Which components are more important?

charliemarie923

hi all.
After my first day of dieting, i am over on fat and sugar, but under in calories, carbs and sodium.
Will I still lose?
Is sugar and fat content more important or calories and carbohydrates overall?
charlie

aarikadanielle

If your sugars are coming from natural things like fruits dont worry to much, the refined white sugars are the ones that you need to worry about. Definitely try to hit each goal that is set for your Macros (Fats, Carbs and Proteins) and your calorie goal. And drink plenty of water and get sufficient rest.

charliemarie923

Thanks thats actually really helpful. I have just been food shopping now i know what i am looking for and what i did wrong today, so hopefully tomorrow will be better with my new foods.
charlie

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Eat enough fat (.35g per pound of body weight) and enough protein (ideally 1g per pound of lean body mass but 1g per kg of body weight is acceptable) and the rest doesn't matter. Fats and protein should be viewed as minimum values so it's fine to go over. Carbs are unnecessary so you don't have to worry about eating enough. Some people do low carb, some people find their exercise suffers if they keep carbs to low, do what works for you.

charliemarie923

Well at the moment, im not exercising other than the usual walk round the shops and i do live ontop of a hill which helps lol Im focusing on the food aspect. But i also have an eating disorder so im trying not to get too obsessed with the diet and exercise. I have lost 3 stone in the past by simply eating less, but i still ate very unhealthily. I would starve all day then have a mcFlurry and a diet coke for dinner. I have no idea about good eating practices, other than the usual eat 5 a day and make sure you get some of every food group. I thought fat, well made u fat hahahha but you say its a minimum guideline? I have to say that scares me a little. What about calories?

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Well at the moment, im not exercising other than the usual walk round the shops and i do live ontop of a hill which helps lol Im focusing on the food aspect. But i also have an eating disorder so im trying not to get too obsessed with the diet and exercise. I have lost 3 stone in the past by simply eating less, but i still ate very unhealthily. I would starve all day then have a mcFlurry and a diet coke for dinner. I have no idea about good eating practices, other than the usual eat 5 a day and make sure you get some of every food group. I thought fat, well made u fat hahahha but you say its a minimum guideline? I have to say that scares me a little. What about calories?

Dietary fat =/= body fat. Recent studies have shown that low fat diets lower your BMR and can lead to vitamin deficiencies because the fat soluble vitamins aren't properly absorbed. Calories depend on your goal. If you want to gain weight, eat above your TDEE, if you want to maintain your weight, eat at your TDEE, if you want to lose weight, eat below your TDEE. Your maximum deficit without losing fat free mass (muscle, bone, organs, etc.) is 31.4 x pounds of body fat. For easy math, let's say someone is 100lbs with 20% body fat. This means they have 20lbs of body fat. 20 x 31.4 = 628. Again, for easy math let's say this person's TDEE is 1628. They would need to eat at least 1000 calories to prevent loss of fat free mass. To further prevent loss of fat free mass, you should lift. Many people have had success with the "in place of a roadmap" method used on MFP which recommends eating above your BMR but below your TDEE. People typically do TDEE - 15% or 20%.

As far as macros, aim for .35g fat per pound of body weight and 1g of protein per pound of fat free mass (as a bare minimum, get at least 1g per kg of body weight). Carbs don't really matter since they're a non essential nutrient. Just eat enough fats and protein and let the rest fall into place.

charliemarie923

Erm...what? hahahha
I understood like none of that.
TDEE ?
MFP ?
Sorry to be so dumb but Im very new to all this.
I appreciate your trying to help me though, thankyou

SideSteel

Here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets


Although to directly answer your question, if you stay at the calorie target MFP sets up for you, you will make progress even if your macros aren't optimal.

charliemarie923

Thankyou sidesteel
charlie

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

Erm...what? hahahha
I understood like none of that.
TDEE ?
MFP ?
Sorry to be so dumb but Im very new to all this.
I appreciate your trying to help me though, thankyou

TDEE = total daily energy expenditure. This includes your BMR, exercise, and other calories burned during your daily activities.

MFP = my fitness pal