HELP PLEASE

LaurensWorld18 wrote: »

Hi Everyone!!!

I am new and completely confused about how to determine what I should be eating... there is a pre-set option that I have chosen for now but I am not sure if it correct? Also the calories chosen for me seem very low, is this right? I am 5'2' at 180... want to be 105... majority carbs in the settings followed by fat and then protein?

Thank you for any help!!!

The default macro settings are fine to start with and don't really have anything to do with weight management. Calories are what is important for weight management.

You calorie target is derived from your stats, activity level, and targeted rate of loss. Most people go with a 2 Lbs per week target which is really aggressive, so you're going to get a low calorie target.

Your activity level is also only supposed to be your day to day hum drum...if you exercise, you log it and get additional calories to consume to account for that activity. If you want to eat more, you have to move more.

I'm assuming you selected 2 pounds a week and received a goal of 1200 calories? If you think you won't be able to eat that little, you can lower your rate of loss to 1.5 or even 1 pound a week. Plus you can eat back your exercise calories. As for the macros, don't worry about those right now. Once you get your logging down, you can play around with the percentages to see what works best for you. I personally lost fine using the default percentages.

Can you be more specific about your concerns? Are you worried about the fallacy that carbs won't lead to weight loss? I found the default macros here at MFP to be fine, especially when I was just starting out and getting a handle on what filled me up and what didn't.

The thing is that, for general health, a wide variety of macro splits will work. There are tons of different ways to set up your numbers and they'll all work just fine as long as you're in a calorie deficit and hitting basic nutrition goals. Where macros really help out is if you have very specific body shaping goals or if you want to work on what keeps you feeling fuller and more satisfied throughout the day.

Satiety is highly individual. The way that I eat works very well for me but it might make another person want to gnaw their own arm off. It's important to play around and see what works best for you instead of sticking to some cookie-cutter nonsense.

If carbs don't fill you up or you have specific reason to go lower carb, then adjust the macros to suit whatever makes you feel best. I found success using the setup described here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1 You might try it and see, but sometimes I worry that it's too in depth for someone just starting out.

LaurensWorld18 wrote: »

Hi Everyone!!!

I am new and completely confused about how to determine what I should be eating... there is a pre-set option that I have chosen for now but I am not sure if it correct? Also the calories chosen for me seem very low, is this right? I am 5'2' at 180... want to be 105... majority carbs in the settings followed by fat and then protein?

Thank you for any help!!!

Macros are personal preference based on what you find satiating. A lot of folks look at the MFP protein and fat numbers as minimums they want to exceed, and then let carbs fall where they may.

Remember that you are expected to log your exercise and eat back at least some of those calories, so your MFP goal is only for days you don't do any exercise.

If you chose 2 lbs, that is the most aggressive goal and probably not appropriate. Typically with 75 lbs to lose you are right on the borderline as "maybe" able to pull off 2 lbs per week. But you are also aiming for the absolute bottom of the healthy weight range for your height. Try starting with a goal of 1.5 lbs per week, and once you get within 40-50 lbs of goal, switch it to 1 lb per week.

IMHO the best place to start with "what to eat" is take a week or two and just eat what you would normally eat. Weigh out your portions, log accurately and consistently, and see if you can hit your calorie goal that way. Start to look over your diary - where do you waste calories? what foods fill you up? on days you hit your goal easily, is there one macro that was particularly high or low? Just keep tweaking and adjusting until you find your sweet spot. And read the stickies at the top of each board as well, lots of great info.

Good luck!

I don't know, I'm going to go with this: If you weigh 180 at 5'2" I would stick with "Lose 2 pounds per week," for a while, like the first 30 pounds at least. I know it's hard in the beginning, but losing weight is a big adjustment and if you want to weigh a healthy weight you do have to buckle down.

Take a walk for 30-45 minutes at least five days a week, add that to your Exercise tab and you'll get enough calories added to your goal that it will be reasonable, plus exercise tends to dull appetite.

Try weighing and logging your meals for a day just the way you ate now. What was the total calories for the day, and how did your macros shake out ?