Starting Out But Gaining Weight

amberrharrington594
amberrharrington594 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I just started out and I’ve been trying hard to manage my macros. But so far I’ve gained two pounds. :( I’m struggling to hit my protein macro goal without going over my fat macro goal. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I can do to balance those numbers out?

Best Answer

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,976 Member
    Answer ✓
    Did you also start exercising? Because that can cause water retention, which can add weight temporarily (it's not fat).
    You need to give it at least 4 weeks, preferably 1 or 2 menstrual cycles) before you can evaluate whether or not it's working.

    And if, after that time, you haven't lost weight, it's unlikely to be because of your macros but rather your calorie intake that is too high.

    If you want help balancing your macros, it would help if we had had an idea of your calorie and macro goals and what your diet is like at the moment. Without that info, some general recommendations for low fat protein: skyr, Greek yogurt, chicken or turkey breast, shrimp, white fish, pulses and legumes (lentils, beans, chickpeas...).
    (That being said, going over your fat goal isn't bad if you're still eating the appropriate amount of calories)

Answers

  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,238 Member
    Are you in a deficit? If you KNOW you're in a deficit, then those pounds cannot be fat. They could be plenty of other things because our bodies are full of things that "have weight" and fluctuate.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,309 Member
    Unless you’ve been tracking your calories for more than 4 to 6 weeks don’t worry about it. Wait till that time frame and then gauge what your weight is doing. It can take that long for the body to adjust. if that point you’ve gained weight then it means your weekly calorie amount is too high. You’ll have to adjust accordingly.
  • oakster69
    oakster69 Posts: 82 Member
    amberrharrington594 wrote: »
    So I just started out and I’ve been trying hard to manage my macros. But so far I’ve gained two pounds. :( I’m struggling to hit my protein macro goal without going over my fat macro goal. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I can do to balance those numbers out?

    Get some of your protein from lean meats like chicken, or beans etc. I also use protein powders and my wife and I share a shake in the morning. Powders can be added to food etc. I have also noticed a lot of online recipes lately that use egg whites from a carton to add to items that use egg to get extra protein. Look at different foods that give you protein and use ones that have lower fat content. You can also google search foods that are high in protein and low in fat.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,211 Member
    There's some useful information about calorie-efficient protein sources in this thread, in case you haven't already run across it:

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

    It links to a spreadsheet that lists many, many foods in order by most protein for fewest calories. Those foods near the top of the list will be lower in fat and/or carbs relative to protein content. Find foods you like that are high on that list, eat some of those instead of other foods that don't as much help you meet your goals.

    For this or other nutrition issues, reviewing my food diary often helped me a lot. I could see which foods "cost" relatively many calories, weren't worth that to me based on the amount of nutrition, satiation, or general happiness they were giving me. Those were things I could reduce (frequency or portion size) to free up calories and fill in with other foods I enjoyed that gave me better outcomes. Which exact foods those may be will vary from one person to the next.

    I'd also encourage you to think about what you eat and how you cook it. If you're using a lot of frozen meals or other prepared commercial multi-ingredient dishes, those do tend to be pretty high in calories for the amount of protein. Simpler individual foods cooked ourselves can have better protein/fats ratios.

    For things we cook ourselves, cooking method matters: Frying generally is going to add calories from the fat used for frying, but grilling or roasting may add less, and some other methods - only appropriate for certain proteins I grant - like poaching don't necessarily need to have many added calories at all, even when poaching in some liquid (broth, basically) that adds flavor.
  • BeckettFord
    BeckettFord Posts: 1 Member
    Last year, I used protein supplements and successfully reached my weight gain goal.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,354 Member
    Focus on calories unless there is a specific reason you are needing to focus on macros. A calorie deficit over time will bring weight loss. Focusing on Macros without considering your calorie consumption can add additional frustration to the process.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,211 Member
    rileysowner wrote: »
    Focus on calories unless there is a specific reason you are needing to focus on macros. A calorie deficit over time will bring weight loss. Focusing on Macros without considering your calorie consumption can add additional frustration to the process.

    Of course I agree that calories are the key thing when it comes to fat loss/gain.

    But assuming the food database in use is accurate or close - a good question when using MFP - counting macros and counting calories will inherently get a person to approximately the same result in calorie terms, because of the approximate characteristic calories per gram of the macros.

    In that sense it's not possible to count (focus on) macros without considering calorie consumption.

    OTOH, counting calories alone won't get a person to reasonable macros or even adequate nutrition. I'm not saying counting macros is essential, since for many people eating a generally healthy balanced range of mostly nutrient dense foods will get them to a reasonable macro mix. And I'm not dissing calorie counting, because I do it myself. Counting calories is compatible with pursuing good nutrition, but counting calories ignoring nutrition would be a bad plan. Of course most successful people don't do that or assume it would work.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,354 Member
    edited February 4
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    rileysowner wrote: »
    Focus on calories unless there is a specific reason you are needing to focus on macros. A calorie deficit over time will bring weight loss. Focusing on Macros without considering your calorie consumption can add additional frustration to the process.

    Of course I agree that calories are the key thing when it comes to fat loss/gain.

    But assuming the food database in use is accurate or close - a good question when using MFP - counting macros and counting calories will inherently get a person to approximately the same result in calorie terms, because of the approximate characteristic calories per gram of the macros.

    In that sense it's not possible to count (focus on) macros without considering calorie consumption.

    OTOH, counting calories alone won't get a person to reasonable macros or even adequate nutrition. I'm not saying counting macros is essential, since for many people eating a generally healthy balanced range of mostly nutrient dense foods will get them to a reasonable macro mix. And I'm not dissing calorie counting, because I do it myself. Counting calories is compatible with pursuing good nutrition, but counting calories ignoring nutrition would be a bad plan. Of course most successful people don't do that or assume it would work.

    But counting just calories to start makes the process far less cumbersome. The less variables a person has to deal with while learning how to log, how to navigate the database here, and the like, the easier it is to learn those other aspects. Once they have learned how to use and navigate MFP, then fine tuning macros is much easier.

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