Do you lift Brah? Is precise track of Macros absolutely necessary???

VanessaResto1
VanessaResto1 Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
First of all Hi! Im new to this site! My name's Vanessa!
So , I'm new to this whole macro thing. I already figured out my blue print. I have been sort of tracking macros on this site. I don't own a food scale or weight scale. I weigh 149 and I'm 5'3 .I'm happy w my weight, but just want to gain muscle. I'm not an athlete , but recently decided to get into lifting. But I don't want the hassle of becoming obsessed with tracking (mostly weighing macros). I know I will get obsessed!!

I have been working out at home for more than three months with just body weight, a 20 pound kettle bell.. I didn't get gains and still have a little pooch on my lower belly, but I've accumulated resistance.. I recently went all out, found a bench , bought an Olympic weight set , pull up bar and resistance bands... and now have a gym membership.

My questions are, is it absolutely necessary to keep track of exact macros? Sometimes I go a little over protein than required for a day. I have a healthy eating habit, only eat out about 0-3 times a month. And how should my workout schedule (lifting) look like to gain muscle?? I'm currently satisfied w my weight and body, just want to loose a little pooch I carry on my lower stomach and get gains. I love to workout my legs.. Also of course, gain arm and back muscle.

Replies

  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    It is not necessary for most people to meet exact macros. Lifters and dieters should consider hitting an appropriate protein number and ensure they are getting adequate fat for hormonal reasons. Beyond that flexibility with macros works for most people.
  • Samrny
    Samrny Posts: 62 Member
    Going over on protein is a-okay.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    You can't meet exact macros no matter how hard you try anyway - food is never guaranteed to be accurate in the macro or calorie contents, and your goals can never be guaranteed to be optimal either. Instead, like measurements of all things, there is a certain level of uncertainty even when operations are handled as best as humanely possible. Everything exists as a range, and the more you're regularly in that range and the better researched the range (including personal experimentation) the more you'll be near an optimal output range.

    The harder your goals become, the more optimizations will matter.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    "My questions are, is it absolutely necessary to keep track of exact macros."

    Don't confuse optimal with necessary.
    If you are an elite athlete where every fraction of a percentage point matters the context is very different to someone with very general improvement goals.

    I much prefer regarding protein and fat as minimum goals to give dietary flexibility which helps adherence.
    Long term adherence beats short term perfection.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
    For most people now. But I love numbers so I like it :).
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    No
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