Need help with Macro Split

erikgoya

I'm just barely going to start keto later on this month, and i need help with my macro split.

I checked on multiple different calculators and got it set up at a 5/25/70 c/p/f, and it gave me around 25/120/150 grams on average. Does that sound reasonable for keto?


A lot of the people I've talked to have had protein intakes of 70-80ish grams. I don't know if mine's higher because i'm bigger than them or what. They're all women too, so that might be a factor as well? But I feel weird having my protein intake so low, even though i know that too much protein could throw me out of ketosis.

For reference: I weigh around 205ish, 5'5", and lift 3x a week, so I'm worried about letting my protein drop anywhere below 100grams.

Rockmaker

It's a great question, and I'm too new to have answer. However I did run across this: (.7 – 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight formula). It's talking about protein intake. You find your lean body mass, then you multiple the .7 or more up to 1.0. The .7 being inactive and 1.0 being an athlete. Mine is around 122g of protein. Again I'm not sure I know what I'm talking about but like you I need a ballpark to get started.

FIT_Goat

Don't worry about protein throwing you out. The effect is exaggerated by a lot of the keto crowd. You would need to eat absolutely ludicrous amounts of protein, every day, for it to be an issue.

The goal of 120g of protein is a good one, although Lyle McDonald recommends 150g a day for the first 3-4 weeks until you fully keto-adapt. This is to preserve the most possible lean body mass while your body isn't efficiently using ketones. The calorie goal seems reasonable.

So, it all looks good. Just remember that the actual amounts (the grams) is more important than the ratios and percentages. Most important is the carbs. Don't go over it. And, if you do, overeating the other macros doesn't do anything to fix it.

Mistizoom

I agree with everything FIT_Goat says. Percentages are really for convenience, it is really grams of each macro that matters. And I agree with a bit higher protein esp. at the beginning and/or for men. The idea is to eat sufficient protein to support your lean body mass. My real tip though is at the beginning if you are hungry, eat. Eat something low carb, but eat. It can be a rough adjustment and if your macros are not perfect at the beginning don't stress, getting the carbs low is the most important thing to start with.

erikgoya

Alright, thanks for input guys!

ldmoor

I set mine up to 5/20/75, after consulting several calculators. Seems to be working in my case, so I'm staying the course for now. Should I need to revise it later, I'll default to more fat and less protein.

Fat4Fuel2

Listen to your body as well. If you feel good eating more protein, eat more protein. Fit_goat was spot on with the carb counting. Keep it 20g or below (total, not net) for the first couple weeks. You can let it creep up after you've adapted to find your tolerance, but keeping it low will help you adapt faster.