Low-Carb Diet, Macros

gerbillama03
gerbillama03 Posts: 19 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My daily recommended calories are at 1200. Fitness pal has my macros set at 55% carbs, 25% protein, 20% fat. Can I lower my carbs to 30% with no ill effects, or should I continue on my default macros?
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Replies

  • pedidiva
    pedidiva Posts: 199 Member
    Yes, you can lower your carbs if you wish.
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    My daily recommended calories are at 1200. Fitness pal has my macros set at 55% carbs, 25% protein, 20% fat. Can I lower my carbs to 30% with no ill effects, or should I continue on my default macros?

    Sure, you can if you desire. Make sure to give those calories to another macro though. And, just to ask, are you positive that 1200 should be your calorie target? How did you get to that number?
  • gerbillama03
    gerbillama03 Posts: 19 Member
    5'1, goal of weight loss in 2lbs a week, goal weight 125, activity level high. Just what fitness pal said I should do.
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    5'1, goal of weight loss in 2lbs a week, goal weight 125, activity level high. Just what fitness pal said I should do.

    What is your current weight? 2lbs per week, unless you have a significant amount to lose, might be an overly aggressive target.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    5'1, goal of weight loss in 2lbs a week, goal weight 125, activity level high. Just what fitness pal said I should do.

    Well, sort of...........

    With 16 pounds to lose 2 pounds a week is extremely aggressive. That's why MFP bottomed out at 1200.....it's just a default. That 1200 is BEFORE exercise.

    Reset you weekly goal to 1 pound at the very most. Reset your goal again to 1/2 pound a week....when you reach the 10 pounds to go mark.

    Moderate weight loss helps you retain more lean muscle. Eat low carb if that will be a future lifestyle, or if you have medical issues. However, if you want to keep the weight from coming back....adopt something you can live with for years to come. I just eat lower calorie.....snacks (and portion sizes) are the reason I'm here. Not the fact that I eat carbs.
  • gerbillama03
    gerbillama03 Posts: 19 Member
    Lowering my calories hasn't really been an option. I have a tendency to skip meals, and under eat. Getting to 1200 is a challenge.

    Why did I get overweight? Steroids and lattes. I might only eat 500 calories a day, but I seriously love lattes and sugary caffeinated beverages. Without them, I've had to work my way up to 1200.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    edited June 2015
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    Lowering my calories hasn't really been an option. I have a tendency to skip meals, and under eat. Getting to 1200 is a challenge.

    Why did I get overweight? Steroids and lattes. I might only eat 500 calories a day, but I seriously love lattes and sugary caffeinated beverages. Without them, I've had to work my way up to 1200.

    ummm what?

    so you gained weight by eating less than 1200 calories a day????
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    You shouldn't go by ratios to determine what is best for you. Instead, go by the actual grams those ratios provide.
    • Minimum of 0.40-0.45 g dietary fat per 1 lb. bodyweight
    • Range of 0.60-0.80 g protein per 1 lb. bodyweight
    • Carbs, especially those full of micronutrients and fiber, fill in the rest of your calories
  • gerbillama03
    gerbillama03 Posts: 19 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    Lowering my calories hasn't really been an option. I have a tendency to skip meals, and under eat. Getting to 1200 is a challenge.

    Why did I get overweight? Steroids and lattes. I might only eat 500 calories a day, but I seriously love lattes and sugary caffeinated beverages. Without them, I've had to work my way up to 1200.

    ummm what?

    so you gained weight by eating less than 1200 calories a day????




    When I started logging my calories here, I had already decided to quit drinking lattes. That was all I had changed, and I was logging 500-600 calories at most a day. Starbucks lattes, as you probably know, have 300ish calories depending on the kind you get. So yeah.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    Lowering my calories hasn't really been an option. I have a tendency to skip meals, and under eat. Getting to 1200 is a challenge.

    Why did I get overweight? Steroids and lattes. I might only eat 500 calories a day, but I seriously love lattes and sugary caffeinated beverages. Without them, I've had to work my way up to 1200.

    ummm what?

    so you gained weight by eating less than 1200 calories a day????




    When I started logging my calories here, I had already decided to quit drinking lattes. That was all I had changed, and I was logging 500-600 calories at most a day. Starbucks lattes, as you probably know, have 300ish calories depending on the kind you get. So yeah.

    so you gained weight eating 500 to 600 calories a day?????

    I did not know that starbucks lattes defied the physics...
  • gerbillama03
    gerbillama03 Posts: 19 Member
    I was EATING 500-600 calories. I was DRINKING 300+. That's an intake of close to 900, on steroids, of mostly sugar and fat. Fat and sugar (if you are on steroids) fuel weight gain. I don't understand why that's hard for anyone to accept. Just because I don't ingest 2000+calories a day doesn't mean I can't gain weight.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    Lowering my calories hasn't really been an option. I have a tendency to skip meals, and under eat. Getting to 1200 is a challenge.

    Why did I get overweight? Steroids and lattes. I might only eat 500 calories a day, but I seriously love lattes and sugary caffeinated beverages. Without them, I've had to work my way up to 1200.

    ummm what?

    so you gained weight by eating less than 1200 calories a day????

    I second this........

    If you "can't" get to 1200 without the aid sugary beverages....what will low carb do for reaching your daily calorie goal? You do know that reducing the carb percentage means that a different percentage (protein or fat) goes up accordingly.

    1200 calories is much easier to do with calorie dense foods: olive oil, avocado, nuts, nut butters, eggs, and full fat dairy. Some people choose a high fat diet.

    I eat too much sugar also. BUT low carb still isn't the solution for me. Low carb would be....don't eat sugar (while you're trying to lose weight).....but hey, after the weight is gone.....do whatever. I can't go back to "do whatever"....I need to manage the sugar I eat now. Logging a sugary snack here helps me learn the value.
  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    I was EATING 500-600 calories. I was DRINKING 300+. That's an intake of close to 900, on steroids, of mostly sugar and fat. Fat and sugar (if you are on steroids) fuel weight gain. I don't understand why that's hard for anyone to accept. Just because I don't ingest 2000+calories a day doesn't mean I can't gain weight.

    Methinks someone's calculations are way off. Only way to gain weight is being in a surplus of calories. at 900cals...yeah...no.
  • gerbillama03
    gerbillama03 Posts: 19 Member
    I'm just going to stop posting anything on here. No one believes me when I say I didn't eat like a friggin pig and still gained weight. Any question always devolves into people inferring that I must have been lying or at best mistaken about my calorie intake. Sorry if it messes with your view of reality that people have different bodies and medical issues (like steroids) that make them gain weight.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    I was EATING 500-600 calories. I was DRINKING 300+. That's an intake of close to 900, on steroids, of mostly sugar and fat. Fat and sugar (if you are on steroids) fuel weight gain. I don't understand why that's hard for anyone to accept. Just because I don't ingest 2000+calories a day doesn't mean I can't gain weight.

    ok, so you only eat 900 calories a day and you gain weight?

    one - you are the only person on the planet that can eat 900 calories and gain weight.

    two - you are not accurately tracking your intake and you are eating way more than you think.

    I am going with option two.

  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    edited June 2015
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    I'm just going to stop posting anything on here. No one believes me when I say I didn't eat like a friggin pig and still gained weight. Any question always devolves into people inferring that I must have been lying or at best mistaken about my calorie intake. Sorry if it messes with your view of reality that people have different bodies and medical issues (like steroids) that make them gain weight.

    Mass (weight) can't come from nothing. Medical conditions can have an impact, but at the extremes you are saying implies your basic body functions (organ functions) only require a minimal amount of energy, causing your body to store the rest. Even with a medical anomaly, gaining weight on 900 calories ingested, even assuming complete and total inactivity, is highly improbable.
  • DesiraeLynn24
    DesiraeLynn24 Posts: 12 Member
    Hi Gerbillama03, Sounds like there isn't a whole lot of listening going on here. I have read the dialog and I figured I was just chime in and try to give a little help.

    Honestly, the macro settings (fat, carb and protein amounts) are a little skewed in my opinion. What I personally use MFP for is to log my food and make sure I'm hitting my numbers. If you like I can give you the break down of how I get mine.

    In general, depending on your goals:
    Fat should be 15-20% of your calories
    Protein should be 40-50%
    Carbs would take up the remaining amount

    Now Mantium did give you some good info. Yes, you can take away from carbs, however make sure to balance the subtraction by adding more protein and/or healthy fats.

    Now I know the struggle to remember to eat. My little trick that usually keeps me on track is eating every 2.5 hours small meal like snacks. I set an alarm on my phone for feeding time. Now this isn't full proof because if I'm working I can't always put what I am doing on hold to go get some chicken or eggs but it helps.

    (BTW I understood what you meant by drinking your calories away with lattes)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    gerbillama03 wrote: »
    I'm just going to stop posting anything on here. No one believes me when I say I didn't eat like a friggin pig and still gained weight. Any question always devolves into people inferring that I must have been lying or at best mistaken about my calorie intake. Sorry if it messes with your view of reality that people have different bodies and medical issues (like steroids) that make them gain weight.

    if you can't accept the fact that you are consuming more than you think, then you are never going to be able to lose weight.

    Lets assume you are right and 900 calories is a surplus for you. That would mean that your maintenance calories are 400 calories a day and to lose one pound per week you would have to find a way to consume negative 100 calories a day.

    does that sound about right?
  • gerbillama03
    gerbillama03 Posts: 19 Member
    I am not mistaken about my intake. I know how much I eat a day. Most of the time I am way too busy to eat. It is a struggle to get up to 1200. I don't do it most days. Either you believe it or you don't.

    If anyone wants to give me insight towards my actual question, that would be appreciated. Thank you.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    if you gain on 900 why do you think eating 1200 will make you lose weight?

    do you use a food scale to weigh all solid foods?

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