Correct Fat, carbs, Protien, sugar and others

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Hi. So I'm a bad fast food eater, in that I eat it lots, as it is not 2 mins away. I know this is bad, and am trying to reduce. However, given the basic allowance for MFP, It seems I can eat it 2 times a day and still be within all limits. This is why I stopped using the app in the first place. Now doing the 12wbt and want to use it again, as it is an AMAZING app.

I Know I can tweak it so that it allows me less sugar and fat (as a %) of what I eat. I want to know what values I should put into these. I have changed it to 10gms fat and 5gms sugar... I am going to presume that this is NOT the correct amount that I am to be having, BUT what is the correct allowance? Can someone please help with SPECIFIC values I can enter. Thanks heaps in advance.

Replies

  • jddnw
    jddnw Posts: 319 Member
    edited March 2015
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    The values that MFP provides are based on your age, height, weight, weight loss goals, and activity level. I really don't think you should change them unless YOU have done your homework and know what you are doing and why. Asking anonymous strangers who know nothing about you, to just make up new numbers doesn't count as doing your homework.

    You know, I hope, that if you want to eat less sugar and fat, you can just do that without changing the settings on the app. The values for fat and sugar are just guidelines, not requirements that you need to meet in order for the app to work. Just focus on eating healthy, balanced meals. And eat plenty of vegetables.

    Good luck.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    10g of fat a day is ridiculously low!

    My macros are set at:

    Fat- 46g
    Carbs- 122g
    Protein- 122g

    I do try and stay under the carbs though.

    I'm 5"8, age 42 and 140lbs.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Oh and do you drink milk or eat fruit? These 2 things put me over mfp's sugar goal every day. I'm not bothered as 45g is the very lower limit. Too low imo
  • cjbongers
    cjbongers Posts: 9 Member
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    Thanks Christine, That was very helpful. I do drink Skim milk, and eat quite a bit of fruit (which I know can be classed as sugary)

    @jddnw Thank you for your reply, however I felt it was an attack, rather than helpful - This is part of my 'homework'. Obviously eating healthy is my goal, and talking like that, on a forum where people expect to be encouraged, is really off putting. I do however appreciate the time you took to reply.

    I have also asked on 12wbt forums. I just wanted to check as I felt it was out of whack with what, me eating healthy, should be. Given the app doesn't differentiate between sugary carbs and others when giving the totals, I felt it misleading. Rather than go google something that would possibly be VERY wrong I asked in a SAFE place, where I might get some constructive feed back.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    MFP's total fat number is within the normal range that you will get from medical recommendations, but there is actually support for a higher fat/lower carb macro mix if that works for you too--basically lots of flexibility. Similarly, MFP's sugar numbers are lower than what's normally recommended because it includes intrinsic sugars (from dairy and fruit) whereas the normal limits (higher than 5 grams) refer only to added sugar, and the reasoning isn't about sugar itself, but that many items with added sugar tend to be low in other nutrients and high in calories so should be limited in a society where most don't track their diets and overeat.

    What is important to realize is that fat and sugar are both okay in themselves and are in many foods that are a healthy contribution to a diet. Fruit and dairy and sugar is one example, and fat is even more of an extreme example, as you need it and it's generally both good for you and tends to make dieters have an easier time of it than going low fat. BUT certain kinds of fat are less good for you (or actively bad for you), like trans fats. Some will also say to watch saturated fat in general, although the evidence on that is more mixed.

    What I think based on this is that you should pick a reasonable macro range--MFP's standard or something like 40-30-30 as a starting point--track fiber instead of sugar, as that's the best way to know you are getting enough of the kinds of carbs you need (like veggies/fruit plus perhaps whole grains/beans), and just focus on getting your fat from foods like nuts, dairy, eggs, meat you cook yourself, so on. If you want to cut fast food I think that's a sensible thing to do (as in cut down, not cut out if you still like it on occasion--I don't eat it but it can be included as part of an overall healthy diet in moderation), but it doesn't make sense to me to go low fat to force yourself. Just pick a few goals that you want in your diet--for example, mine are to meet my protein goals (around 120 grams) and get non starchy veggies at each meal, as well as to home cook most of my meals.
  • woodwinded1
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    Question, somewhat related to this topic: how do I change/reset the numbers in my goals? For example, a nutritionist told me I need 158g of protein daily but the nurse at my doctor's office gave me a different number.
  • rhonsal
    rhonsal Posts: 46 Member
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    Try reading this post http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
    It tells you how to work out your macros based on your personal information
  • woodwinded1
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    Thank you. I'm new to these message boards and didn't know where to look. :)