Calories vs Macros?
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ksritch
Posts: 4 Member
I am so confused as to whether to count calories or macros in order to lose 1.5-2 pounds each week.
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Calories.1
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I am so confused as to whether to count calories or macros in order to lose 1.5-2 pounds each week.
Calories are a unit of energy. You need XXXX amount of energy (calories) for you to live, move, exercise, etc and maintain the status quo. When you consume energy (calories) in excess of what your body needs, that surplus energy is stored as body fat...it's basically your backup energy source...your backup generator. When you consume less energy (calories) than your body requires, that deficit of energy has to be reconciled so your backup generator kicks on and you burn stored energy (bodyfat)
Macros are what make up your calories. 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate, 4 calories per gram of protein, and 9 calories per gram of dietary fat. Your macros don't really matter for weight management...there is no universally optimal macro ratio. A bodybuilder for example will have a much different optimal macro ratio than a marathon runner. Your macro ratios have more to do with satiety, physical performance, and to some extent the balance of your diet on the whole.6 -
It's much more straightforward and easy to focus on calories at first.
Worrying about macros can be quite overwhelming at first to some people.
The only macro I'd really think about making sure to get enough would be protein. Meals higher in protein can also keep you fuller a bit longer.
I find that thinking about my macros really only affects how satiated I feel. I have two weekend breakfasts that I usually eat -- roughly the same caloric content...but one has more protein in it than the other (the fat and carb content also might differ a bit but the largest one that's different is the protein). I find that I'll start to feel hungry for my next meal ~2hrs earlier with the lower protein meal. So, IF that were to lead to me consuming more calories than I needed for the day...then I'd think more about my macros - but I don't do that really.
So, as you go, you'll likely learn what macro split works 'best' for you as far as ensuring that you are getting proper nutrition and also keeping yourself 'full'.1 -
As Wolfman pointed out, the macros each have a characteristic calorie level: Protein and carbs are 4 calories per gram, fats are 9 calories per gram, alcohol is 7 calories per gram.
If you log your food and choose accurate entries from the database, then "count calories while watching macros" and "count macros while watching calories" end up at pretty much the same result, reasonable nutrition at appropriate calories.
That said, if the key goal is weight loss, it's the calories that matter directly for weight management in the form of fat loss, and it's fat loss most of us are going for.
At most, macros have indirect effect on success with fat weight, through factors others have mentioned like energy level, fatigue, appetite or cravings. Low energy means we rest more, do less, burn fewer calories. Appetite or cravings make it hard to stick with a sensible calorie intake long enough to achieve our goals. The direct effect is still via calories.
That means others have given you good advice: Focus on the most important thing first. For fat loss, that most important thing is calories. Once you start getting that where you want it, you'll notice what food choices make you feel more full and satisfied, help keep your daily life energetic and your exercise intensity good, and that sort of thing. At that point, it makes sense to think about whether macronutrient levels are part of that secondary set of helpful considerations.
So: Calories, to start.
Don't let confusion paralyze you into giving up. Wishing you success!1 -
If your intention is to lose weight without massive overwhelm, then focusing on protein and then calories goals is necessary. Protein is king in weight loss and not only helps with maintaining/building muscle, but also contributes to energy levels and many other processes within the body. Most people undereat protein and have diets high in carbs and fats. If you are consuming a lower protein amount currently, you can gradually increase it to where it needs to be over time. The rule of thumb is 0.8-1.1 grams per pound of body weight (or if you are obese, you would use your goal weight). Please don’t just focus on calories.1
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If your intention is to lose weight without massive overwhelm, then focusing on protein and then calories goals is necessary. Protein is king in weight loss and not only helps with maintaining/building muscle, but also contributes to energy levels and many other processes within the body. Most people undereat protein and have diets high in carbs and fats. If you are consuming a lower protein amount currently, you can gradually increase it to where it needs to be over time. The rule of thumb is 0.8-1.1 grams per pound of body weight (or if you are obese, you would use your goal weight). Please don’t just focus on calories.
Calories are king though. You can eat as much protein as you like, you won't lose weight if you're not in a calorie deficit.
Protein comes second imho.5 -
If your intention is to lose weight without massive overwhelm, then focusing on protein and then calories goals is necessary. Protein is king in weight loss and not only helps with maintaining/building muscle, but also contributes to energy levels and many other processes within the body. Most people undereat protein and have diets high in carbs and fats. If you are consuming a lower protein amount currently, you can gradually increase it to where it needs to be over time. The rule of thumb is 0.8-1.1 grams per pound of body weight (or if you are obese, you would use your goal weight). Please don’t just focus on calories.
Calories are king though. You can eat as much protein as you like, you won't lose weight if you're not in a calorie deficit.
Protein comes second imho.
This is where I’ll disagree. Chronic dieters and people who have yo-yo dieted for years don’t always need a further ‘deficit’. They need a reverse diet. Cutting calories isn’t always the answer.
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Yep, calories. Saying that it might be worth thinking about protein right from the beginning as well. Protein ideally should be consumed and spread out fairly evenly throughout the day, this helps prevent a few things like muscle wasting, supports bone health and the immune system and helps with appetite control, and lots of other processes. I suggest in a deficit to consume around 1.6 to 1.8 g's of protein for every kilogram of your ideal (goal) weight, or where you want to end up and keep this as a constant number regardless of the calories you decide to consume. Cheers4
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If your intention is to lose weight without massive overwhelm, then focusing on protein and then calories goals is necessary. Protein is king in weight loss and not only helps with maintaining/building muscle, but also contributes to energy levels and many other processes within the body. Most people undereat protein and have diets high in carbs and fats. If you are consuming a lower protein amount currently, you can gradually increase it to where it needs to be over time. The rule of thumb is 0.8-1.1 grams per pound of body weight (or if you are obese, you would use your goal weight). Please don’t just focus on calories.
Calories are king though. You can eat as much protein as you like, you won't lose weight if you're not in a calorie deficit.
Protein comes second imho.
This is where I’ll disagree. Chronic dieters and people who have yo-yo dieted for years don’t always need a further ‘deficit’. They need a reverse diet. Cutting calories isn’t always the answer.
While I don't disagree that some people might be better off eating more for a while, there is no indication that OP is a chronic dieter. And chronic dieter or not, a person still needs to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, no matter how much protein is consumed.5 -
If your intention is to lose weight without massive overwhelm, then focusing on protein and then calories goals is necessary. Protein is king in weight loss and not only helps with maintaining/building muscle, but also contributes to energy levels and many other processes within the body. Most people undereat protein and have diets high in carbs and fats. If you are consuming a lower protein amount currently, you can gradually increase it to where it needs to be over time. The rule of thumb is 0.8-1.1 grams per pound of body weight (or if you are obese, you would use your goal weight). Please don’t just focus on calories.
Calories are king though. You can eat as much protein as you like, you won't lose weight if you're not in a calorie deficit.
Protein comes second imho.
This is where I’ll disagree. Chronic dieters and people who have yo-yo dieted for years don’t always need a further ‘deficit’. They need a reverse diet. Cutting calories isn’t always the answer.
Yeah, don't take this all the way out to that...you're going off-topic and you're making this about something she didn't ask, may not be doing, and it doesn't belong in this thread.
Reverse dieting is not the one-size-fits-all answer you are making it out to be and it's not that simple. Weight loss is always about a calorie deficit. That's a given.
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cmriverside wrote: »If your intention is to lose weight without massive overwhelm, then focusing on protein and then calories goals is necessary. Protein is king in weight loss and not only helps with maintaining/building muscle, but also contributes to energy levels and many other processes within the body. Most people undereat protein and have diets high in carbs and fats. If you are consuming a lower protein amount currently, you can gradually increase it to where it needs to be over time. The rule of thumb is 0.8-1.1 grams per pound of body weight (or if you are obese, you would use your goal weight). Please don’t just focus on calories.
Calories are king though. You can eat as much protein as you like, you won't lose weight if you're not in a calorie deficit.
Protein comes second imho.
This is where I’ll disagree. Chronic dieters and people who have yo-yo dieted for years don’t always need a further ‘deficit’. They need a reverse diet. Cutting calories isn’t always the answer.
Yeah, don't take this all the way out to that...you're going off-topic and you're making this about something she didn't ask, may not be doing and it doesn't belong in this thread.
Reverse dieting is not the one-size-fits-all answer you are making it out to be and it's not that simple. Weight loss is always about a calorie deficit. That's a given.
Calories or macros was the question and macros have distinct mechanisms that may have a synergistic relationship to a more ideal weight loss management. Calorie deficits fail most of the time, so I don't see a problem discussing what or how a macro can help and again I don't see a problem expanding on the concept of macro's, just my opinion.0 -
neanderthin wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »If your intention is to lose weight without massive overwhelm, then focusing on protein and then calories goals is necessary. Protein is king in weight loss and not only helps with maintaining/building muscle, but also contributes to energy levels and many other processes within the body. Most people undereat protein and have diets high in carbs and fats. If you are consuming a lower protein amount currently, you can gradually increase it to where it needs to be over time. The rule of thumb is 0.8-1.1 grams per pound of body weight (or if you are obese, you would use your goal weight). Please don’t just focus on calories.
Calories are king though. You can eat as much protein as you like, you won't lose weight if you're not in a calorie deficit.
Protein comes second imho.
This is where I’ll disagree. Chronic dieters and people who have yo-yo dieted for years don’t always need a further ‘deficit’. They need a reverse diet. Cutting calories isn’t always the answer.
Yeah, don't take this all the way out to that...you're going off-topic and you're making this about something she didn't ask, may not be doing and it doesn't belong in this thread.
Reverse dieting is not the one-size-fits-all answer you are making it out to be and it's not that simple. Weight loss is always about a calorie deficit. That's a given.
Calories or macros was the question and macros have distinct mechanisms that may has a synergistic relationship to a more ideal weight loss management. Calorie deficits fail most of the time, so I don't see a problem discussing what or how a macro can help and again I don't see a problem expanding on the concept of macro's, just my opinion.
She brought up Reverse Dieting, not sure why you're jumping on me - reverse dieting is what my post was about.
cheers
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...and, calorie deficits fail??
riiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
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What I said was "Calorie deficits fail most of the time" Word police lol. Now we are off topic. cheers.0
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I figured out pretty quickly that I wanted to pay attention to both (within a couple of months), but I would have found it overwhelming to try to do both at once with no prior experience.
Caloric deficit is how you lose the weight. Figuring out your macros is how you make the deficit bearable. But I started with calories only and accurate logging, which was enough all on its own at first. After I got pretty good at that, I learned just from my own observations that it was much easier sticking to the deficit with adequate protein and fat even though fat is pretty high calorically/gram (I was a breastfeeding mother at the time and that very well may have played a role). But I could stay pretty low on the carbs and I didn't miss them, so, if I prelogged my day and was over on my calories, I looked to cut carbs first. But I usually had enough for a small dessert or a piece of fruit in the evenings, and that was very nutritionally and emotionally satisfying. Now that I am losing the baby weight from my most recent pregnancy, I am finding that the same plan is once again effective.
I also increased my protein over time instead of all at once, because it meant I had to adjust a little bit what I was buying and cooking, and that took time to implement and begin to feel natural. The weight was still coming off, and I still have days where it doesn't all work out perfectly (sometimes many!) but the weight loss still occurs if I stick to the calories, even if I used 500 of them on a slice of birthday cake. I just feel a little grumpy about it.
ETA: I have also found, relating to the later posts in the thread, that periodic "diet breaks" (say, every three months or so) where I chose to eat at maintenance for a week were very restorative, especially when I was losing at a fast clip (I probably lost too much too quickly in the beginning, to be honest). Weight loss can be very hard on the body, and that's by design. But that time helped build me back up to doing the deficit again. I didn't go nuts and still hit my protein goal everyday while eating maintenance calories, but those "extra" calories those weeks were glorious, I tell you!
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If your intention is to lose weight without massive overwhelm, then focusing on protein and then calories goals is necessary. Protein is king in weight loss and not only helps with maintaining/building muscle, but also contributes to energy levels and many other processes within the body. Most people undereat protein and have diets high in carbs and fats. If you are consuming a lower protein amount currently, you can gradually increase it to where it needs to be over time. The rule of thumb is 0.8-1.1 grams per pound of body weight (or if you are obese, you would use your goal weight). Please don’t just focus on calories.
Calories are king though. You can eat as much protein as you like, you won't lose weight if you're not in a calorie deficit.
Protein comes second imho.
This is where I’ll disagree. Chronic dieters and people who have yo-yo dieted for years don’t always need a further ‘deficit’. They need a reverse diet. Cutting calories isn’t always the answer.
For weight loss, calorie management is the answer. Full stop.
Finding a mix of macros that are suited to your own personal satiation situation can be very helpful, and protein does come into play most of the time. But no; calories is the answer.
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As an aside, some things have calories and no macros like Vodka, so 3oz has around 200 or so calories….1
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Thank you all who gave me the great advice and I have taken it all in. I am so new to this app and still trying to find my way around. Sorry it took so long to read and respond. I am currently going to the gym each am and doing 2 miles and then weight training. I am dedicated to that routine so now I am going to focus on my eating. I have blood sugar issues and have done intermittent fasting in the past with good results so I will probably start that again. My window is usually 16:8. I tend to get overwhelmed by all the information out there and back away but I am going to set aside time daily to move through all the great info on this app much like I set aside my spritual morning time.4
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Thank you all who gave me the great advice and I have taken it all in. I am so new to this app and still trying to find my way around. Sorry it took so long to read and respond. I am currently going to the gym each am and doing 2 miles and then weight training. I am dedicated to that routine so now I am going to focus on my eating. I have blood sugar issues and have done intermittent fasting in the past with good results so I will probably start that again. My window is usually 16:8. I tend to get overwhelmed by all the information out there and back away but I am going to set aside time daily to move through all the great info on this app much like I set aside my spritual morning time.
You might reconsider doing weight training every day. Your body needs time to rest. Some people who really like to lift will focus on one part of their body on one day and alternate with other parts the next day; arms/back one day and legs another day isn't uncommon. That way each muscle group gets rest. Another approach is do full-body weight training, but only three or four days a week with at least a day of rest in between each session. Doing some movement, like two miles on a treadmill, is a good way to warm up before lifting. You could even split it up and do a mile before and a mile after to give yourself a cool-down, unless you're already going all-out for the two miles. I sometimes like to do a short swim after a weight workout; it is therapeutic. I do longer swims on non-weight days.
Just be sure to take it slow; don't try to rush things. This goes to weight loss through diet and to your gym routine. Don't do anything that you aren't planning on doing indefinitely.1 -
This is great, however you may be able to optimize it. Presumably your goal with the weights is to retain and build muscle during your journey. That requires hard working sets and progression. This is going to be harder if you do a full cardio session beforehand, or if you don't allow enough recovery time, and if you don't get enough protein. Yes to a cardio warmup before weights, but no to a full session beforehand. Do a full session separately. You can probably do abs every day, arms every two days, chest/back every two to three days, and, quads every two to four days. For protein, a quick back of the envelope calc would be take your ideal weight in pounds and consume about 1g per pound of that, with that ratio dropping a bit over time as you slim down.I am currently going to the gym each am and doing 2 miles and then weight training. I am dedicated to that routine so now I am going to focus on my eating.
Or use the high end of what this says.
https://examine.com/protein-intake-calculator/0
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