More carbs and less protein for weight loss…?

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FitnessLover001
FitnessLover001 Posts: 188 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey family! So, I've gotten more into weight lifting now and cutting back on cardio a little, and I love it, but I have gained weight with that. I'm 5'2", 135 pounds, and 22% body fat. I work out 6 days a week and watch what I eat, I have had tailgate adventures (it's football season, come on…) and I can eat a 40oz jar of peanut butter in one week, so I know those two factors probably play a big roll in my weight gain and I'm trying to cut those back. Other than that, I eat healthy foods with an occasional cheat. I want to lose about 12 pounds of fat but keep my muscle mass and I know through healthy diet and exercise…this isn't my first rodeo with weight loss. I went to IIFYM and plugged in everything and they said eat 1700 cal, with only 105g of protein, 42g of fat, and 222g of carbs. My question is, is that going to shed weight off with the high amount of carbs? I know I should get it from healthy carbs, but I'm wanting to lose weight, and was always told, eat more protein and less carbs….so I'm confused and wanted some advice!

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  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
    edited November 2014
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    If it's a deficit you will, and I suspect it is based on what you've said and if you do what you say you are, you'll maintain a good percentage of your lean mass too. Also eating more protein and less carbs means, then you normally do, not literally.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    FOR ME...as in "for me"...that would be way too many carbs based on preference and satiety from more fat calories....I think you know your issues...but ultimately it is your total calories...are you logging those jars of peanut butter and tail gate adventures?
  • Iri_2
    Iri_2 Posts: 349 Member
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    A calorie deficit is all you need to lose weight. But you could up your fats a little, they seem low.

    You want a minimum of 0.8 per lb of body weight for protein and a minimum of 0.4 per lb of body weight for fats. The rest of your calories are filled with carbs.
  • thatswhatshesaiddd
    thatswhatshesaiddd Posts: 62 Member
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    Personally, when I cut carbs I lose weight faster. Even if it's what everyone screams as "water weight", it's still weight off your body that will make you look leaner. The number dropping on the scale also acts as a great motivator. :)
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    thatswhatshesaiddd wrote: »
    Personally, when I cut carbs I lose weight faster. Even if it's what everyone screams as "water weight", it's still weight off your body that will make you look leaner. The number dropping on the scale also acts as a great motivator. :)

    very true
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    carbs don't make you gain weight or prevent you from losing weight...carbs aren't the devil. People get all excited when they low carb because they lose a lot of water weight early on...carbs do cause large fluctuations in fluid and those fluctuations can have a pretty dramatic effect on the scale...but low carbing doesn't cut any more fat than anything else.

    Personally, I let my fitness aspirations and goals to largely dictate my macro ratios. When I'm training for endurance rides and such, I tend to eat more carbs...when I'm spending more time in the weight room I tend to eat a higher protein/fat diet. That said, I don't think I've ever been below about 150 grams of carbs per day...

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