Protein/Carbs balance

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Replies

  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
    it won't hurt you (other than perhaps your wallet and extra calories), but it's not necessary.

    How exactly is it more expensive and extra calories to eat 5% more protein and 5% less carbs/fat? Do groceries and restaurants charge more per calorie of protein than carbs or fats? No. A gram of protein / carbs is 4 calories, a gram of fat is 9, so by my calculations, I either break even by trading carbs for protein or eat 5 less calories by trading fat for protein? Where do the extra expense and extra calories come from, bro math?
  • tdavies174
    tdavies174 Posts: 28
    uummmm thanks guy but back my original post - I have now changed my goals and am happier now with my settings FOR ME!

    didnt' want to start a war or anything!!
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    it won't hurt you (other than perhaps your wallet and extra calories), but it's not necessary.

    How exactly is it more expensive and extra calories to eat 5% more protein and 5% less carbs/fat? Do groceries and restaurants charge more per calorie of protein than carbs or fats? No. A gram of protein / carbs is 4 calories, a gram of fat is 9, so by my calculations, I either break even by trading carbs for protein or eat 5 less calories by trading fat for protein? Where do the extra expense and extra calories come from, bro math?

    traditional protein rich foods (meats, seafoods, etc) are generally more expensive than other foods. this can add up, especially if somebody resorts to using protein supplements to reach their daily goals. there are less expensive ways to boost your protein totals, but usually at the expense of extra calories (e.g. eating more beans or drinking more milk).

    i'm not anti-protein. in fact, i'm the exact opposite. i am just trying to make sure that the typical MFP user reading this thread doesn't set their protein macro too high and then find themselves struggling to meet that high setting, when their actual needs are lower than 1g/lb of bodyweight. this is especially a problem for vegetarians who have trouble getting enough protein in their diets as it is.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    MFP's default for protein is dreadfully low. Customize your macros/micros by going to:

    My Home>>Goals>>Change Goals>>Custom.

    Mine are set at 45/30/25% carbs/protein/fat. The important thing is to stay within your calorie limit and eat healthy, whole foods.

    While on the customizing page, I suggest increasing your fiber to 25g and decrease your sodium to 2,300mg but the lower the better.

    I would also recommend adding fiber and sodium to your food diary so you can track them on a daily basis.
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
    Older people need even more than "recommended amounts" based on govt studies as early as 2001

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11382798

    MFP protein levels are pathetically inadequate!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    MFP's setting for macros are low for protein and high for carbs..you can go into custom settings and change them to 40 protein/30 carbs/30 fats which is a typical breakdown..

    if you are just trying to lose weight, then macros are not essential for now ..however, if you are strength training, want to lose weight and body fat, and keep as much lean muscle as possible, then macros are important..

    I believe the protein thing is 1 gram per pound of lean body mass...

    I am always at least 200 grams of protein per day...but I like my chicken, steak, and eggs..

    IMO you can never have enough protein...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    My nutritionist recommends not going over 80 protein. High protein low carb items like tuna, peanut butter, greek yogurt, and cottage cheese can help. I know what you are going through. Hang in there. The problems I have experienced before is with the carbs and sugars and fats. Nuts and nut butters have good fats so don't worry about them. If you are worried about fats on a general rule like with protein bars you will want 5 grams of fat or less with low carbs and high protein like 15-20 protein. Certain sugars like high fructose corn syrup, sugar in the raw, and others like them should be avoided. If the 1st 5 ingrediants has sugars like them in it, my nutritionist says to avoid those items. Keeping a food journal and being active helps too. When I didn't do my food journal and/or didn't stay active, I didn't yield the results that I personally wanted. A loss of 1-2 pounds per week is normal and healthy. Sometimes plateaus happen and when they occur it helps to be a little more active than you were or to make a small change in food, because your body gets used to your routine and enters that comfort zone. I am happy to help.

    hate to say this, but get a new nutritionist or just ditch them all together...

    I go over 80 grams of protein in one meal, and am losing weight, and maintain about 13% body fat.

    Carbs/fat/sugars are not the problem...over eating calories is the problem. You can eat carbs/fat/sugar, be in a calorie deficit, and still lose weight.

    why is sugar in the raw to be avoided? Has raw sugar with coffee every morning...

    OP - I would recommend not following this line of reasoning...

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