Carbs by % instead of grams?
roxywho42
Posts: 165 Member
So I've been trying to manage low carb by percentage instead of number of grams. I have MFP set to 15% carb (most of which is from raw veggies, so a lot of it is fiber anyhow) and I use that as my max. It seems to be working. My main question is where do I set the goals for the others? Right now I'm working with 45% fat and 40% protein, but after reading lots of posts here and on FB, I'm starting to wonder if I should raise the fat and lower the protein. Thoughts?
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Read my response in this thread.
You'll see how using percent instead of grams can become an issue as calorie intake goes up and down. So paying attention to the grams is usually easier to manage.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10514113/macros-help-pretty-sure-the-wrong-info-was-being-given-out#latest
Using a calculator like the one you mentioned will let you know your minimum protein intake to maintain or build muscle depending on what you told it your goal is. You want to hit that or at least be as close to it as possible everyday.
Carbs and fat are more a maximum intake limit. And not a goal to strive for. Basically eat X protein and don't eat any more than X carbs and X fat. Unless you are actually really hungry and simply need more food. In that case try to keep carbs under the limit and eat more fat and/or protein as needed for actual hunger.0 -
The whole idea is limit your carbs, which is what you are doing, and make sure you get enough protein to minimize losing lean body mass. The consensus seems to be 1.5 -2 g per kg of ideal body weight (probably just use your goal weight for this). From there just use the fact that 1 g protein is 4 calories to figure out what percentage to input. Fat just fills in the rest.
Your body doesn't care if it uses fat from your diet or fat from your body, so there is no magical amount of fat you have to consume to be successful.
All that said, everyone is different. Some will stall unless they eat a lower amount of protein. Some do better with more. The above is just the "norm" - whatever that means. I would say unless there is some underlying medical reason to do so, don't go below 0.8 g per kg of lean body mass for protein.1 -
Hang on... goal weight 50kg (I am only 5'2) so 50*1.5 = 75 gr protein a day 1g=4 so 75*4=300 that is one large chicken breast a day? What am I missing here?
Edited as I cannot multiply correctly apparently. 75*4 is 300 not 2000 -
Hang on... goal weight 50kg (I am only 5'2) so 50*1.5 = 75 gr protein a day 1g=4 so 75*4=200 that is one large chicken breast a day? What am I missing here?
You are doing the math in kilos where the equation should be done with lbs, so 50kg = 110lbs x 1.5 = 165 grams of protein - not 75.1 -
Thank you @ccrdragon that makes much more sense, must have been a typo in the posting, 165-200g a day is pretty much what I am eating at the moment.1
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cstehansen wrote: »The consensus seems to be 1.5 -2 g per kg of ideal body weightHang on... goal weight 50kg (I am only 5'2) so 50*1.5 = 75 gr protein a day 1g=4 so 75*4=200 that is one large chicken breast a day? What am I missing here?You are doing the math in kilos where the equation should be done with lbs, so 50kg = 110lbs x 1.5 = 165 grams of protein - not 75.
@cstehansen states per kg of ideal body weight and @Bonny132 appears to be using kg
Looks like kg and kg to me. Should it be pounds? x 1.5-2.0 which is not what @cstehansen stated. Y'all work it out. I don't use the equation whether it is pounds or kg but it may help others since the equation keeps getting posted.0 -
Looks like kg and kg to me. Should it be pounds? x 1.5-2.0 which is not what @cstehansen stated. Y'all work it out. I don't use the equation whether it is pounds or kg but it may help others since the equation keeps getting posted.
You are correct @kpk54
You'll see these minimum recommendations in both units. What I've seen consistently is anywhere from:
1-2g/KG * 1KG/2.2LB = 0.45-0.9g/LB
Sorry for the math nerd moment.
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XavierNusum wrote: »
Looks like kg and kg to me. Should it be pounds? x 1.5-2.0 which is not what @cstehansen stated. Y'all work it out. I don't use the equation whether it is pounds or kg but it may help others since the equation keeps getting posted.
You are correct @kpk54
You'll see these minimum recommendations in both units. What I've seen consistently is anywhere from:
1-2g/KG * 1KG/2.2LB = 0.45-0.9g/LB
Sorry for the math nerd moment.
Correct. The 1.5-2 comes straight from Phinney and Volek. Jason Fung is one that goes super low with 0.8g per kg of lean body mass. The OKL crowd go higher than P&V per this chart:
P&V seem to be in the mid-range and seem to be more in line with the majority of the other well knows I have seen.
As stated before, YMMV. It also seems to be one of the largest points of argument in the keto world. Those with IR may have to be lower. Those who are more active, especially with strength training/muscle building, can and often need to go higher. I have been playing around with my levels a lot since finding out my T2 is not IR related. I have found I am fine even above what is in the OKL chart. I will note that it is 50/50 whether my exercise calories or my TDEE is the majority of my calories burned each day, so you could say I am more active than most.1 -
So @cstehansen forget your charts and stuff for a minute. Are you typing the formula wrong?
Should it be 1.5 to 2.0 grams per POUND of ideal body weight and not 1.5 to 2.0 grams per kg of ideal body weight?
This is about the third time this has come up. Anyone getting involved and calculating seems to question 1.5-2.0 grams per kg as being too low and 1.5-2.0 grams per pound being closer to "just right".cstehansen wrote: »The whole idea is limit your carbs, which is what you are doing, and make sure you get enough protein to minimize losing lean body mass. The consensus seems to be 1.5 -2 g per kg of ideal body weight (probably just use your goal weight for this). From there just use the fact that 1 g protein is 4 calories to figure out what percentage to input. Fat just fills in the rest.
Or do many people here just like to eat lots of grams of protein? There's a big difference between the number of grams per kg versus pounds. More than double. (2.2x)0 -
*whips out the trusty abacus*
JK, wrong room.
*backs out*2 -
Ok, that's just confusing0
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Ok, that's just confusing
Yep. I don't know why such a simple diet has to get so damn complicated. We're on MFP. MFP uses percents. I clearly understand how numbers can get skewed when using % versus number of grams but good gracious, for the love of Pete.
@roxywho42, you indicated in your original post "It's working". To me that means your 15c/45f/40p is just fine. There is no shortage of protein in your diet and fat % is absolutely fine. If and when it quits working, tweak it. You may not be in ketosis at those percentages but you never mentioned that as a goal and one does not have to be in ketosis to lose weight.
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Maybe this will help clear the muddy waters.
"We estimate that females should get at least 1.2 g/kg of ideal weight per day, and males at least 1.4 g/kg of ideal weight"
http://www.ketotic.org/2014/01/how-much-protein-is-enough.html?m=10 -
In a recent video, Dr Phinney clearly said 1.5-2 g per kg of ideal body weight. He did NOT say let pound. It was on a thread started by @RalfLott in January if you want to watch it. I am on my phone so finding and linking it is not so easy, but the title mentions the video0
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Maybe this will help clear the muddy waters.
"We estimate that females should get at least 1.2 g/kg of ideal weight per day, and males at least 1.4 g/kg of ideal weight"
http://www.ketotic.org/2014/01/how-much-protein-is-enough.html?m=1
And that is about the same as the one @cstehansen keeps quoting with kg/kg posts. Not much difference between 1.2 and 1.5 as minimums. Many folks in the forum must like/prefer/feel need for considerably more than the minimum. ETA even at low/moderate activity level.
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15% Carbs, 60% fat and 25% protein has worked well for me.1
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Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Maybe this will help clear the muddy waters.
"We estimate that females should get at least 1.2 g/kg of ideal weight per day, and males at least 1.4 g/kg of ideal weight"
http://www.ketotic.org/2014/01/how-much-protein-is-enough.html?m=1
And that is about the same as the one @cstehansen keeps quoting with kg/kg posts. Not much difference between 1.2 and 1.5 as minimums. Many folks in the forum must like/prefer/feel need for considerably more than the minimum. ETA even at low/moderate activity level.
Yeah. There are different opinions on it. But my biggest point is the MINIMUM that is noted. This one is saying "as a starting point" ... I am for higher protein myself if it's tolerated. I fully understand it isn't always tolerated either.
But I like that this one is saying "start here" then adjust up as needed or tolerated.
In my case, I should eat no less than about 70g protein a day.
Many keto groups are advising and congratulating members attaining such "macro perfection" as this poor future sufferer of sarcopenia
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cstehansen wrote: »In a recent video, Dr Phinney clearly said 1.5-2 g per kg of ideal body weight. He did NOT say let pound. It was on a thread started by @RalfLott in January if you want to watch it. I am on my phone so finding and linking it is not so easy, but the title mentions the video
Thanks for answering. Just like above in this thread, it has occurred before with a comment like "no you're using kg and should be using pounds". I'm just trying to be helpful and get it clarified for others.
And yes @Sunny_Bunnie, I caught the bolded "at least" both times in your comment. Minimum. Hopefully others understand it is a range and the minimum is what to be met. With all our "back and forth".
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I had a "I am really not hungry day" yesterday and this is my stats, normally my fat and protein grams is higher, but I ended at 1001 calories for the day.0
