Calories? Macros? Both?

mommasharn58
mommasharn58 Posts: 6 Member
edited December 2 in Health and Weight Loss
I have read in many places that as long as you have a calorie deficit you should lose weight. I rarely eat all of my calories (around 1400), but my macros are a mess. I struggle with getting all of that protein in, so consequently my carbs are higher.

I'm not losing weight, even with hitting the gym 3X a week for strength training and walking/biking the other days at home.

Shouldn't I be losing weight if I'm at a calorie deficit? Or, do macros play a bigger role in the whole thing?

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    for weight loss it's all about calories

    for health, fitness, nutrition and body comp macros are important too...but they aren't exclusive of the calories.

    Yes you should be if you are in a calorie deficit...but do you use a food scale? correct entries? log consistently and accurately?

    The next thing is that new exercise can cause water/glycogen stores in the muscle which will mask weight loss for a while.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    edited May 2016
    Hi, yes you should be losing weight if you were on a caloric deficit. If you're not losing (for a long time, as in 3 weeks and more) then you're not on a deficit (even though you might think you are). There are a couple of possibilities:
    1. You don't use a digital scale to measure all your food. Therefore you eat more than you think you are.
    2. You haven't lost weight in the last week or two only, which could mean you are retaining water. In this case you need to be more patient and the weight will come off.

    Macros have nothing to do with weight loss.

    Also your diary is not open to the public (from settings). You could open it if you want more detailed advice.
  • sammycat1
    sammycat1 Posts: 56 Member
    Yup all the above. It is calories.

    I too have a hard time reaching my protein macro but it doesn't make a difference as long as your in deficit you will lose. Take a look at this site http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/ probably the best no nonsense article explaining calories and although it's a long article it will give you macros to shoot for but drives the message home about calories.

This discussion has been closed.

Categories