What percentages should my macros be set at?

rh091
rh091 Posts: 100 Member
edited November 7 in Food and Nutrition
Looking for input on the percentage distribution of my macros as I currently have the default of what Mfp gives you. I'm a 22 year old female, 5'5 at 247 lbs looking to lose about 90 lbs. I've set at 1.5 pound loss per week, so 1600 calls / day. I'm a vegetarian, almost vegan but I eat eggs and yogurt for protein. Any insight? Also my food diary is open so if you have any comments please feel free to give constructive criticism on the composition of my meals.

It looks like it's currently set at 50% carbs, 30% fat and 20 % protein.

Replies

  • rh091
    rh091 Posts: 100 Member
    Bump
  • Firehawk734
    Firehawk734 Posts: 132 Member
    I feel great on 40% protein, 30% carb, 30% fat. It's a good cutting macro to have. Really the most important thing is total calorie intake.

    If you can lose weight on 1300 calories and you eat 1300 calories of candy, you will lose weight. But good luck doing that. 1300 calories of chocolate is not a lot of quantity, and you will probably be hungry soon after. Your body breaks sugar down very quickly which is why fullness doesn't last long.

    And hence, why I am saying to eat a lot more protein. Protein is a natural appetite suppressor and it's much harder to eat 1000 calories of chicken breast (try it), than eat 1000 calories of hershey chocolate. The protein will limit cravings.

    I lost most of my weight on 50/30/20 p/c/f (but felt tired alot), 40/25/35 (felt good), and 40/30/30 (felt best).

    Good luck to you. The most important part of all of this is, remain in a calorie deficit.
  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
    It would be helpful if you give us some information about your lifestyle. Somebody who's very sedentary needs fewer carbs than a very active individual and somebody trying to maintain as much muscle as possible needs more protein than somebody who really only cares about the number on the scale.
  • rh091
    rh091 Posts: 100 Member
    It would be helpful if you give us some information about your lifestyle. Somebody who's very sedentary needs fewer carbs than a very active individual and somebody trying to maintain as much muscle as possible needs more protein than somebody who really only cares about the number on the scale.

    I am a student and work an office desk job over the summer and part time during the school year so I would say sedentary, which is what I input to mfp and calculators. I go to the gym about 4 times a week and have just started doing 30 mins strength training 3 times a week. Other days a I do a long walk
  • michikade
    michikade Posts: 313 Member
    I personally have mine at 35% protein, 25% fat and 40% carbs because that corresponds with a bit over 1 lb per lean muscle mass of protein and a little under half that in fat (before exercise in MFP, anyway). I try to make sure I hit the protein number, and the other two I really let fall as they may but those numbers work for me :)
  • Walter__
    Walter__ Posts: 518 Member
    You should set your macros based on your fitness goals, not on random cookie-cutter percentages like most people do.

    For example: a bodybuilder vs runner. Their goals are completely different so their percentages obviously will be as well. BBer will need more protein than the runner, the runner probably needs more carbs, etc etc.

    Seems I don't know your goals.. let's just assume you only care about losing weight and the scale going down. In that case, you can set your protein to the minimum and fill the rest of your day up with whatever carb/fat percentage make you happy.

    The US Department of Agriculture recommends a minimum protein requirement of 0.8g/kg. In your case that would be 90g of protein. Based on a 1600cal/day diet that is 22% protein. You've got 78% left to fill in your carbs and fats however you want. Play with it and see how you feel.

    Actually I am playing with my fats/carbs as we speak. Anything under 50g of fats makes me feel like crap. I've upped it to 60g, which feels ok. I will be readjusting to 70g to see if that feels better, but that's my limit because any higher and my carbs will have to drop more to stay within my calorie limit.
  • luvmylabz
    luvmylabz Posts: 12 Member
    Bump
  • losergood2011
    losergood2011 Posts: 172 Member
    I do well on 30 carbs 35 protein 35 fat but most of time I dont reach my carb and it makes my fat higher. I too work on my protein intake more than the other ratios and let them fall as they will so far (2 weeks now) working great and feeling good.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I had really good results setting my macros using these guidelines: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    I know others have, too. But as many have said above, macros should be set for your personal preferences and needs. There is no one-right-way to set them.
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