What's a macro?
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AliceNov2011
Posts: 471 Member
Your macros are your macronutrients: Protein, Carbs, Fat
Your micros are your micronutrients: Minerals (i.e., sodium), vitamins, etc.
Have you personalized your macros & micros in MFP to suit your specific health & weight loss needs? Do you know how?
Your micros are your micronutrients: Minerals (i.e., sodium), vitamins, etc.
Have you personalized your macros & micros in MFP to suit your specific health & weight loss needs? Do you know how?
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Yes
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Yes, I have mine set to 20%Carb/40%Pro/40%Fat
Sugar I try to limit to 25 g/day, I try to get in 20-25 g Fiber, and I left the sodium, etc where MFP had them set. I don't always have perfect numbers, but I get pretty close. It gives me goals to shoot for.
I hate that MFP sets the Protein levels SO low.0 -
Yes, I have mine set to 20%Carb/40%Pro/40%Fat
Sugar I try to limit to 25 g/day, I try to get in 20-25 g Fiber, and I left the sodium, etc where MFP had them set. I don't always have perfect numbers, but I get pretty close. It gives me goals to shoot for.
I hate that MFP sets the Protein levels SO low.
That's great, Debbie!
FYI -- I've read that women over 50 should reduce their sodium to 1500mg max... Food for thought as you prepare to cross over to the big 5-0. ;c)
I've also read that we should set our protein first at .6-1g per lb of LBM or body weight (i.e., ~90-120g/day for most of us), then our fat at about 1/2 that amount, and let the carbs fall where they may -- assuming they are the "good" kind.0 -
How do you know how what percentages to use? I wonder how one goes about establishing the correct percentages of each group.0
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How do you know how what percentages to use? I wonder how one goes about establishing the correct percentages of each group.
Read up on what you want to do. I am trying desperately to keep the muscle I have and add a little if possible, so mine are currently set at 35% carbs and fat and 30% protein, but I usually exceed that protein number and am under on carbs--carbs and I have a love/hate relationship, so I avoid processed carbs for the most part and try to get most of mine from fruits and veggies altho I do indulge in frozen yogurt a lot. I also try to get more potassium than MFP suggests (mine is set at 4000 mg per day) and less sodium. I've read that you should only eat about 1 mg of sodium per calorie, but I prefer to get less than that. I also have my fiber set at 30g and try to get more than that as my bowels move slower the older I get.:blushing:0 -
interesting discussion... I never really understood what the Macro / Micro talk was about. Thanks for making sense of it for me.... Now I have to figure out what works best for me.0
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How do you know how what percentages to use? I wonder how one goes about establishing the correct percentages of each group.
They say we should set our protein first at .6-1g per lb of lean body mass (LBM) or our body weight (i.e., ~90-120g/day for most of us), then our fat at about 1/2 that amount, and let the carbs fall where they may -- assuming they are the "good" kind.
So if you manually set your protein & fat macros by AMOUNT (letting carbs be whatever's left), MFP will calculate the percentages. Mine happens to fall out as 40C/30P/30F right now, but since the protein & fat will stay relatively stable, the percentages are subject to change as my weight goes down (with carbs increasing).
Does that make sense?0 -
I just changed mines to 30C/40P/30F. I was never certain about my number's but I'll try anything right about now.
My sodium has been set to 1500 after the scare we had w/FH BP being so high! But thanks for the info up date. looking forward to more as it may help me get off this plateau...0 -
I know this can get confusing. Here are a few links everyone can use to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index), RMR (Resting Metabolic rate), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), and LBM (Lean Body Mass).
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators.html
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
Hope they help,
:flowerforyou:0 -
I know this can get confusing. Here are a few links everyone can use to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index), RMR (Resting Metabolic rate), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), and LBM (Lean Body Mass).
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators.html
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
Hope they help,
:flowerforyou:
And here is the best (and easiest) body fat % calculator I've found. It's the one the U.S. Navy uses:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm0 -
I know this can get confusing. Here are a few links everyone can use to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index), RMR (Resting Metabolic rate), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), and LBM (Lean Body Mass).
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators.html
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
Hope they help,
:flowerforyou:
The online calculators can be very different, depending what info they use for their calculations. The fat2fit calculators were way off for me. People who have a higher than 25-30% BF, will need to use a BMR calculator that asks for your BF%, so it calculates your BMR more accurately. Using the Katch-Mcardle calculator, I found that at 48% BF I had a BMR that was 200 calorie lower than the number MFP gave me.
Also, how you carry your weight can determine your numbers on the BF calculators. I have very skinny arms, and carry all my weight in my belly, so the BF% that use my wrist and forearm measurements said I was only 28% BF. At 5'6" and 208, I knew that was wrong. I found a calculator that uses waist, hip, and neck measurements and it gave me a more reasonable 48%. Since my lowest adult weight was 136, I figured I was around 20% BF then. That makes my LBM around 110. When I started here at 228 in Aug, I was around 50% BF. YIKES! That is hard to admit, but it motivates me to get this fat off of my body! BTW, my home scale says I am 38% BF, so it is a bit off as well.0 -
I know this can get confusing. Here are a few links everyone can use to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index), RMR (Resting Metabolic rate), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), and LBM (Lean Body Mass).
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators.html
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
Hope they help,
:flowerforyou:
And here is the best (and easiest) body fat % calculator I've found. It's the one the U.S. Navy uses:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcalculator.htm
Yes, that one on the lowcarbdiets site is the one I used. It uses your neck, waist and hip measurements.0 -
Just wanted to say THANKS to all of you. Something is wrong with my profile page where it updates what Forums I've visited so, I had a time getting back here. I am at maintenance-ish weight right now (could lose another pound or two). I am happy with my current weight though and would like to just keep the muscles I worked so hard for. As I try to change my protein/carbs/fat ratios the numbers seem to switch automatically (even though I've opted for "manual" instead of "custom" on the page before). I don't know if I'm just ditzing out here or if something's wrong with this page too? CAN IT BE ME? (......mumble mumble menopausal moment mumble mumble)
Once i get this issue settled I'm hoping I can wrap my brain around the protein/veggie/fat ratio thing, perhaps I can FINALLY reach my goal???0 -
As I try to change my protein/carbs/fat ratios the numbers seem to switch automatically (even though I've opted for "manual" instead of "custom" on the page before).
You're right! The MFP macro recalculation cascades DOWN the list from whatever number you change. So I've found you might have to go UP first and change CARBS to something much lower so that it gives you enough to play with. Once you set PROTEIN and FAT where you want them, CARBS should be correct (the balance left).
Does that make sense?0
