Dietician macros seem off

morganpalmer9

Stats: 5'4 124 lbs, female

I recently went to a dietician who told me I should increase my calories from 1,200 to 1,500 with the amount of exercise I am doing (30-35 min of intense cardio, 40 mins strength training 6x week). That seemed to make sense to me. Then she told me I should be eating 60% carbs (225g), 15% protein(56g) and 25% fat (42g).

This seems like a lot of carbs and a very low amount of protein to me. I am trying to lose stomach fat -the most stubborn place for me - and get a little tone. Are these macro amounts correct for that goal? She didn't seem to think I needed to lose any weight or tone up, as I am within 4 lbs of being the best weight for my height but I disagree.

cathipa

Did you ask why the protein is so low?

Scamd83

Yep, that is far too little protein for strength training.

morganpalmer9

cathipa wrote: »

Did you ask why the protein is so low?

She said I fell between a moderately active adult who should eat .36 of protein per lb and a recreational exerciser who eats .5 to .7 and recommended I eat .4 grams of protein per pound. I'm not trying to get jacked or anything, just would like to look trim

cmriverside

So you paid someone to help you who is trained in diet.

Those macros she gave you are U.S. dietary recommendations. It's also very close to what Myfitnesspal uses for macro defaults.

You're going to do what you want. Personally I'd use the set numbers. Not everyone needs a high protein amount.

meganmoore112

Eating protein doesn't make you get jacked. If only it were that easy! Recommendations for protein vary, but I think more like 0.8g per pound is better to maintain muscle.

cathipa

Agree it is too little.

AJ_G

Shoot for 0.8g per lb of body weight, right about 100g a day for you

jemhh

morganpalmer9 wrote: »

cathipa wrote: »

Did you ask why the protein is so low?

She said I fell between a moderately active adult who should eat .36 of protein per lb and a recreational exerciser who eats .5 to .7 and recommended I eat .4 grams of protein per pound. I'm not trying to get jacked or anything, just would like to look trim

What exercise are you doing?

EliseTK1

I'm a Dietitian- I agree that her protein goal is too low for strength training/muscle preservation during weight loss. Go for an average of 20-25% protein. (I calculated you at ~85 g protein daily.) 1500 kcal makes sense for weight loss with your activity level. I agree with her that you do not need to lose weight for health reasons. Your goals, however, are yours alone, and as long as you're meeting them in a healthy way, no problem.

morganpalmer9

cmriverside wrote: »

So you paid someone to help you who is trained in diet.

Then you come on here and ask random strangers to second-guess the Registered Dietician and we random strangers don't have the benefit of your entire history, etc?

Those macros she gave you are U.S. dietary recommendations. It's also very close to what Myfitnesspal uses for macro defaults.

You're going to do what you want. Personally I'd use the set numbers. Not everyone needs a high protein amount.

never said I was blindly going to change my diet plan based on commenters. Just wanted to see what others protein intakes were, but thanks

Mapalicious

pyrusangeles wrote: »

I'm a Dietitian- I agree that her protein goal is too low for strength training/muscle preservation during weight loss. Go for an average of 20-25% protein. (I calculated you at ~85 g protein daily.) 1500 kcal makes sense for weight loss with your activity level. I agree with her that you do not need to lose weight for health reasons. Your goals, however, are yours alone, and as long as you're meeting them in a healthy way, no problem.

seconded!

Afura

I've seen the 60/20/20 float around a lot not 60/15/25 especially with doing strength training. I know when I went to my dietician that she upped my carbs way higher than I ever thought I'd get them (and rarely did), and I was forever over in protein.
If you feel it's inaccurate or just plain not right, go and speak to another dietician and get a second opinion. They're the professionals and should have a better grasp on your physical condition that we can.

PennyJB63

Hello! My dietician is also a body builder who runs and owns his own gym. He would have felt that the protein was too low as well. I agree the calories are spot on but would adjust just a bit for more protein and less carbs if it was me. He and I have worked for 6 months tweaking my diets and macros and what he has taught me has worked very well for me personally. It does not fit perfectly with MFP because it is an individual plan for me and directly related to what I want to do and how active I am, with what type of training. I was very nervous to leave 1200 calories behind like MFP suggested and move to his 1500 but I did. He slowly increased my protein so she may be looking to start lower but build up over time. I was lucky I could reach out to him after our meeting and ask random questions like this and raise any concerns I had but I had to trust his expertise or it would not work. Can you call her ask if she would be okay with a slight adjustment to your protein and carbs or ask if she has a plan for the future that would adjust for them. Sometimes important details they need are not given at the meeting and you think of them after. As for the person who was a jerk and said oh so you pay and then ask us questions. I am pretty sure we are all trying to find what works for us. This is the place of a hundred experts who have experience a dietician would envy. Ease up after all this is an open forum and putting someone down is not helping anything. In short stop being a jerk!

janejellyroll

PennyJB63 wrote: »

Hello! My dietician is also a body builder who runs and owns his own gym. He would have felt that the protein was too low as well. I agree the calories are spot on but would adjust just a bit for more protein and less carbs if it was me. He and I have worked for 6 months tweaking my diets and macros and what he has taught me has worked very well for me personally. It does not fit perfectly with MFP because it is an individual plan for me and directly related to what I want to do and how active I am, with what type of training. I was very nervous to leave 1200 calories behind like MFP suggested and move to his 1500 but I did. He slowly increased my protein so she may be looking to start lower but build up over time. I was lucky I could reach out to him after our meeting and ask random questions like this and raise any concerns I had but I had to trust his expertise or it would not work. Can you call her ask if she would be okay with a slight adjustment to your protein and carbs or ask if she has a plan for the future that would adjust for them. Sometimes important details they need are not given at the meeting and you think of them after. As for the person who was a jerk and said oh so you pay and then ask us questions. I am pretty sure we are all trying to find what works for us. This is the place of a hundred experts who have experience a dietician would envy. Ease up after all this is an open forum and putting someone down is not helping anything. In short stop being a jerk!

Name calling really isn't necessary.

EliseTK1

TBH you'll get different answers from different RDs based on his/her experience and particular area of expertise. We are taught certain things in school (15% of kcal from protein is optimal) and then go on to learn that these "perfect" levels are actually highly variable. You will still see good results from a 60/15/25 with calorie restriction. The most updated research supports that you will see the greatest benefit from increasing the protein in weight loss and strength training.

I'm a dialysis RD with a great deal of personal experience in weight loss/muscle gain, and I would likely concede to a sports RD if he/she has a different answer.

morganpalmer9

jemhh wrote: »

morganpalmer9 wrote: »

cathipa wrote: »

Did you ask why the protein is so low?

She said I fell between a moderately active adult who should eat .36 of protein per lb and a recreational exerciser who eats .5 to .7 and recommended I eat .4 grams of protein per pound. I'm not trying to get jacked or anything, just would like to look trim

What exercise are you doing?

I run on the treadmill for 30-35 6x a week, and try to do HIIT. Then I do 40ish minutes of strength training and it depends on the day what I specifically do, but I will either do arms and abs one day and then legs the next.

AJ_G

cmriverside wrote: »

So you paid someone to help you who is trained in diet.

Those macros she gave you are U.S. dietary recommendations. It's also very close to what Myfitnesspal uses for macro defaults.

You're going to do what you want. Personally I'd use the set numbers. Not everyone needs a high protein amount.

U.S. dietary recommendations are just enough protein to prevent muscle atrophy lol. It's a minimum, not anywhere near the optimal protein intake for maximum muscle mass retention during weight loss.

AJ_G

morganpalmer9 wrote: »

jemhh wrote: »

morganpalmer9 wrote: »

cathipa wrote: »

Did you ask why the protein is so low?

She said I fell between a moderately active adult who should eat .36 of protein per lb and a recreational exerciser who eats .5 to .7 and recommended I eat .4 grams of protein per pound. I'm not trying to get jacked or anything, just would like to look trim

What exercise are you doing?

I run on the treadmill for 30-35 6x a week, and try to do HIIT. Then I do 40ish minutes of strength training and it depends on the day what I specifically do, but I will either do arms and abs one day and then legs the next.

You're missing two of your biggest muscle groups: Chest and Back

morganpalmer9

AJ_G wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

So you paid someone to help you who is trained in diet.

Those macros she gave you are U.S. dietary recommendations. It's also very close to what Myfitnesspal uses for macro defaults.

You're going to do what you want. Personally I'd use the set numbers. Not everyone needs a high protein amount.

U.S. dietary recommendations are just enough protein to prevent muscle atrophy lol. It's a minimum, not anywhere near the optimal protein intake for maximum muscle mass retention during weight loss.

so what % is ideal?

AJ_G

It's not a percentage. To maximize the potential for muscle protein synthesis, you should consume 0.82 grams of protein per lb of body weight.

If you'd like to understand why, read up: http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

Psychgrrl

Are you trying to lose weight or are you focusing on body recomposition? At 5'4 and 124, you're already at a healthy weight.

morganpalmer9

Psychgrrl wrote: »

Are you trying to lose weight or are you focusing on body recomposition? At 5'4 and 124, you're already at a healthy weight.

I really don't care about weight per say, but I have this stubborn stomach fat I can't get rid of and I don't know if I need to lose more weight or recomp

cathipa

You can't spot reduce. I would increase your protein macros as previously recommended to 0.8/pound and focus on lifting heavy.

kshama2001

Afura wrote: »

I've seen the 60/20/20 float around a lot not 60/15/25 especially with doing strength training. I know when I went to my dietician that she upped my carbs way higher than I ever thought I'd get them (and rarely did), and I was forever over in protein.
If you feel it's inaccurate or just plain not right, go and speak to another dietician and get a second opinion. They're the professionals and should have a better grasp on your physical condition that we can.

I've only seen 60/20/20 mentioned by vegans and for them protein comes with carbs, unlike for meat eaters.

(Not saying omnivores don't eat 60/20/20, just that I've never seen it mentioned by them.)

kshama2001

cmriverside wrote: »

So you paid someone to help you who is trained in diet.

Those macros she gave you are U.S. dietary recommendations. It's also very close to what Myfitnesspal uses for macro defaults.

You're going to do what you want. Personally I'd use the set numbers. Not everyone needs a high protein amount.

Well, more accurately, those macros fit in the range of the USDA recommendations.

http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-whats-the-best-carb-protein-and-fat-breakdown-for-weight-loss/

...The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating within the following ranges:

• Carbohydrates: 45-65% of calories
• Fat: 20-35% of calories
• Protein: 10-35% of calories

...MyFitnessPal’s Current Default Goals

MyFitnessPal’s current default goals distribute calories as follows: 50% from carbohydrates, 20% from protein and 30% from fat.

kshama2001

morganpalmer9 wrote: »

Stats: 5'4 124 lbs, female

I recently went to a dietician who told me I should increase my calories from 1,200 to 1,500 with the amount of exercise I am doing (30-35 min of intense cardio, 40 mins strength training 6x week). That seemed to make sense to me. Then she told me I should be eating 60% carbs (225g), 15% protein(56g) and 25% fat (42g).

This seems like a lot of carbs and a very low amount of protein to me. I am trying to lose stomach fat -the most stubborn place for me - and get a little tone. Are these macro amounts correct for that goal? She didn't seem to think I needed to lose any weight or tone up, as I am within 4 lbs of being the best weight for my height but I disagree.

I know very fit vegans who are probably eating at about those macros. Their body composition comes from their vigorous Jivan Mukti yoga practice, however, not their diet.