Should I hit calories, macros, or percentages?!
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(Reposting but with more info @ the bottom!!)
Well if you’re counting macros, you’re counting calories! (But better 🥰)
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The reality is macros (fats/carbs/proteins) are what make up calories.
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As explained above, if you look at a nutrition label,
all of the 3 macros will add up to the total number of calories when multiplied by their individual calories per gram.
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The total calories for this example is 250 cals.
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🥑Fats have 9 calories per gram.
12g of fat x 9 calories = 108 calories from fats
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🍑Carbs have 4 calories per gram.
31g of carbs x 4 calories = 124 calories from carbs
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🍗Proteins have 4 calories per gram.
5g of protein x 4 calories = 20 calories from protein
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So we add up the calories from the macros:
108 + 124 + 20 = 252 calories per serving! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Nutrition labels are allowed to round so they may be a few calories off (which is why your macros might be spot on in MFP but your calories are off).
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I recommend ALWAYS aiming for your macros in grams on MFP instead of calories.
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👉🏻I recommend looking at the “nutrients” tab because that’s the clearest monitor of your total daily intake & keep going until you reach YOUR macros (this is an example).
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🧠If you have the paid version of MFP you can enter in your “goals” but if you don’t then just memorize your daily macro needs.
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❓Why not percentages? Because the percentages in MFP don’t take into account your total DAILY goals, it just takes into account the food you have entered in each meal which doesn’t matter.
TLDR: don’t use this at all, it will only confuse the shit out of you.
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https://www.coachedbycait.com/
Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist
Fat loss and Macro coach
RN/BSN