How to keep carbs under 45%!?

auddii

stefng33 wrote: »

So what's a good setting for fat and protein then? I work out and eat as healthy as I can but I get a bit confused at where I'm supposed to be for my macros.
The reason I've asked about carbs specifically is because I tend to eat lots (brown rice, fruit, certain veg, sometimes pasta- but hardly since its loaded with calories) and so I wanted some examples of switch ups.
I've tried spaghetti squash instead of noodles, lower carb choices for fruits and veg etc., but I guess I just need to be much more creative.
And in fact, I will bet like you say, if I up my protein and fat ( which I was afraid to do!) I will feel much more satisfied and full after meals. So how do I determine what ratio is best??
I'm no expert here clearly and I just hope from asking questions and experimenting that it will get easier

Not sure what happened to the rest of the quotes' formatting, so they got snipped.

The not so easy answer for you to figure out is, set them so that you meet your goals. Here's a good post to figure out what that means for you:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

lemurcat12

stefng33 wrote: »

So what's a good setting for fat and protein then? I work out and eat as healthy as I can but I get a bit confused at where I'm supposed to be for my macros.

It's pretty individual beyond getting enough protein. What I recommend is experimenting and figuring out what works best for you.

If you think you may be carb sensitive (which I'm reading as either insulin resistant or just someone who doesn't get as satiated when eating high carb or carb-centered meals), then you might want to experiment with lower carbs.

When I started I was on pretty low calories (1250) and wanted at least 100-105 grams of protein (based on my estimate of my lean body mass), so I set it for 35% protein (or 109 grams), and I also wanted a decent amount of fat to be satiated and tend to find it easier to cut portion size of carbs, so I decided to try 35% carbs (also 109 grams) and 30% fat. I achieved that in the way I described.

When I started working out more I generally just added back in the carbs. When I raised my calories I saw no need to raise my protein level that much, so I switched to 30% protein and fat and 40% carbs. I tried 50% carbs but I actually found that a little more difficult just because of how I'm used to eating now. When I'm fully at maintenance I will probably try 50% again though.

The reason I've asked about carbs specifically is because I tend to eat lots (brown rice, fruit, certain veg, sometimes pasta- but hardly since its loaded with calories) and so I wanted some examples of switch ups.

I think the best trick a lot of the time is portion size. If you eat less pasta more sauce (with lots of meat and veggies) or less rice more stir fry (with lots of meat/egg/tofu and veggies) you get where you want to be without having to change what you are eating in a particularly noticeable way. But switching out the starchy carbs for some meals works too. Like instead of a sandwich for lunch I bring protein and veggies without the bread (which I like as well). Or instead of rice/potatoes I eat roasted root veggies like carrots or turnips or celeriac, which have somewhat fewer carbs but serve the same function, or winter squash.

I've tried spaghetti squash instead of noodles, lower carb choices for fruits and veg etc., but I guess I just need to be much more creative.

I don't think of spaghetti squash or other winter squash as acting as noodles (they don't taste the same), but as serving the same function--they do often taste good with similar sauces, IME.

And in fact, I will bet like you say, if I up my protein and fat ( which I was afraid to do!) I will feel much more satisfied and full after meals. So how do I determine what ratio is best??
I'm no expert here clearly and I just hope from asking questions and experimenting that it will get easier

Yes, just experiment. When I first lowered my carbs I was hesitant to increase my servings of the protein, especially, since I had an idea of the proper size. Once I got over that it was much easier.

Tried30UserNames

I am not low carb, but I do try to eat around 100 grams or less. The more carbs, particularly sugary carbs I eat, the more I want to eat and I easily lose control of my portion sizes and my appetite becomes insatiable. Also, if I cut out starch altogether, I get ravenous. Your body may react very differently, being happiest with low carb or high carb or somewhere in between. Experiment and see how you feel.

I eat a lot of non-starchy vegetables, which are made of carbs, but not that many due to their low calorie nature (1 gram carbs = 4 calories). I eat a lot of fat, like full fat yogurt, regular dressing on my salad and butter on my food. I eat some protein with each meal. Usually by the time I've done all that, I can add a sweet potato or a serving of rice or something and it gets me to my calorie and carb goal.

When I have "pasta" sauce, I usually serve it over vegetable noodles. If I want a stir fry with rice, I often make cauliflower rice perhaps with a bit of real rice mixed in. I don't eat sandwiches very often. If I make a casserole or a potato dish, I usually substitute some vegetable like rutabaga, turnip, cauliflower or daikon radish for the potato/rice/pasta part. For example, today I'm making a potato pancake recipe as part of dinner, but I'm using zucchini and kohlrabi instead.

ladymiseryali

I keep my carbs at 5 to 7%. I do it by keeping my fat intake up high and my protein moderate. I also haven't eaten bread or pasta in nearly two years. I don't miss it.

stefng33

Tried30UserNames wrote: »

I am not low carb, but I do try to eat around 100 grams or less. The more carbs, particularly sugary carbs I eat, the more I want to eat and I easily lose control of my portion sizes and my appetite becomes insatiable. Also, if I cut out starch altogether, I get ravenous. Your body may react very differently, being happiest with low carb or high carb or somewhere in between. Experiment and see how you feel.

I eat a lot of non-starchy vegetables, which are made of carbs, but not that many due to their low calorie nature (1 gram carbs = 4 calories). I eat a lot of fat, like full fat yogurt, regular dressing on my salad and butter on my food. I eat some protein with each meal. Usually by the time I've done all that, I can add a sweet potato or a serving of rice or something and it gets me to my calorie and carb goal.

When I have "pasta" sauce, I usually serve it over vegetable noodles. If I want a stir fry with rice, I often make cauliflower rice perhaps with a bit of real rice mixed in. I don't eat sandwiches very often. If I make a casserole or a potato dish, I usually substitute some vegetable like rutabaga, turnip, cauliflower or daikon radish for the potato/rice/pasta part. For example, today I'm making a potato pancake recipe as part of dinner, but I'm using zucchini and kohlrabi instead.

Mmm that sounds delish!!! Thanks

Mr_Knight

stefng33 wrote: »

hey guys! I've seen some comments out there where people are maintaining their carb macros at 35%! Wowwie!!! How on earth are they doing it?? I can barely keep mine under 45%...

More protein, more fat, same calories.

What am I missing?