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Macro Check

Would like help making sure my macros are on point.

Spudly
Spudly g Andrew Schwenk
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2015
Posted

Hi I'm new here, and I just calculated my macros on IIFYM. I'm at 21.8% body fat, and I'm 187 pounds. IIFYM says that my TDEE is 2727, and my BMR is 1806. And if I wanna cut fat it says my intake should be 2182 or 15%.

I'm not sure whether or not I should do low carb, but I'm thinking that's probably the best way to cut. On low carb they say I should get 144.9 carbs. 231.8 proteins, 90.1 fats, and 37 - 47 fibers. But on recommended it says 330.9 carbs, 117 proteins, 58.5 fats, and 37 - 47 fibers.

 

Which one of these is more realistic, and what should I be shooting for?

 

Thanks,

Andrew

jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Spudly

Hi I'm new here, and I just calculated my macros on IIFYM. I'm at 21.8% body fat, and I'm 187 pounds. IIFYM says that my TDEE is 2727, and my BMR is 1806. And if I wanna cut fat it says my intake should be 2182 or 15%.

I'm not sure whether or not I should do low carb, but I'm thinking that's probably the best way to cut. On low carb they say I should get 144.9 carbs. 231.8 proteins, 90.1 fats, and 37 - 47 fibers. But on recommended it says 330.9 carbs, 117 proteins, 58.5 fats, and 37 - 47 fibers.

 

Which one of these is more realistic, and what should I be shooting for?

 

Thanks,

Andrew

Andrew,

 

Tweaking your individual macros is unfortunately not an exact science as everyone is different and reacts differently to nutrients. The basic starting guidelines is to take 80% of your TDEE. In this case, 2700 x .8 = about 2100 calories. 20% is a good starting point. Protein must stay at least 1.2 - 1.5g per pound of LEAN body weight. While excess protein gets stored in a body-wide amino pool, too much protein gets converted to glucose by the liver via gluconeogenesis which obviates the need for the body to burn fat for fuel.

 

Low carb is a good start but NO carb is not. Carbs are the tricky macro as too much can lead to fat gain but too little will halt muscle growth and fat burn. A good starting point is 1g of carbs per pound of body weight. The rest of your calories need to be made up of healthy fats of all types - mono, poly, and saturated to not only be used as fuel when carbs are lowered but also to keep your hormone levels high - and good quality protein. You can then start lowering or raising your carbs to see how your body responds.

 

The first macro count of 144, 231, and 90 is a more realistic starting point than the 331, 117, and 58 one. You need to see how your body responds to carbs and incorporate at least on re-feed day per week where you double your carb intake while lowering your fat intake. Fats and carbs should be adjusted evenly from a caloric standpoint meaning if you cut 100 calories of carbs increase your fats by 100 calories and visa versa to meet the 2100 daily goal. Once you get a macro balance that is helping you shed fat but still giving you enough energy for your workouts and muscle growth, then you have found the right macro counts for your body.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
Spudly
Spudly g Andrew Schwenk
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2015
Posted

John,

 

Thanks for the input man. I recalculated my macros at 1.50 gms of protein per lb of lean mass, wasn't quite sure what to put for fats so I put .50 gms per lb of lean mass, and then the leftovers obviously were my carbs and fibers. I got 161.6 gms of carbs, 219.4 gms of protein, 73.1 gms of fat, and 37 - 47 gms of fiber, totaling out at 2182. Which I think sounds more realistic, but without buying protein I have no idea how in hell I'm going to hit 219 gms of protein in a single day. I realize that's a lot for a college budget, and that's not a whole lot of carbs. Do these numbers sound reasonable? I know you can't do a whole lot without all of my information, but I hope this helps.

 

What would you (or anyone else) suggest for a meal plan to meet these macros? I am hoping to get started on a 6 day meal plan, where I cook on Sundays for the rest of the week. This will probably work best on a college schedule. I'm planning on buying a lot of Tupperware, but other than that I haven't really thought of foods. Here's a list of foods I am planning on incorporating into my meal plan though.

 

Protein:
Lean Chicken Breasts, Cottage Cheese, Lean Pork, Tuna, Tofu, possible tilapia or cod.

 

Carbs:
Sweet potato, black beans, brown rice, quinoa, steel cut oatmeal.

 

Fats:
Avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, flax seed or fish oil, maybe peanut butter, almonds, sardines packed in olive or soy bean oil, grass fed butter.

 

Fibers:
Bananas, broccoli, spinach, asparagus

 

Thanks,
Andrew

jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Spudly

John,

 

Thanks for the input man. I recalculated my macros at 1.50 gms of protein per lb of lean mass, wasn't quite sure what to put for fats so I put .50 gms per lb of lean mass, and then the leftovers obviously were my carbs and fibers. I got 161.6 gms of carbs, 219.4 gms of protein, 73.1 gms of fat, and 37 - 47 gms of fiber, totaling out at 2182. Which I think sounds more realistic, but without buying protein I have no idea how in hell I'm going to hit 219 gms of protein in a single day. I realize that's a lot for a college budget, and that's not a whole lot of carbs. Do these numbers sound reasonable? I know you can't do a whole lot without all of my information, but I hope this helps.

 

What would you (or anyone else) suggest for a meal plan to meet these macros? I am hoping to get started on a 6 day meal plan, where I cook on Sundays for the rest of the week. This will probably work best on a college schedule. I'm planning on buying a lot of Tupperware, but other than that I haven't really thought of foods. Here's a list of foods I am planning on incorporating into my meal plan though.

 

Protein:
Lean Chicken Breasts, Cottage Cheese, Lean Pork, Tuna, Tofu, possible tilapia or cod.

 

Carbs:
Sweet potato, black beans, brown rice, quinoa, steel cut oatmeal.

 

Fats:
Avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, flax seed or fish oil, maybe peanut butter, almonds, sardines packed in olive or soy bean oil, grass fed butter.

 

Fibers:
Bananas, broccoli, spinach, asparagus

 

Thanks,
Andrew

Andrew,

 

I would add in whole eggs which are 7g of protein and easy to prepare and relatively cheap to buy in quantity. Whole eggs are fine for your health as long as you don't also eat lots of processed food, sugar, and man-made fats. The whole fat and cholesterol worry about eggs is a farce if you eat a clean, nutritious diet. Also, milk is a good source of protein as well as Greek Yougurt. Drink full fat or low fat milk not skim milk and eat low fat or full fat Greek yogurt. Skim milk is just pure milk sugar and is as bad as drinking a Coke and non-fat yogurt isn't any better.

 

Don't go too crazy with the soy/tofu as soy/tofu has estrogen like compounds which are not good for males trying to build muscle. Some tofu, edamame, and soy sauce occassionally will not hurt but don't drink soy milk and don't eat soy every day.

 

I would nix the pork. Pork is not a good protein source nor a good meat to be eating regardless of what the pork industry tells you. Better to stick with chicken, fish, and lean, non-processed red meat. Avoid all processed meat like bacon, cold cuts, jerky, etc

 

The new macro numbers look good to start with but may need to be adjusted as you see how your body responds.

 

Protein intake usually requires supplementation. A good whey protein won't bust a college student budget so you might look into getting some protein powder to help supplement your protein intake.

 

One note on Tupperware - and plastics in general. Plastics have several compounds like Bisphenol-A and Pthalates which are serious endocrine disruptors - which means they fuck with your hormone levels especially Testosterone and mimic estrogen in male bodies. Most plastics have removed the Bisphenol-A due to EPA and FDA regulations but plastics still harbor a lot of chemicals that can leech into your food. Never put hot food or liquids in a Tupperware container. Let them cool first. Don't put any acidic compounds like tomatoe sauce or lemon juice in a plastic container and don't keep them in an area where they will be subject to heat. Never prepare food in the microwave using any type of plastics - it is best to avoid using microwave ovens altogether. These conditions will cause chemicals from the plastics to leech into your food. While the amounts are small, the effects on your hormones are real.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
Spudly
Spudly g Andrew Schwenk
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2015
Posted

Thanks for the advice man, I have a lot to work with now

muscular strength
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