I've been on IP about 5 weeks and just started using My Fitness Pal after reading about it on this forum. (Thanks for all the diet tips, recipes, success stories and motivation on here, BTW. You guys are a godsend.)

Here's my question for those of you using My Fitness Pal: Right now the program is showing the default "guided" nutritional & fitness goals on my page, which for me are showing 1200 calories, 165g carbs, 40g fat and 45g protein, which are obviously not my goals on IP. I'm assuming that most folks on here who use MFP customize their goals to reflect the calorie, fat and carb counts that we are shooting for, but I'm not actually sure what those are. My coach didn't really spell that out for me. I understand the reasoning of not having us get too hung up on numbers and that if we follow the protocol we will lose the weight without having to track it all, but seeing those huge (wrong!) numbers for calorie and carb goals will probably drive me nuts. So what did you guys do, and how have you customized MFP to make it work better for the IP dieter?

Thanks!!

Click on the settings tab first. Then, there'll be a goals tab under MY HOME, FOODS, EXERCISE, REPORTS, etc that will allow you to work your numbers to your liking.

Then click on CHANGE GOAL and pick the custom tab on the next screen rather than the guided.

I added a column for fiber, and changed my goals as follows.

Calories 900
Carbohydrates 50
Protein 100
Fat 30
sugar 24

I don't always hit those numbers, but it's much closer to actual then the default.

Lol, sorry. I misunderstood!

I added the fiber column, too

If you just set protein at 50%
Fat 30%
Carbs 20%
You'll be good
I set my cals at 950 but could have set them at 900. Rarely was I hitting 950 before I switched to p2

Sorry - reviving this old thread because I'm also using MFP and I'm confused about the breakdown as I phase off. I'm eating a lot more calories in P2 than I was in P1, but I don't know what that should be set at, as well as my macro ratios. And when I hit maintenance, should I just use the MFP defaults, or customize them still? Thanks for any help - it's appreciated!

HI darthkitten: when I went to maintenance, I just let MFP set my total calories according to my activity level, and clicked that I wanted to maintain (not lose or gain .5 lbs, etc) and it set my calorie level. I do put in my exercise, but try not to eat it all back (MFP raises the calorie and macro levels when you add in exercise logs) as MFP exaggerates the calorie burns.
I wouldn't worry about P2 calorie levels, just keep eating according to protocol, then moving into P3 you can revisit the calorie level as you are pretty well in maintenance.
The main thing I use my MFP for is to see my net carbs and make sure I stay fairly low on my sugars level instead of getting the carbs from simple sugars, and to make sure I get enough protein.

Liana

Thanks, Liana! I keep going over my calorie goals, which I guess is a good thing because at least now I'm no longer getting the "you aren't consuming enough calories" warning message at the end of the day anymore. And, even when I do go over the calories, MFP still calculates a future weight that's less than my current weight. But I guess I don't like seeing that negative red calorie number up top! I know IP isn't about calories, but I think it is important in maintenance so I'm trying to train myself now.

I set my macros for 50% protein, 30% fat, 20% carbs as Lisa suggested above - are those realistic goals for maintenance as well?

Hey Darthkitten...

In P2, I wouldn't worry too much about your settings since you don't need to follow the macros yet. I think I ranged about 900-1150 in calories on P2. You will find that MFP will constantly tell you you are not eating enough.

I didn't reset my percentages until I hit maintenance. I started maintenance with 35% protein, 35% fat and 30% carbs.....but I am having a VERY hard time getting all that protein in as I add calories back in my diet. To start with in maintenance, I stayed pretty low calorically speaking (around 1300-1400) and now am up to 1600. My goal is to get my calories to about 1800 daily....but phasing them in slowly is giving my metabolism a chance to adjust.

As I am still having some weight loss in maintenance, I am also considering changing my carb ratios to 35%, 35% fat and 30% protein. I my aim to get up to 40% carbs as long as maintaining is going well.

It's great that you are using MFP already....it's is a WONDERFUL daily tool in maintenance. Maintenance is a bit like walking into the fog at first. You really have to feel your way through, which can be scary. But it's so worth it!

Edited as LIana and I were posting at the same time!

Darth....50% protein on maintenance will probably be waaaaaaaaay to much protein. At 1600 calories a day with 35% protein, I need to eat 141g of protein (that's more than a pound of my body weight per gram!). In order to do that, I am eating 4-6oz of greek yogurt at breakfast, 4-6oz of meat at lunch, 4-6oz of meat at dinner AND an EAS shake AND a Quest bar and often nuts to help out!!!!! Eeeek!

I would like to know this too!

evemomma - Thanks for the breakdown! It does seem like a CRAZY amount of protein in maintenance. I'm averaging around 1200-1300 calories in P2 right now, which has me worried because right now I'm maintaining and not losing (I was hoping to lose 2 more lbs). I eat a Big Mac in a Bowl every night on campus so that always throws me into the higher range at 690ish calories just for that meal. I do use regular salad dressings that are either 0 or low carb/sugar, but not always low calories (I know it's not 100% OP but it's the only way I've been able to stomach salads every day which is a habit I want to enjoy so I'll keep it up in maintenance). I've been looking for lower-calorie salad dressings though, because I think they are the culprit to my higher calories each day. Otherwise, I almost always hit the macros.

For curiosity's sake, I plugged in my goal weight (2 lbs less than today) and hit "maintain my weight" in MFP and my calories were only 1,560 a day. That seems really low to me. I know if I wear my FitBit it will give me a couple hundred calories in activity points, but like Liana mentioned above, I don't want to eat those calories back. I'm a bit nervous about sticking to 1,500 calories a day, because I'm DYING for some avocado, nuts and fruit in maintenance!

This is probably OK for you darthkitten, at least for the next little while - I am at 1590 baseline (pre-exercise) now, since my job & lifestyle aren't as active as they used to be. If you are dying for avocado, nuts & fruit, you will have no problem in maintenance, because you can just trade off your HIGH protein % for a higher fat (remember, fat is NOT our enemy in maintenance ) and a slightly higher carb ratio. You'd be surprised at the amount of yummy food you can have for 1500-1600 calories really. If you check out the What are you eating Maintainers threads you can see what kinds of foods we are all eating and how our macros & calorie levels work out. BTW...I wouldn't look at my past week or so, I'm having 'issues' right now.

Liana

Good Morning:

I am using myfitnesspal to track what I am eating entire day. I find it easy as you scan the barcode on the products to log.

My Fitness Pal is used by MANY people here - while the tracking of your food doesn't matter quite so much in Phase 1, it's a FANTASTIC habit to get into now. MFP (or other calorie counting tools) will become INDISPENSIBLE in maintenance, and the more you get used to logging what you eat every day, every meal...the easier it will be to make that transition when you're planning your own food every day. Keep it up!