some of your exercise calorie back. MFP will add them to the macros based on your percentages - you just need to get to the grams you noted above and then eat the rest how it suits you - this way you can up the carbs you eat. Keep track of your weight - if you are losing quicker than about 1lb a week over a month, up the calories a bit. I would not drop them though.
Oh, now that I put in my exercise calories, I see what you mean about the grams changing. That's going to confuse me, especially when looking at the pie chart on the mobile app. I wonder if it would be better not to log my burns in the cardio section, and justput the burned calories in the note section?0 -
I set my activity level as Sedentary. I work a desk job, about an hour commute each way. My kids are grown and out of the house. I believe I set up my account wanting to lose 1.5lbs/wk.
Even if you work a desk job, your activity will be higher than sedentary (even though the explanation on here would indicate that it is OK for a desk job - it understates it) so you should put yourself at lightly active. (I have a desk job and am a lazy bish outside the gym and am between lightly and moderately active based on my results). You should also set your loss target to be no more than 1lb a week based on how much you have to lose.
That will provide a more reasonable calorie target, which should leave you with more available calories for carbs (or any of the other macros).
Changing to lightly active and 1lb/wk gives me 1380 net. Then I should custom set my macros 121g protein (35%), 54g fat (35%), and 104g carb (30%). Does that seem more reasonable?
Looks better. Remember to eat at least some of your exercise calorie back. MFP will add them to the macros based on your percentages - you just need to get to the grams you noted above and then eat the rest how it suits you - this way you can up the carbs you eat. Keep track of your weight - if you are losing quicker than about 1lb a week over a month, up the calories a bit. I would not drop them though.
Oh, now that I put in my exercise calories, I see what you mean about the grams changing. That's going to confuse me, especially when looking at the pie chart on the mobile app. I wonder if it would be better not to log my burns in the cardio section, and justput the burned calories in the note section?
As long as you are comfortable with having your calories in the red - that works. I don't log exercise as it's included in my base but I do vary my calories based on my lifting schedule which means I am always over/under by a few hundred cals - I just note the actual target in the food notes.0 -
thanks! forgot to read this post. answers my pm 0
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bump to read tonight0
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save0
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bump.. thank you for the info0
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Great info! BUMP0
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Was there a reason this was unstickied? I refer people to it all the time, and now it's getting buried in the list.0
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Was there a reason this was unstickied? I refer people to it all the time, and now it's getting buried in the list.
Yes. We have too many stickes so we've consolidated them to the "important posts" thread which is basically the master sticky.0 -
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Was there a reason this was unstickied? I refer people to it all the time, and now it's getting buried in the list.
Yes. We have too many stickes so we've consolidated them to the "important posts" thread which is basically the master sticky.
Ooh gotcha. I'll start referring people to that thread also.0 -
Bookmarked0
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This is very helpful information- thanks for posting! 0
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bump0
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Just joined this group and wanted to say thanks for this thread. Learned lots.1
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bump. thanks for the info - you rock!0
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Bump for later ...0
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Good stuff! Thanks!0
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0.35g of fat per lb of total body weight as a minimum target
Is it intention or error that you use lean body mass to calculate protein & total body weight for fat?
If I take .35g per total, then I would eat over 70 g of fat a day & that's almost 50% of my total daily calories.
Is that really right?0
