Carbs, Protein Fats

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sydneyregan
sydneyregan Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 24, 5"3' and 170lbs, I'm looking at getting back down to 130lbs. Looking for help with my macros and calorie intake! Thanks in advance

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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Set MFP using your activity level to lose 1-2 lbs per week. Macros are kind of personal preference but my suggestion is .8g protein per pound of lean mass or even body weight, .3-.35g fat per pound of body weight, the rest in carbs. If you like lower carb you can bring your protein up and lower carbs.
  • sydneyregan
    sydneyregan Posts: 32 Member
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    Right now it is set at Calories 1200. Carbs 150g, Protein 60g and Fats 40g. Should it be changed?
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
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    Yes that should be changed. MFP does not give near enough protein.
  • tlflag1620
    tlflag1620 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    sydneyregan wrote: »
    Right now it is set at Calories 1200. Carbs 150g, Protein 60g and Fats 40g. Should it be changed?

    Looks like the standard MFP settings, which is perfectly fine for a starting point. The main thing is to stick with a calorie goal. You may find going a bit higher on protein and fat, and lower on carbs, helps with satiety, but that's a personal preference thing. I find with higher carbs, my hunger and cravings get out of control, so I stick with low carb. But you have to start somewhere. You can put notes in your food diary about how your hunger level was on any given day. You may be able to gauge from that what macro split is most helpful for you. I would suggest viewing your protein and fat goals as minimums to reach, and don't worry if you don't get the full amount of carbs (so long as you are getting adequate fiber, which can also be tracked).
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    sydneyregan wrote: »
    Right now it is set at Calories 1200. Carbs 150g, Protein 60g and Fats 40g. Should it be changed?

    Did you choose "sedentary"? And 2 lbs per week? Are you really sedentary? What is your daily life/activity level like?

    And yes, please in the name of god change your protein setting.
  • sydneyregan
    sydneyregan Posts: 32 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    sydneyregan wrote: »
    Right now it is set at Calories 1200. Carbs 150g, Protein 60g and Fats 40g. Should it be changed?

    Did you choose "sedentary"? And 2 lbs per week? Are you really sedentary? What is your daily life/activity level like?

    And yes, please in the name of god change your protein setting.

    It's set at 2lbs per week, my activity level is pretty moderate. A run and every second day and body weight workout on the days in between. I'm new at the whole macro counting so I'm just wondering what they should be set at
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited July 2016
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    That macro ratio is fine if it keeps you satiated. If it doesn't, you might bump up your protein and fat percentages and/or eat some more fiber.

    With your starting weight, I wouldn't set it for more than 1 pound per week and maybe even 0.5 pounds per week. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Personally, 1350 calories is a much more sustainable calorie goal for me. 1200 just wasn't enough.

    As for protein, the RDA for women is 46 grams so 60 grams is 130% of RDA. 60 grams should be fine if you don't want more than that. If you do want more, many recommend that you eat 0.8 grams of protein per pound of your ideal weight.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    seska422 wrote: »
    That macro ratio is fine if it keeps you satiated. If it doesn't, you might bump up your protein and fat percentages and/or eat some more fiber.

    With your starting weight, I wouldn't set it for more than 1 pound per week and maybe even 0.5 pounds per week. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. Personally, 1350 calories is a much more sustainable calorie goal for me. 1200 just wasn't enough.

    At 5'3" and 170 pounds you don't have to be shooting for .5 lbs per week. There is a decent amount of weight to be lost. I started 5'4" in the 160s and was very comfortable losing 2 lbs per week for awhile. Not too long, but it was a nice confidence booster and motivator.

    OP, you don't have to be eating 1200 calories either. You're going to be "eating back" your exercise calories. You can also just start somewhere around 1500 and see how you feel.
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
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    I use this calculator, makes it pretty straightforward...

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Plug in all your stats, your activity level, and then it tells you what you need to eat to lose weight at the selected rate you chose. I've found it to be pretty accurate in the past for me.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    cdahl383 wrote: »
    I use this calculator, makes it pretty straightforward...

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Plug in all your stats, your activity level, and then it tells you what you need to eat to lose weight at the selected rate you chose. I've found it to be pretty accurate in the past for me.

    Yeah use this and tell us what it says.
  • sydneyregan
    sydneyregan Posts: 32 Member
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    2pnmc28jtwgs.png
  • sydneyregan
    sydneyregan Posts: 32 Member
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    38hsc8c97dwm.png

    Or this one

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