"Don't count calories, count nutrition"

[Amsterdamned]

Hi all,

I spoke today to a nutrition freak at the gym.. He gets angry when you say the word 'calories'. He says you can't eat calories so shut up about calories.
The biggest mistake people make, is calculating how much calories they need and counting just the calories they are eating without the knowledge of how much protein, carbs and fat they need. Due this people think they have eaten enough while their body - for example - still need protein and had too much carbs.

He says, just calculate how much carbs, protein and fat you need. You don't need to know more.Google is your friend.
And because you know that 1 grams of carbs or proteine are giving 4 calories and fat 9, you can still calculate the calories if you want to.

Now honestly, I only can find calorie calculators? So how can I calculate the amount of carbs, proteine and fat the best way?

Some say 15% of your calories must coming from fat, 50% from carbs and 35% from proteine.
At this time I take 300 grams of carbs, 240 grams of proteine and 50 grams of fat...

Any opinions?

(Sorry for my poor english!!)

[Nimm]

Your friend is correct in that the amount of protein and fat you eat each day matters. Your friend is incorrect that calories don't matter. They both matter.

This thread discusses how to estimate your daily calorie, protein, and fat needs.

[WonderPug]

That "nutrition freak" is wrong. Caloric intake is what determines bodyweight. Consume more than you expend and you will gain weight. Consume less than you expend and you will lose weight. At parity, weight will remain stable.

Macronutrient sufficiency is virtually always achieved (well) before one hits his/her caloric intake goals, as protein sufficiency is hit at or before 1 gram per pound of bodyweight is consume and dietary fat sufficiency is hit at (or before) 0.45 grams per pound of bodyweight. CHO intake is a matter of personal discretion, as it's not an essential macronutrient.

Micronutrient sufficiency is also important, but that's mostly a function of food combinations and, again, most folks can hit sufficiency well before their caloric budget is hit.

Additionally, using ratios to determine macronutrient intake is a very bad idea as it does not take into consideration physiological sufficiency and setting arbitrary intake goals for macronutrient is just silly.

[Amsterdamned]

Oke thanks!! Very clear.

I already knew how much calories I need (3200) regarding the Katch-McArdle formula and eat these amount for 3 months every single day..I still gain muscle but I am not sure if I can gain more by eating more.. I am 177 pounds for 3 months now. My fat is still the same, I look more muscular then 3 months ago but my weight has not changed??

That's why I am not sure if I take enough carbs and fat..

[psychodiver9]

Ask your friend what he thinks fats, carbs, and protein are comprised of

[Amsterdamned]

Ask your friend what he thinks fats, carbs, and protein are comprised of

It's not my friend.. Just a guy I see once in the week..

I just need to know how I can estimate the best amount for proteine, fat and carbs. As I take maybe too much proteine and minor fat or carbs.

At this time I take 300 grams of carbs, 240 grams of proteine and 50 grams of fat...which is 2610 calories
(I still got 600kcal left for diner as I don't know what I am eating every evening because my mother decides )

[dukend]

It's not my friend.. Just a guy I see once in the week..
I just need to know how I can estimate the best amount for proteine, fat and carbs. As I take maybe too much proteine and minor fat or carbs.
At this time I take 300 grams of carbs, 240 grams of proteine and 50 grams of fat...which is about 2600 calories
(I still got 600kcal for diner as I don't

know what I am eating every evening because my mother decides )

do you think you guys will ever form a friendship?

[Amsterdamned]

do you think you guys will ever form a friendship?

I don't know why

[psychodiver9]

I don't know why

How can we be expected to provide any decent feedback without this info?

[Amsterdamned]

How can we be expected to provide any decent feedback without this info?

It really don't matter bro. From now I will eat 3600 calories instead of 3200. But still not sure how much proteine/fat/carbs

fat: 20%
carbs: 45%
proteine: 35%

??? No opinions about this ?? Or does it just don't matter exactly?

[psychodiver9]

Yes ratios suck

[thirtyreasons]

Calories are the most important factor in determining many things. I use to think that as long as I was getting enough protein I was going to gain a lot of size and I was barely eating much carbs and fat. Well once I knew how much to eat I learned to balance it out and damn I added size and increased my strength. So yes I believe calories means everything and once u understand it u really start seeing how so many things r bs and only a myth

[WonderPug]

It really don't matter bro. From now I will eat 3600 calories instead of 3200. But still not sure how much proteine/fat/carbs

I presume you didn't read my prior post or the tread linked to in the post that preceded my post.

[Amsterdamned]

I presume you didn't read my prior post or the tread linked to in the post that preceded my post.

You say, you get all Macronutrient sufficiency if you eating variated. So you don't have to focus really to how much protein/carbs/fat you take?

[WonderPug]

You say, you get all Macronutrient sufficiency if you eating variated. So you don't have to focus really to how much protein/carbs/fat you take?

I see you didn't read my first post and thus I see no reason to type the information again if you're too lazy to read it the first or second time around.

Good luck.

[Sarcopenia83]

OP, all you need to worry about is getting your minimum protein, fat and calories for the day. The rest can come from whatever additional macro you want.

In the future, I would ignore advice from anyone in the gym who is preaching rather than working out.

[nosix]

what?

[MikeK46]

He says, [I]just calculate how much carbs, protein and fat you need. You don't need to know more.

Idiotic. You can eat sufficient carbs, protein, and fat...and still eat too few calories, resulting in zero muscle gains.

[idz21]

Really? How?!

Because you need x amount of grams of protein/fat. Carbs don't really have a specific number according to "calculating your macros" but the more the better for very active individuals. Once you figure out F/P requirements, you'll likely have a bunch of cals left over and can do what you like with them.

[TomBremner]

well i guess hes actually right, i mean if you ate a specific macro split it would be a specific number of cals. its just more complex