Macros numbers

[amelizabeth]

Hi! I’m moderately active person working out 30 minutes 6 days a week. I’m female, 5’4” and 158lbs. I’m working on weight loss. I’m following IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) and I was given 120g protein, 63g fat, 140g carb at around 1560 calories a day. What are your thoughts on 120g protein? I feel it is a lot to consume. I’ve been reading - a lot of women who are into fitness and are already at ideal weight consume around 120-140g protein. I still have 20-25 lbs to lose. Am I eating too much protein for my lifestyle? Thanks!

[Just1-one1-more]

You'l'll probably be better with the trial and error method and find out what works for you . Good luck 😊

[Activity2004 Administrator]

Did your doctor say you were to eat that much protein? Too much protein can be bad for the kidneys. Please ask your doctor if 120-140 grams is too little or too much when you can contact them next week. Please let us know what they say.

[TheAwfulToad]

120g isn't particularly high (1.7g/kg). High-carb, calorie-restricted diets usually increase the protein to >1g/kg to mitigate muscle wasting, and since you're fairly active 1.7g/kg would be about right. In practice it's very hard to over-eat protein (to the point of stressing your kidneys) because it feels uncomfortable to do so. However, as Just1-one1-more said, if it doesn't feel right for you, just eat less protein (and add more fat).

Personally I'm not a fan of low-calorie diets because (a) they bottom out at a relatively high bodyfat percentage and (b) they're unsustainable - you have to eat slightly less than you really want forever, or the fat just comes right back again. Of more concern in that respect is the carb content: at 140g, your body will be unable to burn fat, and if you increase that in proportion to calories at some point in the future - let's say by 20% - you'll be well into weight-gain territory (or more precisely, fat-gain). A better macro balance would be half the carbs (70g) and a little extra fat (~100g); consume your carb allowance mostly as green vegetables. The protein then becomes irrelevant because your body will be using it as intended (cellular repair) instead of as a top-up source of energy.

edit: just out of curiosity, I tried the IIFYM calculator, which told me 60g of fat and 342g carbs. If I ate like that I'd look like the Michelin man within a month, so not particularly impressed.

[andyswarbs]

I think no more than 10% protein is a good target.