What is most important...calories or macros?
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deannalfisher wrote: »yeah there is something funky with the setting if it was giving her 1500cal for 2lbs and only 1440 for .5
I think she may have manually set her calories and macros judging by this and by her initial macros in her OP. I think she just doesn't understand how it all works - yet.
This site can confuse the heck out of people - we have so many varying points of view, and people try to synthesize various methods and don't get the big picture. I probably didn't help with the sexypants link. 1 -
cmriverside wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »yeah there is something funky with the setting if it was giving her 1500cal for 2lbs and only 1440 for .5
I think she may have manually set her calories and macros judging by this and by her initial macros in her OP. I think she just doesn't understand how it all works - yet. This site can confuse the heck out of people - we have so many varying points of view, and people try to synthesize various methods and don't get the big picture. I probably didn't help with the sexypants link.
lol! I need to check out the sexypants link - but I know that for me TDEE has been much easier than MFP but it can be confusing - thankfully, I have folks I pay money to who tell me how much to eat and recalculate based on my feedback
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deannalfisher wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »yeah there is something funky with the setting if it was giving her 1500cal for 2lbs and only 1440 for .5
I think she may have manually set her calories and macros judging by this and by her initial macros in her OP. I think she just doesn't understand how it all works - yet. This site can confuse the heck out of people - we have so many varying points of view, and people try to synthesize various methods and don't get the big picture. I probably didn't help with the sexypants link.
lol! I need to check out the sexypants link - but I know that for me TDEE has been much easier than MFP but it can be confusing - thankfully, I have folks I pay money to who tell me how much to eat and recalculate based on my feedback
Yeah, it was in the Eat Train Progress group which was gangbusters here for a while, and it's also in the sticky post/most important threads. I prefer the MFP way, but that's because my exercise is not as consistent as some people and I like the accounting for exercise/food on the day I actually do it.
They explain the difference, here:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
I know you probably know, it's just a good place to drop that link. 1 -
Thanks all. It is all so confusing. Yes, the 1500 was set manually based on other ways I was trying to lose weight. Alas, nothing has worked. Something starts to work, I lose 2 or 3 pounds and then by the end of the week, I am right back where I started.
I was always under the impression of eat less, move more...but that doesn't work anymore. I am beyond frustrated to say the least. 0 -
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Thank you cmriverside! This helps a lot!
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Try calculating your BMR yourself? I find it's very different than what MFP calculated for me.
655+ (4.35 x your weight in lbs) + (4.7 x your height in inches) + (4.7 x your age in years)
Then multiply that by your activity factor, and subtract around 500 calories for a healthy deficit. Gauge Girl Training has a great YouTube video about how to do the calculations yourself and figure out your macros from it! 0 -
Thanks all. It is all so confusing. Yes, the 1500 was set manually based on other ways I was trying to lose weight. Alas, nothing has worked. Something starts to work, I lose 2 or 3 pounds and then by the end of the week, I am right back where I started. I was always under the impression of eat less, move more...but that doesn't work anymore. I am beyond frustrated to say the least.
Are you using a food scale?
Are you double checking that the database entries you're using are correct?
You are not going to lose weight every week, even if you do everything perfect. Your body is more than just fat, the other stuff (especially water) will fluctuate every day, so you are not just seeing fat on the scale. It is about eating less and moving more, but you need to be patient and give what you are doing time to work! You should be looking for a trend down over months, not the beginning of the week to the end of the week 2 -
Thanks all. It is all so confusing. Yes, the 1500 was set manually based on other ways I was trying to lose weight. Alas, nothing has worked. Something starts to work, I lose 2 or 3 pounds and then by the end of the week, I am right back where I started. I was always under the impression of eat less, move more...but that doesn't work anymore. I am beyond frustrated to say the least.
And this frustration with you being up again by the end of the week is what my blabber about using a trending weight app connected to your fitbit for data entry is all about!
You can be losing fine and hitting your goals and you would NOT know it by weighting yourself and looking at the resulting number.
https://trendweight.com/u/be441bc8e6d543/chart/3m.png
Discrete weigh in on April 14 vs May 15: GAIN of 1.7lbs. Actual Trend: LOSS of 0.4lbs
Discrete weight in on May 9 vs June 8: GAIN of 0.1lbs. Actual Trend: LOSS of 1.6lbs3 -
Calories come from the macros you eat daily whether its protein, carbs or fats or a combination of all of these. If you are simply trying to lose weight then overall calories consumed is what really matters. If you are trying to achieve a certain type of physique or (body recomposition) like for a competition or just want to be muscular and lean then macros comes into play along with the calories that make up those daily macros. Because in order to lose body fat (you need to be in calorie deficit) and preserve muscle you need certain amount of protein daily and some fats as well...and carbs well they make life a little more fun.1
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@PAV8888 I don't have a fitbit anymore. It broke. Is there any website I can track my weight in daily?
If you still have your fitbit account (or want to just create one), www.trendweight.com is a good website to track weight. I use it linked to a Withings scale as I have a Garmin. It's the one @pav8888 linked to as well.1 -
I've been a yo-yo dieter for years, decades probably. I've done darn near every diet, calorie counting included. And it wasn't until I starting watching my carbs, and paying attention to my macros, that I've actually been consistent with losing. I do still have to watch my calories, but it is ultimately my macros, and the lack of carbs, that is keeping me sane and successful! Good luck!1
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@justjenny as @Tacklewasher mentioned all you need is the freely available (without a device) Fitbit.com account to link your weigh inputs to trendweight.com
Weightgrapher.com allows for manual entry. Set your "goal" "to maintain" to suppress useless commentary.1 -
I've been a yo-yo dieter for years, decades probably. I've done darn near every diet, calorie counting included. And it wasn't until I starting watching my carbs, and paying attention to my macros, that I've actually been consistent with losing. I do still have to watch my calories, but it is ultimately my macros, and the lack of carbs, that is keeping me sane and successful! Good luck!
Hmmmm... Sounds like insulin resistance!
But according to some folks on here, there's no way you wont lose fat if you're in a deficit no matter what your macros are.8 -
RAD_Fitness wrote: »I've been a yo-yo dieter for years, decades probably. I've done darn near every diet, calorie counting included. And it wasn't until I starting watching my carbs, and paying attention to my macros, that I've actually been consistent with losing. I do still have to watch my calories, but it is ultimately my macros, and the lack of carbs, that is keeping me sane and successful! Good luck!
Hmmmm... Sounds like insulin resistance!
But according to some folks on here, there's no way you wont lose fat if you're in a deficit no matter what your macros are.
Wait, you can diagnose IR from that comment? That's pretty amazing.
Since I'm not a doctor and haven't followed around this person through their years of trying to lose weight, I can't say it's not IR. I can say, it's just as possible that this person is not satiated by carbs and was subconsciously more accurate and capable of eating at a deficit when they started keeping their carbs lower. <shrug>7 -
When trying to lose weight is it more important to keep your calories low, or your macros? I just logged what I ate so far for the day, and my orange juice already put me over my sugar limit for the day. If I stay under my calories for the day, even if my macros are above the limits I set, will I still lose weight?
For me... losing weight is simply about keeping my calories under my maintenance level.
But, in order for me to manage my calorie levels successfully, I found it imperative to monitor the amount of fiber I get each day and to ensure a minimum of 30 grams protein per meal. I completely ignore fat grams and carbs, as I find they just work themselves out when I maintain the others.
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When trying to lose weight is it more important to keep your calories low, or your macros? I just logged what I ate so far for the day, and my orange juice already put me over my sugar limit for the day. If I stay under my calories for the day, even if my macros are above the limits I set, will I still lose weight?
For me... losing weight is simply about keeping my calories under my maintenance level.
But, in order for me to manage my calorie levels successfully, I found it imperative to monitor the amount of fiber I get each day and to ensure a minimum of 30 grams protein per meal. I completely ignore fat grams and carbs, as I find they just work themselves out when I maintain the others.
This is well said. While a calorie deficit will work for everyone, it seems pretty clear that many (if not all) who are successful at losing weight and maintaining the weight loss have identified the patterns of eating that personally help them feel full and satisfied. Since these can vary by person (I need a higher level of fat to feel good, other people are perfectly happy on a lower fat diet), it may require some observation to get it right. Some people do this through more organized plans (like keto/low carbohydrate), other people just make up their own guidelines.2 -
RAD_Fitness wrote: »I've been a yo-yo dieter for years, decades probably. I've done darn near every diet, calorie counting included. And it wasn't until I starting watching my carbs, and paying attention to my macros, that I've actually been consistent with losing. I do still have to watch my calories, but it is ultimately my macros, and the lack of carbs, that is keeping me sane and successful! Good luck!
Hmmmm... Sounds like insulin resistance!
But according to some folks on here, there's no way you wont lose fat if you're in a deficit no matter what your macros are.
Wait, you can diagnose IR from that comment? That's pretty amazing.
Since I'm not a doctor and haven't followed around this person through their years of trying to lose weight, I can't say it's not IR. I can say, it's just as possible that this person is not satiated by carbs and was subconsciously more accurate and capable of eating at a deficit when they started keeping their carbs lower. <shrug>
Sorry I will rephrase "Sounds like it could have been insulin resistance"
And in response to your comment, I agree, that is very possible as well.1 -
Thanks all. It is all so confusing. Yes, the 1500 was set manually based on other ways I was trying to lose weight. Alas, nothing has worked. Something starts to work, I lose 2 or 3 pounds and then by the end of the week, I am right back where I started. I was always under the impression of eat less, move more...but that doesn't work anymore. I am beyond frustrated to say the least.
You've received some very helpful advice and you're on a good track. You need to reset your expectations about losing considering you don't have a great amount to lose, so set your deficit rate at .5 lbs/week.
As for the macros and custom nature of MFP you can make changes in the settings section on the meal breakdown and with specifics you want to track. My diary is open if you want to see how I'm setup - you're welcome to it.
I think of this more in terms of root behaviors that lead you to goals. The whole point to logging and tracking is to have data to look back on and think about "what did I do differently?". Analyse your behavior, identify those "bad" behaviors that don't lead you to success, and replace these with "good" behaviors that lead you to success.
As far as actually losing weight - there are so many variables at play it is often difficult to see through all the noise and identify actual reduction in body fat %. Water weight fluctuations, hormonal flucutations which compounds water weight, etc. This is why you need to develop a long term mindset and look at a month or longer as opposed to a week.0 -
OP it sounds like you were confused, and hopefully a little less confused after this thread. Regardless, I still recommend reading through the stickied Most Helpful Forum Posts at the top of each section, in particular, this is a great collection of posts on various topics over the years:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1
Again, just to reiterate what others have said - weight loss comes from creating a sustained calorie deficit over time. Macro balance can help with satiety, energy, body composition, etc - but is just one component of achieving overall goals. Most people find that setting a reasonable goal in MFP (for you 0.5 lb/week is reasonable), logging accurately using a food scale, and focusing on a balance between foods that provide nutrition, satiety and enjoyment; as well as exercising for overall fitness - get them to or close to their goal.
Good luck.1 -
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@PAV8888 , I don't have a "fancy" scale. Just a plain old digital. I don't think these websites will work for that. Correct?
I would recommend the app Happy Scale (for iOs) or Libra (for Android). Weigh yourself each morning, after bathroom and without clothes, for the most consistent conditions. Enter the weight each day, and the app will smooth out the overall trend to show what's really going on.
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heidishmidi wrote: »And finally.. carbs. Not the devil, but there certainly are better ones than others. If you're straight up eating capn crunch for all your carbs, you're just more likely to feel like utter crap.
This us the best thing I read today. Lol0 -
@PAV8888 , I don't have a "fancy" scale. Just a plain old digital. I don't think these websites will work for that. Correct?
weightgrapher.com takes direct manual input.
Trendweight.com takes "manual" input by being connected to fitbit.com which accepts manual input of your weight either via the app or on the web.
Happy scale iphone takes manual input and so does libra android both from your phone.
I personally use trendweight via the fitbit.com integration which pushes weight data to both trendweight.com and mfp at the same time.
I have weight announcements turned off on MFP unless I chose to make them ;-)0 -
I started with weightgrapher.com and between yesterday and today I am already down a few ounces. I know it's not much, but it makes me happy. Once I see the results (however slight) I am more apt to stay on track. I have been logging all week. It's been a crazy busy, week, and I may have not made the best choices food wise on a couple of days, but I am working out every day and staying below my calorie count. I am also making sure I eat protein with every meal. Thank you all for all your advice! I am really finally learning how to stay on track! 0
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Just don't panic if it goes the other way on occasion. Between food and some beer, the scale was up 4 pounds yesterday morning for me. Back to normal today. There are all kinds of things that can make it go up or down in the short term. The important thing is a downward trend over time.I started with weightgrapher.com and between yesterday and today I am already down a few ounces. I know it's not much, but it makes me happy. Once I see the results (however slight) I am more apt to stay on track. I have been logging all week. It's been a crazy busy, week, and I may have not made the best choices food wise on a couple of days, but I am working out every day and staying below my calorie count. I am also making sure I eat protein with every meal. Thank you all for all your advice! I am really finally learning how to stay on track!
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I started with weightgrapher.com and between yesterday and today I am already down a few ounces. I know it's not much, but it makes me happy. Once I see the results (however slight) I am more apt to stay on track. I have been logging all week. It's been a crazy busy, week, and I may have not made the best choices food wise on a couple of days, but I am working out every day and staying below my calorie count. I am also making sure I eat protein with every meal. Thank you all for all your advice! I am really finally learning how to stay on track!
If you're using weightgrapher note that you can superimpose your previous 28 day (user adjustable) "period" so that you can see a visual comparison at the same times on your cycle (since 5lbs of water weight changes can easily overwhelm a slow weight loss).
Note the usual caveats of weighing:
similar time of day
similar conditions (clothes, location, scale setup, after using washroom, before eating, etc)
Scales sometimes need prodding to show change and exhibit fake consistency otherwise (grab a weight to weigh yourself with, then weight without the weight to force a change)
Water weight after a meal outside or novel or hard exercise..
There you go!0
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