I need to understand

marybyrnes22

I started my “improve my health with my weight loss and strength building” goals. I’m just not sure why my daily carbs are high (166) but protein low (88). What am I missing? Thanks!

AnnPT77

What are your protein, carb and fat goals, for context?

Fundamentally, if you're eating more carbs than you'd prefer, and less protein, the solution would be to reduce or eliminate some foods you currently eat that are high in carbs (but very little or no protein), and replace those calories with some other food you enjoy that has more protein (and fewer carbs).

As a process, you can do that by reviewing your diary, looking for high carb (or high calorie) items with not much protein that you eat habitually, and finding the ones that are least important to you for satiation, other nutrition, or general happiness with eating. Reduce portion size or frequency of those foods to make some calorie room, and fill that spot with foods you enjoy eating that are higher in protein.

This thread can be a help in finding protein foods you enjoy, to consider adding:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

That said, carbs aren't evil, and depending on your height and activities, 88g protein (if that's what you're eating, not the amount by which you're short on protein) isn't necessarily insanely low for an average-height woman.

If your main goal is weight loss, that's directly about calories. Of course, nutrition is important for health, body composition (lean mass especially), energy level, and that sort of thing.

Protein is an "essential nutrient" in the sense that our bodies can't manufacture its vital subcomponents (essential amino acids) out of anything else, so we have to eat some. Fat, similarly, is an "essential nutrient" in that technical sense. Carbs aren't "essential", because our bodies can manufacture their own carb-equivalents out of fat/protein. In that sense, carbs are more flexible.

Personally, I treat my protein and fats goals as minimums to reach or exceed, and use carbs to balance calories, loosely speaking. When I first lost weight, I reviewed my diary routinely, and tweaked my routine eating habits until I was getting sensible amounts of protein and fat without daily micromanaging, just because of the foods I turned to over and over for meals/snacks.

But carbs aren't evil, and eating them (within calorie goal) doesn't limit weight loss or cause other problems. (Noting, however, that people with certain kinds of pre-existing health conditions - like diabetes or insulin resistance - may need to manage carb intake carefully.) Lots of very nutritious foods - veggies, fruits, dairy, whole grains - contain carbs.

I ate around 150 grams of carbs daily during weight loss, more like 225+ in maintenance. I don't have great difficulty managing weight, and my health markers are good (blood tests and such).

TL;DR: Review your diary regularly, reduce high-carb foods, increase protein-rich foods, focusing on revising your routine habits so you don't need to micromanage forever.

Best wishes!

pony4us

Are you asking about the goals set by MFP? They set a general balanced set of percents as a starting point. So it is 50% carbs 30% fat and 20% protein. For me the protein is low, you can go into goals and change it. Since you are just starting take Ann's advice and tweek your diet to see what is right for you.