Counting Macros

(Samantha ) #1

In week two of this journey and am wondering about counting Macros. I found a couple keto calculators online which all had different suggestions. I picked one that seemed in the middle of the suggestions and have been entering the information into MFP for 8 days now. I like being accountable to the macros and feel like it might keep me from overeating. I also have been weighing everything so I truly eat 1 oz. of nuts or 1 tbs of dressing. My only issue is this takes up a lot of time and is really hard when eating out plus I don’t know which keto calculator is best. Looking for suggestions for a good keto calculator and any advice on making macro counting less daunting.

(Allie) #2

They’re all guides. Pick one, stick to it, if you don’t see results make adjustments.
No calculator will ever be able to tell you what is right for your body.

(Dawn Comber) #3

I have used MyFitnessPal although it has its limitations. It helped me a lot in the beginning.

What @Shortstuff said is true!

(Rob) #4

Likewise.

I used MFP regularly for the first month or so to track macros to make sure I was selecting the right foods, but went Lazy Keto after that once I knew what to eat and what to avoid. Now I only spot-check myself on MFP occasionally. If you’re eating 70% of fat in each meal, you’ll struggle to over-eat, you’ll feel satiated a lot quicker than if you were eating the same quantity of food which is high in carbohydrate.

(Dawn Comber) #5

@MmmBacon, same. Recently I went back to using MFP. Just wanted to make sure I was tracking ok… and trying to reduce my protein. :wink:

(Tech Dad) #6

I use Cronometer. In the settings you can set the diet type to Keto and configure the protein and net carbs macro you want to target. Once that is done you get a nice percentage bar for your fat, protein, and carbs in the app.

(Candy Lind) #7

You won’t have to track forever. You’ll get good at estimating & will only need to weigh/measure when you hit a stall. One thing that might help when eating out is to plan ahead when you know which restaurant you’re going to. Look over the menu on line & call to ask any questions you have. Keeps you away from temptation, and you won’t hold things up when everyone is ready to order. Remember to ask for swap-outs for sides; they are usually willing unless it’s some kind of “special” you’re ordering.

Here are a couple of portion control info graphics that will help you estimate portion sizes:

The hand method works well because you usually have one with you. :wink:

Comparison to common objects is another good way (that pic is toward the end of the article).

What she said! Make sure you eat until you’re full. Calorie counting is your enemy when you are IR (insulin resistant). You have to fix your hormones, and sometimes your body wants to do that before it will let go of any weight. Patience is key.

(Rob) #8

Oh I should have also said before that my Mum has just started off on Keto. She’s in her 70’s! and doesn’t get along too well with tech, so I found her a 30 day meal plan at ruled.me which she can just follow without tracking a single macro. That’s another option to consider.