LCHF macro help please
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nixism
Posts: 258 Member
Hi team, can anyone help me set my macros/% in MFP for LCHF. I don't want to go full on keto but I'd like to lose some weight and reduce my "bad" carb intake. I'm female, 35 yrs, 163cm/5'4 tall, 78kg/171pd. Please and thank you.
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I lost my 60 excess before I knew the terms low carb or keto. I just sort of "winged it" and altered my macros to lower carbs and added the difference to protein because I had to add it to something to equal 100%. I then just quit eating things with added sugar (sweets primarily) and minimized my intake of starchy casseroles and such.
MFP'S defaults are 50% carbs, 20% protein, 30% fat. I changed mine to 40%c/30/30, loosely followed them and lost successfully. After the fact, I calculated what they actually were: 30%c/25p/35f. Average carb intake by grams was 128.
I never aimed to hit targets but rather alter my my behavior of (over) eating calories and sweets. I made food choices. Salad or meat versus...cake. I'm not saying my way works for others but it was effective for me. Depending on how many carbs you think you want to eat/limit, choose the percentage that best fits that number of grams then adjust protein and fat accordingly.
Calories for weight loss. Macros for health and fitness goals. I didn't/don't have health issues impacted by carb intake. I had pretty lousy eating habits (calories) and food choices (sweets/snacks) I wanted to change. I now choose even lower carb and higher fat. My macros are set to 15%c/25%p/55% fat. It equates to 56 grams of carbs and about 100 each of protein and fat. It's just a guideline for me that I somewhat adhere to within my calories.2 -
Keto worked really well for me to limit the foods I regularly binged on. So it helped me divorce myself from my triggers long enough for me to develop better habits and to learn to make better decisions. To learn to moderate some things and to learn about nutrient density. Now I am just low-carb due to an autoimmune disease that hates ketosis (Sjogren's.) I eat anywhere from about 60g to 100g most days. I have room for a normal serving size of a carby thing if I want or if I get stuck eating out without good lower carb options. It's a workable range.
We recommend, regardless of which carb level you choose, to model your intake from this:- Find your calorie goal. Meet it.
- Choose a carb ceiling and stay at or under it. (in grams)
- Find your protein range. Minimum should be roughly .6g-.8g per kg of body weight for sedentary peeps. More for active peeps. Must get enough protein to minimize protein loss during weight loss.
- Fill the rest of your intake with fat.
I can't recommend pre-planning your day enough. That way you know where you are going and aren't forced to freak out when you oops and max out your carbs by lunch. You already have a road map. You can cruise the rest of the day. And if plans change, you know what you have to work with. This works best if you've already researched restaurants in your areas for their lower-carb options ahead of time. Yes, it's a small time investment in the beginning, but it will set you up for success.
HTH.4 -
Wow. That minimum stated at .6-.8 per kg is lower than I usually see. I weigh 140 pounds so 63.63 kg.
63.63 x .6 is only 38 grams of protein. 63.63 x .8 is 50. I realize your stating it is a minimum. The lowest minimum I've seen is the RDA recommendation of .8/kg which yes, is the maximum of your minimum range.
Do you recall where you read this minimum range @baconslave? 38 grams is about a 5-6 ounce serving of meat (generally speaking). I'd be happy eating only that amount daily.
I've frequently seen .6-.8 applied per POUND for sedentary (more if active). That for me would be 84-112 protein grams.1 -
Wow. That minimum stated at .6-.8 per kg is lower than I usually see. I weigh 140 pounds so 63.63 kg.
63.63 x .6 is only 38 grams of protein. 63.63 x .8 is 50. I realize your stating it is a minimum. The lowest minimum I've seen is the RDA recommendation of .8/kg which yes, is the maximum of your minimum range.
Do you recall where you read this minimum range @baconslave? 38 grams is about a 5-6 ounce serving of meat (generally speaking). I'd be happy eating only that amount daily.
I've frequently seen .6-.8 applied per POUND for sedentary (more if active). That for me would be 84-112 protein grams.
Gosh darn it if I wasn't thinking and typing in 2 different measurements!
I did not have a good night's sleep last night and it shows. 
Thanks for catching that.
Well... I meant what was in your last paragraph.
.6-.8g per pound!
Good grief, Jess. smh
Sorry guys.2 -
Yep, good advice!
Set your calorie goal
Choose your preferred carb max
Set minimum protein based on bodyweight & activity level
The rest fat
I'm 34F, lightly active.
I do 1380 cals, 20g net carbs, 100g protein & 100g fat. It suits me perfectly.0
