Help...Daily Carbs and Fat Intake

journey2losing
journey2losing Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
I am a newbie as of a few days ago and have a question regarding my daily intake of carbs and fat. When I was given a daily calorie intake, does that generate my carbs and fat as well or do I have to adjust those 2 groups separately somewhere? I am getting my calories in but am going high on fats and carbs versus protein (in the pie chart at the bottom of daily food log). Or is this due to my food choices? I hope this makes sense. Any help is appreciated! :)

Replies

  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    It's probably your food choices. MFP defaults to a percentage of your calories from fat and carbs. You can manually reset it under your goal settings, but my recommendation is to stick to the defaults for now until you have a compelling reason to change them.

  • TheKookyKiwi
    TheKookyKiwi Posts: 68 Member
    Here's a link that I've seen several people recommend. You can put your current statistics in and it will give you your daily maintenance calories (or kilojoules) AND if you scroll down the page it shows you the breakdown between proteins/fats/carbs for various objectives. Is quite a handy little tool I thought!

    https://tdeecalculator.net/
  • journey2losing
    journey2losing Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you for your help! I appreciate it. As I said I just started yesterday morning so I'm still figuring things out and trying not to get overwhelmed. Have a good evening! :)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 38,143 Community Helper
    rosebarnalice wrote: »
    It's probably your food choices. MFP defaults to a percentage of your calories from fat and carbs. You can manually reset it under your goal settings, but my recommendation is to stick to the defaults for now until you have a compelling reason to change them.

    This.

    If weight management is the goal, calories are the key. Follow your MFP goal for 4-6 weeks (whole menstrual cycles for premenopausal women), then adjust based on experience if needed.

    The macronutrients (protein, fat, carbs) are about nutrition, health, body composition (such as muscularity), and for some people, satiation.

    Your food choices within your calorie goal determine how much of each macro you get. If you want to improve your nutrition, and are low on protein, then notice which foods help your protein intake, maybe eat a bit more of those, a bit less of others that are high in carbs/fat without much protein. Just gradually tweak food choices until you have your macros where you want them (which can include adjusting your macro goals once you get a better feel for your needs.

    It can be a good idea to get enough protein: It's important for muscle preservation during weight loss, and many people find protein foods especially filling (though that's not true for everyone).

    If your calorie intake is right, you'll get your weight management results. If you want to improve nutrition, and aren't starting with a doctor-diagnosed deficiency, you can take the time to gradually tweak your eating, get macros and such where you want it. It's not a crisis that needs to be fixed instantly: Humans are adaptive omnivores.

    If you're working on improving protein specifically, this may be helpful:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

    Best wishes!
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 2,170 Member
    In the Goals section you can adjust the desired macro %'s. It's up to you how closely you want to follow those targets. Personally, I keep it simple. I aim for a good amount of protein, close to 1g per pound LBM, and I aim for the total calorie target. If I hit those dual targets, great. I don't even look at the other macros. I'm not dismissing them, just saying, these dual targets works for me. It's easy to manage, and I'm making continued progress.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 10,310 Member
    Before you panic that you’re not meeting your macroS on a day by day basis, flip to the “seven day” view.

    I find my 7 day to be almost spot on, and that relieves me from gnawing on it daily.

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