Macros

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please can someone advise me on how's many carbs, protein and fats I should be on I am a 5ft 7 in female weighing 144lbs I am more or less at the weight I need to be. I would like to gain some muscle now so not sure if my MFP food diary is set right please can anyone advise

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  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    Well how many calories are you going to be eating? We need to know that...
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    edited May 2015
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    I have similar stats and lift heavy

    My macros (which btw are personal to me based on BF%) are 45/25/35. Macros are personal and no two people are the same it's all about what you feel is appropriate for you. Some things like protein are usually set at 1gram for each lb of LBM or 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight.

    I like have decent carb levels for energy.

    To gain muscle however you need to eat at a surplus of TDEE and lift heavy.

    Based on what I can see your carbs are low (need those for energy) and protein is high (you only need 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight) so about 115grams of protein.
    Well how many calories are you going to be eating? We need to know that...

    Why? it can be based on percentages of current calories.
  • StereophoneyGaz
    StereophoneyGaz Posts: 406 Member
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    ^^ Pretty much on the money ;)
  • claireholden37
    claireholden37 Posts: 21 Member
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    Well how many calories are you going to be eating? We need to know that...

    I don't know how many I should be eating it's set at around 1400 at the moment don't know if that's enough ?
  • StereophoneyGaz
    StereophoneyGaz Posts: 406 Member
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    You need to determine your goal first then adjust your calories from there, then your macros can be tweaked to suit your lifestyle choices, bit vague I know but mfp is usually quite accurate if you put accurate measurements in.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I have similar stats and lift heavy

    My macros (which btw are personal to me based on BF%) are 45/25/35. Macros are personal and no two people are the same it's all about what you feel is appropriate for you. Some things like protein are usually set at 1gram for each lb of LBM or 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight.

    I like have decent carb levels for energy.

    To gain muscle however you need to eat at a surplus of TDEE and lift heavy.

    Based on what I can see your carbs are low (need those for energy) and protein is high (you only need 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight) so about 115grams of protein.
    Well how many calories are you going to be eating? We need to know that...

    Why? it can be based on percentages of current calories.

    I don't work in percentages.
    Well how many calories are you going to be eating? We need to know that...

    I don't know how many I should be eating it's set at around 1400 at the moment don't know if that's enough ?


    I would like to gain some muscle now so not sure if my MFP food diary is set right please can anyone advise
    Well 1400 calories isn't going to be enough to gain muscle.

  • claireholden37
    claireholden37 Posts: 21 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I have similar stats and lift heavy

    My macros (which btw are personal to me based on BF%) are 45/25/35. Macros are personal and no two people are the same it's all about what you feel is appropriate for you. Some things like protein are usually set at 1gram for each lb of LBM or 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight.

    I like have decent carb levels for energy.

    To gain muscle however you need to eat at a surplus of TDEE and lift heavy.

    Based on what I can see your carbs are low (need those for energy) and protein is high (you only need 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight) so about 115grams of protein.
    Well how many calories are you going to be eating? We need to know that...

    Why? it can be based on percentages of current calories.

    I have changed my macros do you think this is ok now or would I need to eat more calories as not really sure on how many in total I should have
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I have similar stats and lift heavy

    My macros (which btw are personal to me based on BF%) are 45/25/35. Macros are personal and no two people are the same it's all about what you feel is appropriate for you. Some things like protein are usually set at 1gram for each lb of LBM or 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight.

    I like have decent carb levels for energy.

    To gain muscle however you need to eat at a surplus of TDEE and lift heavy.

    Based on what I can see your carbs are low (need those for energy) and protein is high (you only need 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight) so about 115grams of protein.
    Well how many calories are you going to be eating? We need to know that...

    Why? it can be based on percentages of current calories.

    I have changed my macros do you think this is ok now or would I need to eat more calories as not really sure on how many in total I should have

    The macros look more reasonable imo.

    The calorie goal could work you will have to work with the calories and see how it goes for you. My winter maintenance (just lifting) is 2000 a day...in the summer with cardio it goes up to about 2400....

    There is a formula you can try to find your maintenance (if you are consistent with exercise)

    Look at your diary from the last 4 weeks and do this

    Total calories consumed+(total lbs lost x 3500)/28 (#of days) that give you your maintenance or TDEE.

    When you have that number add 100 to your current 1400 goal for a week and do that every week until you reach that number and then stick to that number to see if you are gaining or losing...if losing add another 50...and keep going until you are maintaining your weight...if gaining scale back 50 until the same. This is reverse dieting and helps you get used to eating at maintenance.

    If you eat at maintenance and lift heavy you can build muscle...slowly...it's call a recomp. That is what I prefer over a bulk.

    If you want to gain muscle through a bulk (eating more than maintenance) most people suggest adding in an extra 250 calories or more a day for a period of time while lifting heavy. Keep in mind during a bulk you will gain fat...how much is dependent on calories and training.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I have similar stats and lift heavy

    My macros (which btw are personal to me based on BF%) are 45/25/35. Macros are personal and no two people are the same it's all about what you feel is appropriate for you. Some things like protein are usually set at 1gram for each lb of LBM or 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight.

    I like have decent carb levels for energy.

    To gain muscle however you need to eat at a surplus of TDEE and lift heavy.

    Based on what I can see your carbs are low (need those for energy) and protein is high (you only need 0.8 grams per lb of bodyweight) so about 115grams of protein.
    Well how many calories are you going to be eating? We need to know that...

    Why? it can be based on percentages of current calories.

    I don't work in percentages.
    Well how many calories are you going to be eating? We need to know that...

    I don't know how many I should be eating it's set at around 1400 at the moment don't know if that's enough ?


    I would like to gain some muscle now so not sure if my MFP food diary is set right please can anyone advise
    Well 1400 calories isn't going to be enough to gain muscle.

    okay to the bold...but others do and it works fine...why because the percentages work back into grams and calories when the calculations are done correctly.

  • claireholden37
    claireholden37 Posts: 21 Member
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    That's great thank you I will keep adding some calories think I have been eating way under what I should have been
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    If you eat at maintenance and lift heavy you can build muscle...slowly...it's call a recomp. That is what I prefer over a bulk.

    This is what I've been doing. Eating at maintenance and lifting heavy. 1% body fat down after 30 days. Slow. But didn't want to bulk.
  • claireholden37
    claireholden37 Posts: 21 Member
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    How do you work out percentage of your body fat ?
  • claireholden37
    claireholden37 Posts: 21 Member
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    How do you work out percentage of your body fat ?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I had mine done in the ETP group but going to discuss it with my dr so might be getting a dexa.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    How do you work out percentage of your body fat ?

    to have it done correctly you need a dexa scan or bod pod.

    2nd option would be have knowledgeable people look at pics of you in certain positions.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Talan79 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    If you eat at maintenance and lift heavy you can build muscle...slowly...it's call a recomp. That is what I prefer over a bulk.

    This is what I've been doing. Eating at maintenance and lifting heavy. 1% body fat down after 30 days. Slow. But didn't want to bulk.

    Nice I am going to try again once I get to 140...however I did have someone tell me yesterday I am a lot smaller than I was last summer...I was 5-7lbs lighter last summer....o.O
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
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    My gym has a scale that reads bf, hydration levels...it has handles you hold on to and sensors where you place your feet. They don't test with clippers anymore bc they say different people testing you will give you different results.

    @SezxyStef I've been reading the thread on the UP3 bc I have an UP24. I think the numbers on the UP are pretty accurate. I was eating at maintenance according to UP bc iifym calculators had me higher. If my numbers were higher, then UP maintenance would be lower and I would have lost weight after 30 days, right? My weight didn't change but bf did.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Talan79 wrote: »
    My gym has a scale that reads bf, hydration levels...it has handles you hold on to and sensors where you place your feet. They don't test with clippers anymore bc they say different people testing you will give you different results.

    @SezxyStef I've been reading the thread on the UP3 bc I have an UP24. I think the numbers on the UP are pretty accurate. I was eating at maintenance according to UP bc iifym calculators had me higher. If my numbers were higher, then UP maintenance would be lower and I would have lost weight after 30 days, right? My weight didn't change but bf did.

    @Talan79 Yes if you were eating what UP said and you didn't gain/lose you were eating at maintenance and the lower BF% (as long as that trend continues) you are most definitely at maintenance.


    that is what I've been try to say in that thread...the longer you have the up the more accurate it gets...based on calibrations...