How well do you hit the daily targets?

Fern36

Hello! I've been using cronometer for several years, but this is actually the first time I've explored the forums. I'm curious to know how close to 100% you get on a daily basis to hitting all your macronutrient targets. I eat a vegetarian diet but have trouble getting much beyond 90%. Typically, I'll be somewhere in the 80s, and the more I try to meet my targets, well, I'm also packing on the calories, and it can be very tricky meeting certain macronutrients you're short on without inadvertently overdoing it on others.

Even being vegetarian, I find it's super easy to surpass 100% for my daily protein, which I don't want to do while trying to get all my B vitamins and zinc in. Any suggestions?

Eric_Cooper

Fern, I am also new to the forums and have only used cronometer for 2 months. I am currently in a 500 calorie deficit and have not had any problems hitting my macros with the default settings. However, I felt that my proteins were not high enough which forced me to adjust my settings, and I've struggled to hit my daily goal without getting close to my calorie limits. What I try to do now average out the days. One day may be higher carbs and another might have more protein. This makes it easier for me to prepare my meals and keep a variety at the same time. I don't focus on just the day, but rather the weekly goal.

Fern36

Why did you feel your proteins were not high enough? So many people, encouraged by marketers, have been led to believe they're not getting enough protein, when really, it's incredibly easy to get meet the standard targets. And in fact, there are several reasons not to overdo the protein. I'd urge you to read this article:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/jan/04/protein-mania-the-rich-worlds-new-diet-obsession

Eric_Cooper

Fern, Thank you for the long article, lol. I agree that marketers try to persuade individuals to buy items that are not necessary, and I would agree that most people that are not trying to build muscle mass already get enough in their daily diet.

However, I do look for medical research to support my goals which means that I have read a LOT of articles. I have an active resistance exercise training program that I follow daily to build lean muscle mass and protein supplementation has provided great results for me.

Based upon my research I use the 1.2g/lbs of lean muscle (not total weight) model. This would require me to have about 20-25g of protein more per day than what Cronometer suggests which was only a 4-5% difference.

Susan_RD_101

Protein needs for vegetarians and vegans are ~10% higher than for omnivores. Considering this, a good target is 1 g of protein per kilogram of healthy body weight. If you are athletic, aging, pregnant, or have a medical condition, your protein needs may be higher.

This resource provides an excellent summary of food sources of various B vitamins: https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/foodnut/09312.pdf. Excellent sources of zinc include: tofu, pulses, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and wheat germ.

Also, remember to ensure you are putting in generic vs. brand-names of foods. Doing so helps to improve the accuracy of your nutrition report.

Kind regards,