What should be macros be?

JK1542020
JK1542020 Posts: 73 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Can anyone suggest a reliable macro calculator? I want to keep carbs below 100 but I'm not sure what to set protein and fat to?

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited April 2020
    Why not use MFP's goals and then adjust the carbohydrates to your preference?
  • MrsSylvie
    MrsSylvie Posts: 301 Member
    my brain is still half asleep and all jumbled up from all the reading been doing for low carb diet/keto but, i do believe the math for moderate low carb diets without fat restrictions is to set protein at 20-25% of daily calories allowance divided by 4 which will give you grams needed.. set your fat 60-75% of calories divided by 9.. if you exercise a lot i think i recall reading you should raise your protein some more.. mine are set at: 65% F, 23% P and currently 12% C so do think the math numbers are what i read to do.

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited April 2020
    Fat vs carbs doesn't really matter. A good goal for protein during weight loss is about 0.8x your healthy goal weight in lbs (for example, if the goal weight is 120, protein goal would be around 96 (a little higher or lower is fine). Figure out what percentage option that's close to (for example 96 g = 384 cals, so for 1500 cals it's around 25%), figure out what your carb goal is (if you want to be less than 100 g total carbs, it would also be about 25% for 1500 cals) and then fat is the remaining.

    An easier option is not to worry about percentages at all, as they are meaningless, and just watch total cals and grams of protein (as a minimum) and carbs (as a maximum) but not to worry too much if you don't hit your goals every day. Calories are what matter for weight loss.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    When I was in weight loss mode I just kept my macros set at the default (on this site it's 50C 30F 20P)

    ...and then I played around with what I actually ate. It turned out that my most comfortable weight loss was at about 50% Fats, 20% Protein and then the rest carbs. That put me at around 100-150g carbs on 1500 calories.
  • nbpohl
    nbpohl Posts: 3 Member
    To build muscle your macros should be Protein:40% Carbohydrates 30-35% & Fat 20-25% And here's why Protein is what your cells need to build & repair. When you ingest protein your body breaks it apart into the individual Amino Acids it's made of & then based on what proteins your bodies need for repair, it reassembles the Amino Acids to reform proteins. There are 20 Amino Acids your body needs 9 Essential AA's=your body cannot produce these so you must get them from your diet, 11 Non-essential that your body is able to produce. Now lets switch to FAT--your body also needs Fat to use the proteins. So when you cut WAY back on fats your body doesn't reach in to its fat stores--your body actually stops burning up things that it's missing from your diet. So keep your fat no lower than 20-25% so it can efficiently work. Fat also keeps your hormones in balance--estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone, insulin AND glucagon--your bodies main energy source. And lastly--Carbohydrates--so carbohydrates are broken down in to glucose which is stored as glucagon-and remember we just said that's your bodies main energy source ESPECIALLY for your brain!! Get that brain fog? Probably because your carbs are low. So that was a pretty long explanation on what your Macro breakdown & why. WAY TO MANY people do not eat enough or the proper ratio. Remember Food is your Fuel!! Be kind to your body Nourish your body & you will get stronger Nicolette Roche
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,192 Member
    nbpohl wrote: »
    To build muscle your macros should be Protein:40% Carbohydrates 30-35% & Fat 20-25% And here's why Protein is what your cells need to build & repair. When you ingest protein your body breaks it apart into the individual Amino Acids it's made of & then based on what proteins your bodies need for repair, it reassembles the Amino Acids to reform proteins. There are 20 Amino Acids your body needs 9 Essential AA's=your body cannot produce these so you must get them from your diet, 11 Non-essential that your body is able to produce. Now lets switch to FAT--your body also needs Fat to use the proteins. So when you cut WAY back on fats your body doesn't reach in to its fat stores--your body actually stops burning up things that it's missing from your diet. So keep your fat no lower than 20-25% so it can efficiently work. Fat also keeps your hormones in balance--estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone, insulin AND glucagon--your bodies main energy source. And lastly--Carbohydrates--so carbohydrates are broken down in to glucose which is stored as glucagon-and remember we just said that's your bodies main energy source ESPECIALLY for your brain!! Get that brain fog? Probably because your carbs are low. So that was a pretty long explanation on what your Macro breakdown & why. WAY TO MANY people do not eat enough or the proper ratio. Remember Food is your Fuel!! Be kind to your body Nourish your body & you will get stronger Nicolette Roche

    There is no sensible (research-based) world in which li'l ol' 5'5", 131-pound me needs 200g+ of protein.

    Pretty sure that means that not everyone needs 40% protein. Perhaps there's no generic percentage that suits everyone, irrespective of their size or TDEE? :)

    And OP obviously intends lower-carb eating, since she mentioned carbs below 100. If she eats above 1200 calories (as the majority of women should, even for weight loss), that may quite possibly be less than 30%, since 100g carbs would be 33% of 1200 calories, so a smaller percentage of a bigger calorie goal (25% of 1600, for example).

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