Macros, Calories, Exercise...oh My :)

janejellyroll wrote: »

Zodiacsmom wrote: »

I put in my macros my trainer gave me and it calculated my cals and no that is before exercise.

Did your trainer explain how they arrived at your macro goals? The amount of nutritional training that trainers have is really variable -- some know what they're doing and some have no idea.

Are you going to be eating back the additional calories you're burning through exercise?

lgfrie wrote: »

Some simplification would probably help you get toward your goals and would make things much easier for you. Since your time frame is three years, and not some wacky "I want to lose 60 pounds in 35 days" type thing, successful slow-but-steady weight loss is going to be very doable.

Let's do some quick, back-of-the-napkin math.

With 156 weeks to work with, losing 3/4 lb per week would add up to 117 lbs over 3 years and give you a picture-perfect BMI of 22. According to TDEEcalculator.net, your TDEE (i.e. break-even calories) based on your stats is 1,985 calories per day. To lose 3/4 lb per week, you'd need to eat 1,610 calories. I am going to make a big assumption in the absence of more information that that's the kind of progress, pace, and long-term goal you're looking for; of course the numbers can be tweaked to your liking!

So there you have it. Over time as you become a lithe, lean, mean dieting machine, those calories will reduce, but that's another problem for another day. Right now, 1,610 would be a good stake in the ground.

When you go walking, add another 75 calories of food for each mile you walk. 3 mile walk, add 225 calories worth of food, and so on. If you prefer round numbers, make it 80 per mile.

That's it. That's the whole plan. Do that every day: 1610 cals plus whatever exercise you get. You don't need to futz with macros, protein, carbs, keto, etc. Just eat what you want, right up to and not beyond the target calories and you will lose the weight. You don't need 13.6382 grams of carbs per day or protein equal to twice the square root of the size of your pancreas. You just need to eat right up to and not beyond your calorie quota, the end, full stop. Of course, for health purposes, it's better if the food you eat is healthy stuff, but we all know what healthy food looks like and we never needed macros to know that a piece of asparagus is better for you than a piece of pork belly.

For the next six weeks, don't take any cheat/off meals/days/binge-fests. Just learn to work within your allotted calories. Develop that habit and it'll serve you very, very well going forward. If for some reason you end up face-down in a giant pizza during that time, just write it off. Don't try to make up for it by starving yourself, don't be emotional about it or think it's "ruined" your diet -- and here is the only thing I can tell you that actually matters -- avoid the mindset that since you had a pizza, you may as well take the rest of the day or the next day off, because that is how diets die. Just enjoy your pizza and get right back on the horse and plow forward.

If you do this, with no or very minimal cheat meals/days, the odds are extremely high, bordering on certainty, that after 6 weeks you will have lost approximately 4.5 pounds of fat and then you will have the positive reinforcement and confidence that this can be done over a much longer stretch of time. And you will not be suffering or feeling deprived, because you'll go for a 2 mile walk and eat your satisfying 1610+150 = 1760 calories, which is a decent amount of food that almost anyone could live with.

janejellyroll wrote: »

Zodiacsmom wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

Zodiacsmom wrote: »

I put in my macros my trainer gave me and it calculated my cals and no that is before exercise.

Did your trainer explain how they arrived at your macro goals? The amount of nutritional training that trainers have is really variable -- some know what they're doing and some have no idea.

Are you going to be eating back the additional calories you're burning through exercise?

She told me that I needed more "healthy carbs" (not junk)... I had been doing keto and it was great for weight loss but I couldn't sustain it long term so we came up with another approach (of course after I gained back what I lost with keto lol)

And soem days I do an some days I don't... I usually hit pretty much right on before I add my workouts

How do the macros address the *types* of carbohydrates you're eating?

If your trainer isn't addressing the calories you're burning through exercise that is a *major* red flag. Her job is to help you reach your fitness goals, right? You can't do that if you're not properly fueled for your activity.

janejellyroll wrote: »

Zodiacsmom wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

Zodiacsmom wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

Zodiacsmom wrote: »

I put in my macros my trainer gave me and it calculated my cals and no that is before exercise.

Did your trainer explain how they arrived at your macro goals? The amount of nutritional training that trainers have is really variable -- some know what they're doing and some have no idea.

Are you going to be eating back the additional calories you're burning through exercise?

She told me that I needed more "healthy carbs" (not junk)... I had been doing keto and it was great for weight loss but I couldn't sustain it long term so we came up with another approach (of course after I gained back what I lost with keto lol)

And soem days I do an some days I don't... I usually hit pretty much right on before I add my workouts

How do the macros address the *types* of carbohydrates you're eating?

If your trainer isn't addressing the calories you're burning through exercise that is a *major* red flag. Her job is to help you reach your fitness goals, right? You can't do that if you're not properly fueled for your activity.

Sorry i was away for a few days... oh we workout together all the time... in addition she helps with meal prep, healthier options, considering what my food intake is and making adjustments that may help me feel better due to my own health issues, etc.

I'm not doubting that you work out together all the time. My point is that if she's not planning an appropriate calorie intake for you (that is, if she's not ensuring the meal plans she's creating include enough calories for active adults), then that is something that would concern me from a professional.