Macros - How did you determine your diet style

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Lisanotoriginal
Lisanotoriginal Posts: 36 Member
in Getting Started
Hi community, I am looking for insight on macros. Low carb, Keto, Whole 30, just count them...there are so many theories out there it gets confusing. For me I have figured out what foods work better for me, but cannot put together how much of each. How did you determine which plan works best for you on a macro level? My end goal is to get the right mix of Fat, Protein and Carb so that I can sustain a food lifestyle long term. Thanks in advance!

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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,971 Member
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    I just worked on getting enough protein, fat and fiber. It all fell in line in time.

    I've used a variety of macro splits but I've been in Maintenance for many years and really my main concerns are the above.

    I do watch my sat fat and Calcium and Iron, too. It's juggling act. It just takes playing with it for a while. There's no magic.

    When I was in weight loss mode I used the default macros of 50C 30F 20P and I would usually be over on fats and under on carbs so it came out to something like 40C 40F 20P most days.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Never had a "plan." I counted calories and tried to get in around 0.6-0.8 grams of protein per Lb of my goal weight and that was about it. From there I just gave myself nutritional goals like getting recommended servings of fruit and veg and whatnot.

    Calories are what matter for weight management...everything else is noise. It's good to take in more protein than you might normally to help preserve muscle when dieting...but even then, people often go overboard IMO. All of the plans you mention are just a means to providing for a calorie deficit. All diet plans work the same way...calorie deficit. Some people do well on keto as they claim not to be as hungry and therefore it is easier to control calories...I would personally be miserable and starving on something like keto because things like potatoes, lentils, legumes, etc keep me full.

    It's really just individual and you are going to have to experiment. I'm personally an old fashioned balanced diet kind of guy with lots of veg and fruit and legumes and whole grains and lean proteins and healthy fats. I think people tend to over-complicate that which is nor particularly complicated.
  • DanyellMcGinnis
    DanyellMcGinnis Posts: 315 Member
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    I don't track macros at all. I probably eat something like 2/3 carbs, mostly fruits/veggies/whole grains, not much fat, and that works for me. It doesn't work for everyone. I have been a vegetarian for 26 years and I really didn't change the way I ate other than dropping some fats I wouldn't notice (like I don't need 300 calories of extra butter on my weekend muffins).
  • embryg
    embryg Posts: 4 Member
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    I set my weight goal, which determined my daily calorie limit. I stay below that limit, with a focus on getting a little more protein than targeted and less starchy carbs...no added sugar period. Other than sugar and starchy carbs, I eat anything I want, just in smaller portions. I also limit my fruit to 2 servings a day. I count EVERYTHING that I eat or drink...even a cough drop...thanks to how easy MyFitnessPal is to use. The extra protein helps me stay satisfied. So far, I've been on track losing 1-2 lbs/week, even during the holidays, following this plan along with walking 3-4 times/week for 30 minutes.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    For me it's been trial and error. For the most part I keep protein at 1g per lb bodyweight (minimum), fat around 0.6-0.8g per lb, and carbs fill in the rest. This stays around the same if I'm losing, maintaining or gaining.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,200 Member
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    I figured out a sensible calorie goal (intial target from MFP, adjusted based on 4-6 weeks experience), and pretty much did this:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

    . . . which has worked reasonably well for me, through losing about 50 pounds, and maintaining a healthy weight for around 4 years since.

    It's not necessary to do some named diet like "Low carb, Keto, Whole 30 . . . " etc. WIth a little experimentation and common sense, it's possible, for most people, to eat foods we enjoy and find filling, hit the right calorie level for our weight goals (gain/lose/maintain), and get generally good well-rounded nutrition (including macros) for health. Add some exercise we individually find fun, for fitness, as a bonus.

    Best wishes!

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