What percentage of Carbs/Proteins/Fats should I be eating every day to LOSE weight?

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lalabear535
lalabear535 Posts: 33 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I try to stay away from bread/rice and eat more veggies and proteins like eggs and chicken breast... However I'm confused on the percentage I should be eating carbs/protein/fats to LOSE weight. Can you guys please help me?! :s

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  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    Calorie deficit is for weight loss, macros are for satiety and body composition/performance. There is no magic number for macros, it's going to vary from person to person based on their preferences and goals.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    You should hit your calorie goals to lose weight...macros have little to no bearing on that. If anything try to get adequate protein to help preserve lean mass...also, dietary fat is an essential macro...then round out the rest of your calories with carbs.

    Really though, if you're new to this you should focus on what ultimately matters most...your caloric intake...worry about lesser things down the road when you have a little more knowledge and experience behind you.
  • lalabear535
    lalabear535 Posts: 33 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    Calorie deficit is for weight loss, macros are for satiety and body composition/performance. There is no magic number for macros, it's going to vary from person to person based on their preferences and goals.

    I have cut back my calories and cut out all processed foods. Would you say a calorie goal of 1000 is ok to successfully drop the pounds? Thanks for your reply. :)
  • TCO76
    TCO76 Posts: 242 Member
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    Don't make the same mistake I did and miss out on micro nutrients... too much protein without fibers and other important minerals can leave you toxic. Balance is key.
  • lalabear535
    lalabear535 Posts: 33 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You should hit your calorie goals to lose weight...macros have little to no bearing on that. If anything try to get adequate protein to help preserve lean mass...also, dietary fat is an essential macro...then round out the rest of your calories with carbs.

    Really though, if you're new to this you should focus on what ultimately matters most...your caloric intake...worry about lesser things down the road when you have a little more knowledge and experience behind you.

    Thank you! That's what I'm doing right now focusing on my calories and keeping it to a maximum of 1000 per day! I think I get kinda freaked out when I see I've eaten 51% carbs and only eaten 461 calories! Blaming it on the banana I ate. Thanks for your response! :smile:
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    lalabear535 wrote: »
    kgeyser wrote: »
    Calorie deficit is for weight loss, macros are for satiety and body composition/performance. There is no magic number for macros, it's going to vary from person to person based on their preferences and goals.

    I have cut back my calories and cut out all processed foods. Would you say a calorie goal of 1000 is ok to successfully drop the pounds? Thanks for your reply. :)

    A calorie goal of 1000 is far too low, and puts you at risk for losing muscle, as well hair, fatigue, impaired mental function, and just generally feeling yucky. Where did you get the 1000 calorie number, did MFP give you that?
  • TCO76
    TCO76 Posts: 242 Member
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    Agree 1000 is way under..... your body will not be able to sustain very long.
  • lalabear535
    lalabear535 Posts: 33 Member
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    No my goal is 1,200 calories per day. A few years back I would eat 2000/2500 calories per day so I've cut back a lot! It makes me proud to see I haven't consumed so many calories so I usually try stay under my goal!
  • gainer39911
    gainer39911 Posts: 125 Member
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    Not clear why you would arbitrarily select 1000 calories/day, when one of the principal functions of MFP is to calculate that for you. When you set up your profile in MFP, it asks for weight, height, gender, age and activity level, and uses that to calculate your daily caloric requirement to maintain your current weight. It then asks for your weight loss goal, in lb/week, and calculates a calorie deficit to achieve your chosen weight loss goal. It subtracts that calorie deficit from you daily caloric requirement to set a daily calorie intake goal. It also sets daily macronutrient goals to achieve the overall calorie total, but those are somewhat arbitrary and the total calorie intake is what you need to meet to lose weight.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    lalabear535 wrote: »
    No my goal is 1,200 calories per day. A few years back I would eat 2000/2500 calories per day so I've cut back a lot! It makes me proud to see I haven't consumed so many calories so I usually try stay under my goal!

    The goal isn't to eat as little as possible, it's to eat as much as you can and still lose. Eating too little can have serious health repercussions, and from a behavioral aspect it increases the likelihood of bingeing.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Getting bad vibes here...
  • lalabear535
    lalabear535 Posts: 33 Member
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    Thanks everyone I'm going to take your comments on board.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    lalabear535 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone I'm going to take your comments on board.

    I hope you increase your calories. Make sure MFP is set to lose 0.5 lbs per week, which is reasonable for what you have to lose. This link is also ridiculously helpful:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    lalabear535 wrote: »
    No my goal is 1,200 calories per day. A few years back I would eat 2000/2500 calories per day so I've cut back a lot! It makes me proud to see I haven't consumed so many calories so I usually try stay under my goal!

    Only eating 1000 calories is nothing to be proud of.
  • lalabear535
    lalabear535 Posts: 33 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    lalabear535 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone I'm going to take your comments on board.

    I hope you increase your calories. Make sure MFP is set to lose 0.5 lbs per week, which is reasonable for what you have to lose. This link is also ridiculously helpful:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Thank you! You've been very helpful and not made me feel stupid about my eating habits/doing things wrong as I'm kinda confused right now and a motivating and kind voice is nice. Will definitely check that link out now

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