Does anyone get macros 100%

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jadu1536
jadu1536 Posts: 112 Member
edited July 2022 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello! Does everyone reach their macro goals 100% if they do have some set up? What kind of results have you seen? Are you reaching your goals?

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  • shannonplaster
    shannonplaster Posts: 1 Member
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    I get within 5-10g of my goals and have been seeing great results. There have been a few times where I reached them 100 percent but it required me scooping out a tablespoon of yogurt or one ounce of chicken and I decided that was taking it a little far, so I just let it go if I am within 5-10 g. I have been very pleased with the progress and have even gone 8 lbs below my goal wieght that I set in December.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,944 Member
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    I don't hit them 100%. That would require the kind of precision that shannonplaster mentions above.

    In the ballpark...and I track calcium, iron, fiber, and sodium pretty closely for medical reasons, so it's nearly impossible to get them all to line up.

    I do make sure to get enough protein, otherwise I wouldn't get there and it makes a difference in satiety for me. I do make sure to get enough fiber. I've always eaten above my fat goal so that one is no problem!

    You may need to do a little experimenting. I find that all the nutrients are important to my being able to stay within a calorie goal. I eat a wide variety of foods, probably 20-40 different fruits and vegetables per week, several sources of protein (Greek yogurt, eggs, beef, pork, poultry, seafood, nuts, legumes, a variety of dairy and whey powder) and different types of fats. If I don't make an effort to get variety then my very smart body starts craving things.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,070 Member
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    I think of my basic macro goals in grams, treating protein and fats as minimums, and carbs as the balancer (or occasionally alcohol, which has calories but isn't any macro). It's a rare day when I don't hit the protein and fat minimums - usually exceed protein by a comfortable margin.

    If I'd determined that I needed a certain carb minimum to maintain energy level, or a certain carb maximum to avoid triggering cravings for more carbs (as some people report) - things that seem pretty individual - I'd probably manage carbs more carefully. But that's not been an issue for me.

    (I also have a veggie/fruit servings minimum of 5 x 80g, and a desired higher target of 10 x 80g, which I usually hit or exceed. My carb totals are not low, as a consequence.)

    I don't think there's any reason to be exactly exact on macros for any reason - humans are adaptive omnivores. Going consistently too low on the essential amino acids (protein) or essential fatty acids (fats) is a poor idea, so if there's a pattern of being low on good-quality sources of those macros, it could cause problems long-term. Averaging close to the right level of fats/protein over a small number of days should be fine.

    Macros don't have a direct impact on weight loss: That's all about calories. Macros can have an indirect effect, in the sense that sub-par nutrition can trigger cravings (hard to stay within calories) or cause fatigue (move less so burn fewer calories). But the direct effect is via calories.

    Macros are IMO important for health, energy level, body composition, and that sort of thing - actually, overall good nutrition is important for those reasons, including micros and fiber. If I look at my MFP nutrition totals, I'm usually in a comfortable spot for the tracked micros, averaged over a typical week, just from food. I also try to get some natural (food sourced) probiotics daily, too.

    I think it's not essential to be this detail oriented, probably, but it makes me happy.

    As far as goals or results, I'm not sure what you're asking for. I got to a healthy weight in 2016, after just under a year of weight loss, and have stayed at a healthy weight since (after 3 previous decades of overweight/obesity). My athletic performance is decent - above average - for my demographic (F, 66). My health markers (blood test results, blood pressure, that sort of thing) are in a healthy range (cholesterol & BP used to be high, when I was fat, even though I was already athletically active). My eating patterns generally keep me full and happy.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    I use the macro goals as a guide not a goal. I pay the most attention to upping my protein and lowering my sugar intake, but pay less attention to carbs, sodium and fiber because I typically do fine in those areas.