I'm just hungry and very confused

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anitamorales992
anitamorales992 Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been working out for about 7-8 months now, but didn't start taking it serious till about 4-5 months ago. Trying to build muscle. Before this I've never ever cared about what I consumed and wasn't super active ,all this is still pretty new to me, but I've stuck with it and am loving it.
When I first started I was a very skinny 115lbs I'm around 120lbs with nice muscle definition, but not yet where I want to be!
So I started this 6 week meal plan (have never ever done this before) and for the first three weeks I'm not adding salt to my meals, I'm on my 5th day. Well I am still a little confused on how macros work.
I'm am supposed to take in 2,357calories a day and my macros are 60%carbs 20% fats and proteins, and these past 2 days I've reached my macro goal but have fallen short on my calories. It's confusing, should I worry more about macros, calories....which one ?! I don't know. Also do I have to stay strictly to my meal plan out can I swap things in and out?

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  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
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    Do your macros add up to your caloric goals? Multiple your macros by their caloric value and add them to see total calories you're consuming. Don't pay attention to calories stated at the end of the day. Most of the time I hit my macros that add up to my set calories, and MFP sometimes says I need 100+ more calories. It's the food labels that are causing it. Just focus on hitting your macros(: more accurate.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    anitamorales992 wrote: »
    I've been working out for about 7-8 months now, but didn't start taking it serious till about 4-5 months ago. Trying to build muscle. Before this I've never ever cared about what I consumed and wasn't super active ,all this is still pretty new to me, but I've stuck with it and am loving it.
    When I first started I was a very skinny 115lbs I'm around 120lbs with nice muscle definition, but not yet where I want to be!
    So I started this 6 week meal plan (have never ever done this before) and for the first three weeks I'm not adding salt to my meals, I'm on my 5th day. Well I am still a little confused on how macros work.
    I'm am supposed to take in 2,357calories a day and my macros are 60%carbs 20% fats and proteins, and these past 2 days I've reached my macro goal but have fallen short on my calories. It's confusing, should I worry more about macros, calories....which one ?! I don't know. Also do I have to stay strictly to my meal plan out can I swap things in and out?

    Are you looking at your macro percentage break downs, or at your total numbers? If you are using the app and looking at the pie chart, it doesn't give regard to total calories, just the break down percentage.

    If you are looking at nutrient totals, as in your goal for say protein is 100 grams and you are reaching 100 grams, then you are simply eating foods that are very nutritionally dense. would leave you more flexibility to spread out your calories more, and fill any voids you have. If you are trying to build muscle and add weight with it, you need that calorie surplus.

    If you open your diary others could take a look.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,365 Member
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    Are you logging exercise? If so, it may be that you are coming up short due to MFP adding back exercise calories to your calorie allowance.
  • anitamorales992
    anitamorales992 Posts: 2 Member
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    I just opened my diary! And no I'm not adding my exercise,just my food. And thank you all for helping, it's making a little more sense now
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    You aren't hitting the goals which is what those green and red numbers are telling you. You may have hit the % macro split but of a smaller number :

    6izhhnzrwqsi.jpg
  • diyadiamonds
    diyadiamonds Posts: 74 Member
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    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    Do your macros add up to your caloric goals? Multiple your macros by their caloric value and add them to see total calories you're consuming. Don't pay attention to calories stated at the end of the day. Most of the time I hit my macros that add up to my set calories, and MFP sometimes says I need 100+ more calories. It's the food labels that are causing it. Just focus on hitting your macros(: more accurate.

    Accurate. ☺
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,390 Member
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    @anitamorales992

    Peeking today, it looks like you sorted things out. Killed that protein intake today!
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    edited November 2015
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    Carbs way too high. Cut to 40 percent max.

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