how many carbs, much fat, and how much protein?

SeaMonkey83

I'm 215 lbs and 5' 7". I used to be a runner and line danced to stay in shape. Since getting married, my sedimentary job as a teacher and having a baby I no longer am in the shape I once was. I would like to get back down to 185 lbs at least.

I have decided to run my first marathon in October. I am following a running schedule, tracking my heart rate and pace with a new watch, and was staying on a low-fat diet for the past couple of weeks.

After talking with many people on this website I have decided that I needed to kick up my caloric intake from 1200 to 1750. I was wondering if I should keep low-fat in my mind?

On the PowerBar website it said I should eat 108g of carbs within 30 minutes of exercising, and another 108g within 2 hours of exercising. That seems ridiculous. It is most of my carbs that MFP has alloted me. It also says I should eat 138g of protein on workout days (15-25g within 60 minutes of working out). What do you all think about their numbers? Are they just trying to sell product? What works for you? I'm trying to lose 30 lbs, train for a marathon and build healthy lean muscle, any thoughts?

Thanks.

FabOma08

This is the recommendation by the American Dietetic Association. I personally tweaked a bit because it's based on the assumption of an already healthy-weight, active person. I don't have the activity level for that high a carb percentage! But maybe this can give you a starting place to search



Percent of Calories

protein carbohydrate fat

ADA 30% 55% 15%

also: for protein
If you're mildly active (you exercise three times a week for 30-60 minutes), you probably don't need more than the RDA -- 0.4 grams per pound of ideal body weight, says Melinda Manore, Ph.D. To calculate your daily protein needs in grams, multiply your weight by 0.4. (For a 145-pound woman, that's 58 grams, or 12-15 percent of total daily calories.)

If you're moderately active (you exercise four to six days a week for 30-60 minutes), you may need slightly more -- from 0.6-0.7 grams. (That's 87-101.5 grams, or about 20 percent of total daily calories, for a 145-pound woman.)

If you're highly active (you exercise daily for an hour or more) you may need even more protein than that -- from 0.9-1 gram. (For a 145-pound woman, that's 130.5-145 grams, or about 30 percent of total daily calories.)

campi_mama

I have mine set at 40, 30, 30 (Jillian Michaels recommendation). You have to do what works for you personally though. Play with the numbers for a few weeks till you find what works for you!