Calculating Calorie Intake, BMR, and Macronutrients

2

Replies

  • VickiMitkins
    VickiMitkins Posts: 249 Member
    Read your other post and agree with all of it. It's a shame such mis-information is out there. I'm not terribly familiar with the idea of macros but this is helpful. I worry that I don't eat enough whole grains due to gluten intollerance. Also Hypothryoid, so always try to eat lots of protien. I plan to review again later and see if I can figure out what I should be eating.

    Personally, I make up part of my fiber with psyllium. And the calorie difference from not eating as many carbs, I make up with unsaturated fat mostly mono unsaturated as best I can tell. No real research on that, it is just what makes me feel better. Making it up in protein just doesn't make me feel as good.

    I have been taking inulin with breakfast for quite a while. I added psyllium to every meal about a month ago . I take 3-4 of the Earth Fare brand with each meal. With all that, I'm averabing about 20-25 grams a day. I wish it were higher. Many days I have no grains at all, so it is difficult. I do get a good bit of unsaturated fats. We use a lot of olive oil, avacado, etc. I eat at least 6 fruits & veggies a day and most days more. I'm trying to add more beans for more fiber and protien, but have not really figured a healthful way of adding a serving each day. Maybe I'll start making my own humus. That might be a good way to get more beans daily.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    Read your other post and agree with all of it. It's a shame such mis-information is out there. I'm not terribly familiar with the idea of macros but this is helpful. I worry that I don't eat enough whole grains due to gluten intollerance. Also Hypothryoid, so always try to eat lots of protien. I plan to review again later and see if I can figure out what I should be eating.

    Personally, I make up part of my fiber with psyllium. And the calorie difference from not eating as many carbs, I make up with unsaturated fat mostly mono unsaturated as best I can tell. No real research on that, it is just what makes me feel better. Making it up in protein just doesn't make me feel as good.

    I have been taking inulin with breakfast for quite a while. I added psyllium to every meal about a month ago . I take 3-4 of the Earth Fare brand with each meal. With all that, I'm averabing about 20-25 grams a day. I wish it were higher. Many days I have no grains at all, so it is difficult. I do get a good bit of unsaturated fats. We use a lot of olive oil, avacado, etc. I eat at least 6 fruits & veggies a day and most days more. I'm trying to add more beans for more fiber and protien, but have not really figured a healthful way of adding a serving each day. Maybe I'll start making my own humus. That might be a good way to get more beans daily.

    Well, I like to eat an apple a day. That is 5 grams of fiber, and/or strawberries which is a pretty good source of fiber (you can eat a half pound of strawberries for under 80 calories so it is my go to decadence food). I am not familiar with your psyllium product because I use the capsules since I am worried about possible respiratory reactions, I take 3 grams per meal which equals 6 capsules at a time.

    Japanese persimmons have alot of fiber, but I have a negative reaction to them.

    You might try going to nutritiondata.com there you can search for foods highest in with lowest in and in a particular group (which is how I found the persimmons.
  • kerriknox
    kerriknox Posts: 276 Member
    great thread. about time someone posted this :)

    Thanks.

    I like your "IF + IIFYM = :)" sig. hehe

    I do the same although I incorporate carb cycling with the intermittent fasting while doing IIFYM.

    What is IF + IIFYM ??
  • gailosborne
    gailosborne Posts: 435
    Thanks this is helpful :smile:
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    What is IF + IIFYM ??

    IF = Intermittent Fasting
    IIFYM = If It Fits Your Macros


    Intermittent Fasting is "normally" fasting for a straight 16 hour period out of 24 hours, and then having an 8 hour feed window in which you still hit your macros/calorie intake, etc. based on your goals. It's extremely effective.

    If It Fits Your Macros means that it does not matter what foods you eat as long as it fits within your daily macro's to complete your calorie intake for the day based on your goals.

    For example: I eat a decent lunch and mid afternoon snack and hit my minimum protein macro and my minimum fat macro, and let's say I have 800 calories left for the day. If I go have a slice of pepperoni pizza thats 800 calories, or a bacon double cheeseburger thats 800 calories then it's fine.

    In a nutshell: The type of food does not matter one bit when it comes to weight loss.

    Like I said in one of my threads:

    40g of protein, 20g of fat, and 80g of carbs in a slice of pepperoni pizza

    IS THE SAME AS...

    40g of protein, 20g of fat, and 80g of carbs in a 6oz chicken breast, 1 cup of veggies, and 2 cups of brown rice


    To add: Alot of bodybuilders and athletes will use this IIFYM method to eat foods they enjoy. They still eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and take their fish oil and a GOOD multivitamin for general health.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member

    I do the same although I incorporate carb cycling with the intermittent fasting while doing IIFYM.

    Me too :smile: Works well IMO.
  • lapamperedchef
    lapamperedchef Posts: 61
    bump
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
    yes thanks, that's a lot of info and it's going to take awhile for me to 'learn' that. are you a nutritionist?
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
    What is IF + IIFYM ??

    IF = Intermittent Fasting
    IIFYM = If It Fits Your Macros


    Intermittent Fasting is "normally" fasting for a straight 16 hour period out of 24 hours, and then having an 8 hour feed window in which you still hit your macros/calorie intake, etc. based on your goals. It's extremely effective.

    If It Fits Your Macros means that it does not matter what foods you eat as long as it fits within your daily macro's to complete your calorie intake for the day based on your goals.

    For example: I eat a decent lunch and mid afternoon snack and hit my minimum protein macro and my minimum fat macro, and let's say I have 800 calories left for the day. If I go have a slice of pepperoni pizza thats 800 calories, or a bacon double cheeseburger thats 800 calories then it's fine.

    In a nutshell: The type of food does not matter one bit when it comes to weight loss.

    Like I said in one of my threads:

    40g of protein, 20g of fat, and 80g of carbs in a slice of pepperoni pizza

    IS THE SAME AS...

    40g of protein, 20g of fat, and 80g of carbs in a 6oz chicken breast, 1 cup of veggies, and 2 cups of brown rice


    To add: Alot of bodybuilders and athletes will use this IIFYM method to eat foods they enjoy. They still eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and take their fish oil and a GOOD multivitamin for general health.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    I endorse this thread. Haha seriously, awesome! Very organized and accurate!
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Mods-

    Is there anyway to put some scotch tape or glue on this please or do we just need to keep bumping? ;)
  • kje2011
    kje2011 Posts: 502 Member
    bump,
    lot of informaiton, thx
  • sl1mmy
    sl1mmy Posts: 185
    bump
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Mods-

    Is there anyway to put some scotch tape or glue on this please or do we just need to keep bumping? ;)

    at present, no. It's crazy?
  • DanaSD
    DanaSD Posts: 5 Member
    bump
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Bumping for people to read, re-read and read it again until it sinks. :)
  • ladybug2020
    ladybug2020 Posts: 83 Member
    bump
  • blueillusion3
    blueillusion3 Posts: 151 Member
    tons of information!!! thanks :)
  • donnaeve8
    donnaeve8 Posts: 113 Member
    Way toooo complicated for me. Thought it was supposed to be a simple "more calories out then in"? Now the rules are different. I don't pay much attention to my protein, carbs, etc except to try not to over them.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Way toooo complicated for me. Thought it was supposed to be a simple "more calories out then in"? Now the rules are different. I don't pay much attention to my protein, carbs, etc except to try not to over them.

    1. Calories in versus Calories out is FIRST priority.

    2. Hitting your macros is SECOND.

    Example:

    Lets pretend you burn 2000 calories in a 24 hour period. You are eating 1500 calories in a 24 hour period.

    You are slated to lose 1lb a week if you continue you at this pace.

    Let's also pretend that your macros are like this:

    200g carbs
    10g fat
    50g protein

    This may not be exact, just using as an example. The high carb count and extremely low fat carb are going to most likely cause your weight to drop but also flucuate back and forth until you hit a plateau and come to a screeching halt. Not only that but you'll bloat so bad with water weight that it will frustrate you to no end.

    Your macros are off and need to be corrected.

    This is why you have people on this board that will swear by eating at a caloric deficit but then stop losing and plateau. Their macros aren't correct. Then they change their eating habits (maybe they start eating a little more food), and their macros suddenly change and they start losing weight again.


    Bottom line is this:

    If you start with a 500 calorie deficit below your maintenance in a 24 hour period, and you "hit" your macros every single day CORRECTLY, unless you have a thyroid problem or maybe diabetes, I will guarantee you weight loss over the long term. You MUST find your maintenance and be atleast 90% accurate with it.
  • donnaeve8
    donnaeve8 Posts: 113 Member
    I appreciate your explanation, but it is way too complicated for me to figure out what to eat during the day that will give me x amount of protein and x amount of fat and so on. I have tried zig-zagging before and that was too hard so this is way over the top for me.
    I'm sure it will be helpful for others though!

    ~Donna
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Bump because it's a new week. :)
  • spinaddict4life
    spinaddict4life Posts: 93 Member
    What website do you reccommend to find your calorie burn daily ? I am 5'5 199 pounds work at a desk but workout for 70 minutes including weights 6 days a week. Three days of that week are spin
  • bluegirl10
    bluegirl10 Posts: 695 Member
    bump
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    What website do you reccommend to find your calorie burn daily ? I am 5'5 199 pounds work at a desk but workout for 70 minutes including weights 6 days a week. Three days of that week are spin

    Well not so much websites themselves, but formulas.

    This formula is probably the most accurate:

    BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)
    Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

    LBM is Lean Body Mass, and in order to get this you really need a good estimation of what your bodyfat % is. This can be tough to find to be honest. If you go into a decent gym like Gold's they have a tool that is about 93-94% accurate.

    There are a few other tools or ways to get it as well. You can make the investment and buy either a Bodybugg or a Bodymedia FIT. They run roughly $200 or so. You can order one online and walk into Best Buy and buy one. These tools are about 90-92% accurate and the longer you wear it the more it gets accustomed to your body....hence the more accurate it is.

    Another way is to eat normally and track everything (calorie wise) for about 3-4 weeks and attempt to eat the same amount of calories for those 3-4 weeks. If your weight remains the same after 3-4 weeks then you have found your maintenance level.

    Finding out your maintenance (calorie burn) everyday in a 24 hour period is probably THE most important aspect of starting your weight loss or CONTINUING your weigh loss journey. You must get this if you want to have long term success.
  • rocky282
    rocky282 Posts: 47 Member
    This post is super educational, very well written and super friendly. I would feel alot better if you would be willing to help me with my math so here are some stats...

    Height 5'2" (girl)
    Weight 223.8

    My lowest weight was 125, and then I was doing 6 hours of cardio type stuff (playing percussion with marching band, dancing, weight lifting, running, martial arts etc...) I can honestly say that aside from my chest I was pretty rock hard at that point. :)

    Lifestyle - disabled mom of 3 so mostly sitting walking but it is never very graceful. I do play with the kids during the day getting up and down off the floor and dancing while sitting. Early to rise about 5:45am kinda late to bed about 10pm. On tons of meds, and just 4 weeks ago a major 3 day dose of steroids which reaked havoc. I have to watch my carb intake as the doctor feels I am insullin resistant and working my way to diabetic. Let me know if any other info would help. I try to do 20 min of Wii 3 days a week, mostly the hula hoop, yoga or zumba (yes very ungracefully)

    I greatly appriciate any help you can lend!
  • ActiveTami
    ActiveTami Posts: 33 Member
    Thanks for the info! Now you've got me curious about my MICROS too. Where does fiber and sugars fit into all of this? Are they considered micronutrients?
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    This post is super educational, very well written and super friendly. I would feel alot better if you would be willing to help me with my math so here are some stats...

    Height 5'2" (girl)
    Weight 223.8

    My lowest weight was 125, and then I was doing 6 hours of cardio type stuff (playing percussion with marching band, dancing, weight lifting, running, martial arts etc...) I can honestly say that aside from my chest I was pretty rock hard at that point. :)

    Lifestyle - disabled mom of 3 so mostly sitting walking but it is never very graceful. I do play with the kids during the day getting up and down off the floor and dancing while sitting. Early to rise about 5:45am kinda late to bed about 10pm. On tons of meds, and just 4 weeks ago a major 3 day dose of steroids which reaked havoc. I have to watch my carb intake as the doctor feels I am insullin resistant and working my way to diabetic. Let me know if any other info would help. I try to do 20 min of Wii 3 days a week, mostly the hula hoop, yoga or zumba (yes very ungracefully)

    I greatly appriciate any help you can lend!

    Ugh.

    This may be more difficult than you realize, especially being borderline diabetic. Another problem is the meds you are currently on. I was going to suggest to you a keto diet but that may end up bringing in more health problems.

    I could come up with some numbers for you, but with the health issues it might do more harm then good. Let me work on it.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Thanks for the info! Now you've got me curious about my MICROS too. Where does fiber and sugars fit into all of this? Are they considered micronutrients?

    Fiber is considered a macronutrient.

    Micronutrients are your vitamins and minerals.

    Macronutrients are your proteins, carbs, fats, fatty acids, fiber.

    Regarding directly with weight loss, carbs, fats, and proteins are what you have to balance along with a calorie deficit under your maintenance to achieve weight loss depending on your goals, etc.
  • marianne_s
    marianne_s Posts: 983 Member
    bump
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