Macros?

MrsCJ1

Hi Everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help. I am transitioning into Paleo. I say transitioning because I have yet to give up my beloved smuckers natural peanut butter and had a grande soy pumpkin spice latte yesterday! Overall, I have been following the paleo blueprint but I am new to this lifestyle. Over the past few months I have been getting off grains/legumes and most dairy. I couldn't go "cold turkey". LOL!

Anyway, I used to eat A LOT of carbs. My diet was ALL.. and I mean ALL carbs. I ate fruits and veggies.. but also oats, bread, crackers, rice... and lots of it. I'm not used to the idea of higher fat and have a hard time getting in a lot of protein.

What are the "ideal" macros for paleo? As of now my macros are set to 25c/45p/30f. I am ALWAYS over on my fat, but I know not to worry to much about that. I have been really focusing on keeping my carbs low, as I was coming off a high carb diet.

Also, I understand that sweating the details is silly. I am just looking for a "guide". I don't stress myself out if I'm not perfectly aligned with my macros. Just looking for some guidance so that I make the right food choices.

Eventually I wont log anymore. I just want to wrap my head around this first before I stop logging.

THANKS!

TriLifter

Everyone is different. I think that overall the guidelines put forth by Mark Sisson on Mark's Daily Apple can really help. That said, you've set yourself up with a crap-ton of protein and not a lot of fat. No wonder you're struggling!

I'm currently bulking (eating at a slight surplus and lifting heavy) to gain some mass so my protein is kinda high (165g). My macros are 15c/55f/30p at 2200 cals/day and 120 lbs.

But, as I said, everyone will have a different ratio dependant upon her individual situation and needs.

MrsCJ1

Thanks for the reply! I will have no problem upping my fats. I LOVE good healthy fats. I guess I have the "fear" of to much fat... I know it's incorrect. Everyone around me that eats what they call "healthy" would say that too much fat will make you fat. Although I know this to be false, it's hard to break a thought process that you've been instilled with for so long.

TriLifter

Been there, done that. In high school (the 90s) I believed it too. I became a vegetarian because meant had "too much fat" in it. I kept my self to under 10g/day. My lunch consisted of a little box of raisins and celery sticks...these things can spiral quickly.

Dragonwolf

If you're going to splurge on Starbucks, ditch the soy for regular milk in it (it's bad all around, of course, but if you're going to do it anyway, pick the lesser of two evils).

That said, PrimalRunner hit the nail on the head, everyone's going to be different and Paleo doesn't necessarily mean low carb (though it generally will end up low in comparison simply by virtue of ditching the processed crap). Mark Sisson's carb curve is generally a good guide, because you can get as high as 150g and still maintain weight, and from the looks of your profile pic, you're not his primary audience of people who really need to lose weight, so you have more wiggle room on the carb front.

So, how do you figure your macros, then?

Start with protein. To maintain muscle, you need about .5g per pound of lean body mass (LBM). You can get your LBM by calculating your body fat percentage (I personally use a tape measure an the Covert Bailey calculator), convert the percentage to pounds and subtract it from your total body weight. If you're looking to gain muscle, up that number to 1g/lb.

Next is carbs. If you want to either only lose a little bit, maintain weight, or bulk, you may want to start with the higher end. About 100g is the line between losing weight and maintaining it on the carb curve. It's a good starting point, especially if you're leaning toward losing a little more fat. You can always adjust it if you're not getting the results you want (just keep in mind that right now, the first week or so will be rough, since even at 100g, you're eating a lot fewer than you probably used to).

Finally, the fat. Just fill the rest in with it. Yes, it will be a high percentage. At around 2000 calories and the above numbers for me, it comes out to about 15c/25p/60f (5'9" 250lb).

Once you do that for a few weeks (most recommend at least three, some suggest as much as six), see how you feel. If you find you're craving sugar, drop your carbs down lower and increase your fat. If you're feeling good, then stick with it.

Akimajuktuq

Dragonwolf gives great advice.

It is my opinion and experience that 30% fat is FAR too low. For healthy people with no cravings I think 50% is the bare minimum. For very obese, sick, or people struggling with carb cravings I think fat needs to be much higher. I have my settings set at 70% and I try to make that my minimum. (70 fat, 20 protein, 10 carb - which even that much carbs seems to not be working for me and I try to eat closer to 5%.)

For a healthy person, no cravings, I would personally recommend 60 fat, 25 protein, 15 carb. Of course that's my own opinion and comes from my stance that 15% carbs is good enough for everyone. Some people disagree.

MrsCJ1

Wow, thank you everyone! This has been very helpful. Drangonwolf, I took your advice. It turns out my macros should be set to about 20c/25p/55f. This will make my life much easier, as getting so much protein was near impossible for me.