Carbs, proteins, fats balance

AlexanderLeRitz

I know MFP recommends a starting balance of 50% Carbs, 30% fats, and 20% protein but I had tweaked it months back to about 50% carbs 35% proteins and 15% fats and I lost a lot of weight all the same. I guess my question is this: is it really necessary to have such a large portion of your diet be made up of fat?

errollmaclean

Dietary fat is essential for hormones, fat soluble vitamins and brain function. They're are online calculators that will tell you your daily minimum. Same for protein and fiber. Set your percentage so that you get at least the minimum number of fat grams that the calculators give you. Also dietary fat doesn't contribute to body fat, that's all about calories.

losergood2011

I tweeked mine to 30 carb 35 fat 35 protein Yes fat is necessary for vitamin solubility brain function all Erroll said. I am working on staying in my calorie goal and keeping my macros stable.

jacksonpt

For weight loss, it's not a huge deal as long as they aren't WAAAY out of whack.

For things like performance, body comp, and overall health, the ratio you choose can make a huge difference.

segacs

Percentage is not a great way to look at it. MFP uses percentages out of convenience. But really, you should be looking at an absolute amount of grams for protein and fat, and then fill the rest with carbs.

Healthy fats are good for you. Between 20-35% is usually recommended as a healthy fat range, though YMMV.

You can lose weight on any macro combination you choose. The macro splits are more for health, feeling full, and fuelling certain types of exercise. All that's required to lose weight is a calorie deficit.

ndj1979

jacksonpt wrote: »

For weight loss, it's not a huge deal as long as they aren't WAAAY out of whack.

For things like performance, body comp, and overall health, the ratio you choose can make a huge difference.

this...

also, you lost weight because your calories came down, not from tweaking macros; however, if said tweak resulted in eating less then it had the desired affect.

HeySwoleSister

There is some wiggle room in there to tweak the macro balance to fit your personal body comp goals and taste preferences, but, generally speaking, I kind of give the side eye to any extreme restriction in any of them, barring medical conditions of course.

segacs

EWJLang wrote: »

There is some wiggle room in there to tweak the macro balance to fit your personal body comp goals and taste preferences, but, generally speaking, I kind of give the side eye to any extreme restriction in any of them, barring medical conditions of course.

^^ This.

Also, as you keep at it, you may notice the balance shifting on its own.

I started off with nearly 60% carbs and kept going over every day, because my previous eating habits were full of carbs.

Now I'm at 50/30/20 carb/fat/protein, and I notice that most weeks lately I've been actually going a bit over on fats and coming in under on carbs.

I didn't set out to restrict carbs -- and at nearly 50%, I'm obviously not restricting them -- but I find I'm eating less sugary stuff and more healthy fats without even trying. I think my tastes have changed now that I'm eating less food. I naturally crave what's going to keep me feeling fuller and satisfied longer, which is typically protein and fat.

Superlissaanne

My MD says 40% Carb, 30% Fat, 30% Protein is ideal for weight loss.

AlexanderLeRitz

Hey I just wanted to thank everyone who replied. You guys have given me a lot of useful information and have educated me so I better understand how everything works so thank you all for that.