How do you do it??

ShannonKirton

So now that I pre-plan my days, I have my macros set at 20% carbs, 40% fat and 40% protein. Most days I can get my carbs to stay around 15% give or take, and fats and proteins balance out and sometimes go over by a percent or two.

Everything I log, including fruits and veggies, all have carbs, so how do people manage to stay at 5% carbs so easily??? It takes about half an hour for me to plan my day and get it all right with my percentages all balanced out. Constantly adding and deleting food to get it balanced.

I also find the database is not consistent. Does anyone else have this problem. For example, shouldn't a hard boiled egg have the same amount of every nutrient (carbs, fats, proteins, etc) as a soft boiled egg?? They are cooked the same exact way with nothing added, so why do they show up with different macros??

Feel free to browse my diary as it is open and point out anything I'm doing wrong. I really just want to make sure I'm on the right path.

Cerebrus189

Hi Shannon,
There are many questions here. I'm sure you'll get a lot of responses. First though, you said your diary is open but it's not. Please check that setting so that myself and other seasoned Paleos can chime in.

Thanks!

AshleyPaleo

Hmm, far from seasoned paleo, I just eat whatever, as long as its paleo, I haven't focused on numbers yet. Just as long as its paleo I feel awesome!

ShannonKirton

My bad!! I just changed my settings so you can see my diary. Sorry

paleojoe

I go through a similar situation when logging. You have to remember that the database, I believe, is compounded from all human entries. In other words, it is just a collection of information entered by humans subject to human error. Being able to calculate calories, macros and micros to an exact point is near impossible. My solution... eat quality food and just get your numbers close enough. You do not need to spend hours adding and deleting food to get this magical ratio down. The body does not function like that anyway. Don't stress yourself out by over thinking it too much. Hope this helps...

ShannonKirton

Thanks paleojoe. I'm doing my best to source the quality foods etc. and so far it's been going well. I can only hope that I'm not actually going over anything and that I can still lose weight with what I'm doing.

ShannonKirton

Thanks paleojoe. I'm doing my best to source the quality foods etc. and so far it's been going well. I can only hope that I'm not actually going over anything and that I can still lose weight with what I'm doing.

EricCowperthwaite

As I noted on another thread, you want to look at your net carbs rather than your total carbs. Fiber is a non-digestible form of carb. It also slows down your digestion of the food you just ate that has fiber in it. It takes your body much longer to break down broccoli into glucose than it does a candy bar. I would change your diary to display calories/fat/protein/carbs/fiber/sugar in that order (see my diary for an example). So, basically a fiber gram gets subtracted from your total carb for a net.

For example, if you look at my diary you see that I had 1 oz of avocado at lunch today (in my salad) and that the avocado has 3g of carbs and 2g of fiber. That fiber isn't digestible, so I get to subtract to arrive at net carbs of 1g. So, if you worry about that stuff a lot, then net carbs will make you feel a lot better as you are now seeing how much real carbs you're taking in. And it's much easier to see which foods will convert to glucose rapidly vs. slowly. The more fiber, the longer it takes to be digested and converted to glucose.

Also, both AshleyPaleo and paleojoe have a good point. Don't worry about it too much. If you are eating real foods, high in fat content, moderate in protein, and your carbs are coming from leafy green vegetables and fruits, then you are on the right path anyway.

Personally, the only way I enjoy milk is in its solid form (cheese), so I don't drink milk or coconut milk. Nor do I really like yogurt. I would personally advise against milk and yogurt because of the amount of sugar in them. On the other hand, heavy cream in your coffee is nirvana ... it's all fat and your coffee tastes fabulous with it. I buy the Darigold 40% fat heavy cream at Costco. I eat a lot of lettuce, celery, broccoli, brussells sprouts, green beans, avocado, squash and zucchini. I find that the more of those sorts of veggies I eat, plus having a high fat content (lots of olive oil, coconut oil, cream, bacon), the more full and sated I am and the less my desire to eat things with high sugar contents.

ShannonKirton

I will certainly change my diary to include fiber. That's a great suggestion. Thank you

As for my "dairy" I do enjoy coconut milk in my after workout shakes, and I eat greek yoghurt (not Paleo, I know) to up my protein and get the calcium I need. Plus it is a quick and easy snack for me to enjoy at work. If I have milk it is whole raw milk which literally comes straight from the cow. If I do anything with it, it's boil it. But this is a very rare indulgence for me.

My lunches and dinners always include a nice selection of veggies and some meat like chicken, or salmon and I'll be adding some nice pork chops to that list soon.

EricCowperthwaite

yum, pork chops! I buy a whole pork loin from my butcher and cut my own chops out of it. Cheaper that way and I know where the meat came from, unlike pork chops at Safeway.

Glanced at your diary .... your net carbs for today will be 31g .... that's pretty darn good, I think. Nothing there you should be worried about.

paleojoe

Hey Eric! I was always curious about subtracting the fiber to get net carbs. I get subtracting insoluble fiber (roughage) but what about soluble fiber?

ShannonKirton

Thanks Eric I find if I plan my days in advance I can keep it pretty low. Weekends are the struggle.

EricCowperthwaite

Hey Eric! I was always curious about subtracting the fiber to get net carbs. I get subtracting insoluble fiber (roughage) but what about soluble fiber?

great question .... not sure I know the answer. Although I haven't seen many nutrtion sources provide a breakdown for fiber to that level. Have you?

AllanMisner

I've found a lot of the data on MFP is flawed. So, if I see something that looks out of whack (calories don't add up or as you noted, the same thing is listed differently), I'll look it up on other sources.

I don't stress about the macros so much as planning my day around it. I have some tried and true foods that I carry with me that I know have the macros I want (high protein, moderate fat, low simple carbs). I'll pack a bag for work each day that has these along with a few other tidbits (usually berries, eggs, and/or veggies). After my afternoon snack/late lunch, I start focusing on the protein number, and plan my dinner and any late snacks. That resulted in eating 21 oz of tilapia for dinner last night, but it works out fairly well most days.

I am a big proponent of keeping things simple. The harder it is, the less likely you'll stick to it for the long haul.

EricCowperthwaite

I am a big proponent of keeping things simple. The harder it is, the less likely you'll stick to it for the long haul.

I found, based on a lot of tracking last year, that if I ate meals that had 6-8 oz of protein and 1 - 2 cups of green vegetables, my macros came out right. I still track after the fact, but don't have to worry ahead of time about whether the food amounts, etc were correct. Simple is way better.

KarenisPaleo

Hi Shannon! Your log looks great, I agree with Eric though on the milk issue. The carbs in that yogurt are a real hit to your totals.....and you could have actual produce instead, or BACON!

Also, please no margarine )
Real butter tastes WAY better, isn't chemical based, and lots of Paleos use it for their eggs and/or vegetables.

EricCowperthwaite

Hey Eric! I was always curious about subtracting the fiber to get net carbs. I get subtracting insoluble fiber (roughage) but what about soluble fiber?

great question .... not sure I know the answer. Although I haven't seen many nutrtion sources provide a breakdown for fiber to that level. Have you?

Okay, I got curious and googled this a bit. It appears that soluble fiber (mostly found in various seeds and grains) doesn't get to be subtracted like insoluble fiber (most fiber in veggies is insoluble). Sort of off topic from a Paleo perspective, but since a lot of us cross over from Low Carb to Paleo to Keto, thought it was worth mentioning.

Here's the best source I found on the topic:

http://www.livinlowcarbdiscussion.com/showthread.php?tid=3118

paleojoe

Thanks Eric!

momof2osaurus

Why are you trying to stay at 5% carbs???

monkeydharma

Hey Eric! I was always curious about subtracting the fiber to get net carbs. I get subtracting insoluble fiber (roughage) but what about soluble fiber?

great question .... not sure I know the answer. Although I haven't seen many nutrtion sources provide a breakdown for fiber to that level. Have you?

Okay, I got curious and googled this a bit. It appears that soluble fiber (mostly found in various seeds and grains) doesn't get to be subtracted like insoluble fiber (most fiber in veggies is insoluble). Sort of off topic from a Paleo perspective, but since a lot of us cross over from Low Carb to Paleo to Keto, thought it was worth mentioning.

Here's the best source I found on the topic:

http://www.livinlowcarbdiscussion.com/showthread.php?tid=3118

Pretty much all the primal/paleo gurus say to count TOTAL carbs, not net carbs.

Also, soluble fiber is preferable to insoluble fiber.

Current recommendation by Mark Sisson is 50-100g TOTAL carbs is the proper range for weight loss, 100-150 for weight maintenance. Under 50g total for those wanting to do a ketogenic diet; over 150 sets the stage for weight gain.

ShannonKirton

Why are you trying to stay at 5% carbs???

I'm not actually looking to go to 5% carbs as I'm quite happy with where I am now around my 20% but I was just wondering how people got it done seeing as I struggle some days to keep around the 20% mark.

I'll take a hiatus from the yoghurt for a while and finish up what I have there in the fridge which is only about 3 pots I think. I did not realize how much it takes up. I guess if I throw in some cheese here or there, or take some calcium tabs I'll get what I need calcium wise. I'll need to change up my snacking at work routine as well.

Cerebrus189

You said that you've set your fat at 40% but I don't see enough fat in your diary. I'm 5'10", work out 3x a week and eat close to 150 grams of fat a day just to give you a comparison. You need to increase your fat because that is your body's new source of energy. It should always account for more calories daily than your protein because each fat gram is worth 9 calories.

You don't really have that much to lose, so if I were you, I'd increase my carbs. You'll feel better overall. I have to keep my carbs on the higher end due to my thyroid issues (T4 to T3 conversion is important). But if you work out at all, you'll have more stamina. Paleo does not always equal low carb. Also, don't worry about going over 1% or 2%.

Also, experiment with your macros. Technically, you're already in the healthy weight range at 5'9" and 150-something lbs. I know because I'm 5'10" and my healthy range is between 135 to 169. But if you want to lose more weight, increase your carbs for a few weeks, or increase your fat and see what happens. This will give you the most success in the long haul if you understand how your body works.

Cerebrus189

I guess if I throw in some cheese here or there, or take some calcium tabs I'll get what I need calcium wise.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/calcium-supplements-goitrogenic-foods-high-mufa-seed-oils-and-jogging/#axzz2ZPD2sN6X

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/calcium-for-women/#axzz2ZPDdEqH5

ShannonKirton

Thanks for the links on calcium

I must admit that I'm still on the fence about either taking into consideration the pie chart on my iPad or the grams, but it seems that most people seem to be focusing on the grams of everything rather than the pie chart and it's percentages. Today's fat percentage on my chart is 52% out of 40% but my actual grams are only 39 out of my recommended 53. Is this necessarily a bad thing?

Cerebrus189

No, it's not a big deal. My fat percentage sometimes goes as high as 80% for the day. You want to keep an overall balance but the day to day stuff isn't a huge deal. Look instead at your overall week.

I was incredibly controlling of my foods in the beginning until I accepted my fat intake and higher-than-standard calorie intake. I felt uneasy about the fat intake and it made me really nervous. But then I took the jump head first.

Content definitely matters when it comes to food.

ShannonKirton

I just came across this article and it was an interesting read. Might have to think about my macros again. Anyone here who is a more seasoned Paleo have any thoughts on this?

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/question-of-macronutrient-ratios/

EricCowperthwaite

Just for my own guidelines I set my macros at F/P/C = 60/30/10 percentage wise. This also works out well for the amount of grams of each I am eating compared to my activity level and weight. And then I don't really worry about those numbers on a daily and meal basis.

Instead, I follow a fairly easy rule for my meals.

Protein source (pork, chicken, beef) - 1-2 "fist size" pieces of protein, which will work out to being about 1-2 servings where a serving is between 3 and 4 oz

Vegetable source - 1-2 cups of leafy and/or green veggies

Fat source - grass fed butter or EVOO or coconut oil, preferably

For lunch today, I will have:

Pork chop
Salad - 2 cups lettuce, small handful shredded cheddar cheese, 5 cherry tomatoes, 1/4 avocado, 1 stalk celery, 1 tbsp EVOO, red wine vinegar (I know that those approximations above will come out to 1 oz of cheese and avocado by measuring a couple times)

My snacks tend towards a handful of something healthy - pistachios and olives are my favorite

When I follow this very easy approach, and then track the food in my MFP diary, I find that I am hitting my targets for amount of food consumed and macro breakdown fairly closely.

And it's way simpler to do it this way than to pre-measure everything.

ShannonKirton

Eric, just out of curiosity, how much do you workout? I've been seeing all over the place that obviously the more you work out the more carbs you need, but I thought this defeated the purpose of your body using fats instead of carbs?

EricCowperthwaite

Eric, just out of curiosity, how much do you workout? I've been seeing all over the place that obviously the more you work out the more carbs you need, but I thought this defeated the purpose of your body using fats instead of carbs?

I am currently doing Shaun T's Focus T25. It's a very intense 25 minute workout using your own body only, with 6 sessions done over a 5 day cycle.

I have found that sometimes I require a cup of berries as a workout snack, otherwise my body gets too hypoglycemic. That's not happening right now, but did happen when I was doing the Insanity workouts, which are 45 minute long max interval training.

Yes, I workout pretty heavy - not for weight loss, but for fitness, muscle mass and because I enjoy it. I keep my net carbs between 20-30 grams a day unless I am feeling hypoglycemic after a workout. That feeling consists of shakes and headache for me. If I eat a cup of strawberries it immediately goes away.

My wife works out as heavy as I do and she keeps her net daily carbs more in the 40g range, which works great for her.

TriLifter

Eric, just out of curiosity, how much do you workout? I've been seeing all over the place that obviously the more you work out the more carbs you need, but I thought this defeated the purpose of your body using fats instead of carbs?

Sorry, not Eric, but wanted to put my 2 cents in. I'm a distance runner and did 15 miles on Sunday eating 15% (less than 90g) of my cals from carbs.

ShannonKirton

Eric, just out of curiosity, how much do you workout? I've been seeing all over the place that obviously the more you work out the more carbs you need, but I thought this defeated the purpose of your body using fats instead of carbs?

I am currently doing Shaun T's Focus T25. It's a very intense 25 minute workout using your own body only, with 6 sessions done over a 5 day cycle.

I have found that sometimes I require a cup of berries as a workout snack, otherwise my body gets too hypoglycemic. That's not happening right now, but did happen when I was doing the Insanity workouts, which are 45 minute long max interval training.

Yes, I workout pretty heavy - not for weight loss, but for fitness, muscle mass and because I enjoy it. I keep my net carbs between 20-30 grams a day unless I am feeling hypoglycemic after a workout. That feeling consists of shakes and headache for me. If I eat a cup of strawberries it immediately goes away.

My wife works out as heavy as I do and she keeps her net daily carbs more in the 40g range, which works great for her.

Ok so it's good to know that I'm not too low. Obviously my days vary as do most people's due to the fact we don't eat the same thing day in and day out. I'm just trying to get a gage of what others are doing carb wise, because some people are suggesting I almost double my carb intake but I'm thinking, "that might work for you, but I HIGHLY doubt it will work for me". I'm not a serious heavy lifter. I do about 5-6 classes at the gym a week, and maybe run a little bit here and there. The classes are both cardio and strength, some with weights and some with body weights.

I think I'll be just fine if I stick where I'm at right now. So far I have not had any issues feeling light headed or out of whack.