?? About % carbs, proteins, fat & calorie & family weight info. HELP!!

For the kids, check with their doctor, because the needs of children are different, esp. growing kids.

Here's a table which explains the healthy ranges for macros, from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition:
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/88/1/1/T1.expansion.html

carbs, 45 - 65% of calories (4 cal per gram)
fat, 20 - 35% of calories (9 cal per gram)
protein, 10 - 35% of calories (4 cal per gram)


+1 on reading sexypants.

Here are some other useful posts:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212/youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-10-newbie-help-post-685689

shelleywright0103 wrote: »

I am 5'7" at 182lbs goal weight of 140
Looking at an intake of 1300 calories (does that sound right???)
Also the app has auto set my % carbs (50% at 163 grams daily) protein (20% at 65 grams daily) and fat (30% at 43 grams daily).
I am a baby in the transition to healthier eating. But I have got to make this work for my whole family!! I have one son (14) obsessed with fitness. One son (12) who is very overweight --on his way to obese. And my husband who has put on 80lbs in 3 years and is battling depression, PTSD, insecurity and anger issues that seemed to be under control when he was healthier.
I am considering getting containers & prepping foods for everyone. Very much like the 21 day system. For a family of 4, that's a lot of containers!!

@shelleywright0103 Change your goal to 1/2 or one pound a week so that you can have a a tiny bit more calories to work with for now.
Regarding the carbs/protein/fat: they are only important to people following very specific diets.
You want to always get your protein. And you want to try to get your fat. It is o.k. to go over on either/both.
It does not matter one way or other about the carbs except that for some people it helps to keep carbs at or little below what MFP recommends.

The best thing to do it to figure out meals that work for everyone -- chicken, ham, low fat beef, or pork chops with very large servings of low calorie veggies (absolutely impossible to make separate foods for everyone - - that would be the road to madness)

You can still eat convenience foods -- pay closer attention to calories than what you were doing. My husband eats a lot of rotisserie chicken picked up in the grocery story.
The 12 year old and your husband can eventually get on board with what you are eating. Just make smaller portions for yourself. For the 14 year old, make larger portions for him -- or extra side dishes. Somehow figure out how to have lots of snacks in the house for him adn the 12 year old (They probably have some ideas)
When your husband is eating more fruits and veggies he might start feeling better. Does he get enough sleep?
Involve your two sons in planning, shopping, preparing, and cooking so that they are helping/learning and so that they appreciate the food for supper/diner. Remember that frozen fruits and veggies are usually more nutritious than fresh so frozen is a good idea and often easier. Canned is o.k. too and great to have handy and available.
Let the 14 year old do pretty much whatever he wants. For yourself and your husband, keep in mind that this is a numbers game. People lose weight eating the exact same foods that they were eating before as long as they are eating in smaller portions. Your 12 year old -- he will be o.k. because he will learn by your example of paying attention and being more in touch with food.
Ways that I have learned to cook vegetables are 1) lightly stir frying with a tiny bit of oil and some water, 2) grilling and 3) baking.
Get stuff off your kitchen counter so that you have room for tools and appliances, especially a scale to weigh and measure food to log in the diary for yourself.
This is a long video but it shows how to bake broccoli. Squash and almost anything else would work as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYmzh5FFCNA

allaboutthefood wrote: »

We are on a tight budget and when I started my journey I knew I could not afford to buy separate foods for me and cook different meals for everyone.

Good point about eating the same food as the rest of your family—just practicing portion control.

TavistockToad wrote: »

You don't have to make it work for your whole family. You're responsible for yourself and your children, you can't 'fix' your husband, you can only support him if and when he chooses to help himself.

^This. Talk to your husband about eating healthier, but you cannot control what he eats outside the home. Lead by example. (Have you considered getting counseling?)

Ask your 14-year-old to help you find recipes on the internet. And talk to your 12-year-old's doctor.

Do active things together as a family: walking, hiking, amusement parks, waterparks, laser tag, paintball, swimming, miniature golf, flying kites… This is your opportunity to build a lifetime of healthy habits for your kids.