macros and calories

t66jackie
t66jackie Posts: 28 Member
edited December 24 in Social Groups
I am finding lately that I have left over calories once I meet my protein goal and carbs limit. How can I eat more calories without adding to carbs and proteins?

Replies

  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    Unless you have some kind of medical issue, you can go over on protein, it's a minimum goal, not a maximum one.
  • chelny
    chelny Posts: 179 Member
    The 3rd macro is fat - add more fat. But I also agree with tcunbeliever that you can increase protein. I don't know your specific situation/macro breakdown, but you could go either way.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    Are you still hungry? Or are you just trying to reach a certain calorie goal regardless?
  • t66jackie
    t66jackie Posts: 28 Member
    Sunny Bunny, Im not particularly hungry and could sit happily at 1000 calories a lot of days. For protein I have always gone with that is the goal and going over in protein ends up being processed -glucose- fat storage. This is my research anyway.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    t66jackie wrote: »
    Sunny Bunny, Im not particularly hungry and could sit happily at 1000 calories a lot of days. For protein I have always gone with that is the goal and going over in protein ends up being processed -glucose- fat storage. This is my research anyway.

    I have the same issue with not being hungry some days and not getting any where near the calories that I have for the day. It's fairly normal on this WOE to have days where we are not hungry, so I wouldn't worry about that.

    As for the protein being turned into glucose and then stored as fat... I am going to try and phrase this so that I don't bore you or lose you...

    Yes, excess protein can be turned into glucose and then stored as fat, but there are several reasons why it does not happen very often and why you don't need to worry about it too much:
    1. it takes a lot of protein to reach the excess amount (I have personally consumed between 150 and 200g of protein in a day and not dropped out of ketosis).
    2. biologically speaking, it takes a lot of energy to convert protein to glucose and your body would rather use that energy doing more important things (like building muscle or keeping daily functions running).
    3. any time you eat, you will have calories that cannot be immediately used and they WILL be stored as fat (fat consumed gets stored first because it is the easiest to store, btw)
    4. the good thing about number 3 is that as long as you are eating in a deficit, any calories that get stored as fat will eventually (usually in your sleep during the body's restorative phase or during exercise) be used for energy and the net result for the day will be fat/weight loss.
    5. so, even if the protein is converted to glucose and stored as body fat, there can be no NET weight gain if you eating in a deficit.

    So, as long as you are not consuming excess calories, even if the protein gets converted and stored, it will be used to make up the difference between what you eat and what your body needs to keep working.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    edited April 2020
    t66jackie wrote: »
    Sunny Bunny, Im not particularly hungry and could sit happily at 1000 calories a lot of days. For protein I have always gone with that is the goal and going over in protein ends up being processed -glucose- fat storage. This is my research anyway.

    No need to force yourself to eat when not hungry.
    It takes a lot of protein for that to happen. Like calorie excess kind of amounts... you aren’t going to store fat in a calorie deficit. No matter how much of it is protein. Wherever you have read that isn’t being clear or is someone that doesn’t understand this process themself before passing along the info to others.
    http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2017/07/gluconeogenesis.html?m=1
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,021 Member
    @ccrdragon and @Sunny_Bunny_
    I was hoping one of you all would chime in. You said it better than I would and definitely with less words. :joy: Thanks!
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