I need help with my macros
mz_mika5
Posts: 5 Member
Not sure how macro work. I need to know how much protein fat and carbohydrates to lose weight I am 180 5'3 and 29 years old
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Replies
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You don't have to watch the macros to lose weight, you have to watch the total calories.
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Calories are king for weight loss. As long as you hit your calorie goals then you should lose weight (assuming no medical conditions, obviously).
Macro goals (carbs/fat/protein) can help with health, energy levels, mood, satiety, and other things. But it's important to keep in mind that MFP's default goals for this are just one possible suggestion. They're a guideline, not a rule. You can eat in a lot of different macro splits and still be healthy and happy.
I've found success with both the MFP default and the setup described here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1 but there are lots of other ways that work. Pick what you like and adjust as you go.5 -
As others have said, it’s all about the calories for weight loss. That being the case, I would find it very hard to eat at a deficit if I were not getting enough protein and fat. Protein is especially important when you’re losing weight, because you lose some muscle along with the fat. Making sure you get adequate protein each day and doing resistance training can help minimize this muscle loss.
Without knowing your stats it’s hard to give you a number, but a good general guide is to get 0.8 - 1.0 g/lb of lean body weight. So, say you weigh 150 lbs and you estimate your body fat at 33% (I’m just trying to make nice round numbers here) - you have 0.33*150 lbs = 50 lbs fat, and 100 lbs lean mass. In that case shoot for 80-100 g protein. You don’t get bonus points for going way over (there’s a cap to what your body can process and use - but there’s definitely a little room at the higher end of this recommendation), and you should try not to fall too far under each day.
Then, don’t set your fat too low. It’s really important, particularly for hormonal function and vitamin absorption, that you get enough fat. Usually about 40% of my calories come from fat, just as my preference, but probably at least 20-30 g/day, about 20% of calories.
Finally carbs: let them fall wherever they fall, try to get them from sources with lots of vitamins and minerals and fiber and limit refined things like pastries and refined sugar.
TL;DR: Try a macro split like 25% protein, 30% fat, 45% carb. See how you feel. If you find you’re hungry a lot, play around with the carbs and fats until you’re feeling good, but don’t skimp on the protein.
Edit: sorry you did say your stats haha. Anyway everything still applies.1 -
Not sure how macro work. I need to know how much protein fat and carbohydrates to lose weight I am 180 5'3 and 29 years old
@mz_mika5 I just started with macros and I feel they are invaluable now for my energy levels and mood and overall feeling of well being. I am in a getting fit training program that has a nutritionist that set my goals with macros (which translate into calories. Yes calories are the king, but macros relate to that and have helped me to make such better choices. That is leading to slow but visible weight loss results. For example, yesterday I was more focused on the calories and ate to my cal count but blew it on my macros. I wound up eating more carbs and fats than my guy set out for me and less protein. I was way hungrier all day, had less energy. And didn’t like it. I spent my calories on things that didn’t fuel me. I bet you could get a consultation locally. I really didn’t get it until I met with him.3 -
If you're really interested in learning about micro nutrients, how to create your own personal profile based on your goals, and knowing how to adjust them along the way (which will be necessary for continued progress), there is an abundance of free content on you tube from credible people. Take an hour out of the week and find what you need, you'll be glad you did.1
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I'm learning about macros too and cannot believe how much they affect my energy, feelings of hunger, etc... any more information please post and please add me as a friend!!! I'm learning everyday!!! Thanks, Jeanne1
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Not sure how macro work. I need to know how much protein fat and carbohydrates to lose weight I am 180 5'3 and 29 years old
@mz_mika5 I just started with macros and I feel they are invaluable now for my energy levels and mood and overall feeling of well being. I am in a getting fit training program that has a nutritionist that set my goals with macros (which translate into calories. Yes calories are the king, but macros relate to that and have helped me to make such better choices. That is leading to slow but visible weight loss results. For example, yesterday I was more focused on the calories and ate to my cal count but blew it on my macros. I wound up eating more carbs and fats than my guy set out for me and less protein. I was way hungrier all day, had less energy. And didn’t like it. I spent my calories on things that didn’t fuel me. I bet you could get a consultation locally. I really didn’t get it until I met with him.
I know what you mean I had 800 calories yesterday eating healthy but I was still so hungry0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »Calories are king for weight loss. As long as you hit your calorie goals then you should lose weight (assuming no medical conditions, obviously).
Macro goals (carbs/fat/protein) can help with health, energy levels, mood, satiety, and other things. But it's important to keep in mind that MFP's default goals for this are just one possible suggestion. They're a guideline, not a rule. You can eat in a lot of different macro splits and still be healthy and happy.
I've found success with both the MFP default and the setup described here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1 but there are lots of other ways that work. Pick what you like and adjust as you go.
Thank you very much0 -
800, oh my. That’s really low I think by any standard. I do know if I eat lower than 1300 my body just holds all my weight as it thinks there is no tomorrow. For me eating every 3 hours with macros has helped my body believe food is coming and is burning it for fuel given that I don’t tank my carb number.1
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OP, the very minimum for health is 1200 calories per day and you can likely eat more. Of course you were hungry. Please eat more today.3
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Carry_That_Weight wrote: »As others have said, it’s all about the calories for weight loss. That being the case, I would find it very hard to eat at a deficit if I were not getting enough protein and fat. Protein is especially important when you’re losing weight, because you lose some muscle along with the fat. Making sure you get adequate protein each day and doing resistance training can help minimize this muscle loss.
Without knowing your stats it’s hard to give you a number, but a good general guide is to get 0.8 - 1.0 g/lb of lean body weight. So, say you weigh 150 lbs and you estimate your body fat at 33% (I’m just trying to make nice round numbers here) - you have 0.33*150 lbs = 50 lbs fat, and 100 lbs lean mass. In that case shoot for 80-100 g protein. You don’t get bonus points for going way over (there’s a cap to what your body can process and use - but there’s definitely a little room at the higher end of this recommendation), and you should try not to fall too far under each day.
Then, don’t set your fat too low. It’s really important, particularly for hormonal function and vitamin absorption, that you get enough fat. Usually about 40% of my calories come from fat, just as my preference, but probably at least 20-30 g/day, about 20% of calories.
Finally carbs: let them fall wherever they fall, try to get them from sources with lots of vitamins and minerals and fiber and limit refined things like pastries and refined sugar.
TL;DR: Try a macro split like 25% protein, 30% fat, 45% carb. See how you feel. If you find you’re hungry a lot, play around with the carbs and fats until you’re feeling good, but don’t skimp on the protein.
Edit: sorry you did say your stats haha. Anyway everything still applies.
That helps a lot thank you very much0 -
Carry_That_Weight wrote: »As others have said, it’s all about the calories for weight loss. That being the case, I would find it very hard to eat at a deficit if I were not getting enough protein and fat. Protein is especially important when you’re losing weight, because you lose some muscle along with the fat. Making sure you get adequate protein each day and doing resistance training can help minimize this muscle loss.
Without knowing your stats it’s hard to give you a number, but a good general guide is to get 0.8 - 1.0 g/lb of lean body weight. So, say you weigh 150 lbs and you estimate your body fat at 33% (I’m just trying to make nice round numbers here) - you have 0.33*150 lbs = 50 lbs fat, and 100 lbs lean mass. In that case shoot for 80-100 g protein. You don’t get bonus points for going way over (there’s a cap to what your body can process and use - but there’s definitely a little room at the higher end of this recommendation), and you should try not to fall too far under each day.
Then, don’t set your fat too low. It’s really important, particularly for hormonal function and vitamin absorption, that you get enough fat. Usually about 40% of my calories come from fat, just as my preference, but probably at least 20-30 g/day, about 20% of calories.
Finally carbs: let them fall wherever they fall, try to get them from sources with lots of vitamins and minerals and fiber and limit refined things like pastries and refined sugar.
TL;DR: Try a macro split like 25% protein, 30% fat, 45% carb. See how you feel. If you find you’re hungry a lot, play around with the carbs and fats until you’re feeling good, but don’t skimp on the protein.
Edit: sorry you did say your stats haha. Anyway everything still applies.
isn't 45% carbs a lot for weight loss I was going for low carb1 -
Yes, please eat more. Here's an excerpt from a helpful post (http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1) by @tinkerbellang83:The Short & Long Term Effects of Undereating Without Medical Supervision
In the short term undereating can have the following effect (this is by no means an exhaustive list):- Mood Swings
- Fatigue
- Constipation
- Hair Loss
- Menstrual Irregularities
- Dizziness
- Brittle Nails
- Poor Skin Condition
- Headaches
In the long term it can have far more negative effects, such as:- muscle loss
- gallstones
- electrolyte imbalances
- organ damage
- bone density loss
- vitamin/mineral deficiencies
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isn't 45% carbs a lot for weight loss I was going for low carb
It’s mostly a matter of what makes you feel satisfied and gives you good energy - I lift weights every day and run sometimes, if I do very low carb I feel run down. But, my carbs (excluding fiber) come out to about 100 g/day, some would consider that pretty low. Fruit, oats, and sweet potatoes help keep me full, but if I ate more carbs it seems to trigger an insatiable appetite and makes it hard to stick to a calorie deficit.
If you want to try low carb and you enjoy eating that way, go for it definitely - just know you don’t have to do that for weight loss.
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