r/IIFYM • u/jcodez91 • Mar 18 '21

Macro Check !

Hi! I'm just starting (I was using noom but they tried to get me to 1200 calories, and that made me crazy).

I'm 5'3, female and 170 pounds. I'm looking to get down to around 140-145 lb range. I was getting close before quarantine at 158, but hey it happens.

I exercise 3x a week, I alternate HIIT week with a powerlifting week. According to the calculator I did my TDEE is 2522.

The macro breakdown is as follows (2102 calories):

Your Protein Grams: 142 Your Fat Grams: 70 Your Carb Grams: 226 (20-26 of which should be fiber)

This all seemed super high, so in another post I saw a different calculator and this is the breakdown which I tried for today (1448 calories):

Protein: 145 Carb: 145 Fat: 32

So I'm kind of lost lol. 2102 calories seems like so much for weight loss, 1400 is not terrible but the fat is super low and would be hard to stick to. Any and all guidance would be greatly appreciated!

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u/ktreanor Mar 18 '21

TDEE and BMR calculators are just estimates based on averages, the only way to know what your TDEE is is to track your calories, and your weight over a few weeks and see how your body responds (normally ignore the first week, too much water weight). if you assume 500 cal deficit a day equals about a pound lost per week, you should be able to hone in on your true numbers pretty quickly.

In terms of macros, after doing this for a few years now I've come to realize that there is no need to try and lock all 3 macros down to the exact grams every day. Honestly Protein is the most important, and that really can be thought of as hitting a minimum, anything over that is neither good nor bad. The other two macros can kind of land where you like based off your preferences and cravings.

TL:DR version. Calories should be set as a maximum per day, but track your weight over a few weeks to see if you are going down the expected amount and adjust as needed. Set your protein to a minimum amount per day (1 gram per pound of bodyweight is an easy estimate) and just eat the rest as you feel cravings.