"if it fits your macros"

rotters · 13 May 2015 at 13:16

Anyone any good at macro counting? im very new to it and trying to sort out my macros when cooking for 4 is tough (the meals are not quartered as we have to children one smaller and one bigger).

So any tips?

cheers

rotters

FrenchTart · 13 May 2015 at 13:18

Presuming you're using MFP or similar to log stuff and you're weighing most of your food you should be able to work out what kind of percentage of the full meal you're having I'd have thought?

eGu_Ryan · 13 May 2015 at 13:22

Weigh everything going in, weigh the final product and then weigh your portion size. Should come out with near enough the correct macros.

O.D. · 13 May 2015 at 13:28

Can only echo what eGu said. Cook everything you want to cook, measure and portion. Be strict. SAUCES and SUGAR were my biggest issues, when I sort of ironed them off and fixed my training/sleep weight just fell off.

I use this as a reference for kcal: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

My 'macros' right now are:

160g protein (LBM in protein, in pounds)
220g carbs (This ranges from 180-220, I've had to find my correct levels after trial and error. Crohn's Disease helps here)
60-80g fat (Same as above)
2100kal on average a week (Cutting right now)
20-30g in sugar (Hit maybe.. 18g a day whilst at work)

I'd keep protein and fat the same if I started bulking, up my carbs a little bit and up my kcal to probably 2800-2900.

The idea is that if it fits, it works. Your body cares about food. If I could get those exact macros from Jaffa Cakes, then all I'd eat were Jaffa Cakes..

BennyC · 13 May 2015 at 15:11

As above, everything has been covered really.

Sugar is not the devil so there's no need to crucify it. Of course make sure your intake isn't excessive, even then occasional high days do not hurt. If you're consuming plenty of fruit then your intake will far exceed 20-30g which is horribly low anyway and I can only assume has come from an outdated government RDA or equivalent?

My only other point would be, where sugar is concerned, fiber the often neglected ginger stepchild of IIFYM.

As a target aim for 10-15g of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed. This stops you filling your macros with completely processed foods and forces good sources of nutrients & minerals, by association, in to your diet too. It'll help digestive transit as well.

Edit: Macro calculators provide a rough guide only. Please don't use one and take it as gospel that you should be gaining/losing on XYZ or start following said macros and wonder why you're seeing the opposite of what you desire.

Establishing your maintenance/gaining/losing macros is very much trial and error dependent on gender, age, total daily activity (sedentary job etc), exercise, and even hormonal/mental/psychological and gut health issues. Try to keep variables consistent while you establish a baseline.