This is a serious question..

I'm not trying to be funny here, I'm actually interested in some opinions...if weight loss is all "calories in vs calories out" why do macros matter? TIA for helpful responses :)

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Health and nutrients. If you ate 1300 calories in twinkies everyday, you would still lose weight, but you wouldn't be very healthy.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Body composition.

  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    edited October 2014
    a) satiety & cravings - in other words, it is may be easier to stick to your calorie goals with different macros

    b) nutrition - I would also like to get the most nutrition while losing weight

    c) protein sparing - it's been stated that having sufficient protein will help people losing weight to maintain muscle mass
  • Carlywiese
    Carlywiese Posts: 51 Member
    But does it affect weight loss? What I mean is, at this point I'm at an obese level 1 BMI, if I'm just looking to lose the bulk of my weight to start with, does the macro content really matter? Could I worry more about that once I get closer to goal and am looking more to recomp and build muscle?
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Wight loss is about calories in and out.

    Health is about luck, genes, exercise, eating right and medical care.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    the number one thing is your calories: if you eat eat at a deficit you will lose weight.

    If it is too much starting out to worry about macros, yes - wait to focus on them.

    However, for myself I find making sure I have enough protein and fat makes a big difference in my hunger and cravings, thus making it much easier to eat at a deficit. I'm not obsessive about them, I often am a bit under my protein and over on carbs and that is fine, they are useful targets though.
  • jorge_ta83
    jorge_ta83 Posts: 49 Member
    I've been a member a little bit of a week.

    And I've seen that Calories in/Calories out is a lot emphasized. Which is what matters for weight loss, or so I understand.

    Now, it's not the same thing to lose weight than being healthy. That's where macros come in place.

    It would be wonderful if 2000 calories of ice cream were the same as 2000 calories of balanced healthy meals, because a calorie is a calorie, right?
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Because a good macro balance is needed for both satiety and muscle mass maintenance, so you will look and feel better at your goal weight. You don't have to force it, though. I still firmly believe that if sticking to certain macros is too stressful, settling for just calorie counting would be enough. It's best to have a bit less muscle and a bit more fat at your goal weight than to get frustrated and quit halfway.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited October 2014
    a) satiety & cravings - in other words, it is may be easier to stick to your calorie goals with different macros

    b) nutrition - I would also like to get the most nutrition while losing weight

    c) protein sparing - it's been stated that having sufficient protein will help people losing weight to maintain muscle mass

    Exactly this.

    That's also why there's no one "best macros" that work for everyone. You should consider your goals and experiment with how different macros affect you, and it might change over time. When I started I was on pretty low calories (1250) and not all that active, and found that keeping my carbs at 30% and protein and fat at about 35% each was extremely satiating (also eating lots of veggies and that kind of thing) and that I felt good. As I've gotten more active and increased my calories I've preferred to aim more for about 40% carbs, as it makes a difference in the quality of my workouts. I've also had no need to increase protein as I increased calories (at least not much--I aim for about 30% protein and fat now), as I try to aim for a bit more than my lean mass in grams, and although my calories increased my lean mass did not. (My understanding is that that amount of protein helps maintain muscle mass, especially if you are on a deficit and weight training some, but even more important for me, I feel better and tend to eat balanced meals when I focus on keeping my protein at that level.)
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    And no, i don't think there is much good evidence that macros themselves will significantly effect weight loss - calories being even. Low carb will cause a reduction in water, but that's not really something to aim for.

    I've read some ideas about insulin and fat storage, so if there is insulin resistance perhaps lower carb helps, but I'm not convinced about that.
  • LazyFoodie
    LazyFoodie Posts: 217 Member
    edited October 2014
    I think macros don't matter much to weight loss. Don't think about it at the beginning if you are sticking to your calories without too much difficulty. I don't really track it but because I need a lot of protein and fat to keep me feeling full on low calories, I naturally eat about the right level of macros (I think?). I don't calculate it but I notice that I am always over my protein/fat goals on MFP (the goals that MFP gives me, I don't have any). I do try to eat "healthy" though as in lots of vegetables and some fruits etc so I do not think my nutrition and health suffers because I do not keep a great track of macros. I think for people like bodybuilders, macros are important but for everyone else, it is a bit advanced to worry about if your goal is to lose 50lbs.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Carlywiese wrote: »
    But does it affect weight loss? What I mean is, at this point I'm at an obese level 1 BMI, if I'm just looking to lose the bulk of my weight to start with, does the macro content really matter? Could I worry more about that once I get closer to goal and am looking more to recomp and build muscle?

    My advice to you would be to nail down your calories first. Get to a point where you can consistently stay within your calorie allotment. Once you do that, then I would focus on getting adequate protein while staying within your calorie goal. Protein is important to retain muscle mass while you lose weight. Not all the weight you lose will be fat, but an good macronutrient balance coupled with strength training will ensure that most of it will be.
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    If I get a calorie allotment of 1440 a day and I eat crappy food, it is usually high calorie crappy food. This means that I starve. Eating within the calorie allotment and not being miserable means I have to make better food choices.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I saw a dietician and she gave me a calorie goal, close to the one from MFP and gave me a protein target, not for weight loss, but to help maintain lean muscle mass.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    It's about proper nutrition, that's why macros and micro, for that matter, are really important. You can have a person who is 600 pounds and actually malnourished because they don't have a very good diet. If you just want to lose weight and don't care how you will look or feel or the implications on your long-term health you can certainly it a 2000 cal/day diet of pure sugar or lard and you will still lose weight. However, I'm guessing you won't like the results.

    No matter what your weight goals are your first consideration needs to be making sure you maintain proper nutrition or the wheels will fall off, you will binge and you will be unhealthy no matter what weight you are.

    Good luck as you move forward and don't be afraid to ask for more help.
  • annanaidoo
    annanaidoo Posts: 34 Member
    I agree with the calories in and calories out but I don't think it is just about that! If you are within your calories but you are eating high fats,high carbs and high sugars...then your weight loss won't be as effective and you won't be seeing the results you're after! so the macronutrients is how much of it you are taking..thus in your food diary keep track of it! I tend to always have a high protein intake because I work out 6 times a week so that helps muscle recovery but I steer clear of refined sugars, processed foods and high fat foods.
  • Carlywiese
    Carlywiese Posts: 51 Member
    Thanks for the responses everyone! You have all helped in different ways. Just to clarify, I have been on MFP this time around since the end of June, I missed a few days while camping in August but I've now worked up to a 75 day logging streak. I used to be a Pepsi addict (like a TON everyday) and have only had 3 cans since July, I'm down 34 pounds (damn no ticker anymore! ) I don't eat pasta/rice/potato at dinner anymore just lean meats and lots of veggies...basically I am doing well and try hard to come close to my protein target most days. I just wanted some feedback because I'm finding myself feeling guilty because I've only ever hit my 40/30/30 target 3x and come close a handful of others :#
  • La5Vega5Girl
    La5Vega5Girl Posts: 709 Member
    i agree w/ some of the pp's. i would just focus on calories at first, then you can start tweaking your diet to include more healthy foods and reach for macros, etc. good luck.
    :)
  • RockstarWilson
    RockstarWilson Posts: 836 Member
    edited October 2014
    I am in ketosis, and I eat about 80% fat. For me, eating that amount keeps me in fat burning mode while keeping my hunger subsided. I don't get hungry very often, and I eat a max of 2 solid meals a day about 5 days to 1. While the opportunity to overeat is reduced by the amount of meals you have, I naturally don't typically overeat. I would often overload on rice for dinner when I was eating carbs, and often enough, it wasn't enough by the time I went to bed. Starchy carbs killed my ability to stay at my goals. I would go to bed hungry, and that would cause me to overeat. On Keto, I do have additional benefits: I have mental clarity throughout the day, and I can go farther for longer in my workouts, as well as sleep more soundly and more regular. so yes,I would say macros matter.

    IMO...40% protein is very hard to obtain. I did it while attempting Insanity, and I didn't sustain. I, like you, maybe hit that goal less than ten times in 4 months. Boneless skinless chicken breasts can get old quick. But heck...if you can do it, more power to ya!
  • RockstarWilson
    RockstarWilson Posts: 836 Member
    Also, I find myself losing weight, but I have been over my goal quite a bit recently. I honestly have no clue how many calories I am burning during the day. It varies. But Ketosis sure is a fun ride!
  • it seems funny and I don't know why but I have too eat more calories to maintain my weight as when I was on a hclf diet.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Carlywiese wrote: »
    Thanks for the responses everyone! You have all helped in different ways. Just to clarify, I have been on MFP this time around since the end of June, I missed a few days while camping in August but I've now worked up to a 75 day logging streak. I used to be a Pepsi addict (like a TON everyday) and have only had 3 cans since July, I'm down 34 pounds (damn no ticker anymore! ) I don't eat pasta/rice/potato at dinner anymore just lean meats and lots of veggies...basically I am doing well and try hard to come close to my protein target most days. I just wanted some feedback because I'm finding myself feeling guilty because I've only ever hit my 40/30/30 target 3x and come close a handful of others :#

    Heh. If you really want to hit the target you may want to try prelogging and playing with the numbers.

    A year in and I'm still in the just calories camp. My goal for protein is "as much as I can", which is still on the normal to low end for many people that watch macros carefully (100-140g). I don't always hit it. Fat and carbs I don't really pay attention to. It's really quite hard for me to *not* get enough of either