Newbie here - lots of questions - macros, fat, and subtracting exercise calories. Help!
HealthyRebirth
Posts: 13 Member
I've been tracking calories for a month. I lowered the target twice bc I think MFP is way off. Sigh. Now, what the heck do I do with macros? More protein less carbs and fat? Keto? (Seems bad) And also my fats generally go over but never saturated. It's mostly "healthy" fats. Is that a problem? I'm a perfectionist and this is killing me to get it right so I can start to lose weight! And should I subtract exercise or opt out? Thanks for any and all help!
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Replies
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Don't worry about monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats going over as long as you are within your alloted calories.
Your minimum protein intake should be your goal weight in pounds x 0.8 grams.
Your minimum fat should be your current weight in pounds x 0.3 grams.
Your remaining calories can be spread over all 3 macros. Play around with different combos to work out which split keeps you most satiated. This will vary from person to person but most find either protein, fibre, starch or fat most filling.
If keto seems bad to you then don't go there. There is nothing magical about it for weight loss, except for those who find fat satiates them most. The same can be said for any diet.
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What makes you think the MFP number is way off? You've only been tracking for a month, but it sounds like you haven't given yourself enough time to see if the number MFP gave you was good or not. You need at least 4-6 weeks to be sure. Macros are personal preference, start with what MFP set and see what it does in terms of staying satiated. Exercise calories, aim to eat at least a portion of them if they're significant. Again give yourself 4-6 weeks to see if it's helping or hindering, and if it's hindering scale back how much of your exercise calories you're eating back.4
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Macros have nothing to do with weight loss. If you eat less than your body needs you will lose weight. Period.
Macros can be helpful if you are trying to achieve other health related or exercise related goals but will do absolutely nothing to make you lose weight faster or slower.
Don’t make it more complicated than it is. Measure and/or weigh EVERYTHING you put in your mouth! Log it all, good and bad.
Its not about perfection it’s about accountability. You’ll never be 100% perfect to the exact calorie but if you work at it you’ll be close enough to get the job done.
Exercise is almost always over-estimated for calories burned so most recommend eating only a portion of your exercise calories back, like half.
Welcome to the group, and good luck!8 -
Also don't aim for an aggressive deficit. If you restrict your calorie intake too much you can lose an increased level of muscle on top of the fat which will leave you less satisfied with your end results. It can also lead to hair loss and brittle nails, while making you more prone to binging. Unless you have a lot of weight to lose then anywhere between 1/2 pound and 1 pound a week is ideal.
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Macros don't directly affect weight loss. They do affect satiety though, so you can start with the MFP default goals. Make a note of days you struggle to hit your calorie goal and days you find it easy and start to notice if there is a pattern on those days with your macros and tweak from there. But don't sweat not getting your macros "right" every day, it's just a guide.
How much weight do you have to lose, and how much weight did you lose in your first month?3 -
What is your height, current weight, and the number of calories you settled on?
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HealthyRebirth wrote: »I've been tracking calories for a month. I lowered the target twice bc I think MFP is way off. Sigh. Now, what the heck do I do with macros? More protein less carbs and fat? Keto? (Seems bad) And also my fats generally go over but never saturated. It's mostly "healthy" fats. Is that a problem? I'm a perfectionist and this is killing me to get it right so I can start to lose weight! And should I subtract exercise or opt out? Thanks for any and all help!
Why do you think you can't use MFPs calories and macros?3 -
HealthyRebirth wrote: »I've been tracking calories for a month. I lowered the target twice bc I think MFP is way off. Sigh. Now, what the heck do I do with macros? More protein less carbs and fat? Keto? (Seems bad) And also my fats generally go over but never saturated. It's mostly "healthy" fats. Is that a problem? I'm a perfectionist and this is killing me to get it right so I can start to lose weight! And should I subtract exercise or opt out? Thanks for any and all help!
Hey. Welcome to this fitness journey.
I personally dont like keto diet as u need carb as a fuel. Carbs and fat have to go in different directions because both will give u energy. So low carb high fat or viceversa.
I will recommend carb in breakfast and lunch and after work out. Rest just protein and veggies !!
Exercise is always a must. At least 3 times a week1 -
Start by reading the sticky threads pinned to the top of the various forums.
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I can understand being a perfectionist on an area like nutrition is frustrating, because nutrition is the opposite of an exact science. The only exact science lies in CICO - to lose weight, calories in have to be fewer than calories out - but you can't measure calories out exactly, and not calories in, really, either, we can only make an educated guess, by weighing and logging, you can only extrapolate your calorie deficit by monitoring your weight, but as your weight naturally fluctuates form day to day, you need weeks, maybe months, to see a definite trend in any direction.
And that was just the technicalities. You will lose weight when you're in a consistent calorie deficit. If you're not losing weight, you're not in a consisntent calorie deficit, and I understand it's convenient to blame the tool, but statistically, user errors are more common. Statistically, common things are most common, too. Most people hate the idea of eating less and moving more (which is what "calorie deficit" means), so they go to great lenghts to avoid it, or to avoid thinking about it, hence all the diets, and excuses. But it's not as bad as you think, if you do it your way.
If you let go of the fearmongering and demonizing and black/white thinking - labeling food healthy/unhealthy/bad/good/clean/unclean/processed/unprocessed - you'll feel free to make your own decisions, and a person who feels free to make own decisions, makes better decisions overall.7 -
HealthyRebirth wrote: »I'm a perfectionist.........
This will be your downfall. Take it from a perfectionist. The moment you eat over your calorie goal, or go out of town and have to guesstimate your intake, you will likely throw in the towel (or want to throw it in), and say, "Screw it. I already messed up today."
Readjust your thinking. Be in a calorie deficit a majority of the time consistently and allow yourself to trip up once in a while.
Also, don't worry yourself over macros at this point.
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Well, I thought I posted a reply...very long actually, but it vanished. So, I'll keep it short this time. Thank you all so very much!!! Really appreciate the insightful mental health coaching and more number/science specific info too. I'd love to add more friends on here; please do so if desired. Many thanks!3
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