Percentage - Carbs/Fats/Proteins

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labmom56
labmom56 Posts: 7 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm not sure what to set my percentages at for Carbs/Proteins/Fats? I've seen 45% Carbs/30%Protein/25% Fats. Thank you

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  • OrangeBabelfish
    OrangeBabelfish Posts: 67 Member
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    Different things work for different people. I try and do 35/30/35 as then I get (ideally) a third of my calories from each and am not excluding a single group. Not saying it works out every day or every week, but I'm aiming for it at least.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    Recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010: 45-65% of calories from carbohydrates, 10-35% of calories from protein, and 20-35% of calories from fat.

    I've been using the MFP macro defaults, set MFP to lose 2 lbs a week, I'm down 66 lbs in 121 days, and I feel great. I usually try to eat over my protein goal and I pay little attention to the other two. Fats are kind of self regulating since they are so dense -- anything high in fat will be high in calories. Carbs are something to watch, if it's high in carbs but high in fiber, okay. If it's high in carbs and low in fiber, consider whether it is junk food.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    Found the defaults:

    Carbs: 50%
    Protein: 20%
    Fat: 30%
  • lemonlime006
    lemonlime006 Posts: 27
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    My goal percentages are 40/30/30. I've done a lot of research on this topic, and different people will tell you different things based on your goals. I've settled on the 40/30/30 because I usually have high activity levels and am trying to tone and define rather than lose weight or cut. My percentages are based on zone/paleo diet guidelines, although I'd prefer to call myself more primal than paleo because I do eat greek yogurt and steel-cut oatmeal, which are not accepted paleo foods.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • EMTFreakGirl
    EMTFreakGirl Posts: 597 Member
    edited November 2014
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    I tend toward hypoglycemia/insulin resistance...so on the advice of a physician friend am doing 50/30/20 (protein/carb/fat) and it's working!!!!! :)
  • WildOkapi
    WildOkapi Posts: 81
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    IIFYM is helpful for figuring this sort of thing out - though it tends to set Fat/Protein high and carbs low, as it's geared toward gaining muscle. I've been at 55% carb/25% protein/20% fat and it's worked out pretty well.

    The one thing I will say is, that if you're going for weight loss, your macro ratios do not matter. You will lose weight as long as there's a calorie deficit.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    EMTFreakGirl wrote: »
    I tend toward hypoglycemia/insulin resistance...so on the advice of a physician friend am doing 50/30/20 (protein/carb/fat) and it's working!!!!! :)

    Nothing beats that!
  • Sir__Robin
    Sir__Robin Posts: 1 Member
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    Mine are set for Paleo. 5% carbs, 20% protein, 75% fat. I'm down 72 lbs in 125 days. My HDL is up and my LDL is down and I'm on half dosage of my BP medication with consistent 120/75. I'm not recommending this for everyone, but I do recommend everyone look into it.
  • labmom56
    labmom56 Posts: 7 Member
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    I haven't been using My Fitness Pal very long and I've low on protein and higher on the carbs and fats. I'm more of a vegetarian. Maybe I need to be eating a protein bar or Greek yogurt in the afternoon as a snack or having a smoothie with added protein powder Thank you everyone I think I'm fixated on these percentages in order to lose weight but as WildOkapi said as long as there's a calorie deficit the weight will come off
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    PikaKnight wrote: »
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    ^This is the post I used to set mine. Macros can be personalized to fit your goals and needs, but this is a great place to start.

  • ElizabethMaryam
    ElizabethMaryam Posts: 159 Member
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    EMTFreakGirl wrote: »
    I tend toward hypoglycemia/insulin resistance...so on the advice of a physician friend am doing 50/30/20 (protein/carb/fat) and it's working!!!!! :)

    Interesting. I have that problem too, so I might give your percents a try. Thanks for sharing :)
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    These are going to be different for everyone, based on their goals. Definitely read the link.
  • sing809
    sing809 Posts: 54 Member
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    My body doesn't seem to tolerate carbs well ( inflammation, bloating, sugar cravings), so I am trying to keep my protein between 30 and 40 and my carbs below 40. I set my MFP macros to 35/35/30. I am not used to eating so much protein, but it is working well for me so far. I have been meeting my goal of a pound a week and I don't get hungry with all the protein. Most of my carbs come from veggies and dairy. I have had to cut way back on fruit to meet my macro goals.
  • rivka_m
    rivka_m Posts: 1,007 Member
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    Seitan is good for adding protein. I don't worry about my macros but I've noticed that when I eat more protein I'm less hungry. So I make a small batch of seitan about twice a week. It's 18g protein for ~150 cal
  • KJCheyenne
    KJCheyenne Posts: 1 Member
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    Do you have to have a Premium Membership to have this feature? I want to use percentages because I am starting the "Always Hungry" program. Thanks in advance!
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
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    33 1/3 x 33 1/3 x 33 1/3 because more than likely you will be off by 5% up or down regardless

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