New macro counter questions

Chocol8teThunder

Good evening CT,

I viewed the great videos posted by Matty, and wanted to make sure I am heading in the right direction.

I am 44, male, 5' 10", 221 lbs. Using freedieting.com my TDEE came out to about 1901, with a target goal in week one of 1801, week 2 1701, etc. In my case I do cardio several times a week and will monitor the daily deficit.

Calculating TDEE upon reviewing the videos I noticed that Matty went with Advanced Option - Harris Benedict. This results in 2391. If I use the Basal option I get 1901. Is the macro breakdown still 1 gram/lb protein, .25 grams/lb fat, with the rest being carbs?

Chocol8teThunder

If your goal is health weight loss I would use a 3 time a week exercise level.

Week 1 try the typical
Protein 40% = 261g
Carbs 40% = 261g
Fat 20% = 58g

Try this for a week and see how your body responds then depending on the response drop calories in the forms of (P,C,and F) by 100 calories. If you experience weight stay there.

After 2-3lbs of weight loss we can discuss refeed days.

Your weight is a big science experiment and due to hormone response everyone's progress and approach will be different.

CT ARMY PLEASE RESPOND WITH QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS MEMBERS MACROS OR YOUR MACRO NEEDS

__Karl__

Thanks for the quick response! Ok this puts me at 2610 cals per day.

Chocol8teThunder

The higher calories you start with the less calorie cutting and cardio you have to do latter.
Keep us posted this week. As you lose or gain weight we will make changes to meet your goal.

Thanks again for sharing

pac_

U can also weigh yourself at the start of the week, track the calories you eat for 7 days. At the end of the week add up all the calories and divide by 7 and that will be the average daily intake. If u lost weight then your in a deficit if your the same then that is maintenance cals. Make adjustments as needed. 1g of protein is a good start but I think 1.2-1.5 is optimal for fat loss and muscle retention. Protein is very thermogenic and satiating. .25-.35g of fat and the rest carbs. If you still lose weight with the macros you come up with add another 20g of carbs till you find your threshold. You wanna keep carbs as high as possible while still losing weight at a good pace. I personally like to weigh in every morning on an empty stomach and track through the week then add up and and find my average weight. Your weight fluctuates everyday from water,sodium,carbs, ect.. so don't stress about that.

Chocol8teThunder

Pac_ great advice on weighing in each morning and recording weight. 1-2 lbs per week weight loss is healthy. Everything else may cause metabolic imbalances (you want to avoid).

__Karl__

Will do--great advice! Time to get my *kitten* to the scale.

__Karl__

OK this is much needed into.

__Karl__

A few corrections on my part: used five different TDEE calcs, and the average TDEE is 1950. Checking the group for updates daily.

__Karl__

Just an update guys: Doing the daily morning weigh-ins and monitoring macros. Mon 4/29 CW: 221.5, Tuesday 4/30: CW 221, Wednesday: CW 219.8.

Quite the challenge making and monitoring the macros. Thank God for the MFP-app scan function. Will keep you guys posted.

Chocol8teThunder

1 to 2 lbs per week is healthy. When you to losing reach out and we can discuss how we should adjust your macros or cardio

pac_

once you hit a plateau we can set up reefed days as well

__Karl__

Thanks guys!

Update: 4/29 221.5 (2042 cals, burned 644 cals ex.), 4/30 221.5 (2121 cals, burned 306 cals ex.), 5/1 219.8 (2672 cals, burned 810 cals ex.), 5/2 221.0 (1962 cals, burned 113 cals ex.), 5/3 221.0 (2394 cals, burned 646 cals ex.), 5/4 221.0 (1827 cals, burned 0 cals ex.), 5/5 219.6 (today but goal is 1900). ACI: 2131.14. AW: 220.7

Ok I can see right away where deficits on several of the days above were too large, and I did not eat enough. Cutting cardio to absolute minimum unless needed (I go way over the CI side).

This is week one tracking macros so I expected a few mistakes. Next week I wil do better.

Chocol8teThunder

Karl,

You saw exactly what I saw. Hitting the macros is important because it gives you a base to make changes.

Try it again and I look forward to your next report.

Thanks for sharing. It's really helping the Army.

__Karl__

CT and Pac,

As you cautioned there is some fluctuation from day to day. 5/5 Sunday was 219.6, 5/6 219.6, 5/7 218.6, 5/8 219.4, and this morning 221--if I can trust my scale. I did notice that the last few days I have ratcheted up in certain macros.

__Karl__

On my lunch break.

Ah! This might explain it I drink at least a gallon of water each day, and when I dose creatine (con-cret and beta-cret) I don't expel it like other days.

"However, due to its strong water loving nature, some people may find that increased creatine doses may result in water retention resulting in other side effects such as bloating, muscle cramps, diarrhea and high blood pressure."

__Karl__

Ok pac and few others opined on creatine in my status. Pac's point of continuing to take the mono was solid. I reviewed my diaries and noticed on days where I dosed Beta and Con PLUS 2500 Caps water retention was up.

__Karl__

Ok pac as you suggested replacing my scale. I weighed in this morning and the scale said exactly 218.0. 221.0 yesterday and 218.0 this morning? :noway: Went to the local retailers and none had the EatSmart scale I was looking for--which appears to have a 4.5 - 5.0 star rating on Amazon and just about every place else. The old "body fat" analyzer Taylor--yeah I know, I know--is just all over the place. The new scale won't arrive until Tuesday of next week.

pac_

your scale might be fine. usually weight fluctuates 2-3 lbs up or down. gotta make sure the scale is on a flat even surface and if it is moved then it needs to be calibrated again.

__Karl__

UPDATE:

That may have been the problem. As posted in my status from yesterday my last weigh-in was 218.4 lb. A loss of 1.2 lbs since my actual MFP logged weigh-in last Sunday. Progress!

Adjusted my creatine to no more than 5g per day as suggested. And minimal cardio at present.

__Karl__

UPDATE: New scale arrived yesterday. This morning's weigh-in was 216.4 lb. Steady progress.

__Karl__

This morning's weigh-in was 214.6, with a loss of 3.8 lbs. I weigh myself every morning, but do not "weigh-in" on MFP until Sunday (or every 7 days). Time to recalc my TDEE?

__Karl__

Update 7/4/2013

Thanks for the counsel, CT and pac.

Noticed the last week I appear to be stuck at 207 (plateau), but think I will give it another week.

Time for another TDEE calc, refeed, none of the above?

Regards, Karl

Chocol8teThunder

Depending on what your weight and bf% are you may not need a refeed unless its to maintain mental sanity

What are you daily macros now ?

And what is your weekly cardio sessions consist if in calories burned ?

Example
Mine are

P 230
C 140
F 55

Cardio 6 sessions @ 450 calories
2 HIIT sessions 15 rounds for 15 seconds

__Karl__

Depending on what your weight and bf% are you may not need a refeed unless its to maintain mental sanity

(Based upon that statement, CT, I may not need a refeed. The day to day making the tail end of my TDEE (1906) minus 500 hasn't been all that tough. Presently at 207 lbs, no idea what the BF is.)

What are you daily macros now ?

(P 215-230
C 170
F 42-65)

And what is your weekly cardio sessions consist if in calories burned ?

(Cardio 2 sessions (Tues and Thursday non lifting days) @300-450 cals; each lifting session begins with 5 minutes run on treadmill or cycle @50 -75 cals. This w3s based on pacs suggestion to start with 2 cardio sessions @200-250 to start. I was having problems as you will recall NOT causing severe calorie deficits.)

Example
Mine are

P 230
C 140
F 55

Cardio 6 sessions @ 450 calories
2 HIIT sessions 15 rounds for 15 seconds

__Karl__

Good counsel. Adding cardio/HIIT to Saturday.

K.

pac_

keep us updated