View Full Version : Maintenance macros
physlift314
12-29-15, 8:24 pm
Hi Everyone,
I have been reading a lot about macros for bulking or cutting and how to set up a diet. This is what I have thus far:
BULKING
- Add 10% of your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) to your TDEE. This is your BMR*Activity factor.
- Fat intake: 0.3 - 0.4g per lb body weight
- Protein intake: 1g per lb body weight
- Carb intake: what ever is left over
CUTTING
- Remove 20 - 25% of TDEE from your TDEE
- Fat intake: 0.2 - 0.25g per lb body weight
- Protein intake: 1 - 1.2g per lb body weight
- Carb intake: whatever is left over
I was wondering what other suggest for maintaining? Obviously you would eat whatever your TDEE was in calories, but in terms of fat and protein intake what would others suggest?
Honestly, I think this is total bullshit (BS)...
You canīt put universal numbers on this topic since everybody is completely different.
physlift314
12-30-15, 1:33 pm
Honestly, I think this is total bullshit (BS)...
You canīt put universal numbers on this topic since everybody is completely different.
Hi Rex. Thanks for your response. From what I can gather looking at the studies, these are suggested average ranges for, seemingly, random athletes. I presume ones caloric needs and macro breakdown will depend on what they do but how far off can they be from the given ranges?
Suppose someone comes to me and says "Will you put a diet plan together for me to lose weight?", and I agree. I could calculate their TDEE and then put them in a caloric deficit, but how big should that deficit be and what should the macro break down of those calories be? You could ask the same question for the scenario when someone asks "Will you put a diet plan together for me to maintain my weight?"
My point is, without any guidelines you are taking a shot in the dark with diet and nutrition and that seems, to me, somewhat reckless. Perhaps I have missed your point, but what does one do?
Hi Rex. Thanks for your response. From what I can gather looking at the studies, these are suggested average ranges for, seemingly, random athletes. I presume ones caloric needs and macro breakdown will depend on what they do but how far off can they be from the given ranges?
Suppose someone comes to me and says "Will you put a diet plan together for me to lose weight?", and I agree. I could calculate their TDEE and then put them in a caloric deficit, but how big should that deficit be and what should the macro break down of those calories be? You could ask the same question for the scenario when someone asks "Will you put a diet plan together for me to maintain my weight?"
My point is, without any guidelines you are taking a shot in the dark with diet and nutrition and that seems, to me, somewhat reckless. Perhaps I have missed your point, but what does one do?
How far off can you be or a certain studyīs average range?
Here is an example:
A maleīs life expectancy is 76 years. Thatīs the average.
Some men die at exactly 76 years of age - some make it to over 100 years - others die right at birth
Got my point?
Of course guidelines are helpful, but whenever you set a new diet plan from scratch you are still "taking a shot in the dark".
Try it, if it doesn't work....try something else. Its all about paying attention and making the changes in the areas where change needs to take place.
Try it, if it doesn't work....try something else. Its all about paying attention and making the changes in the areas where change needs to take place.
There is no other option.
physlift314
01-04-16, 2:52 pm
Many thanks for the feedback. I completely agree with what everyone has said. You have to do what is right for you. There's no doubt about that.
I agree with Rex and Bean that you can't put universal numbers on this. 1g of protein/LB body weight for bulking may not work for a given individual, but one wouldn't know that until they tried it. It may not be optimal, but it seems like a reasonable place to start. I would presume that the average ranges would be a decent starting point and tailoring the numbers comes with time.
The guidelines I initially wrote down are just that, guidelines. They are, at least to me, reasonable places to start. I apologize if the way I worded my initial post suggested that those numbers were the bottom line.
I would presume that, as there are average ranges for cutting and bulking, there are average ranges for maintaining. However, I am having difficulty finding what those ranges could be and was curious if anyone had any suggestions.
No apologize needed...you got this. Knowing what city the race starts in is always important...then you take the time to find the street, find parking, and then the starting line. We must all start somewhere and this forum allows guys like me a chance to pick the brains of guys(like Rex) that have been doing this way longer and can help me not make similar mistakes that they may have already corrected in their own lives. Its just rad to know that everyone in here that I have come across is here to help.
No apologize needed...you got this. Knowing what city the race starts in is always important...then you take the time to find the street, find parking, and then the starting line. We must all start somewhere and this forum allows guys like me a chance to pick the brains of guys(like Rex) that have been doing this way longer and can help me not make similar mistakes that they may have already corrected in their own lives. Its just rad to know that everyone in here that I have come across is here to help.
Absolutely.
Hi Everyone,
I have been reading a lot about macros for bulking or cutting and how to set up a diet. This is what I have thus far:
BULKING
- Add 10% of your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) to your TDEE. This is your BMR*Activity factor.
- Fat intake: 0.3 - 0.4g per lb body weight
- Protein intake: 1g per lb body weight
- Carb intake: what ever is left over
CUTTING
- Remove 20 - 25% of TDEE from your TDEE
- Fat intake: 0.2 - 0.25g per lb body weight
- Protein intake: 1 - 1.2g per lb body weight
- Carb intake: whatever is left over
I was wondering what other suggest for maintaining? Obviously you would eat whatever your TDEE was in calories, but in terms of fat and protein intake what would others suggest?
Well, from what I have learned from my past 2 or 3 years of having to watch my diet is that I had to figure out what worked well for me in terms of energy levels. If i do a low fat high protein high carb diet i will get alot of energy and put on a little size in exchange for crashing out early in the evenings whereas if I do a mid fat / mid carb / mid protein diet I have more steady energy levels and feel fuller off of less meals.
Also, just curious because I have seen it in a few articles but do not know if it is a 100% fact but wouldn't 0.2-0.25 g fat per lb body weight be a bit too low of a fat intake? I think I saw something about low fat intake being related to lesser testosterone production or lower testosterone levels I am not sure which one it is.
There is my 2 cents I am by no means an expert in any of these matters just sharing personal experiences.