IIFYMer Question

Options
breeshabebe
breeshabebe Posts: 580
edited February 13 in Health and Weight Loss
So, I was reading another thread about setting up Macros and I had a moment where I thought maybe I'm doing this IIFYM thing wrong.

I set up my Macros to 40/40/20 and my baseline calorie intake is 1300. (I have a Fitbit and I eat the calories back of whatever extra I burn)

I set my macros that way because they were the closest to the calculations I did (.8g per lean body mass protein etc.) and just the most realistic. But there is a pie chart on my phone that I look at often, and I am constantly trying to stay in that 40/40/20 zone as I burn more calories and eat them back.

So, once I eat the reccomended grams of protien, do I still need to keep upping my protien as I workout so that I'm still hitting 40/40/20?

For example.. If I've eaten my recommended amount of protein and fats for the day and I have 300 extra calories to eat... do I still try to stick to that 40/40/20 percentage? Or can I just eat whatever?

Replies

  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    The problem with the ratios is that they scale oddly with increased calories. If you're comfortable eating .8g of protein per lb of LBM, and you get enough fat, the rest can be whatever you like. Depending on how much you exercise, eating a percentage of protein based on calories can get ridiculous and serve no real purpose.

    Naturally if you have a medical condition that impacts your intake, you'd want to eat within those constraints (e.g. insulin resistance).
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    The problem with the ratios is that they scale oddly with increased calories. If you're comfortable eating .8g of protein per lb of LBM, and you get enough fat, the rest can be whatever you like. Depending on how much you exercise, eating a percentage of protein based on calories can get ridiculous and serve no real purpose.

    Naturally if you have a medical condition that impacts your intake, you'd want to eat within those constraints (e.g. insulin resistance).

    ^Agreed. I prefer to go with actual gram goals, rather than percentages. So instead of aiming for 30% protein a day, I just aim for, say, 120g if I know that's what works for my body. I also have a fat goal (in grams). As long as I've hit my protein and fat goals, if I have excess calories left over I can do whatever I want with them.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    Stick to the ratios :) Split the 300 calories you burnt into 40/40/20
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    The problem with the ratios is that they scale oddly with increased calories. If you're comfortable eating .8g of protein per lb of LBM, and you get enough fat, the rest can be whatever you like. Depending on how much you exercise, eating a percentage of protein based on calories can get ridiculous and serve no real purpose.

    Naturally if you have a medical condition that impacts your intake, you'd want to eat within those constraints (e.g. insulin resistance).

    So instead of aiming for 30% protein a day, I just aim for, say, 120g if I know that's what works for my body. I also have a fat goal (in grams).

    and this
  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
    @evilkeel
    This is seriously music to my ears. I normally get at least 400 calories a day in exercise calories to eat back... And I love to eat lol... but trying to eat almost 400 calories worth of olive oil and chicken is like nails on a chalk board to me.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    @evilkeel
    This is seriously music to my ears. I normally get at least 400 calories a day in exercise calories to eat back... And I love to eat lol... but trying to eat almost 400 calories worth of olive oil and chicken is like nails on a chalk board to me.

    I'm a little sarcastic sometimes, but I think 'evil' is a little strong :wink:
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    I set mine at 30 carb/30 protein/40 fat. I do try to stick with those when I work out.
  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
    Okay... Wow.. I just went through my diary... just this past Saturday I was pretty active and my ratios would have had me eating 219 grams of protein.
  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
    @evilkeel
    This is seriously music to my ears. I normally get at least 400 calories a day in exercise calories to eat back... And I love to eat lol... but trying to eat almost 400 calories worth of olive oil and chicken is like nails on a chalk board to me.

    I'm a little sarcastic sometimes, but I think 'evil' is a little strong :wink:

    HAHA sorry! I couldnt remember if your name was kevin or evan... so I just put evil? Didn't mean to do that!
  • lisajsund
    lisajsund Posts: 366 Member
    Okay... Wow.. I just went through my diary... just this past Saturday I was pretty active and my ratios would have had me eating 219 grams of protein.

    My daily protein goal with 2200 calories is 166 g. I've eaten as much as 240 g before. Don't let extra protein worry you. :-)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories