I'm A 207 lb, 14 Year Old Male, What Should My Macros Be/How Do I Get Them In?

[FourReelFish]

As the title of my thread says, I am 14 years old and sitting at around 207 pounds. For more information, I am around 5'7". The summer just started and I saw this as a good opportunity to change my ways for the better.

I am watching a lot more fitness related videos online and I can say I've learned a few things, but this is somewhere I'm lost on. I have no idea how many calories I need per day, and what macros go along with it. Any number I've seen has been absurdly high, like 2500 calories and 190 grams of protein.

I just don't see how that's possible to do. 2500 calories seems like too much for fat loss, and it would be nearly impossible to burn that to a caloric deficit. With the protein, 190 grams just seems really hard to cram into one meal.

I'm also confused by how many carbs and fat I should have, because for that I'm just not sure. I know I should keep carbs low because they spike insulin from what I've heard, so 20% carbs, 30% fats, and 50% protein should work. I just don't know how much 20/30/50 percent is for me. I also am concerned about my micronutrients but supplements can help that, so macros are more important.

What I am really asking I guess is how many calories should I need and why, along with the macros and how to fit them into one meal for fasting. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Jimmy Swartz]

Hi @FourReelFish and welcome to the forums! You are in the right place to make a change in your life. I have written a lot of articles on this site that I really think can answer a lot of your questions. Here is a guide that I think would be helpful and a good place to start https://omaddiet.com/omad-diet-guide/. Specifically, the first article in the guide titled "How To Start Omad" an article that explains the "4 ones rule." This is the structure on how I lost over 80+ pounds.

As far as the calories per meal, I always advise people to try to get at least 1200, but I also encourage them to not focus on them. The Omad Diet is about having the freedom that many other diets don't have. It's about enjoying what you eat, but also learning to structure your eating habits in a way that can help you achieve your long-term goals.

 

[Jamie Middleton]

Welcome! This website has a ton of info that you can help answer a lot of your questions! I'm curious though, it seems you have been getting some different information from a lot of different sources. Like Jimmy said, keep it all simple. There are so many people out there that say this and say that. But, are they really doing what they are preaching? I really doubt it. I don't worry about calories either with my one meal. I am just sure that I don't overeat my one plate. I've been doing omad for so long now that I can tell if I eat a little too much in my one meal. You will get the feel for it after awhile, it can be tough adjusting in the beginning.

 

[Jackie]

Welcome to the community! Like the others said, start slowly and try to simplify things. I try to eat healthy a lot of times, but there are times when I eat whatever I feel like for my one meal. I'm sure there are times when I ate more calories than I care to admit. But, I have adapted to omad and I have a feel for my weight loss.

 

[FourReelFish]

I am not concerned with over eating at the moment. I can contain myself very well and I don't have the urge to cheat on any diets. The only reason I was overweight was because I didn't have the motivation to care what I was putting in my mouth and move around. Right now it's about getting enough calories, not staying under a certain number. I tried OMAD the past few days and found it difficult to get all the protein and calories I was recommended.

For now I just want to know the specifics, like what to aim for calorie wise and macro wise for my specific age, weight, and height so I know how to be healthy for myself.
And Jamie, yeah the people I've heard things from do practice what they preach. I look at trust worthy/respected fitness community members, I just don't know how to apply what they are saying for my scenario.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

I use My Fitness Pal, but I also have an app called Carbmanager, and I really like it a lot better than MFP, because it does help you set up goals for macros based on your personal information.
Carbmanager has a free basic app and also a premium one , and if you really want to chart and track your fitness goals, I recommend getting the premium plan. I tried the free one first, and then decided it was worth paying for the premium app, and upgraded, and have used it for quite a while now.
I also use a fasting app (when i remember to start and stop it) that is called LIFE, and it shows how long you fast each day, and where in that fasting period you actually switch over to burning fat for fuel during the night. It is free to get the fasting app.
If you have an iPhone, you also have their Health app, and this is also a great health tracker for showing what nutrients you are getting and integrating food and exercise into your daily goals.

 

[Mark1]

I say keep it simple. Do as Jimmy has suggested. One hour, One meal, one plate of food, one drink. You’ll go back to school looking good. It’ll change your life and how you look at food. Just don’t over complicate this

 

[Happyflowerlady]

I say keep it simple. Do as Jimmy has suggested. One hour, One meal, one plate of food, one drink. You’ll go back to school looking good. It’ll change your life and how you look at food. Just don’t over complicate this

I think that this is exactly right, too. If we all follow that basic formula, we will be eating the right amount of the foods that are healthy for us, and you can’t get too many unhealthy ones in if you are only having one plateful, and are eating the healthy ones first. I definitely need less on my plate than a growing teenage boy does, but the same formula will still work for both of us, just modified for our own needs.

 

[Mark1]

I’m rooting for you fourreelfish. Your so cool to be that young and have figured it out. Truly I mean that.