Do macros really matter?
lady_ghost
Posts: 175 Member
When I did low carb, high protien and fat macros for my diet, I never felt starved but had no energy in my workouts. So I switched to high carb, moderate protien and fat macros and I have more energy in my workout but I am starving to death. Will my appearance be more leaner if I went low carb or will it not matter as long as the calories stay the same? I am trying to loose body fat and look toned. Will I loose muscle depending on how I arrange my macros? Help!
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Why are the only two choices high or low carbs?7
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As long as you get enough protein and fat, you can have whatever macro balance you wish. Experiment to find a mix that gives you energy while being filling.3
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TavistockToad wrote: »Why are the only two choices high or low carbs?
What option would you advise. I thought about high protien high carb low fat too0 -
Have you tried the MFP default of 50%C-20%P-30%F or the Zone balance of 40%C-30%P-30%F? Those are both pretty popular.3
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lady_ghost wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Why are the only two choices high or low carbs?
What option would you advise.
Moderate? Like 40-30-30%1 -
No-one can tell you what will will keep you satisfied.
Eat what makes you happy within your calorie limit.3 -
lady_ghost wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Why are the only two choices high or low carbs?
What option would you advise.
Moderate? Like 40-30-30%
I am starving on that. But I have alot more edgy so I changed it to 40 carb 35 pro 25 fat for tomorrow. I'll see how that goes0 -
I hope you don't mind, but I looked at your diary (it's open).
I think you need some chocolate or icecream. Seriously!
I'd be starving on all that Kale and beans!
Best wishes.
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What was your budget for carbs on low carbs? Are you sure it's the carbs, though? Maybe you're just going through hungry times.. it happens, especially if you are close to your goal weight. Go back to low carb and see how your appetite reacts. If low carb helps your appetite again, just start gradually increasing the carbs until you hit a good balance where you are happy with both your appetite and performance.0
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Unless I cycle for more than an hour, my carb intake will not go over 65g per day. If I am cycling over the hour I use a carb drink just to get me round. More often than not it will be 45g per day. I can cycle and run up to an hour and function without feeling too tired. I eat starchy carbs once per week, potato's with one meal. I would suggest tweaking your carb balance in small amounts, until you get the balance of enough energy and feeling satisfied, you are happy with. As for loosing muscle. You need to protect the muscle you have by using it. Lift weights, using all of your muscles. Any low calorie diet will have your body eat the muscle as well as fat if you don't use them. If you want to look toned, you must work those muscles.1
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You just need to play around with the ratios and see what works best for you. I personally do better on a high-ish carb, lower fat diet because of satiety issues. Others do better on low carb/higher fat though. Every person is going to be different.0
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lady_ghost wrote: »When I did low carb, high protien and fat macros for my diet, I never felt starved but had no energy in my workouts. So I switched to high carb, moderate protien and fat macros and I have more energy in my workout but I am starving to death. Will my appearance be more leaner if I went low carb or will it not matter as long as the calories stay the same? I am trying to loose body fat and look toned. Will I loose muscle depending on how I arrange my macros? Help!
No you will only be leaner if you lose weight by eating at deficit, how you get there is up to you. I mean, lower carb can reduce water weight so you may not look as bloated. As long as you are getting enough protein and doing some form of resistance training you should maintain the muscle you have.
I would keep a diary about how you felt each day based on your food choices and macro ratios. Through trial and error, I have realized that when I'm cutting I do best on moderate carb with high fiber, higher protein and moderate fats which satiates me the best, but you will have to play around with your macro ratios to find something that is best for you.1 -
lady_ghost wrote: »lady_ghost wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Why are the only two choices high or low carbs?
What option would you advise.
Moderate? Like 40-30-30%
I am starving on that. But I have alot more edgy so I changed it to 40 carb 35 pro 25 fat for tomorrow. I'll see how that goes
If you're hungry, try increasing your fat. It's doubtful you need 35% of your diet to be protein unless you're on very low cals?0 -
I eat fairly high protein but have a carb-rich breakfast and work out in the morning, which works really well for me!1
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It definitely effects me! To not be hungry and maintain i try stop strive for 40 protein, 40 fat an 20 carbs....but i know we all need to find what works best for us....i dont exercise much other then a 3-4 mile walk each day..0
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If you feel better low carb but want carbs for your workout, look into cyclical LCHF or keto or targeted keto (TKD). You can be LCHF most of the time to deal with hunger issues and then add carbs right around your workouts. I know of one member on MFP who was keto but he ate his 200g+ carbs around his 4 hour bike rides so he stayed in ketosis.
Also, the fatigue that comes with lower carb is often due to low electrolytes. Low carb causes lower insulin which causes water to no longer be retained. With water loss comes electrolyte losses. Low carbers find they need to consume about 3000-5000mg of sodium per day which is about 2 tsp of salt. Many do well adding magnesium and potassium too as the body leeches that out if you let sodium get low. Symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, crankiness, sore and weak muscles, or muscle spasms, brain fog.
Most find it takes their body a month or more to adjust to fat burning. During that time there is a slight dip in energy during exercise but it is very slight and should not impact performance much.... elite athletes will notice it more. Once you get past that the reward is usually a steadier energy. You'll never hit the wall again.1 -
Keep playing around to find out what works best for YOU. Satiety is very individual.
I need carbs to keep working out and the fiber and starch in them keep me feeling full, but I also need a good deal of protein for that. Some people need fat to keep them full. Everyone is different in this regard.
When it comes to looking lean, as sardelsa said, all that really matters is working that deficit.1 -
If you feel better low carb but want carbs for your workout, look into cyclical LCHF or keto or targeted keto (TKD). You can be LCHF most of the time to deal with hunger issues and then add carbs right around your workouts. I know of one member on MFP who was keto but he ate his 200g+ carbs around his 4 hour bike rides so he stayed in ketosis.
Also, the fatigue that comes with lower carb is often due to low electrolytes. Low carb causes lower insulin which causes water to no longer be retained. With water loss comes electrolyte losses. Low carbers find they need to consume about 3000-5000mg of sodium per day which is about 2 tsp of salt. Many do well adding magnesium and potassium too as the body leeches that out if you let sodium get low. Symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, crankiness, sore and weak muscles, or muscle spasms, brain fog.
Most find it takes their body a month or more to adjust to fat burning. During that time there is a slight dip in energy during exercise but it is very slight and should not impact performance much.... elite athletes will notice it more. Once you get past that the reward is usually a steadier energy. You'll never hit the wall again.
That is patently false. And has been shown to you before.
http://www.mysportscience.com/single-post/2016/12/01/Ketogenic-diets-for-athletes6 -
I eat high carb, moderate protein, ultra low fat now after years of lchf eating, and find I have way way more energy than I did eating on a keto style diet. I'm definitely not starving ever, although when I get hungry (and it happens much more quickly), I need to eat right away.
It's worth a try. On 50f/45p/5c I had incredible stamina, and could just grind away for hours on all sort of projects, but it took me a long time to get going in the mornings, I was freezing all the time, and would feel weak durning heavy physical demands.
On 60c/35p/5f, I am raring to go right away in the morning, I don't 'need' caffeine as often, feel really strong and alert when I have heavy physical demands, and due to all the carbs, I feel very satisfied, even eating at a deficit.
If you are experimenting, check out a very low fat diet as a possibility. May work for you.
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stevencloser wrote: »If you feel better low carb but want carbs for your workout, look into cyclical LCHF or keto or targeted keto (TKD). You can be LCHF most of the time to deal with hunger issues and then add carbs right around your workouts. I know of one member on MFP who was keto but he ate his 200g+ carbs around his 4 hour bike rides so he stayed in ketosis.
Also, the fatigue that comes with lower carb is often due to low electrolytes. Low carb causes lower insulin which causes water to no longer be retained. With water loss comes electrolyte losses. Low carbers find they need to consume about 3000-5000mg of sodium per day which is about 2 tsp of salt. Many do well adding magnesium and potassium too as the body leeches that out if you let sodium get low. Symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, crankiness, sore and weak muscles, or muscle spasms, brain fog.
Most find it takes their body a month or more to adjust to fat burning. During that time there is a slight dip in energy during exercise but it is very slight and should not impact performance much.... elite athletes will notice it more. Once you get past that the reward is usually a steadier energy. You'll never hit the wall again.
That is patently false. And has been shown to you before.
http://www.mysportscience.com/single-post/2016/12/01/Ketogenic-diets-for-athletes
What is false?
It takes a month or more for most to get fat adapted. That's true. I'm not saying it takes a month to get into ketosis but to get fat adapted where the body prefers burning fats.
There is a slight dip in energy as people become fat adapted. It's true. Most athletes will notice it, especially the elite athletes who have less room for a temporary decline in energy. True.
Once you get past fat adaption, energy is steadier. Hitting the wall is when you run low on glucose for fuel and your brain makes it tough to go on. That's when the body is switching over to primarily fat burning. True.
Not sure what part you think is false.
The FASTER study looking at ketogenic athletes that have been long fat adapted: http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(15)00334-0/abstract?cc=y=
I can't remember where I saw it, but I remember seeing how a few of the higher carb athletes switched over to ketosis after particpating in this study becaise of the results of the low carbers. They said it took a few months to get through fat adaption but found it worth it.
A participant in the FASTER study: http://zachbitter.com/blog/2014/04/takeaways-from-the-faster-study.html
Ketosis for a single jerk and lift may not be ideal, but the ketogenic power lifter will have steadier energy... it may not be what he wants but that doesn't change anything.0 -
stevencloser wrote: »If you feel better low carb but want carbs for your workout, look into cyclical LCHF or keto or targeted keto (TKD). You can be LCHF most of the time to deal with hunger issues and then add carbs right around your workouts. I know of one member on MFP who was keto but he ate his 200g+ carbs around his 4 hour bike rides so he stayed in ketosis.
Also, the fatigue that comes with lower carb is often due to low electrolytes. Low carb causes lower insulin which causes water to no longer be retained. With water loss comes electrolyte losses. Low carbers find they need to consume about 3000-5000mg of sodium per day which is about 2 tsp of salt. Many do well adding magnesium and potassium too as the body leeches that out if you let sodium get low. Symptoms of low sodium are fatigue, headaches, crankiness, sore and weak muscles, or muscle spasms, brain fog.
Most find it takes their body a month or more to adjust to fat burning. During that time there is a slight dip in energy during exercise but it is very slight and should not impact performance much.... elite athletes will notice it more. Once you get past that the reward is usually a steadier energy. You'll never hit the wall again.
That is patently false. And has been shown to you before.
http://www.mysportscience.com/single-post/2016/12/01/Ketogenic-diets-for-athletes
See Peter Atilla's experience in increasing aerobic capacity at eatingacademy.com0 -
How about a balanced diet? I don't understand the need for a diet to be an extreme one way or the other...6
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I like high carb, high protein, and high fat diets. They're my favorite. They are also the reason I am here.
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Aren't you mostly vegetarian now? That's leaning towards one extreme.cwolfman13 wrote: »How about a balanced diet? I don't understand the need for a diet to be an extreme one way or the other...
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Aren't you mostly vegetarian now? That's leaning towards one extreme.cwolfman13 wrote: »How about a balanced diet? I don't understand the need for a diet to be an extreme one way or the other...
Vegetarian diets aren't necessarily extreme in macro splits.
You yourself come on here talking about vegetarians and vegans doing keto.
Keto is only extreme because of its macro split, imo.1 -
Aren't you mostly vegetarian now? That's leaning towards one extreme.cwolfman13 wrote: »How about a balanced diet? I don't understand the need for a diet to be an extreme one way or the other...
I'm vegetarian at least 3 days per week...but my macro split doesn't lean to one extreme or the other. My carbs may be a bit higher than many, but not extremely so...I'd say on a veg day I'm probably around 50%. I also eat dairy and eggs and vegetarian days...
My macros provide for a pretty moderate split in that I hit requisite fats and protein for health and round out the rest with carbs. I'd say I'm pretty moderate carb, moderate protein, and moderate fat...0 -
lady_ghost wrote: »
Maybe it's not the macro split that is hard for you but too much focus on "clean eating"? Maybe loosening up on that, and allowing for some treats in moderation, would provide you enjoyment and lead to better overall dietary satisfaction?
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lady_ghost wrote: »
FWIW, I lost 36# over 5 months on high protein diet with the same macros (35P/40C/25F) at a deficit of 300 cals/day below TDEE while also gaining LBM and losing fat, as measured by DXA, when combined w/heavy lifting 3-5 days a week and cardio (mainly rowing) as needed to burn cals to meet my daily cal limit.
Never felt starved or lacking energy while on this diet.0
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