How does the ratio matter given the calorie limit is constan

sandeepnair

If my maintenance calorie limit is, say 2000 per day, and I maintain that without caring about the ratio of carbs/protein/fat, does it matter?

For example if I follow a net calorie limit of 2000 but with a ratio of 20c:20p:60f do I gain fat?

Or, if I follow a net calorie limit of 2000 but with a ratio of 20c:60p:20c do I put on muscles, assuming I do strength training as well?

carl1738

It does and it doesn't. You could theoretically consume your daily calorie limit by consuming nothing but lard, and you should still lose weight because you're eating less calories than you are burning for energy. However, you would probably feel like crap after eating something so unhealthy, you would probably not feel like doing much because of a lack of carbs, and your muscles would not be able to repair themselves after physical activity because of a lack of protein in your diet. If you do much exercise, you are going to want to have a good blend of healthy carbs and lean protein in your diet. Most physically active people should have at least 30% of their calories coming from lean protein (more if you do a lot of weight or strength training), and roughly 40% coming from carbs, with the rest coming from fat.

carbonboy

In terms of physics, no...the type of calorie doesn't matter. A Kcal is a unit of energy, and one calorie of fat has the exact same energy as one calorie of carbs or protien. Some people claim there's a marginal effect from your body having to convert excess carbs and proteins into stored fat as opposed to fat going straight to fat. But if you don't have excess calories it won't matter. If your body needs 2000 calories to maintain your current weight, you could technically eat 2000 calories of pure fat and be fine.

HOWEVER...don't confuse your weight goals with your "health" goals. If you want to build lean muscle, you need to eat protein, and at the proper time. And generally speaking, if you want to gain muscle you need to eat in excess of your maintenance calories. Many people start with .7 - .9 grams of protein per pound of body weight, then add 20% fats, and then fill in the rest with healthy carbs.

TrainingWithTonya

It's really not as simple as calories in vs. calories out. If that were the case, then anyone who maintained their calorie deficits would be consistent with weight loss and there would be no such thing as a plateau. We just simplify it as much as possible to make it easier for the average non-science person to be able to follow a program. It's the same with the percentages and such on carbs, protein, and fat. In actuality, you have to consume enough carbs to burn for activity, and if you don't then your body has to produce them from intake of protein. If you aren't consuming enough protein or are too busy using your protein to spark fat burning by converting them to carbs, then you can't use protein for muscle building or transporting water soluble nutrients in the body. If you go too low in fat intake, you can't transport fat soluble nutrients or make cell membranes. It really is a balance of all three that you need so that the body functions optimally. If you eat mostly fat and very little carbs and protein but stay in your calorie range will you lose weight? Yes, probably, but it will also probably be from your muscle mass because you have to have carbs first in order to get to the step in the metabolic process where you can burn fat, so your body will literally break down its protein to make carbs.