macro ratios a issue at 249lb?

jamesbhynes
jamesbhynes Posts: 24
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all, first post here. Started with my weight loss journey on the first of january like alot im sure, lol. Either way my question is being 249 lb like i am right now should i be worried about my macro ratios or is that something to worry about later down the road? Last few days ive been trying to hit 40-40-20 (fat) but i find i have to eat alot to get the protein up there. In the mean time im still staying under my goal of 1730 calories a day.

my only issue with it is that before i tried to keep the macros right i was getting along fine finishing off the day at no more than 1400-1500 cal. So just wondering if the macro ratio is worth the extra food at this point? I was by no means starving myself at 1500 calories.

Also after a week i've dropped 6lb, weighing myself consistently same ti e under same conditions, even put the scale in the exact same place on the floor, lol. Im attributing this to water weight and begginers body shock, lol. Does this sound right?
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Replies

  • jamesbhynes
    jamesbhynes Posts: 24
    Anyone?
  • getalife9353
    getalife9353 Posts: 100 Member
    The Institute of Medicine recommends the following breakdown of calories for adults:
    Carbs - 45% - 65%
    Fat - 20% - 35%
    Protein - 10%-35%
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,220 Member
    No not really.....40/40/20 isn't magic, even though it use to be.
  • NSimone27
    NSimone27 Posts: 5 Member
    personally I never look at my macros (which I know isn't great... I eat WAY too much chocolate ie. fat!) but just staying within my calorie goal really made me see weight loss results! maybe it has more impact when you're trying to gain muscle and not just lose fat? I think for now when you're just starting out you should be fine just watching your calories :) congrats on your 6 lbs loss!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited January 2015
    Focus on getting your calories down first and worry about macros later.

    One thing about macros is that there are many ratios that can be perfectly good and that picking the right ones is more a matter of personal preference and how it affects you. MFP's are just averages of recommended amounts, but total grams for some of them (like protein) matters more than percentage.

    Typically, what I think works is to focus on calories and track for a while and see where they are. Then if you are having any issues, like being low on protein or being tired/low energy or feeling hungry too often you can look at the macros and try different ways of adjusting them.
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    Just stay within your calorie goal. You may want to play around with your macros as you start losing. Some people feel better with higher carb, or protein, or fat for that matter. It's really a personal preference. It won't really have any bearing on your weight loss. And yes, that first few lbs is probably water.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited January 2015
    If you can eat more and lose, do it! I started at 250and the weight flew off. That doesn't last forever.

    The more you lose, the harder it gets! You're going to want some wiggle room later! Also, the less of you there is to haul around, the less calories your body will require, so you will have to drop them later. Keep them high now, if you can.

    Worry about your macros when you want to worry about them. For me, the hardest thing by far has been sodium, so I always tell people to start there, which isn't really right. You may not have the hard time that I did. Choose what you want to work on...

    ...and if it's protein, you can join me in the very small club of People Who Don't Really Want All Those Protein Foods, lol. I think we are the only two members, so you can be President every other month. :)

    Good luck!! :)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    are you just trying to lose fat now, or do you have any other goals…

    calorie deficit = fat/weight loss
    macro adherence = body recomp/overall health..

    so it depends on your goals...
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  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    I also agree you need to eat more!
  • jamesbhynes
    jamesbhynes Posts: 24
    Thanks for the for all the advice, really right now weight loss is my main concern, weight training down the road will be the case but i just want to get this extra weight off first. More than 1700? Really? I feel im doing good eating the way i am now, not meaning the weight loss but hunger wise i seem fine. I used to eat alot out of bordom before really, which didnt end up in decent food choices.
  • jamesbhynes
    jamesbhynes Posts: 24
    By the sounds of everyones advice my calories need some tweeking i guess. Thanks folks!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    jamesbhynes wrote: »
    Thanks for the for all the advice, really right now weight loss is my main concern, weight training down the road will be the case but i just want to get this extra weight off first. More than 1700? Really? I feel im doing good eating the way i am now, not meaning the weight loss but hunger wise i seem fine. I used to eat alot out of bordom before really, which didnt end up in decent food choices.

    if your main concern is fat loss then don't worry so much about macros…

    trying to keep protein up will preserve muscle mass …

    do you do any kind of exercise..???
  • jamesbhynes
    jamesbhynes Posts: 24
    I try to do cardio 3-4 times a week which is usually anywhere from 15-30 minutes on a elliptical. Also my line of work is hanging drywall but i am a foreman so it also involves a fair amount of driving, but when im not its a pretty physically intense job.
  • CEGrant501
    CEGrant501 Posts: 15
    edited January 2015
    I go for 40/30/30, but I lift weights.

    I struggled a bit at the beginning getting the ratios right...but I've started using a protein shake mix that has protein but minimal carbs. That helps me get the protein I need. I also use almonds if I need to add fat AND protein.

    The easiest way to get it right is to pre-plan your day. Most evenings I'll put in what I'm likely to eat the following days for meals. Then I can pick my snacks to fill in the gaps. So somedays my snacks might be almonds if I need fat and protein, or a shake if I just need protein, or fruit if I need carbs.

    Good luck on your journey. :)

    EDIT: I should qualify that I'm looking more to gain muscle and lose fat than actually change my weight, so my goals might not be appropriate for you.
  • thesupremeforce
    thesupremeforce Posts: 1,206 Member
    You never wait to begin weight training. Start now and do it while you're dropping the weight. Your muscles will thank you and you'll look much better, as well.
    Also, I would wager that you should be eating considerably more than 1700 calories.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    jamesbhynes wrote: »
    I try to do cardio 3-4 times a week which is usually anywhere from 15-30 minutes on a elliptical. Also my line of work is hanging drywall but i am a foreman so it also involves a fair amount of driving, but when im not its a pretty physically intense job.

    I would recommend a strength program with some progressive overload (heavy lifting), which will help preserve muscle and tighten things up ...

    but if you enjoy the cardio, keep doing the cardio ..



  • jamesbhynes
    jamesbhynes Posts: 24
    Thats what ive been doing to get the macros right, planning meals evening before and filling gaps with the snacks, but there is only so much chicken i can eat in one day, lol. Perhaps the proteing supplement would be a hepfull addition to achieve this.
  • jamesbhynes
    jamesbhynes Posts: 24
    Also another noteable thing to mention is that i broke my wrist a little over 5 months ago so my wrist still isnt 100 percent.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    jamesbhynes wrote: »
    Thats what ive been doing to get the macros right, planning meals evening before and filling gaps with the snacks, but there is only so much chicken i can eat in one day, lol. Perhaps the proteing supplement would be a hepfull addition to achieve this.

    I have found that pre logging all my meals helps and then I can see where I am short on macros and where I need to fill in other stuff …

    also you can protein from eggs, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, turkey, etc…it does not have to be chicken all the time ..
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    No, dont worry about the macros, first ensure you get the deficit/ calorie targets.

    there are some easier tragets for protein and fibre, but everything else pretty much takes care of itself unless you are going low carb or have some other slant on your diet.
  • jamesbhynes
    jamesbhynes Posts: 24
    Yea eggs, chicken and greek yougurt were my main big protein sources, but i found more chicken then the others helped me keep withing my calories. But upping my calories may make it a whole lot easier!
  • davis978
    davis978 Posts: 103 Member
    Many people lose weight without ever thinking about macros. However, many people also find that if they make sure they are eating enough protein and do a solid strength training program early in their journey they not only look and feel more fit when they reach their goal weight, but find maintaining that weight easier. That is something you will hear over and over again on these forums.

    There is no magic recipe and you should do what you want, but my personal advice is (1) eat more calories than you are eating right now (2) eat enough protein and (3) start lifting immediately. I say this because it's what helped me, and many others. I realize it's not the only way to be successful.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    You're 28, male, 249 lbs, have a physically intensive job and have 40 pounds to lose. I'm guessing you're over 6' tall. You can definitely eat more and still lose at a good rate, assuming you're tracking accurately. Why eat more instead of less? Look up metabolic adaptation. You want to maximize your body's metabolism to burn fuel (food) not adapt to a calorie level that is too low.

    Regarding macros, I didn't worry about them initially. Eventually you will based on your goals, especially protein for muscle preservation.
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  • DoNotSpamMe73
    DoNotSpamMe73 Posts: 286 Member
    A lot of people insist on eating significantly higher calories based on how heavy you are at the time.
    However heavy you are (with variation for extreme height differences) doesn't mean you get to eat weight gain for weight loss.
    If you are sedentary don't go over 1650 (which for most will give a small gradual weight loss but no weight gain) calories a day.
    Forced high calories tend to leave bad habits. This at your weight thing is unlikely thing.
    Probably a good idea to always reach that 1000 calorie mark but if you just aren't hungry don't fret over being too low OCCASIONALLY.
    Just don't repeat too often for health reasons.
    1900-2000 calories shouldn't go over if you are lightly active and just flat 2000 if more so weight gain wise. How much you move affects your weight loss. Lightly active is an hour of light exercise per day be it a walk, bike or treadmill.
    Log everyday and don't eat back exercise calories. My fitness pal tends to tell you when you eat too little. It really works.
    Oh one more note sudden weight gain of about 3 kilos is common due to a little extra time the body takes to process something such as soft-drink or other salty things. If you haven't been eating it you'll have drops about that size occasionally. Time is a very simple thing that passes anyway. If you don't go over you aren't gaining weight.
    Chill log it all every day be it a mouthful or a tub of food.
    Don't lie to the logger and you will lose weight.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2015
    Just focus on calories ...absolutely eat back exercise calories (50-75% of MFP database is a good guideline)

    And start weight training now

    You can start to think about macros when your objectives change
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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    DoNotSpamMe73 wrote: »
    A lot of people insist on eating significantly higher calories based on how heavy you are at the time.
    However heavy you are (with variation for extreme height differences) doesn't mean you get to eat weight gain for weight loss.
    If you are sedentary don't go over 1650 (which for most will give a small gradual weight loss but no weight gain) calories a day.
    Forced high calories tend to leave bad habits. This at your weight thing is unlikely thing.
    Probably a good idea to always reach that 1000 calorie mark but if you just aren't hungry don't fret over being too low OCCASIONALLY.
    Just don't repeat too often for health reasons.
    1900-2000 calories shouldn't go over if you are lightly active and just flat 2000 if more so weight gain wise. How much you move affects your weight loss. Lightly active is an hour of light exercise per day be it a walk, bike or treadmill.
    Log everyday and don't eat back exercise calories. My fitness pal tends to tell you when you eat too little. It really works.
    Oh one more note sudden weight gain of about 3 kilos is common due to a little extra time the body takes to process something such as soft-drink or other salty things. If you haven't been eating it you'll have drops about that size occasionally. Time is a very simple thing that passes anyway. If you don't go over you aren't gaining weight.
    Chill log it all every day be it a mouthful or a tub of food.
    Don't lie to the logger and you will lose weight.

    So wrong on so many levels on so many points.

    It's as if you didn't even read ANY stats of the one whom you are giving very generic advice to.

    Might want to get beyond the business card health and nutrition advice you got from a trainer at the gym.
  • rhye
    rhye Posts: 104 Member
    I'm at 275 lbs myself and while I don't kill myself over macros, I do track them. When I want a snack, I can look at my macros and see where I am lacking (almost always protein), but it's also teaching me to eat right. I could just restrict calories and lose weight but I also want to learn to eat a good mix of foods.
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