Healthy macro percentages?
RoseJaneNB
Posts: 34 Member
Hello everyone! 
I'm a mum of 3 who needs to tone up - the big 4-0 is looming...
I've been using myfitness pal and am working out (or trying!) the macro nutrient percentages. So many different diets out there, it's so confusing...
Currently I am set to
Carb - 25% (75g)
Protein - 40% (120g)
Fat - 35% (47g)
Is this a healthy ideal for weight loss. I am new to the low carb idea.. my plan isn't to entirely be keto.. I try and not eat too much meat so am finding low carb quite tricky. I just wondered if anyone better clued up than me could tell me if they see a problem with this ratio?
I want to lose 5 - 10 kilos and am running 2km daily.
Thanks guys
I'm a mum of 3 who needs to tone up - the big 4-0 is looming...
I've been using myfitness pal and am working out (or trying!) the macro nutrient percentages. So many different diets out there, it's so confusing...
Currently I am set to
Carb - 25% (75g)
Protein - 40% (120g)
Fat - 35% (47g)
Is this a healthy ideal for weight loss. I am new to the low carb idea.. my plan isn't to entirely be keto.. I try and not eat too much meat so am finding low carb quite tricky. I just wondered if anyone better clued up than me could tell me if they see a problem with this ratio?
I want to lose 5 - 10 kilos and am running 2km daily.
Thanks guys
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Replies
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An appropriate calorie deficit and a balanced diet is ideal for weight loss. 1200 calories may be on the low side for you - you are active and young, and don't have a lot to lose.
That protein goal is high and the fat goal is low; the carb goal is low too, unless you like to eat like that of course.1 -
There is no ideal ratio for weight loss. It is all about calories in verses calories out. What works for one doesn't work for another.
Mine are somewhere around
40% carbs
30% protein
30% fats
but as long as I meet the minimum for fat and protein I am not too fussed about how the ratios fall. These work for me because I love my fruit and veg and I find complex carbs to be the best for keeping me full for longer. Nothing like a nice bowl of steaming porridge to keep me full for hours.2 -
I guess I just want results fast... should learn patience!!
I will lower the protein a bit and up the carbs - I find that protein level hard to meet. Maybe 30,35,35..0 -
Hi Laura, do you still need help in your Macro plan?1
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Well yes. I've set it to 30 carbs, 35 protein and 35 fats. But not sure if this is healthy!?nathanhine wrote: »Hi Laura, do you still need help in your Macro plan?
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Those macros should be fine as you will be getting the minimums of fat and protein and then some. If you find you are hungry soon after eating you may want to play around with them a bit to find out which macros keep you satisfied for longer. This will vary from person to person.0
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And the minimums are those percentages? I'm confused about the word "minimum"... I want to build some muscle and lose fat.. asapLillymoo01 wrote: »Those macros should be fine as you will be getting the minimums of fat and protein and then some. If you find you are hungry soon after eating you may want to play around with them a bit to find out which macros keep you satisfied for longer. This will vary from person to person.
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Lower carbs worked for me. I dropped weight easily combined with consistent training. The less carbs I ate, the less I craved. If you make sure you get enough protein, you'll feel full anyway. Just increased mine over the last week or two though to improve muscle definition.2
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Protein is around .83 grams per kilo minimum but if you are doing weights and working out you benefit from more. Amounts vary from website to website but anywhere from 1 to 1.5 grams per kilo. Fat minimums are normally 20-25% recommendations but again this will vary depending on the source.0
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lauraJaneNB wrote: »
And the minimums are those percentages? I'm confused about the word "minimum"... I want to build some muscle and lose fat.. asapLillymoo01 wrote: »Those macros should be fine as you will be getting the minimums of fat and protein and then some. If you find you are hungry soon after eating you may want to play around with them a bit to find out which macros keep you satisfied for longer. This will vary from person to person.
Minimum means get that or more.
In other words get your fat and protein. It is o.k. to go over.
With carbs it is o.k. to go under.
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Information from the Institutes of Medicine:
"The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) recently released energy, macronutrient, and fluid recommendations, which acknowledged for the first time that active individuals have unique nutritional needs. The IOM calculated an acceptable macronutrient distribution range for carbohydrate (45%-65% of energy), protein (10%-35% of energy), and fat (20%-35% of energy; limit saturated and trans fats). These proportions provide a range broad enough to cover the macronutrient needs of most active individuals."
Link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/160048271 -
My macros are set at the same as OP. I'm usually over on protein and under on carbs a bit. I've found that I function better with lowered carbs/higher protein and eating most carbs around working out.
You may have to do some experimenting to figure out what works best for you.3 -
Other than protein, macros are more about satiety and personal preference, not health.
Protein has a minimum limit which very few will be under, but if you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or both, it's beneficial to have it higher -- especially as you will obviously be active and doing strength building exercises. Good rule of thumb is .8 g/lb of a healthy goal weight (or current weight if you are only losing a few and are a healthy weight already). For example, I'm 125 and aim for around 100 g.
If you are trying to gain muscle, you will want a smaller deficit. (Or you can accept that you can make strength gains while losing but not muscle gains and likely some muscle loss and wait until after the fat loss portion to try to gain muscle.)
Since you've mentioned a couple of times wondering if it's healthy, what determines if it is healthy is not fat or carb percentage, but food choices within fats and carbs. Make sure you get in plenty of vegetables (a variety of types including greens is good), fruit if you like it, and think about choosing whole food sources for other carbs like beans, lentils, whole grains or tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes). For fat, focus on making sure your diet has healthy fats like that from fatty fish (omega 3s), nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and olive oil.
But it's not that hard, you can have a pretty flexible diet that is still high in nutrients.2 -
Thanks all.0
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lauraJaneNB wrote: »
And the minimums are those percentages? I'm confused about the word "minimum"... I want to build some muscle and lose fat.. asapLillymoo01 wrote: »Those macros should be fine as you will be getting the minimums of fat and protein and then some. If you find you are hungry soon after eating you may want to play around with them a bit to find out which macros keep you satisfied for longer. This will vary from person to person.
Minimum means get that or more.
In other words get your fat and protein. It is o.k. to go over.
With carbs it is o.k. to go under.
Ok I didn't realize the figures were minimum, I thought to stay within them all. Cool, thanks!1 -
People here set much higher protein targets for satiety or building muscle. The actual minimum is much lower than what's mentioned.
The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound.1 -
lauraJaneNB wrote: »Hello everyone!
I'm a mum of 3 who needs to tone up - the big 4-0 is looming...
I've been using myfitness pal and am working out (or trying!) the macro nutrient percentages. So many different diets out there, it's so confusing...
Currently I am set to
Carb - 25% (75g)
Protein - 40% (120g)
Fat - 35% (47g)
Is this a healthy ideal for weight loss. I am new to the low carb idea.. my plan isn't to entirely be keto.. I try and not eat too much meat so am finding low carb quite tricky. I just wondered if anyone better clued up than me could tell me if they see a problem with this ratio?
I want to lose 5 - 10 kilos and am running 2km daily.
Thanks guys
So much advice is floating around on what is required for protein. I've invested countless hours in research reading articles and papers on this topic. Low-carb vs no-carb vs low-protein. No-one can agree is the basic consensus I've found.
Unfortunately, there is no magic number for a 'healthy' balance. You need to experiment and find what works for you. I have mine set to Carbs 40%, Protein 30%, Fat 30% but I usually end up under on Carbs, over on the other two. Find a balance that you can maintain is really the best advice. Try to keep up at least 25% protein as this maintains your muscle mass (when combined with regular strength training) and this keeps your passive calorie burn higher which is always a plus.
I found that when I went extreme low carb, around 25-30%, it wasn't maintainable long term and I lost a lot of energy and got really grumpy but everyone is different and a lot of people can function on carb levels down to about 5%.0 -
"Officially" the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges are 45-65% of calories from carbohydrates, 20-35% from fat, and 10-35% from protein. Too far from that and I would be cautious about vitamin and mineral deficiencies. I'd almost guarantee you that someone down to 5% calories from carbs wouldn't be getting enough fiber. They probably don't have enough folate, potassium, or vitamin C either.2
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Macro spit in based on personal and performance preference. There is no perfect/magic/fat loss ratio.
Calories should be set at the highest caloric intake possible while remaining in a deficit. You need room at the bottom. Beginning at 1200 allows you no place to go when you stall. Also its just not necessary to suffer when you could eat more, feel better and still lose at a higher caloric deficit. you want a deficit you can adhere to. Same with diet. If you are not compliant you will not succeed. Its not a race you will eventually get there with discipline and consistency so slashing to your lowest will only impede you.
The ONLY thing I ALWAYS tell people is unless instructed by a physician do NOT drop fat below RDI (recommended daily intake) the amount of fat we consume effects our hormonal health.1 -
lauraJaneNB wrote: »lauraJaneNB wrote: »
And the minimums are those percentages? I'm confused about the word "minimum"... I want to build some muscle and lose fat.. asapLillymoo01 wrote: »Those macros should be fine as you will be getting the minimums of fat and protein and then some. If you find you are hungry soon after eating you may want to play around with them a bit to find out which macros keep you satisfied for longer. This will vary from person to person.
Minimum means get that or more.
In other words get your fat and protein. It is o.k. to go over.
With carbs it is o.k. to go under.
Ok I didn't realize the figures were minimum, I thought to stay within them all. Cool, thanks!
Keep in mind there is a significant difference in the minimum and what's optimal. During weight loss, it should be higher to support metabolism and maintenance of lean body mass. During maintenance, it can be reduced. But generally, 1.5-2.2g/kg is recommended based on meta-analyses. Towards the top end as you get more lean and lower end if you are overfat/obese.
Of course incorporating resistance training will improve the results as it supports muscle retention and improve body composition. And BTW, if you want to tone up, you want a good resistance program. Running is not going to cut it
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/apnm-2015-05490
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