Calories only

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erikaramirez4872
erikaramirez4872 Posts: 35 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone lost weight with just counting calories? And not dealing with the macros?

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  • JohnBarth
    JohnBarth Posts: 672 Member
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    I'm conscious of my macros but aim to be at a calorie deficit regardless of the macro ratio.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    JohnBarth wrote: »
    I'm conscious of my macros but aim to be at a calorie deficit regardless of the macro ratio.

    Same here. I'm generally fairly balanced because I will gravitate towards fat and protein for satiety, but it's not intentional, and I don't choose foods based on their macro makeup.
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
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    Yes, back during my active weight loss phase I tracked my calories in a notebook and didn't look at macros at all. In maintenance a few years now and I still don't care about macros. I keep my calorie intake where it needs to be for my weight management plan and that works fine for me.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Yes, I lost 30 of my 40 pounds of baby weight with just deficit alone. As I got more into fitness and wanted to lean out, I slowly shifted focus more onto macros. Calories are still king, but macros are pretty important for long-run health, aesthetics and athletic performance.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
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    me! lost 48pds so far ignoring macros for the most part (I ensure to get enough protein and am not too low in fat but that's the most I do and over a few days not necessarily each day)

    previously I did the same and lost 100pd twice (need to conquer maintenance this time but at least I stopped the gain more quickly this time)
  • Hybridchld
    Hybridchld Posts: 15 Member
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    I lost over 100lbs just counting calories, your deficit is the most important thing.

    Track all your foods and if you stay in a deficit you'll probably notice that you're mostly sticking to the macro goals without even trying.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,972 Member
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    I've lost ~80 pounds and I am in maintenance. I never changed my macros from the mfp default. I do try to hit my protein goal, but other than that I don't pay too much attention to the macros.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,971 Member
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    You can lose without tracking macros.

    I did find that keeping an eye on macros (I don't worry about them to the detail) did help with satiety, and at one point, helped kick my weight loss back into gear when I realized I had eliminated too much fat from my diet - adding some back in helped me get over a plateau.

    I try to make sure I'm getting enough protein, but don't stress about it anymore as long as I'm happy and losing at what I expect to be (approximately).
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
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    I've lost and have been in maintenance for about 6 months. I have never considered macros, only calories.

    Can anyone link to the pyramid chart with calories, macros, timing, etc... for OP?
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    funjen1972 wrote: »
    I've lost and have been in maintenance for about 6 months. I have never considered macros, only calories.

    Can anyone link to the pyramid chart with calories, macros, timing, etc... for OP?

    The-Pyramid-Of-Nutrition-Priorities-5-Supplements-Rippedbody.com_.png
  • brundell7376
    brundell7376 Posts: 70 Member
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    I lost 50 lbs mainly worrying about 2 things. 1) Not going over my daily calories and 2) Meeting my daily protein goal of 1 gram per lb of body weight. I didn't worry at all about where my carbs and fat landed. Doing it this way I was able to maintain my muscle while letting go of the weight. My daily calorie intake was 500 under maintenance the whole time.

    If you keep your protein up you will be much happier in the end.
  • erikaramirez4872
    erikaramirez4872 Posts: 35 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your response I really appreciate every one's input. So for the most part on MFP are the macros accurate to the calorie goal? If not how would I find out where the macros should be at?
  • brundell7376
    brundell7376 Posts: 70 Member
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    https://bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutrients_calculator.htm
  • erikaramirez4872
    erikaramirez4872 Posts: 35 Member
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    @ brundell7376 thanks I will check it out.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
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    erikaramirez4872 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone for your response I really appreciate every one's input. So for the most part on MFP are the macros accurate to the calorie goal? If not how would I find out where the macros should be at?

    Macros are mostly personal preference.

    There's some benefit to having protein be at least .6-.8 g per lb of a healthy goal weight when losing, as protein can help maintain muscle and is also satiating for many. Carbs vs. fat really doesn't matter except to the extent you find it helps with satiety.

    MFP's macros are a default (based on calories) of 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein, which is generally fine but you might want to bump up protein if on low calories (like 1200-1400).
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    Macros are important for health and satiety, but are not directly relevant to weight loss. I paid almost no attention to my macros while I was losing weight. In hindsight, I wish I’d done more to preserve muscle mass, like strength training and getting enough protein. However, I still would have lost the fat had my macros been different.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    thanos5 wrote: »
    the only macros i use are in excel. and i've lost 48ish lbs.

    Spreadsheet jokes are best jokes.

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