How to get accurate starting Macros?

bliss3589
bliss3589 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 2024 in Getting Started
I've gone to several websites and other resources and every single one gives me wildly different macros I should be adhering to. My BMR per MFP is 1409. I'm 36, female and 5' 5.5". How can I even start to be successful if according to one resource I'm under-eating and to another I'm overeating? How can I get the most accurate numbers? How often should I update them? I'm already baffled.

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    How much weight do you have to lose?
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    All calculators are just estimates. I would just pick one and go with it for 4-6 weeks, then evaluate based on the results you observe.
  • bliss3589
    bliss3589 Posts: 10 Member
    I would like to lose 20lbs more,and I've already lost 6. I'm not in a mad rush to do it. I've always been a healthy-ish eater, but I like BIG meals and rarely snack in-between. I only track my macros from morning to afternoon and then I try to eat a small, sensible dinner with nothing afterwards until breakfast the next day. I lift weights, but nothing very heavy. I upped my protein quite a bit to support my muscles and also keep me fuller, but I just don't take the Xg of carbs and Yg of protein too seriously if my suggested macros are all over the place. I stick to a caloric deficit and wing the rest, which is sure to backfire eventually.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Start with 0.8g of protein per pound of body weight and 0.4g of fat. Ballpark is fine; don't stress out about those too much. Treat those like minimums, so it's okay if you go over. Fill in the rest with carbs. Start there for 4-6 weeks and see how you feel. Satiety and energy levels are really individual, so you may feel better with a slightly different macro split. Basically, as long as you're in a deficit and aren't drastically low on protein or fat, you'll do just fine.
  • bliss3589
    bliss3589 Posts: 10 Member
    Thank you so much for the help! I'm seeing that much of this boils down to "don't eat crap". Trying to get all my protein and fat without blowing out on calories really limits the foods I shouldn't be eating anyway. I just need to find a good, healthy ways to fill up mid-day, when I'm my hungriest.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    what did MFP give you for calorie goals? set weight loss to .5-1lb a week, accurately estimate your activity level (sedentary vs. lightly active); each back a portion of exercise calories

    .8g protein per goal weight (or .8-1g per goal lean muscle mass) is really the one thing I focus on - personally, mine is set at 140g a day, regardless of other calories (fats/carbs I cycle)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited July 2017
    Put your stats into MFP and follow the calories & macros it gives you. It's more important that you develop accurate and consistent logging habits, including weighing your food, than stressing over 5-10 grams of macros. You can tweak the macros later if you need to. For most people, 50% c, 25% p, 25% f works just fine, and that's about what MFP gives you.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    bliss3589 wrote: »
    I've gone to several websites and other resources and every single one gives me wildly different macros I should be adhering to. My BMR per MFP is 1409. I'm 36, female and 5' 5.5". How can I even start to be successful if according to one resource I'm under-eating and to another I'm overeating? How can I get the most accurate numbers? How often should I update them? I'm already baffled.

    Macros are an individual thing...there is no singular, universally superior macro ratio. A marathon runner is gong to have a different macro breakdown than a body builder...a keto adherent is going to have a different macro breakdown than your typical vegan, etc...

    Macros aren't as much about weight loss as they are about performance, recovery, and body composition. Losing weight is first and foremost about calories. Higher protein when dieting is generally recommended to preserve muscle mass. You need a certain amount of dietary fat for general health...

    I don't typically get too worked up about macros...they're good to be aware of and I generally adhere to a higher protein diet, but I don't get my undies in a bunch about my macros.

  • xhunter561
    xhunter561 Posts: 77 Member
    If you already have been tracking your macros on the site compare the macros for each day. if you are gaining weight with your current take away from your fat or carbs unless your eating over 150g of protein. if your doing a high carb the main thing you need to look at is your carb intake and i'd say you should not need more than 200g of carbs on any day, same for high fat people you should not need more than 200g of fat (i normally don't even eat more than 130g of fat each day with my workouts and all) but listen to your body and don't get discouraged by a little slip up here and there as long as you catch it before it gets too major.

    in reality the only accurate why is to ignore the sites and go off what is causing a positive reaction for your goal. the main thing you need to keep in mind is that your two choices of energy is carb and fat. neither one of them will make you gain muscle and both have the ability to make you gain body fat or loss body fat. protein might be the easiest to measure though with 1 g = 1 pound of muscle ( don't include fat pounds). And watch out about the types of proteins because you might require more or less depending on if it is meat based or plant based. when it comes to carbs and fat i'd personally only choose the one that my body works better with (Which is fat, have a problem with carbs that are none fiber).

    when i look at my macros my protein is normally fixed for each day between 50g to 100g, sense i don't use carbs that much i fixed it around 20g to 30g for each day, so the only thing i have to judge is my fat intake (saturated fats). i am 5'3 and 130 and losing fat.

    a guess for you could fix your protein to what you need to keep muscle starting near 60g to 100g to start and see what that does for your strength. but when it comes to energy sources you need to make sure the carbs are healthy and the fats saturated. high carb i'd say limit your fats to about 20g to 30g each day, high fat you'd start with limiting carbs to 20g to 30g.

    if you meet all your macro needs don't sweat if you fall a little under 1200 or 1000 calories each day. but choose a starting point and experiment because your genetics and requirements are unique.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    All calculators are just estimates. I would just pick one and go with it for 4-6 weeks, then evaluate based on the results you observe.

    This^

    The calculators can't know your body fat % and the calculators can't know your activity level.....which isn't just 1 number, it's actually a range of activity. So calculators take averages. Both these things are going to change how many calories your body uses.

    1200 is a DEFAULT (read as one-size-fits-all) minimum. Most women can lose weight while eating more. The way MFP works.....you choose a weekly weight loss goal and you get a calorie goal before exercise. If you choose an aggressive goal, or you are very petite, or you are elderly....you are assigned 1200. When you log exercise, you earn more calories.

    If you know exercise will be consistent, then use a TDEE calculator (maintenance) and take a % off.

    Macros - protein, fat, carbs. This is personal preference based on goals, medical, etc. I started with the "usual," then tweaked as necessary.
  • TeddyK4975
    TeddyK4975 Posts: 106 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    All calculators are just estimates. I would just pick one and go with it for 4-6 weeks, then evaluate based on the results you observe.

    This..^^^
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    xhunter561 wrote: »
    If you already have been tracking your macros on the site compare the macros for each day. if you are gaining weight with your current take away from your fat or carbs unless your eating over 150g of protein. if your doing a high carb the main thing you need to look at is your carb intake and i'd say you should not need more than 200g of carbs on any day, same for high fat people you should not need more than 200g of fat (i normally don't even eat more than 130g of fat each day with my workouts and all) but listen to your body and don't get discouraged by a little slip up here and there as long as you catch it before it gets too major.

    in reality the only accurate why is to ignore the sites and go off what is causing a positive reaction for your goal. the main thing you need to keep in mind is that your two choices of energy is carb and fat. neither one of them will make you gain muscle and both have the ability to make you gain body fat or loss body fat. protein might be the easiest to measure though with 1 g = 1 pound of muscle ( don't include fat pounds). And watch out about the types of proteins because you might require more or less depending on if it is meat based or plant based. when it comes to carbs and fat i'd personally only choose the one that my body works better with (Which is fat, have a problem with carbs that are none fiber).

    when i look at my macros my protein is normally fixed for each day between 50g to 100g, sense i don't use carbs that much i fixed it around 20g to 30g for each day, so the only thing i have to judge is my fat intake (saturated fats). i am 5'3 and 130 and losing fat.

    a guess for you could fix your protein to what you need to keep muscle starting near 60g to 100g to start and see what that does for your strength. but when it comes to energy sources you need to make sure the carbs are healthy and the fats saturated. high carb i'd say limit your fats to about 20g to 30g each day, high fat you'd start with limiting carbs to 20g to 30g.

    if you meet all your macro needs don't sweat if you fall a little under 1200 or 1000 calories each day. but choose a starting point and experiment because your genetics and requirements are unique.

    huh - no more than 200g carb a day - I'm losing weight (slowly) on 350g carbs a day; if people are on LCHF, then they could easily be doing 150g+ fat a day (assuming 75% fat on a 2000cal diet)
  • bliss3589
    bliss3589 Posts: 10 Member
    Thank you all for the input, it's good to know not to take it all too seriously. I've been maintaining the same weight for 2 weeks now despite increasing my workouts, so I'm going to reduce my caloric intake and go from there.
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