Help

WhimsyJayne

Can anyone help me get started on the 50% calories from carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat ratio? I feel like I need some food choices that will help me get an idea of how to put this together for a day. It's confusing because foods usually have more than one of these components. I'm trying to avoid forking over $417 to a nutritionist at the gym to help me figure this out! Thanks to anyone who can help!!!

astrampe

Just plug your food choices into MFP and it will do it for you.....You don't have to "figure it out" - most foods are a combination of the three macros, or at least two of them....
The trick is to figure out what food you like, put it into MFP and see what the macros looks like, then adjust....
Refined carbs (bread, cake, crisps, cookies etc) are usually very high in carbs and sugar, so cut down on those if you eat lots of it.... Eat more meat, eggs, eggwhites or a protein shake if you are short on protein, and try to stick to "good fats" like avo, olive oil, coconut oile, oily fish etc.....

TavistockToad

WhimsyJayne wrote: »

Can anyone help me get started on the 50% calories from carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat ratio? I feel like I need some food choices that will help me get an idea of how to put this together for a day. It's confusing because foods usually have more than one of these components. I'm trying to avoid forking over $417 to a nutritionist at the gym to help me figure this out! Thanks to anyone who can help!!!

Pre log your day till you learn what fits your cals and macros

debubbie

Fruits and whole grains will help you on the carbs. Eggs, fish, lean meats, and nuts will help you on the proteins. Peanut butter, nuts, ground beef, salad dressings that use oil will help you to get your fats in. I agree with the others that it will help you to pre-log your foods into MFP and it will help you to get closer to your % goals and you can make adjustments from there. Also, as you continue to do that you will find foods that you enjoy that fit within these goals and it will become easier day by day to reach these goals without really thinking about it. Good luck!

Debmal77

just start logging everything. That is how we all learn. It's pretty simple after a few days. Good luck!

WhimsyJayne

Thank you so much! I lost 20 pounds on Slim4Life, and I just got so used to the plan, which I think is pretty good. But I was VERY exhausted when I first started working out and wasn't sure if I wasn't getting enough calories of if my friend, who is a former college football player, pushed me too hard! I'm shooting for 1088 calories for "extreme fat loss," and will add more if I still feel weak. I'm a vegetarian, and this is my basic kind of diet each day: 2 complete protein meals usually consisting of something like oatmeal & yogurt or rice & soy...2 servings of fruit, 2 servings of veggies, and a protein bar. I don't generally like protein shakes, so thought I'd experiment with adding another protein "meal," but then I'm upping carbs I may not want. Maybe I'll do one of the fruits with a protein shake... Oh and 1 tablespoon of Smart Balance for the fat...might need to up that, too. Does this sound like a good start? Thank you astrampe!

TavistockToad

WhimsyJayne wrote: »

Thank you so much! I lost 20 pounds on Slim4Life, and I just got so used to the plan, which I think is pretty good. But I was VERY exhausted when I first started working out and wasn't sure if I wasn't getting enough calories of if my friend, who is a former college football player, pushed me too hard! I'm shooting for 1088 calories for "extreme fat loss," and will add more if I still feel weak. I'm a vegetarian, and this is my basic kind of diet each day: 2 complete protein meals usually consisting of something like oatmeal & yogurt or rice & soy...2 servings of fruit, 2 servings of veggies, and a protein bar. I don't generally like protein shakes, so thought I'd experiment with adding another protein "meal," but then I'm upping carbs I may not want. Maybe I'll do one of the fruits with a protein shake... Oh and 1 tablespoon of Smart Balance for the fat...might need to up that, too. Does this sound like a good start? Thank you astrampe!

No, eating 1088 calories is NEVER a good start!

debubbie

How much do you need to lose? 1088 calories seems too low to sustain for a long period of time and be able to fuel your workouts and remain healthy.

WhimsyJayne

I'm 133 pounds. 5' 1.5" I don't know how much I need to lose. Factoring in muscle gain...I just want to be as fit as possible.

WhimsyJayne

Thanks everybody for your input! What a great forum! Does anyone think that support from a nutritionist at Gold's would be a good investment...$139 a month for 3 months, meeting every 2 weeks. It doesn't seem to me like updating my diet plan that often is necessary!

seska422

You don't have that much to lose so you shouldn't push yourself to lose it quickly.

In my opinion, you would be best served by putting your info into MyFitnessPal with a goal of losing 0.5 pounds a week and eating real food with a balance of macros in each meal. Eat the way you are willing to eat the rest of your life, just with smaller portions while you are losing weight.

Debmal77 wrote: »

just start logging everything. That is how we all learn. It's pretty simple after a few days. Good luck!

Also, this. You need to use MFP for a couple weeks before you get a handle on how your macros are balancing out. Don't worry about being perfect, just try to reach the proteins and fats and fill in the rest of your calories with carbs. I wouldn't spend the money on a nutritionist unless you try food logging for a while on your own and then feel you need a little more direction.

The most important thing, IMO, is that you weigh your solid foods on a food scale and measure your liquids.

WhimsyJayne

Good advice!