Q&A: Roman's Macro Calculator - Open discussion

[Times Roman]

Since the Macro Calculator is becoming a bit more complex, I thought it would be a good idea to have a Q&A thread.

If you want a copy of the Macro Calculator, pm me with your email addy.

If you have questions, this is the place to ask.

If you have suggestions/ideas for improvements, let me know.

Soon, I'll be working on a BF% calculator with a tracker.

Here is what I have so far.............


Summary Page - calculates TDEE, calories consumed, grams of protein required based on LBM, etc



All days tracker



detail meal page - over 900 food items, allows for up to 8 meals



interactive GV tables - 750 food items, includes two different GV's, and GL

[Times Roman]

So everyone that has received the calculator is comfortable with how it works and there are no questions?

[Times Roman]

I just added a BMI chart and pics of body fat broke out by percentages. Credit to GirlyGymRat; since I stole the pics from her thread! =)

I'll try to get the Body Fat % calculator up and running here in the next day or so....

---Roman

[Times Roman]

and because I believe everyone should have a working knowledge of muscle anatomy, I just added a chart...

(still working on the BF calculator)

[Times Roman]

just added two new items

1) muscle fiber type - a chart
2) three new "food" items only for rest days and cheat meals - 80/90/100 proof alcohol (yeah, I'm bad!)

Still working on the BF% calculator (I said that already, didn't I?)

[Times Roman]

this is what the summary page looks like now. Note the tabs at the bottom for the various new tools I've added....

[Times Roman]

I've probably passed out 50 of these calculators so far, surprised no questions?

[Sfla80]

Damn cpu since I cleared up a virus few months back it won't let me download anything. Have to figure that out before I can get it.

[Times Roman]

working on a phone app right now, but unfortunately, my son thinks we should charge a dollar. he thinks we are going to get rich.

...I think it will be a lot of work.

Either way, pm me when you are ready, and i'll send you a copy.

[tarmyg]

working on a phone app right now, but unfortunately, my son thinks we should charge a dollar. he thinks we are going to get rich. ...I think it will be a lot of work. Either way, pm me when you are ready, and i'll send you a copy.

Amount of money one makes off apps are quite negligible. Let know if you need help with the app making or just beta testing it.

[tarmyg]

Btw. Why not upload it as a google doc and invite people you trust as editors. Should make quite a bit of progress in no time.

[Times Roman]

I only need help with the food items list.

so........
....how do I upload it as a google.doc?

[Imperator]

Hi Roman.

Starting on the main page of your macro calculator how do you go from there to logging your meals for the day?

Thank you!

[Times Roman]

at the very bottom, you will see tabs that look like this



select/click one that says meal 1, or meal 2, depending on which meal it is you are trying to record, and a new page will open up

let me know if any other questions.

---Roman

[NACH3]

Thanks again T.M. For the macro calc... Much appreciated!

[Times Roman]

Soon, I'll be looking for a few to evaluate the new food list for:

1) ease of use
2) accuracy
3) simplicity

it has over 8,000 foods on it. I've already compiled the list. It's being bench tested now before I open it up to the public

[Times Roman]

this only occurs when alcohol is involved.

The calorie counter will be off when converting grams of carbs to calories in some calculations. The over all calorie total WILL be accurate on the "Daily Total" tab in cell H11



but if you are tracking your "All Daily Totals", then the total calories there will be wrong.

This is attributable to the type of carb that alcohol is. Food carbs are 4cals/gram and Alcohol carbs (sugars) are 7cals/gram

At this point, I think I can live with this flaw

---Roman

[BIGTOY79]

Hi chief,
>
> Thanks again for the macro calculator ... very nice chart.
>
> I have one question though. Once I find the correct TDEE, how much calories should I subtract in order to hit a greater % of fat loss instead of weight loss?
>
> Like I said my objective isn't to loose weight.
>
> Also another question, that 40% prot - 40% carbs - 20% fat sharing is something we can adjust or are those are the % we should stick with ?
>
> thanks for the time and the help

[Times Roman]

if you look at cell J11, you will see the legend. Any yellow shaded cell is designed to be adjusted by the operator. (At some point, I'll protect the worksheet a little better). So, you can adjust your macro ratios in cells OPQ3. If you enter any values in total that do not add up to 100%, you'll see my little surprise and the input will be blocked until it does add up to 100%.

Now, about the fat as opposed to weight loss.

Ideally, you can manipulate your BF% either through caloric restriction and/or cardio. If you do NOT want to lose weight, then go the cardio route, but you will have to increase your caloric intake to compensate for the increased activity levels. Your activity level is controlled at cell C30.

No matter which route you take, make damn sure you maintain adequate protein levels.

The minimum requirement would be at cell K7, but optimally would be at cell O7.

To adjust your caloric intake above/below TDEE, you do so at cell O5. Negative to cut, positive to bulk, else leave it at zero to maintain.

Any other questions?

---Roman

[Times Roman]

if you look at cell J11, you will see the legend. Any yellow shaded cell is designed to be adjusted by the operator. (At some point, I'll protect the worksheet a little better). So, you can adjust your macro ratios in cells OPQ3. If you enter any values in total that do not add up to 100%, you'll see my little surprise and the input will be blocked until it does add up to 100%.
Now, about the fat as opposed to weight loss.

Ideally, you can manipulate your BF% either through caloric restriction and/or cardio. If you do NOT want to lose weight, then go the cardio route, but you will have to increase your caloric intake to compensate for the increased activity levels. Your activity level is controlled at cell C30.

No matter which route you take, make damn sure you maintain adequate protein levels.

The minimum requirement would be at cell K7, but optimally would be at cell O7.

To adjust your caloric intake above/below TDEE, you do so at cell O5. Negative to cut, positive to bulk, else leave it at zero to maintain.

Any other questions?

---Roman

I lied. It doesn't block it if not 100%. Instead, the little test at cell R3 either says pass or fail.

[BIGTOY79]

No further question ... really appreciate the help

[BIGTOY79]

Actually I do.

To control calorie intake ... I need to make sure prots gr. Is correct ... then I can adjust the rest with carbs and fat % ... This is where I would like to have some clarifications.

Let's say I wznt to hit 2.800 calories ... i have 294 gr. Of protein which is 1177 calories ... I have 1623 calories to go between carbs and fat ... how can I know how to dose % those two

I mezn I can git my calorie goal by putting most of them is carbs and very little fat or the other way around. Is it just a preference as long as I reach my calorik total or it is not that simple ?

[Times Roman]

this is going to take some work on your part. I would do this in two steps like I'm doing.

Step #1 is just going with the 40/40/20 until you learn to control your diet to the point where you will be able to control your macros with more precision

Step #2 is to get more creative with the adjustments/balance of your macros. ALWAYS make sure you hit your minimum protein requirement which is 1.5grams/protein per pound of lbm. once you clear that hurdle, and your target is 2,800 cals/day, then you can adjust as you please, based on what you find works best for you. For some, to help when cutting, you reduce your carb intake slightly, and offset with increase to either protein and or fat. Don't go crazy on the protein, however. More than about 1.75 grams per pound of lbm is more than you need, unless advanced. Which most are not.

Remember, the more you restrict calories, to be successful, the more you will want to avoid fat when possible. Fat is calorically dense, and will not fill the stomach as much as cooked oatmeal does (for example). And there is very little useable carbs in salad, another way to fill the gut when you are hungry but need to stay in a deficit.

There is no "right" way to do this. Manage your calories, make sure you hit your minimum protein requirement, and adjust the ratios of carbs/fat until you find the sweet spot. This is how you learn your body, and takes time.

Good luck!
---Roman

[BIGTOY79]

Man !! Thanks for everything really

[BIGTOY79]

Got a question a bit out of macro subject but still has to do with diet.

It's concerning cheat days ...

One full cheat day a week better than 1 cheat meal every at least 72 hours ?

[Rusty11]

It's definitely going to take some adjusting. Yesterday, day 2, I got all my protein in, but ended the day at 38%p. 29%c and 33%f. I've been drinking a lot of whole milk, so that could be a reason. What I like is that once things are set up, it just takes a few minutes to see where you're at for the day.

[Times Roman]

Got a question a bit out of macro subject but still has to do with diet.

It's concerning cheat days ...

One full cheat day a week better than 1 cheat meal every at least 72 hours ?

what ever works best for you. when you don't cheat, your body begins to adjust and becomes more efficient with the fewer calories you intake. by cheating, your body loses that efficiency and becomes more sensitive to deficit. I think cheating is actually a good thing on a semi regular basis. the exception is pre contest, where everything counts. But precontest food intake is non sustainable, and what I am trying to get across is something we can live with form day to day. Or at least that is what I am finding about myself. Again, everyone is different, so you will have to play around with what you do to find your sweet spot.

It's definitely going to take some adjusting. Yesterday, day 2, I got all my protein in, but ended the day at 38%p. 29%c and 33%f. I've been drinking a lot of whole milk, so that could be a reason. What I like is that once things are set up, it just takes a few minutes to see where you're at for the day.

my point exactly. it is very difficult to say I am going to balance my macros at 40/40/20 and then execute in the long term. in this case, long term is months. Just take it one day at a time.

For me, 12 whole eggs a day, something I had no problem with in the past, pumped in too much fat, and by de facto, too many calories. So now only egg whites for me. And I'm still having problems with too much fat intake. this is due in large part my BBQ. I like my red meat, and by most standards, is high in fat content, which is what makes it taste so good. So now, every day, I eat 16 oz scrambled egg whites from Costco ("zero" fat content and 12.5 oz canned chicken breast, also from Costco and also "zero" fat content. I'm suspicious how they can process this chicken breast to the point of no fat content, but this is what the nutrition label says, so I'm not going to think too deeply right now how they do that.

[Rusty11]

Everytime I go to costco, I stare at that 6-pack of canned chicken breast. I'm getting sick of tuna, so I think I'll try the chicken breast next time I'm there.

[Times Roman]

Everytime I go to costco, I stare at that 6-pack of canned chicken breast. I'm getting sick of tuna, so I think I'll try the chicken breast next time I'm there.

less expensive than the Tuna also...................................

[BIGTOY79]

Hi roman.

Please one clarification. When you said if you do NOT want to lose weight (but loose fat) you have to increase you calorie intake to compensate the increase activity level.

That's understood.

But, if my goal is loose max fat and min. weight, then i will like you said increase cardio, increase calory intake according, BUT, do I still have to meet TDEE, be little under or little above ?

[Times Roman]

to recomp, eat at TDEE and increase cardio. This will shed fat while maintaining your weight, thereby increasing LBM. Possibly reduce carb% and offset with bumps to protein and fat. You will know if your carb% is too low when it begins to affect you and your energy levels begin to drop. At that point, you will need to bump up your carb intake.

[BIGTOY79]

Thanks again

[Times Roman]

Everytime I go to costco, I stare at that 6-pack of canned chicken breast. I'm getting sick of tuna, so I think I'll try the chicken breast next time I'm there.

I usually buy 12 cans at a time. Which reminds me, I need to restock...........

[Times Roman]

shit! I blew my macros

on a food item, I listed the quantity as 3.5. thinking it was 3.5

the significance is one is text the other a value. and since I was thinking my protein was short, when it was actually pretty close, I ate some more and now I am over by about 500 calories.

moral of the story is to pay attention to your input values

[RegularBro]

I noticed the restaurant tab was a little skimpy...
So I did a little research (aka google) and found this website,
Restaurant Menu Calories, Nutrition, and Allergen Info
It has a whole bunch of restaurants for those of you who have to/want to eat out.

[Times Roman]

I just add new restaurants as I go.

I did add your directory, however.

Thank you!
---Roman

[jsam]

Would like to get a copy of the calculator but don't have pm permission yet

[Times Roman]

Would like to get a copy of the calculator but don't have pm permission yet

you should get that ability at 50 posts.

[Times Roman]

anyone still using this thing?

I found a small glitch. total formulas on some versions do not extend up to the top of the food items list. if you know excel, see if it calculates the macros for apples when you input a quantity. if it misses, either you or I can fix it. If you want me to fix it, email it to me. I'll fix it and preserve your data, then send it back.

[jesse4466]

anyone still using this thing? I found a small glitch. total formulas on some versions do not extend up to the top of the food items list. if you know excel, see if it calculates the macros for apples when you input a quantity. if it misses, either you or I can fix it. If you want me to fix it, email it to me. I'll fix it and preserve your data, then send it back.

Maybe u can help me confirm my TDEE. A few calculators gave me different results. Not sure why that would be. Currently eating 3,800 calories, about 500 above what I think it my TDEE.

33
220 lbs
6'1
Excercise 5x wk