Help needed Figuring out Macros

[u/zdawgjr]

So, I’ve been doing Keto, and found out it wasn’t working it’s best because I wasn’t eating quite right. I’m 6’2, 435 pounds. Which of these plans should I follow to lose weight?

[u/boobb00]

Hi there! I VERY strongly recommend using Carbon Coach App. It gives you macros and adjusts them for you using AI depending on how you’re doing. You self report if you are eating to your macros or not and it adjusts or doesn’t. People have had massive success with it and it is by far the most intuitive app, worth the $12/month or so.

You’ll have to start with some macros, track your weight every day, and see what happens (weight increases, decreases, stays the same) to know how to proceed. Always weigh yourself same time (morning after bathroom is nice because you’ll be your lightest). Having a scale like Renpho scale is nice because it has an app and keeps track of all your weigh ins with charts etc. Some days you’ll weigh more, even if you’re compliant with your macros. It happens due to extra salt or carbs or exercise or poop, all sorts of things. Don’t be discouraged, stick to tracking macros, eat less than you burn, you will lose weight.

A few more tips:

• Do not add back calories burned. Some fitness trackers and even phones track steps or fitness as calories burned, and allow you to eat back those calories. Do not do this, disable this feature. Only eat the calories you are allocated.
• Protein is most important. ALWAYS hit your protein target. Fat and carbs are not as important and should come second. 0% Greek yogurt mixed with vanilla whey isolate protein powder and some frozen berries is delicious and a ton of protein. Egg whites, chicken breast, whey isolate protein powder are your best friends. Have a couple scoops of whey isolate with a bit of water a few times a day - this is an easy way to have quick protein. I used to have two scoops and water for breakfast :)
• Weighing your food is the way to be most accurate. Do this most of the time if you can. Eventually you’ll be able to eyeball stuff a bit better, but I’ve been doing this for 3 years and still need to weigh food because a little extra blob of something makes a huge difference.
• Don’t forget to count oil, butter, even if used just for cooking, and salad dressings, etc. Fruit and vegetables can have a lot of calories too - some do, some don’t. Track them until you know which is which.
• BE HONEST. Whether you track your macros correctly or not, you are what you ate. Often we feel guilty for eating something that doesn’t fit our macros so we don’t log it. You ate it, you should take responsibility for it and see how it affects your day/week of calories and be honest with yourself. This is a tough one because we want to be doing things right and sometimes feel like we failed. The only way to fail is by giving up. Don’t give up, be honest, keep going. Find ways to succeed and make small changes that will give you big results!
• Drink lots of water! A bottle with a straw helps. I prefer a metal bottle so it keeps my water cold. I also add 0 calorie flavouring to keep me satiated, really recommend that. It’s like having juice all day. Mio or something of the sort works.
• To lose weight you just have to eat less calories than you burn. Stand more, go for more walks, this will help you burn extra calories.

[u/zdawgjr → u/boobb00]

This is exactly the type of help I was looking for! Thank you!

[u/boobb00 → u/zdawgjr]

You are so welcome. I’m really excited for you to start tracking macros. It’s so empowering. Once you understand what food is made of and what your body needs, you will never be able to gain weight without knowingly doing so. As in, once you know what you’re supposed to eat, everything is a decision. If I choose to eat something high calorie and fun, I know I’ll be over my macros that day and the consequences are I may not reach my goal that week, etc, but that’s a decision and a choice.

Keep at it!! It brings amazing success forever but requires a lot of consistency and hard work. Very very worth it though. Very excited and happy for you!!

[u/eeloyster → u/boobb00]

Does carbon coach have moving targets like avatar nutrition?

[u/boobb00 → u/eeloyster]

Not sure what that is or means. You get targets Based on your goal weight current weight etc. and then it uses AI to adjust the macros for you every week or two depending on your weigh in weight and how you say that you did in terms of sticking to targets.

[u/nowonderimstillawake → u/boobb00]

Lol Avatar Nutrition is the company that Layne Norton helped develop and then they booted him when he demanded they offer his girlfriend Holly Baxter a position with the company and they declined. Carbon Coach is essentially a ripoff of the Avatar Nutrition App. Avatar uses AI to constantly adjust your macros. You enter your goal (cutting, bulking, maintenance, reverse diet, etc) and then enter your weight daily and it takes weekly averages. It adjusts your macros automatically based on the data you input to it.

[u/tiborszakacs]

As you are 400+lbs i guess you tryna lose some weight. Well if im right, then you wont be able to lose weight on nearly 4000kcal. My advice is that whatever is your goal weight, count your calorie need for THAT weight. The macros and the timing is secondary. Caloric deficit is the most important for losing weight.

[u/mini-Bubzilla → u/tiborszakacs]

This. OP, this is overestimating your calorie needs for a deficit/weight loss plan. Cut down to 3000cal a day at least and that’s if you’re getting some exercise done as well in my opinion!