What Macronutrient Ratio is right for me?

Options
spvlat
spvlat Posts: 28 Member
edited January 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been searching a lot lately about what my macronutrients should be. Most websites and calculators that I've found online are directed towards people that are either trying to build muscle or the keto diet.
My goal is to lose fat (about 8 lbs). I'm a 20 yo female, I weigh 135 lbs, I'm 5'6 ft tall (about 27% body fat) and I live a sedentary lifestyle at the moment.
Over the past 2,5 years I've lost about 57lbs and I have noticed that in order for me to lose weight I have to be aggressive about it, meaning that I have to make a big caloric cut. I guess that means that I have a slow metabolism. So I've already set my MFP calorie goal at 1000 kcal/day but I also want to also set my macronutrients as a guide. I'm thinking of going low-carb (around 20-25 %) but I'm not sure what my fat and protein intake should be (or even if going low-carb is the right thing to do). Any thoughts and suggestions would be MUCH appreciated!

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,019 Member
    edited January 2018
    Options
    Well, you don't need more than 20-25% protein. At the high end, 30%.

    Then the rest fat.

    Wait. 1000 calories? NO. Where did you get that number? Set it at "Lose 1/2 pound per week," then set your macros if you feel like you want to. Eat a little more on days you exercise.

    The default macros will work fine, though - 50/30/20.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    Options
    It shouldn’t let you set a goal below 1200 calories, and even that is too low for your stats. Macros, for the most part, are a personal preference.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
    Options
    Hard to believe MFP allowed you to set calorie intake at 1000, as I thought the low default for women is 1200.

    Congrats on your hard work and weight loss to date! Your current weight is already in the healthy range. The last few pounds are notoriously harder to lose. I agree with the advice to set your goal at losing about half a pound per week. I lowered the amount of bread I ate but didn’t go low carb, and reached my goal weight. I followed the default macro settings. I did it this way because I figured I couldn’t maintain a low carb diet for the rest of my life, but I could learn habits to incorporate reasonable portions of food I like.
  • The_Ta
    The_Ta Posts: 59 Member
    Options
    You need to increase your activity level. You are only 20, so ultra low-cal diets are only sabotaging your metabolism. Your body will figure out how to make do with the sparse calories, so you’ll gain when you try to eat normal. Keto? Total garbage. Yeah, you’ll lose weight, but you’ll gain it back plus some because you haven’t learned to portion carbs. Finally, you need weight bearing activity because you are in your prime bone density years.

    Go walk
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    It's very doubtful that you need to eat so little to lose weight. Have you tried MFPs calorie suggestion for any length of time?
  • spvlat
    spvlat Posts: 28 Member
    edited January 2018
    Options
    I have tried eating about 1400 kcal per day in the past, while working out (2-3 days/week) and it only helped me maintain my weight. Now I'm not saying eating less and exercising doesn't work, in fact I felt great during that period of time. However I'm trying to lose these extra few kgs and unfortunately I don't have the time to exercise at the moment :/ .
    I think of starting at about 1000 kcal/day and see how it goes because I know that in the next few weeks not only will I not be able to exercise but I will most likely be spending most of my day working from my computer. I'm going to up my calorie intake if I notice any changes in my energy throughout the day.
    Also, since I overeat when stressed I'm thinking of lowering my carb intake to 30% (definitely not keto) just because I usually binge on sweets and carbs.(If I have certain "no" foods then I think I'll less likely binge on them). What do you suggest my protein and fat intake be?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    spvlat wrote: »
    I have tried eating about 1400 kcal per day in the past, while working out (2-3 days/week) and it only helped me maintain my weight.

    how how long, a week, a month, 6 months?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited January 2018
    Options
    This is a logging and stress eating issue. If you log correctly, and stick to your calorie target, no cheating, no binging, you will see that MFP's calorie suggestions aren't that off. I would focus on that and not macro ratios first. I agree it doesn't sound as exciting, but you have to find a solid baseline before you can branch out.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,298 Member
    Options
    I strongly suggest you use the MFP setting when you first start out. It gives several different activity levels to choose from. If you chose to incorporate into your exercise into your activity level it will automatically have the calories/macros included. For most people this makes for a very good starting point. Then to weigh accurately and log assiduously is the next step.

    You could after a couple of months choose a lesser activity level and add exercise separately, this will give you the opportunity to "eat back" all or a fraction of the calories achieved, these are represented within your macro split. A couple of months in could be the time to think if lowering carbs will be helpful, sometimes it is but at the outset you could be over complicating things.

    I find it helps not to have "go to foods" in the house. This will not work for those with younger people in the household.

    All the very best. Try to think this way, where will I be in 6 months if I don't hold myself to account. If you stress is too great, try to seek the most appropriate help, guidance to balance things to your advantage not everyone else's.

Categories