Counting cals 🥴

jtaylor_cis
jtaylor_cis Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I’ve been trying to learn how to count calories the last 2 months… I recently started weighing my food to have more accurate numbers with macros. I hit my protein goal everyday, usually go over in fats, but I can never hit my calorie goal. Any tips on learning how to do this? Not sure how to add more food without excessively going over in other areas.

Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,224 Member
    Either
    (1) you're using bad database entries (with some combination of undercounting calories and overcounting proteins and fats) or
    (2) you can make up the difference by eating more carbs or
    (3) if you don't want to eat more carbs, adjust your macro percentages.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 952 Member
    So, are you hitting your carb intake for the day? Eat something that is carb-based to get your extra calories.

    However, for me personally -- other than effects to my satiety --- I did not and do not worry about my macros being under/over too much. I look mostly at the calories. I will look and see if there is a macro that I haven't hit yet to figure out what I'm gonna eat with the calories I've got --- for example, I'm often under on my protein so I'll try to choose something that has more protein.


    But, I'm like 95% always over on my fat. But if I still need calories, and I feel like having peanut butter...I'ma have it. =D
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,864 Member
    jtaylor_cis wrote: »
    I’ve been trying to learn how to count calories the last 2 months… I recently started weighing my food to have more accurate numbers with macros. I hit my protein goal everyday, usually go over in fats, but I can never hit my calorie goal. Any tips on learning how to do this? Not sure how to add more food without excessively going over in other areas.

    Since you're new to this I would recommend focusing your efforts first and foremost on calories. There is nothing inherently special about MFP's default macro breakdown. There is no universally optimal macro breakdown...ideal macros are very individual. There really isn't any benefit of trying to be bang on with your macros...they don't have anything to do with managing your weight.

    Another common issue is using bad database entries. The database is crowdsourced from other users and there are numerous entries that are just flat out incorrect. You can test this with a little math. 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories; 1 gram of protein = 4 calories; 1 gram of dietary fat = 9 calories. Work the math on some of your entries to see if the macro breakdown jives with the calories. If it doesn't (outside of rounding), you have a bad entry.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,224 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    jtaylor_cis wrote: »
    I’ve been trying to learn how to count calories the last 2 months… I recently started weighing my food to have more accurate numbers with macros. I hit my protein goal everyday, usually go over in fats, but I can never hit my calorie goal. Any tips on learning how to do this? Not sure how to add more food without excessively going over in other areas.

    Since you're new to this I would recommend focusing your efforts first and foremost on calories. There is nothing inherently special about MFP's default macro breakdown. There is no universally optimal macro breakdown...ideal macros are very individual. There really isn't any benefit of trying to be bang on with your macros...they don't have anything to do with managing your weight.

    Another common issue is using bad database entries. The database is crowdsourced from other users and there are numerous entries that are just flat out incorrect. You can test this with a little math. 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories; 1 gram of protein = 4 calories; 1 gram of dietary fat = 9 calories. Work the math on some of your entries to see if the macro breakdown jives with the calories. If it doesn't (outside of rounding), you have a bad entry.

    outside of rounding and alcohol :smile:
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 7,340 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    jtaylor_cis wrote: »
    I’ve been trying to learn how to count calories the last 2 months… I recently started weighing my food to have more accurate numbers with macros. I hit my protein goal everyday, usually go over in fats, but I can never hit my calorie goal. Any tips on learning how to do this? Not sure how to add more food without excessively going over in other areas.

    Since you're new to this I would recommend focusing your efforts first and foremost on calories. There is nothing inherently special about MFP's default macro breakdown. There is no universally optimal macro breakdown...ideal macros are very individual. There really isn't any benefit of trying to be bang on with your macros...they don't have anything to do with managing your weight.

    Another common issue is using bad database entries. The database is crowdsourced from other users and there are numerous entries that are just flat out incorrect. You can test this with a little math. 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories; 1 gram of protein = 4 calories; 1 gram of dietary fat = 9 calories. Work the math on some of your entries to see if the macro breakdown jives with the calories. If it doesn't (outside of rounding), you have a bad entry.

    outside of rounding and alcohol :smile:

    Outside of rounding and alcohol and (if in the US for example, where fiber is counted as carbs) fiber 🙂

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