Macros

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karojas
karojas Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
how can i get the accurate macros percentage i should be having ?

Replies

  • Lrdoflamancha
    Lrdoflamancha Posts: 1,280 Member
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    To get started use the default macros set by MFP. Once you understand what you are doing on here then tweak them. I believe the default are 50 carbs, 30 Protein and 20 fat atated in percents.
  • Gena_Beana
    Gena_Beana Posts: 66 Member
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    I have this question too, I don't understand the defaults & how to determine how much of each meal I'm eating should be proteins / carbs / fats.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
    edited May 2015
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    It's going to vary by person, depending on goals and activity, possibly medical conditions, etc.

    For example, I lift.

    Following current conventional wisdom for maintaining muscle mass, I get around 1g prot per lb of Lean Body mass per day. A little more than half that in fats, and the rest is usually carbs. Note those are grams and not percentages.

    Another factor that may influence macro breakdown includes satiety. Some people swear by protein (and fiber) for satiety, but it doesn't do much for me. Fats help me feel fuller for longer.

    And when you get eat those macros in the day is mostly just a matter of preference. In my case, I like some carbs to fuel my workouts.

    ETA: The MFP default settings for protein tend to be a little low for people in a deficit who are at all concerned with body composition.
  • Gena_Beana
    Gena_Beana Posts: 66 Member
    edited May 2015
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    You said you get around 1g prot per lb of Lean Body mass per day. How do I know how much "lean" body mass I have, there's nothing lean about me at this point :(
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Gena_Beana wrote: »
    You said you get around 1g prot per lb of Lean Body mass per day. How do I know how much "lean" body mass I have, there's nothing lean about me at this point :(

    First do this...http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

    What ever that number is, subtract it from 100. Let's say the number is 35% bodyfat. You would then multiply your body weight by .65 to see how many grams you need.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
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    Gena_Beana wrote: »
    You said you get around 1g prot per lb of Lean Body mass per day. How do I know how much "lean" body mass I have, there's nothing lean about me at this point :(

    You estimate your body fat %, translate that % into lbs based off your total weight, then subtract it from the total weight. Now, measuring body fat is notoriously tricky, and involves a little bit of guesswork. Thankfully, for this purpose, being super accurate isn't that big of a deal.

    There are various online tools that can help try and estimate body fat percentage, and they usually involve taking some measurements (waist, hips, etc).

  • AmandaG1974
    AmandaG1974 Posts: 1 Member
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    I used this to start with - http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    I don't eat any added sugar and keep my fats and carbs to separate meals so I needed to alter my macros accordingly on MFP. I did need to tweak it a little bit after a week but it got me started.
  • Gena_Beana
    Gena_Beana Posts: 66 Member
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    Ah! Okay, well yes, I know my bmi so that makes it easier. Using the method Hornsby described, I came up with 151.9 g of Protein. Now what about the other macro's (fat / carbs)?
  • Gena_Beana
    Gena_Beana Posts: 66 Member
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    AmandaG1974 wrote: »
    I used this to start with - http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    I don't eat any added sugar and keep my fats and carbs to separate meals so I needed to alter my macros accordingly on MFP. I did need to tweak it a little bit after a week but it got me started.


    Ooooooh that's way easy! Thanks so much for sharing that!!! I think I'll start there, it also has me eating a TON more calories than what MFP is alloting, with a 15% reduction.

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