How do you know if your Macros are set right?

Trial and error. For example: I'd never have mine at carbs=50% protein at 20. There are websites like iifym.com where you can tell them your "goals" and it will make suggestions. And then you tweak.

Percentages are basically meaningless. Your body does not require macronutrients as percentages of your total calorie intake. It requires a sufficient mass of macronutrients based on your body weight and lean body mass. This can change depending on your goals, but in general you want a minimum of 0.35 to 0.4 grams of dietary fat per pound of body weight for health purposes. Dietary fat is responsible for hormone production, absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals, brain and organ function, as well as skin and hair health. If muscle retention during weight loss or muscle growth during weight gain are important to you, it is recommended that you consume a minimum of 0.82 grams of protein per pound of body fat, or 1 gram per pound of Lean Body Mass. Those in the very overweight to obese categories should use the Lean Body Mass guideline. Most people set their remaining calories as carbohydrates, but you can really set any combination of fat, carbs, and protein that you'd like. It's personal preference. Carbohydrates are the only macronutrient not essential to your survival, but they are delicious, and important if you do any sort of athletic activity or strength training etc as they are the body's preferred source of fuel for high intensity activity.

ana3067 wrote: »

^^ What AJ said. Although e.g. for myself I find I do better on 1.2x my lean body mass, which is a bit below my current weight. Although it's possible this is entirely unnecessary, but for my first cut I feel more comfortable with too much than too little protein!

0.82 is also already more than you need.

Based on the sound research, many review papers have concluded 0.82g/lb is the upper limit at which protein intake benefits body composition (Phillips & Van Loon, 2011). This recommendation often includes a double 95% confidence level, meaning they took the highest mean intake at which benefits were still observed and then added two standard deviations to that level to make absolutely sure all possible benefits from additional protein intake are utilized. As such, this is already overdoing it and consuming 1g/lb ‘to be safe’ doesn’t make any sense. 0.82g/lb is already very safe.

If you'd like to read the entire thing:

http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

ana3067 wrote: »

AJ_G wrote: »

ana3067 wrote: »

^^ What AJ said. Although e.g. for myself I find I do better on 1.2x my lean body mass, which is a bit below my current weight. Although it's possible this is entirely unnecessary, but for my first cut I feel more comfortable with too much than too little protein!

0.82 is also already more than you need.

Based on the sound research, many review papers have concluded 0.82g/lb is the upper limit at which protein intake benefits body composition (Phillips & Van Loon, 2011). This recommendation often includes a double 95% confidence level, meaning they took the highest mean intake at which benefits were still observed and then added two standard deviations to that level to make absolutely sure all possible benefits from additional protein intake are utilized. As such, this is already overdoing it and consuming 1g/lb ‘to be safe’ doesn’t make any sense. 0.82g/lb is already very safe.

If you'd like to read the entire thing:

http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

0.82x my weight is about 1.1x my LBM. And I did do this amount of protein and found that I was doing worse at the gym until I increased the protein back up 1.2x my LBM. So, personal preference is personal preference.

I've also seen that link, which was one of the reasons I tried the lower protein intake. Just doesn't work that well for me, or at least I feel more comfortable consuming an extra 20ish grams of protein.

Well the good thing is that extra protein can't really hurt you, so if you feel better, why not?

There's a ton of flexibility on what the right macro ratios are--what works best is going to differ from person to person, although MFP's recommended protein is already on the low side so I'd at least keep that goal.

A lot of people think that if you are eating at a deficit and exercising it's better to have protein somewhat higher, like around 1 gram per pound of lean body weight (which of course requires you to estimate body fat--I just did .8 of my goal weight and figured that would leave in some cushion, since I wouldn't have been only 20% fat at my original goal weight). Also, a lot of people find they are more satisfied eating a bit more fat and a bit less carbs.

When I started and was eating a pretty low calorie level I found 30% carbs, 35% protein and fat to be the most satisfying, and now do 40% carbs and 30% protein and fat, but I always recommend experimenting with how you feel when you vary the ratios. The first thing I did was cut carbs somewhat (since I ate a lot of carbs I didn't care much about) and increase protein, and I found that helpful, but people have different experiences.

Freida1978 wrote: »

Can anyone help me figure out my macros? I have tried but this is so darn confusing for me!!! Thanks!

MRP defaults are set for 50% of calories from Carbs, 30% from Fat and 20% from protein. If you are just starting out, those are a reasonable place to start. Don't obsess if you vary around those points. FYI... 1 gram of Fat = 9 calories, Carbs and Protein are both 4 calories per gram.

Freida1978 wrote: »

Can anyone help me figure out my macros? I have tried but this is so darn confusing for me!!! Thanks!

You needn't figure them out. MFP figures them out for you. Just follow the guidelines. You can tweak later, if you feel the urge to tweak.

Here's a table which explains the healthy ranges.
page 1, carbs, 45 - 65% of calories (4 cal per gram)
page 2, fat, 20 - 35% of calories (9 cal per gram)
page 4, protein, 10 - 35% of calories (4 cal per gram)

So for someone with a calorie goal of 2000 per day, that would be
50% carbs, 1000 cal, 250 g
25% fat, 500 cal, 56g
25% protein, 500 cal, 125 g
(just to take the simplest example as a starting point; adjust for your own needs, to see where you feel best)

But eating higher protein & lower carbs leads to more weight loss:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-09-high-protein-diet-685553
Try 45% carbs, 20% fat, 35% protein


A post I did about goal setting, including weight, calories, and macros:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-setting-goals-667045