Protein/Carbs balance

tdavies174

I've started this week and for my height and weight to lose 1lb a week I'm having 1.960 calories a day

For the last 3 days I have been under my cals - 125 (Mon), 135 (Tue) & 400 (Wed) under

Now what I am struggling to understand is the daily protein and carbs goals.

Protein goal is 74g a day - Carbs goal is 270g

Monday - I was 52 under carbs and 59 over protein
Tuesay - I was 168 under carbs and 28 over protein
Wednesday - I was 130 under carbs and 24 over protein

What am I doing wrong!!!! Going by these goals I think it's forcing me to go veggie but I'm a carnivore lol!!!

My diary today is:

B: 4 x multigain ryvita with extra light philadelphia
L: bistro salad leaves, onion, 30g half fat cheese and chilli chicken

I haven't planned tea yet and already am over on my protein and I've got 981 calories to play with

I'm really confused

RebekahR84

It takes awhile to experiment with different foods to determine how to meet your goals. I've yet to see someone nail theirs 100%. A lot of people on here are of the opinion that MFP's auto-settings are notoriously low when it comes to protein.

Anyway, you can change your goal settings. I have mine set to a ketosis diet put together by a weightloss clinic in my area. Do you know how to access your settings?

melaniecheeks

You're probably OK, but I wonder if you're counting the protein correctly. Could you change your diary settings to public?

Thanks!

Submariner5

I'd keep doing exactly what you are doing. It try every day too exceed my protein goal while keeping the carbs and total calories under the daily goal. In my humble opinion, maximizing protein within the limits of the overall calorie goal is a great idea - especially if you include strength training in your exercise plan.

BrainyBurro

I've started this week and for my height and weight to lose 1lb a week I'm having 1.960 calories a day

For the last 3 days I have been under my cals - 125 (Mon), 135 (Tue) & 400 (Wed) under

Now what I am struggling to understand is the daily protein and carbs goals.

Protein goal is 74g a day - Carbs goal is 270g

Monday - I was 52 under carbs and 59 over protein
Tuesay - I was 168 under carbs and 28 over protein
Wednesday - I was 130 under carbs and 24 over protein

What am I doing wrong!!!! Going by these goals I think it's forcing me to go veggie but I'm a carnivore lol!!!

My diary today is:

B: 4 x multigain ryvita with extra light philadelphia
L: bistro salad leaves, onion, 30g half fat cheese and chilli chicken

I haven't planned tea yet and already am over on my protein and I've got 981 calories to play with

I'm really confused

forget the MFP default settings... they are wacky.

your protein and fats should NOT be set as a % of your calorie intake. they should be set based on your bodyweight and BF%.

don't worry about carbs. unless you have a medical condition that requires tracking carbs, just worry about protein and fats.

your daily protein and fats goal is a MINIMUM. it's ok to go over. here's how to set them intelligently.

daily fats goal = 0.35g per lb of bodyweight
daily protein goal = 0.8g per lb of LBM.

your LBM is lean body mass. it comes from your BF%. LBM = (1 - BF%) x bodyweight

you can guesstimate your BF% if you need to for these calculations.

for example, let's say you're 150lbs with 25% BF. in this case, you would have these as your MINIMUM goals to shoot for each day.

protein = 0.8 x (1 - 0.25) x 150 = 90g
fats = 0.35 x 150 = 52.5g

haroon_awan

Don't worry about going over protein, worry about going over your total calorie intake. As long as you are under your total maintenance caloric intake you will lose weight.

Read this http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-a-calorie-a-calorie.html

kf5ljp

I had the same concern when I started,,,I wanted everything figured out so that I can plan ahead. Well,,as another put it experiment and find out what works for you. I have my plan but it probably isnt what you need because men burn differently from women. Hormones play a big part in all of this. I immediately lost around my waist but was left looking like half man and half woman. I had to make some adjustments to my workout and now I'm on track again. The most effective way to burn calories is cardio exercises. You may want to consult with a doctor to find the best balance for you.

tdavies174

thank you guys

you've put my mind at rest

melaniecheeks

You're diary is still private, so we are really just guessing....

Did you really have 126g protein on Monday? Can you list the foods that came to that total?

tdavies174

Its open now x

melaniecheeks

That's great, ta.

Looks like you're making really good choices, plenty of fruit and veg in there with lots of lean meats and fish. You're weighing your portions, yes?

tdavies174

I am religiously weighing everything x

3laine75

i also wouldn't worry about going over on protein. IMO, the default setting is too low any way. you can change your macro %s in 'goals' 'change goals' 'custom' if the red numbers are bothering you

3laine75

You're diary is still private, so we are really just guessing....

Did you really have 126g protein on Monday? Can you list the foods that came to that total?

what's wrong with 126g protein? - this is what i TRY to hit most days.

BrandNewFabulousMe

bump for later

melaniecheeks

Nothing is wrong with 126g protein - many people have to try very hard to reach that level, and resort to drinking protein shakes etc. I was just checking that the OP was genuinely able to get that (very good) amount of protein from within her regular foods.

3laine75

Nothing is wrong with 126g protein - many people have to try very hard to reach that level, and resort to drinking protein shakes etc. I was just checking that the OP was genuinely able to get that (very good) amount of protein from within her regular foods.

sorry, picked you up wrong.

yes, it is a struggle

tdavies174

thank you 3laine75 - my protein was set at 15%!!! changed it now to be more suitable to me x

Bry_Fitness70

I think the rule of thumb is generally a gram of protein for every lb of body weight. I run and strength train, so I go a little higher with the protein to make sure I am maintaining / building muscle.

I find it easier to look at my macro nutrients as percentages. I set my food diary goals for carbs 45%, fat 25%, and protein 30%. Throughout the day, I look at the MFP chart on the phone app to see where I stand, and try to get my macros roughly aligned to those percentages by the end of the day. I usually make any corrections necessary by eating evening snacks that have a composition that will get me close to my goals.

biggsterjackster

Wished I could reach that level of protein. Good job!