Need help with macros

tmraines87
tmraines87 Posts: 8 Member
edited December 4 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey y'all! I'm VERY new to macro counting.

Sooooo, any help is appreciated.

I'm 143 lb
Female
28
I'm 5'2
I am mostly sedentary during the day for work.
I do lift 5-6 days a week.
I've been eating around 1200-1500 calories depending on hunger.

Please help me!

Replies

  • terrinicolefit
    terrinicolefit Posts: 99 Member
    I would use iifym.com :) If you need further help let me know! I sent you a request :)
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    There's no substitute for your personal experience. Maybe start with 33% daily calories from fat, carb & protein ? I feel best on that breakdown, but try and see how it works for you. Endurance athletes feel better with higher carb. Diabetics feel better with lower carb. Fat, even though highly caloric, is super satiating to some, so they prefer HFLC. Protein is satiating, too, but it's expensive and regularly eating too much can cause kidney issues. Experiment and give it time to produce good results. Good luck!
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    Here's what I've done with my macros for a while, and it works great when done at an appropriate calorie level of your weight loss goals.

    Protein: ~0.8-1.2 g/lb of bodyweight...so ~115-170 g/day
    Fat: ~20-30% of your daily calories
    Carbs: the rest of your calories

    Also, check out this podcast. It is an awesome discussion on macros and flexible dieting. It'll really help you get started. Be sure to ask if you have questions. I'd be happy to help you out.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_yzbp82pCM
  • jolive7
    jolive7 Posts: 283 Member
    If you lift 5 times a week 1200 definitely not enough! Your total daily energy expenditure is around 1850 calories. For you, I would probably consider keeping that at around 1500. You don't want to go too low if you are lifting.

    My calculations:
    140gram protein = 560 calories
    42gram fat = 380 calories
    140 gram carbs - 560 calories
    1500 calories
  • Dano74
    Dano74 Posts: 503 Member
    edited September 2016
    terbusha wrote: »
    Here's what I've done with my macros for a while, and it works great when done at an appropriate calorie level of your weight loss goals.

    Protein: ~0.8-1.2 g/lb of bodyweight...so ~115-170 g/day
    Fat: ~20-30% of your daily calories
    Carbs: the rest of your calories

    Also, check out this podcast. It is an awesome discussion on macros and flexible dieting. It'll really help you get started. Be sure to ask if you have questions. I'd be happy to help you out.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_yzbp82pCM

    As a followup- Norton (the dude giving the podcast above) has his own $10 a month site called Avatar Nutrition. Well worth it and ridiculously flexible by goal for the IIFYM starter. Lays it all out, calculates your macros and hand guides you through every step of making it all work. Ridiculously worthwhile resource if you're serious about it.
  • Kait_Dee
    Kait_Dee Posts: 176 Member
    @Dano74 speaks the truth...! Avatar Nutrition is a fantastic resource and worth the $..!
  • Dano74
    Dano74 Posts: 503 Member
    Kait_Dee wrote: »
    @Dano74 speaks the truth...! Avatar Nutrition is a fantastic resource and worth the $..!

    Witness!!
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    One slight variation from what @terbusha said above. Personally I don't think % are a great way to set out macros.

    Protein = 0.8-1.5g/lbs
    Fat = 0.4g/lbs (minimum)
    Carbs = Remainder of calories
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Agree with @trigden1991
    Fixed macro ratios or percentages are restrictive for no good reason, hit your protein and fat minimums and let the rest fall wherever it falls.
    Especially if you are eating to a variable calorie goal like the OP.
  • michellealyssa92
    michellealyssa92 Posts: 1 Member
    tmraines87 wrote: »
    Hey y'all! I'm VERY new to macro counting.

    Sooooo, any help is appreciated.

    I'm 143 lb
    Female
    28
    I'm 5'2
    I am mostly sedentary during the day for work.
    I do lift 5-6 days a week.
    I've been eating around 1200-1500 calories depending on hunger.

    Please help me!

    I'm just starting out as well! Tried too many low cal diets that just never stuck. Hoping tracking my macros and flexible dieting will make it a bit easier. This week I started out back at the gym and next week starts my first week of IIFYM. Any tips or advice is definitely welcomed!
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
    I like the above recommendations, but my wife and I keep our fats lower, 20% total calorie intake an around. 25-.27 per pound. Some people will scream this is too low but we have done well on it. 1- 1.2 grams of protein per pound.
  • grapaj
    grapaj Posts: 136 Member
    Question -- is weighing all foods essential to IIFYM success? I'd like to shed 10-15lbs of fat but know myself and know that I won't be consistent with this aspect.
    Off to check out the Avatar Nutrition site...
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
    Weighing your food is the only way to really know how much you are getting. Estimating portions and even measuring cups leave lots of room for error. You can have several hundred calorie swings easily. Condiments especially can be a killer.
  • grapaj
    grapaj Posts: 136 Member
    CasperNaegle wrote: »
    Weighing your food is the only way to really know how much you are getting. Estimating portions and even measuring cups leave lots of room for error. You can have several hundred calorie swings easily. Condiments especially can be a killer.

    Roger that, thanks.
  • karafindsfit35
    karafindsfit35 Posts: 7 Member
    Many thanks to those of you who posted above about Avatar Nutrition. I checked it out over the weekend and signed up on the spot. The resources there are amazing and perfect for those of us who are newbies to IIFYM. I'm very impressed with the research aspect--I'm a research librarian in an academic library and work with many of our graduate level medical programs. I just never took the step of applying the research to myself :smile: . I appreciate the recommendation!
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