Question about Macronutrients

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TheGoodGentleMan
TheGoodGentleMan Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Good afternoon friends. I just began my weight loss journy and I pretty new to all the information and looking my Macro-nutrients is says to have 261 grams of carbs. Is this normal for fat loss?

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  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    Losing fat/weight happens when you're in a calorie deficit.

    No particular macronutrient is responsible for weight gain or loss. There is nothing wrong with carbs - that amount is likely the default % given by MFP. Personally, I work out my intake by calculating protein at 0.8g per lb of body weight, fat at 0.35-0.45g per lb, and using these numbers as minimums. You can fill these rest of your calories how you like, be it all carbs, or more fat and protein.

    The types of foods you eat are personal preference - you may feel better on higher fat, or you may prefer carbs. Just stick to the calorie recommendation for the goal you're trying to achieve
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    If you just used the MFP settings, it gives you something like 50% carbs. The calories are what really matters for weight loss, but the macro ratio can help with sticking to your calorie range. I find 50% carbs to be really high, so I lowered that range manually to reflect how I normally tend to eat, which is between 100-150g of carbs. I like seeing all the numbers in the happy range and not going over.

    You could try that range to start and just see where you tend to end up with your macros eating normally, then just tweak as needed.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Have you started logging your meals yet? Pretty soon you will discover that all your meals have carbs. No biggie.

    As long as you eat less overall than you have been, you will lose weight.
  • TheGoodGentleMan
    TheGoodGentleMan Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you all! I just downloaded Myfitnesspal so I will begin logging tomorrow. I am the type of person who reads something like "You wont lose weight if you eat carbs" and worries and completely forgets the that losing weight is mainly from a calorie deficit. Thank you, I need to stop overthinking this stuff
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    Losing weight is only, not mainly, but only from a calorie deficit. Everything else anybody says is commentary about how to get yourself into a calorie deficit.
  • esmejay05
    esmejay05 Posts: 8 Member
    edited December 2017
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    Hey there!

    Trainee nutritionist here. :)

    Technically, without considering ANYTHING but weight loss (and completely disregarding health, wellbeing, and overall fitness) it's only the calories that count. For example, if you needed 2000 calories per day to lose 2lbs per week (literally just made that number up for argument's sake, so ignore it as a personal rule), you could eat 2000 calories worth of donuts, pizza, Mac n cheese, chocolate cake etc, etc; or you could eat a balanced diet with 2000 calories worth of fruits and veggies and wholegrains and healthy fats and lean protein - and either way, at the end of the week, you'd still have lose the same 2lbs. The only difference is that with the first method, you'd likely feel like poop, have suffering energy levels, and might have been victim to some mega-killer cravings; and with the second method, you'd be getting all the vitamins and minerals and macros you need to be healthy, and the weight loss would definitely be much easier and safer to lose.

    There are plenty of macro-counters out there who swear by low carb or high carb or low fat or high fat or high chocolate or low pasta or high sprouted grain Ezekiel bread with Nutella on it, but honest to goodness, the ultimate key to weight loss is always in the calories. This is because 1 pound of fat equals 3,500 calories - no matter where those calories came from. As long as you're still creating a deficit, you WILL lose weight.

    You will likely enjoy your weight loss journey a great deal more with a balanced array of macros than you would with a pure pizza diet, though! ;) (And you'll be a lot healthier at the end of it.)

    Not knowing your exact stats, it's difficult to say if 261g carbs is a lot or a little. It's probably safe to say that the calculators on this site are good enough to make a balanced ratio of macros, and even if the levels seem a bit whack to you, I'd suggest sticking to them. At least for now.
    Once you've really gotten stuck into your journey and you've learned more about nutrients and dieting, as well as what works for you, you can always adjust your macro intake accordingly. For example, I increased my sugar allowance because I'm a vegan leaning towards a raw diet, and I eat a lot of fruit. I also decreased my fat intake because I'm currently testing out the effects dietary fat has on the body's ability to process carbs. It's quite interesting for me (I'm boring).

    Good luck, and I hope this helps!

    Esme :)

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