Question about my macros that are being auto-set

errantbehavior

Hello!
I want my macros to be as follows:

1698 calories
133 g fats
20 g net carbs
104 g protein (calculated by using .8 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass)
(This is strict keto)

To set this up, I go into the Macronutrient target area of Cronometer and choose "High Fat / Ketogenic" The 'rigorous' option seems to match what I'm going for ( .8 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass, and no more than 20 grams of carbs per day).

My activity level is set to 'sedentary' (desk job). I have the "net carbs" option selected.

So here's the problem- I close the macronutrient target area, and Chronometer thinks my macros should be as follows:

(when choosing the keto/rigorous option, it doesn't allow me to modify these manually at all):
1597calories
46grams of protein (only about half of what my goal is)
20 grams of net carbs
148 g of fat

WHY is this happening? Why is it setting my protein goal so low?

Thank you!

Karen_Cronometer

Hi errantbehavior,

On the High Fat/Ketogenic setting your protein is calculated based on your kg lean body mass - not lbs of lean body mass, so that may be why you are seeing a lower value than you expected. (we will calculate this from your body fat %, so be sure to update your body fat biometric). If the preset strictness levels don't match the targets you would like to set, you can also choose custom and enter in your own values for protein per kg lean body mass and grams of net carbs.
Net carbs will be limited to the value in grams shown. The rest of your energy target will go towards fat.

The High Fat/Ketogenic setting is a dynamic calculation, meaning that your targets can change day-to-day based on the amount of activity you have entered in your diary. If you have entered a weight loss goal, this will affect your targets as well. By reducing your calorie intake, you will also reduce the value of your fat target.

If you would like to set fixed targets instead, you can define each macronutrient target in grams. This is a good option if you have calculated your macro targets elsewhere, and would like to use these instead.
Once you have selected fixed macronutrient targets, on the mobile app, update your macronutrient targets below to the gram amounts you have chosen.
On the website, navigate to the Nutritional Targets section to edit each macronutrient target. Click on each target, tick the box to use a custom value, enter your value and apply your changes.

Best,

errantbehavior

Wouldn't the recommendation for protein levels be the same no matter if your program uses pounds or kilograms? Just because you are weighing in kilograms, that does not mean my protein requirements are less??.

errantbehavior

PS, my body fat percentage is entered correctly.

Karen_Cronometer

Hi errantbehavior,

There are many different low carb, high fat diet plans to cater to personal preferences, needs and goals. Not all individuals will choose to follow the same ketogenic diet pattern.

Cronometer offers the flexibility to enter in your own custom values so you can use the values that work best for you!

Best,

Nikadermis

I ate 70g of protein today, and that's way more than the 42 I think I need a day as a 130# woman at 47 years old. Cronometer says I'm only at 63% of my daily needs. I've gone to the setting and removed the choice for level of activity to custom and left it empty. What does cronometer use to determine my needs?

Hilary

By default we set each nutrient to the recommended values as set by the USDA Dietary Reference Intakes. These are set based on your age, sex and in some cases, how many calories you have burned. Your targets for nutrients will be set to the minimum daily amount you need to keep from being malnourished.

Cronometer is to be seen as a tool to track consumption and all targets we have set by default are not for everyone. If you have different needs you are welcome to make the changes based on your healthcare professional's recommendation or personal preference.

You can learn how to edit your macronutrient targets on the website version of Cronometer here: https://cronometer.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018362851-Edit-Macronutrient-Targets

Learn how to edit your macronutrient targets on mobile here: https://cronometer.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360020092331

There are a couple of different choices for setting macronutrient targets:
Use Fixed values if you would like to input custom nutrient gram values directly in the fields.
Use Macro Ratios, to dynamically calculate your macronutrient targets to achieve the ratio of macros based on your calorie budget.
Use Keto Calculator if you are following a Ketogenic diet. Cronometer will dynamically calculate a maximum protein target based on your lean body mass, a maximum carbohydrate target and set the remainder of your calorie allowance to fats.

Sudroen

I think some people at Cronometer are missing the point. The keto auto calcutor calculates the wrong grams of protein for someone doing all calculations in lbs, not kg.

The auto-calc in the Cronometer app will incorrectly calculate protein for people doing everything in lbs. Most don't realize that they have to do a conversion. Where the grams of protein per ----kg------ should be entered at ~1.8 instead to do the conversion to protein per -----lbs------ (to get 0.82 grams protein/lb).

1kg = 2.205lbs

(2.205 lbs / kg) * 0.82(gr protein / lbs) = 1.8(gr protein / kg)

Only then does the calculator auto calculate the keto macros correctly for people doing this in lbs. Which is very helpful if you are using an activity tracker and would like your fat macro to auto adjust to accommodate the extra calorie expenditure. (which does not work if you are using fixed values)

The fix is very, very simple:
Add a toggle button to the keto calculator and let people choose lbs or kg, then, voila, things calculate correctly and everybody is happy.

Or better yet, if someone has chosen lbs for their body weight, change the auto-calculation to that. Not difficult.

I have no idea why this bug, because it is a bug, has not been address for years....

Karen_Cronometer

Hi Sudroen,

You're right! Cronometer uses grams of protein per kg lean body weight in the keto calculator.

That's a great solution to add in pounds as an option, too!

Cheers,

errantbehavior

@Sudroen,

Thank you so much for articulating exactly what I was trying to say!

Yes, please fix this bug