Macros vs Calorie Counting for weight loss

HelloImKelsey
HelloImKelsey Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone, Sorry if this has been asked already. For the last few weeks I have been counting my calories very strictly. Recently I was told that I should be using the macro method instead. My goal is to lose around 70 pounds and I find it much easier to just count calories and make sure I'm eating healthy and nutritious. From what I know, as long as I have a deficit in calories I should be able to lose weight.

Replies

  • beastmode_kitty
    beastmode_kitty Posts: 844 Member
    Stick with what works for you. If counting calories work, then stick with that. I still watch my macros and make sure I don't go over them, but I'm not religious on it. Counting calories work for me :)
  • MrsLannister
    MrsLannister Posts: 347 Member
    Counting macros won't have any impact on weight loss, unless you happen to end up with a caloric deficit from doing it, which is certainly possible, but not necessarily always the case. For weight loss, calories are all that matter. For body composition, health, fitness, energy, mood, etc, than macros can matter, but I find that which combination of macros makes a person feel the best depends a lot on the person. If you log everything, over time you will start to see what works best for you.
  • HelloImKelsey
    HelloImKelsey Posts: 53 Member
    Thanks so much guys. I've been really stressed that I was doing this whole weight loss thing wrong. I definitely make sure I'm eating healthy so I think for now I'll stick with counting calories and once I get used to that I'll start paying more attention to macros. :)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Thanks so much guys. I've been really stressed that I was doing this whole weight loss thing wrong. I definitely make sure I'm eating healthy so I think for now I'll stick with counting calories and once I get used to that I'll start paying more attention to macros. :)

    That's what I did...I got down to the last 10lbs started lifting then I worried about it...

    And it was the lifting the made me get on top of it mainly because I wanted to maintain what muscle mass I had left.

    Weigh loss comes down to calorie deficet...body composition requires a bit more attention to macros etc.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    weight control is about energy (calorie) balance plain and simple. You require XXXX calories to maintain your body weight. If you consume less energy (calories) than you need to maintain (deficit) your body is forced to dip into energy reserves (fat stores) to make up the difference. If you consume more energy than your body requires then your body will store that energy for later use (fat) and/or if you are weight training/resistance training that surplus of energy will go to building muscle (along with some fat). If you consume a balance of energy, you will maintain.

    Tracking your macros helps in getting proper nutrition...making sure you get all of the proteins, fats, and vitamins and minerals your body needs for optimal nutrition. It also makes a difference in body composition as well as athletic/exercise performance. There is no magic macro number...everybody is going to have there macros set based on their own personal goals. For example, most endurance athletes will have a higher carb intake vs a body builder who will have a substantially higher protein intake.

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