Can someone explain macros in simple terms?

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cruisintolose
cruisintolose Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I keep reading about macros. Is it the little pie chart on your summary or is it a mathematical equation you do on your own each day? Has this formula been a good aide in your weightloss journey?
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  • Artemis_Acorn
    Artemis_Acorn Posts: 836 Member
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    It is simply the ratio (percentage) of how you balance your intake of carbohydrates, fats and protein.

    And yes, the pie chart on the smartphone application is a representation of your macros.
  • fakeplastictree
    fakeplastictree Posts: 836 Member
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    helps you gain/lose what you want to lose/gain. If you are eating mostly protein AND doing strength then this helps preserve your muscle while on a calorie deficit diet or helps you gain muscle rather than mostly fat on a surplus diet. Helps to maintain energy levels.


    Basically - Helps control what you gain and lose.
  • melissafischer
    melissafischer Posts: 1 Member
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    Yes, Macros are Carbs/Proteins/Fats. I never watch m y calories. I only focus on a balance of these three things.
  • AlbertPooHoles
    AlbertPooHoles Posts: 530 Member
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    A popular split is...

    Carb: 40%
    Protein: 30%
    Fats: 30%

    Obviously, you want to maintain a balance of those macros, and not go overboard with any of them. A recent study suggests that the split isn't as important as your adherence to your calorie deficit. More info here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/471522-study-calories-count-but-not-where-they-come-from
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I keep reading about macros. Is it the little pie chart on your summary or is it a mathematical equation you do on your own each day? Has this formula been a good aide in your weightloss journey?
    macro's make up our foods: protein, fat and carbohydrates.
    And depending on the food's macro content, foods will contain certain calories.

    A gram of fat is worth 9 calories
    A carb gram and protein gram are both worth 4 calories.

    That's how we come up with calorie totals.
    As for the right balance....that's where is gets complicated. Nobody agrees.
    I do this.
    30% fat and protein, 40% carb.
    I eat higher protein to account for my own goals regarding muscle growth and retention.

    Does this help?
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
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    helps you gain/lose what you want to lose/gain. If you are eating mostly protein AND doing strength then this helps preserve your muscle while on a calorie deficit diet or helps you gain muscle rather than mostly fat on a surplus diet. Helps to maintain energy levels.


    Basically - Helps control what you gain and lose.

    Not quite true... just easier for body as energy in the right form already.
  • cruisintolose
    cruisintolose Posts: 25 Member
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    Is this perhaps while I am stalling? For the past few weeks it has been more like
    46/22/32 (that was last week) and a little better the few weeks before that. I always seem to go over on proteins and under on carbs and fat. So I am confused.
  • Ddouglas84
    Ddouglas84 Posts: 9
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    Where are these macros (pie chart) located.
  • AlbertPooHoles
    AlbertPooHoles Posts: 530 Member
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    Where are these macros (pie chart) located.
    You can change your nutritional targets here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_custom
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    Is this perhaps while I am stalling? For the past few weeks it has been more like
    46/22/32 (that was last week) and a little better the few weeks before that. I always seem to go over on proteins and under on carbs and fat. So I am confused.

    I think the default MFP macro setting is really low on protein and high on carbs. I manually changed mine to a more workable ratio of 40c/30f/30f. I found that I stalled out and didn't lose until I raised my protein levels.
  • solpwr
    solpwr Posts: 1,039 Member
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    According to www.dietaryguidelines.gov

    Adults should target their caloric intake to be:

    45-65% carbohydrates
    10-35% protein
    20-35% fat

    An average caloric deficit of around 500 per day is a good goal for weight loss. Calorie deficit, not macro balance, is how one loses weight.
    Macro balance is important for long term health and wellbeing.
  • WifeNMama
    WifeNMama Posts: 2,876 Member
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    This has been really helpful. Glad I followed a friend in. :-)
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    I keep reading about macros. Is it the little pie chart on your summary or is it a mathematical equation you do on your own each day? Has this formula been a good aide in your weightloss journey?
    macro's make up our foods: protein, fat and carbohydrates.
    And depending on the food's macro content, foods will contain certain calories.

    A gram of fat is worth 9 calories
    A carb gram and protein gram are both worth 4 calories.

    That's how we come up with calorie totals.
    As for the right balance....that's where is gets complicated. Nobody agrees.
    I do this.
    30% fat and protein, 40% carb.
    I eat higher protein to account for my own goals regarding muscle growth and retention.

    Does this help?


    ^^^This is the Jedi way! Do this!
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
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    Macro=Short for Macronutrients. or Big nutrients. Carbs, fat, protein. I ignore ratios and look more for "diets" that target grams per bodyweight. You can eat a ratio and still come in too low or too high or just off.

    I'm a fan of higher fat and protein and lower carbs, especially if you have insulin sensitivity issues which many bigger people do, and especially if you think you need to "burn 3500" calories through exercise a week. Fats aid in satiety and your hormones like them. One has to be careful to watch carb intake on a higher fat diet. I, and much published research, think the body is intended to utilize higher amounts of fat, both saturated and unsaturated, as opposed to carbs, which we usually use to describe a grain related product or some obscure bastardization of said product, that would be harder to harvest and utilize "back in the day"...whenever you think that was. More on that later...
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
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    According to www.dietaryguidelines.gov

    Adults should target their caloric intake to be:

    45-65% carbohydrates
    10-35% protein
    20-35% fat

    An average caloric deficit of around 500 per day is a good goal for weight loss. Calorie deficit, not macro balance, is how one loses weight.
    Macro balance is important for long term health and wellbeing.
    You quoted a government site for nutrition? hahaha! You know the general joke is that it's the same ratio used to fatten pigs for slaughter. I never found those ratios a farmer uses to corroborate but I wouldn't be surprised. That many carbs maybe if you're training for a marathon or similar. : )
  • cruisintolose
    cruisintolose Posts: 25 Member
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    Op here. Thanks you guys for the info! So i decided to try and up my protein to the higher portion the past few days and I finally broke the stall I had on the scale!!! Granted it was only a 2 week stall but it was starting to get me discouraged. I also ran my first mile and a half ever yesterday. That might have helped as well :)
  • christophermendoza9883
    christophermendoza9883 Posts: 1
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    There are many opinions on the proper balance. I am seeing success by following 1g of protein per lb of body weight and .5g of protein per lb of body weight. The balance is carbs. When using a formula such as this and you maintain a caloric deficit = weight loss. If you go for a caloric excess with weight training you can build muscle fast. I am currently on a 5lb/week pace and I plan to start building back muscle and weight in 6 weeks. Keep researching and good luck.
  • fShaw86
    fShaw86 Posts: 878 Member
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    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
  • MyOatmeal
    MyOatmeal Posts: 6 Member
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    Old thread but let me bump and say that the correct formula for calculating your macros is not based on a ratio like 40/40/20 or 40/30/30.
    The most accurate way is to back out the calories from the macros and base the macros on your bodies needs pertaining to your goals.

    Formula
    Protein = 1 gram per lb of mass (as little as .8 as much as 1.5 grams)
    Fat = .35 .45 grams per lb of mass (as little as .35 as much as . 5)
    Carbs = remaining calories

    Example

    I weigh 200 lbs
    My TDEE (total calories used in a day via all activity) = 3000 calories
    I drop 20% from 3400 to get 2400, which is the calories I need to eat while dieting

    So the first thing I need to calculate is my Protein
    At 200 lbs, this would set my protein at 200 grams
    There are 4 calories per gram of protein so this means I am eating 800 calories worth of protein.
    So I subtract 800 calories from my 2400 allotment giving me 1600 calories left for fat and carbs

    Next I calculate my fat
    At 200 lbs I go with .35 grams of fat (my body responds better to a lower fat diet) so that gives me 70 grams of fat.
    Each gram of fat has 9 calories so in my 70 grams per day I am getting 630 calories
    I then subtract those 630 calories from my remaining daily allotment of 1600 to yield a balance of 970 calories

    Next is my carbs
    I have 970 calories left for the day
    Each gram of carbs has 4 calories so I simply divide 970 by 4 to get 242.5, which is the exact number of carbs I get to eat in a day

    The only other thing that I need to calculate is my fiber.
    To do this I multiply my body weight by .15 to get 30, which is the minimum amount of fiber I should take in (counted within my carbs). The most I should take in is .20 x body weight which is 40 grams.
    So my fiber range is 30 - 40 grams per day

    This, means that my macros are:
    200 protein
    242.5 carbs (30 - 40 of which is fiber)
    70 fat

    For a grand total of 2400 calories

    This is the long way
    The short way is by using the Macro calculator at the iifym site as posted above.
    It does all the math for you

    ANT
  • lizprotsman
    lizprotsman Posts: 3 Member
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    OK 'my oatmeal' I love the way you explained that :)
    Now...my question is this...if I don't know how many calories I burn in a day how can I figure out my calorie plan? I'm a female..weigh 180lbs..and would like to loose 40 ish lbs in the next 4 months..what should my percentages be?

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