Macro Confusion

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julestar777
julestar777 Posts: 60 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi there, just wondering how ppl get to their daily macros and stay within calories?? I am satisfied and keeping to my calorie goal but my macros always in the green, not even close often only getting to half, any advice or links would be ace. Thanks

Replies

  • cdudley628
    cdudley628 Posts: 547 Member
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    I have this problem with certain macros. I was thinking if I exercised more I would actually be able to eat over 1300 calories and be closer to hitting them.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    The fact that I eat a low-fat diet means I'll never hit the amount advised for the average person. It also means that it's harder to cram in all the protein I should eat.

    I tend to work on my protein in bursts. I work really hard for a while, then I get sick of eating foods I don't really want to eat and give up and quit working on protein. This is not the smartest or healthiest way to go about it, but even in this ridiculous, stupid way I've done things, I've managed to about double the amount I once ate.

    I eat a high-carb diet, for sure. I pay much more attention to making sure I get my vitamins and minerals (especially those I'm low on or have trouble with) than I do my macros. I pick a few things at a time and work on those. When I'm confident that I'm good on one, pick another thing to work on.

    All at once - it would've been too much, too frustrating. I'd have caved in and failed.
  • fi_b
    fi_b Posts: 121 Member
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    Generally there will be one or two macros that are most important to you, depending on your goals.
    For me, carbs is the one I tend to ignore and let the chips fall as they may. I focus on getting my protein and will go for good fats over carbs. But this is just how I eat for my body type, so is not universal.
    Having said that,it is important that you are getting enough protein as it is easy to lose muscle along with fat when you are looking for weight loss. As muscle burns more calories than your fat does, it is important to retain as much muscle mass as possible.
    Are all of your macros in the green each day?
  • tayloralanj
    tayloralanj Posts: 137 Member
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    I am in a similar situation, I am shooting for 131ish grams of protein/day, if I hit that, I forget the rest,,,some days I'm really hurting on the carbs but my protein is normally where I want it.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    You can change your macro settings if the off numbers are annoying: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals

    (Just found out I can get Premium now. Yay! Thanks, but no thanks :D )
  • EspressoLvr
    EspressoLvr Posts: 100 Member
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    If you are on a very low calorie diet, you won't hit your macros. I accidentally stumbled across my calorie sweet spot by trying to hit my macros. I lose better on 1500 than I ever did on 1200, and that extra 300 calories a day feels like an indulgence!
  • julestar777
    julestar777 Posts: 60 Member
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    Thanks for your responses.
    Yes my macros are in the green each day and i am eating 1500 or more depending on my exercise outputs. I am loosing weight and i feel like i am eating really well but then look at macros and i am just so low in some of them. Sometimes it's a bit too confusing and just eat to feel good!!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,982 Member
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    If you change your Diary Sharing to Public we can take a look and make specific suggestions on tweaks you can make: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • SYDCHIC
    SYDCHIC Posts: 7 Member
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    I'm glad I'm not the only one. If you set your daily calorie count to 1200 do the macros automatically spread out % to what it should be?

  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    edited October 2015
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    It really depends on your Goals I'm always way over on Fat and Protein trying to save the muscle I have while maintaining current weight. If I did what MFP prescribes I would have no muscle left they want me at like 60 grams of protein and I eat a three times that everyday and the carbs they had me on were like 300.. I eat two sometimes three meals a day get 75-110 grams of Fat 160-200 grams of protein and try to keep my carbs under 100. Why I like this Macro set up I'm strong, my skin is healthy, keeping muscle and losing or maintaining my weight.. 184lbs-187lbs past 4 months:):)

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