How you calculate your macros

[b-boy]

I also weight meat cooked since I cook in advanced. Fitness pal is pretty good for what it is, honestly there's going to be some variance since our food isn't made in a lab (yet) I think as long as you're in the ballpark with calories and macros you'll be fine.

As long as you are consistent with the methods you use, you will be fine.

John Meadows and almost every coach has given me diets with protein based on cooked weight.

Consistency is the key!

 

[juggy38]

I weigh it cooked always. Chicken shrinks when cooked because it loses moisture. Moisture does not contain any macros. So if you’re weighing your food raw, you’re overestimating your protein intake

What? Lol no. If your chicken breast from the store says 2.5g fat 24g protein per 4oz, that’s 4oz Raw. If you eat 4oz cooked chicken….YOU are eating more protein

 

[165StateChamp]

Raw vs cooked meat. My favorite debate

I use ground meats only, form them into 225/250/275/300g patties weighed raw and then cook, freeze and thaw out for a meal as needed.

 

[qbkilla]

What? Lol no. If your chicken breast from the store says 2.5g fat 24g protein per 4oz, that’s 4oz Raw. If you eat 4oz cooked chicken….YOU are eating more protein

This. The manufacturer is telling you how many calories are in it as you buy it per oz. They can't guess your cooking method or how long you cook it and how dry it is. I agree with bboy just be consistent.

 

[Doitagain]

What? Lol no. If your chicken breast from the store says 2.5g fat 24g protein per 4oz, that’s 4oz Raw. If you eat 4oz cooked chicken….YOU are eating more protein

Oh look, somebody got it right! I was losing hope

 

[deejayiz]

I’m using Macro Factor and used to use MFP the only issue I’ve had with them is counting protein in non-meat sources, my carbs (rice/potatoes/oatmea) add like 50-60g of protein to my daily total. How do you guys track it? Count the protein as carbs? The calories still matter

Just downloaded this app, never heard it but before, thanks for mentioning it. Looks great so far.

 

[lm89]

Interesting! Thanks for the info guys

 

[Tortoise]

Is every chicken the same? I could imagine with genetic modification they can get pretty close. For example if we were to process 6' 230lbs male humans into meat their would be variance in each individual person as far as protein/fat. I cannot fathom that the farming practices and GMs are so spot on that every cut of meat is the exact same protein/fat between different animals of the same species

debating on weighing cooked or raw meat for the sake of accuracy seems a bit on the silly side and likely does not matter as long as you measure the same way all the time.

If you are not gaining or losing in the scope of your current goal you will just add or reduce from the measurement you are already taking. As long as that is happening, I think you will make great progress.

An exception may be the end of prep where becoming as specific as possible has much more meaningful return but in gaining muscle or doing a fat loss phase, you are probably doing more harm than good worrying about it.

 

[SAVAGEPMHNP]

I also think it doesn’t really matter one way or the other. As long as you’re consistently weighing it cooked/raw you can make your adjustments.

 

[MR. BMJ]

I calculate my calories long-ways by hand still because it is still fun for me to do it this way. I've been doing it this way since i was in high school in the 90's. I use the USDA database for the most part in calorie determination per weight of each food item, though I get lazy and also use label claims. I also always use cooked weight for everything. I am not going to make a new batch of rice for every meal that I eat, who has time for that? I make a batch that lasts me a few days and do it over again. If yuou cook it the same way and stay consistent with it like bboy stated it should not vary too much in the long run.

I currently just use 8 kcal per gram for chicken.

 

[Doitagain]

I also think it doesn’t really matter one way or the other. As long as you’re consistently weighing it cooked/raw you can make your adjustments.

Consistency, indeed.
There's none when you weigh it cooked.
Sorry guys but this whole thing makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
It's not like you're sparing time that way, you still put the damn thing on the scale anyway and just insist on doing it loosely by principle.
Not that I actually give two f#cks, buy the total lack of common sense is concerning.

 

[bbxtreme]

Why don’t you just use fitness pal app?

This is so complicated bro..

and measuring cooked is so much easier.. if you use one, stick to it and the results the same

The problem with half of the apps (I use Carbon) is that many of the macros are wrong or generic. That’s how this thread got started. I wish I could eat off of how some of the foods in it are listed. LOL

I agree with @danieltx and go off of what I buy from the store and plug in the numbers. Once in the app then am good from there. I’m also OCD and measure/track all my food by the gram, dry and pre-cooked too though.

 

[danieltx]

Consistency, indeed.
There's none when you weigh it cooked.
Sorry guys but this whole thing makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
It's not like you're sparing time that way, you still put the damn thing on the scale anyway and just insist on doing it loosely by principle.
Not that I actually give two f#cks, buy the total lack of common sense is concerning.

Plenty of guys weigh their food cooked and have no issues. If weighing cooked was such a problem for bodybuilding I would've never made the gains I have or been able to get as shredded as I can.

 

[b-boy]

Plenty of guys weigh their food cooked and have no issues. If weighing cooked was such a problem for bodybuilding I would've never made the gains I have or been able to get as shredded as I can.

Yep ^^
Plenty of high level coaches give cooked weight protein to their client on their diets. I can't believe people actually argue which is best, the only thing that matters is that you are consistent in your methods and you can dial in ANY diet like a sniper.

 

[AllOkJumpmaster]

here is the difference...

raw meat - always the same weight, calculate macros as such

cooked meat...

if I cook lean ground beef or chicken in a pan. The weight of that cooked meat 2 minutes after I take it off the burner vs 5 minutes vs 20 minutes is different due to steam, water loss, etc.....if I put in Tupperware and weight it out 4 days later, different weight because moisture / water / gelatin plays a massive role. If you always do the exact same protocol to a T, sure, the consistency is all that matters. That said, if I cook up some chicken breast in a pan, then weigh when it comes fresh out vs an hour later in the open pan vs an hour later in a sealed tupperware or bag is going to be a lot different to moisture loss / moisture retention. Even microwaved. If you take chicken and microwave it for 5 minutes vs 8 minutes there will be a massive difference in weight due to more moisture being lost. It is not a bad thing per se, and it its not necessarily a big enough difference to completely derail a prep, but it is just not as accurate as weighing it raw. No one will care about this take, and will probably shit on me for stating it, but it is the reality of the game...

 

[Doitagain]

Plenty of guys weigh their food cooked and have no issues. If weighing cooked was such a problem for bodybuilding I would've never made the gains I have or been able to get as shredded as I can.

First, I never stated this makes or breaks it. It's a matter of logic and common sense.
You apparently fail to realize the difference between “because of“ and “in spite of“, so any further clarification would be useless.

Yep ^^
Plenty of high level coaches give cooked weight protein to their client on their diets. I can't believe people actually argue which is best, the only thing that matters is that you are consistent in your methods and you can dial in ANY diet like a sniper.

This “plenty of coaches do this and that“ got old man. Tip: if your coach tells you to wipe your butt with a cactus leaf, it's not necessarily the sweet word of the gospel as you ALWAYS believe.
This wild card used to legitimate any and every nonsense is laughable.

For once, feel free not to reply and make things worse (I know it's mere wishful thinking, you LOVE to argue for the sake of arguing).

 

[TheRoid]

First, I never stated this makes or breaks it. It's a matter of logic and common sense.
You apparently fail to realize the difference between “because of“ and “in spite of“, so any further clarification would be useless.

This “plenty of coaches do this and that“ got old man. Tip: if your coach tells you to wipe your butt with a cactus leaf, it's not necessarily the sweet word of the gospel as you ALWAYS believe.
This wild card used to legitimate any and every nonsense is laughable.

For once, feel free not to reply and make things worse (I know it's mere wishful thinking, you LOVE to argue for the sake of arguing).

You don't feel too diplomatic today, do you?
Bluntness may be not your most attractive quality, but I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with you point-by-point. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink.
Take it easy and disregard it, not worth the headache

 

[TheRoid]

You don't feel too diplomatic today, do you?
Bluntness may be not your most attractive quality, but I have to say that I wholeheartedly agree with you point-by-point. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink.
Take it easy and disregard it, not worth the headache

P.s.: I do NOT downplay the value of some coaches, but the blind obtuse idolatry is plain embarassing sometimes.

 

[hawkmoon]

Only thing I weigh cooked is rice. I don't think matters much either way as long as you are consistent in your method.

I use myfitnesspal as well.

 

[ILoveTren]

The only thing I measure cooked is rice