How do you know when it's time to go 40/30/30?

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EccentricDad
EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
in Food and Nutrition
BMR has finally hit a point where eating at a 1200 calorie restriction is no longer guaranteeing 2.0 lbs loss per week. I guess that means I am near the end of my dieting cycle. But is the solution 40/30/30 if I don't plan on building muscle just yet? How did YOU know it was time to move to 40/30/30? And should I keep eating at a deficit until I am at my ideal weight?
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  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
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    I'm thinking of going 45/30/25 for now and see how that goes, but I think I'm reaching near... Any advice?
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    You can't expect to lose 2lbs per week forever, especially as you get leaner.

    This doesn't mean you have to chnge your macros, I take It that you are still losing?

    Whats your bf%, how big is your deficit and What are your macros currently?
  • Kalynx
    Kalynx Posts: 707 Member
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    lol heck im at 50 fat/25 carb/25 protein. I've lost 125 lbs or so since my Mom's wedding maybe 3.5 yrs ago, but 72 of that was since Feb 2012. :) Natural fats are awesome. and they make everything taste good! Cannot exercise as much as I'd like due to CHF but hopefully one day - right now doing PT with therapist in a specialized pool but suffering a strained/sprained foot (the other foot I've broken 3 times LOL)

    My goal is to lose 50 more lbs by Christmas. I'll be less than I weighed in 1998 when I moved from FL to WI!!

    Good luck!
  • charliemcbride
    charliemcbride Posts: 15 Member
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    Bump
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    How would I know when it's time to go 40/30/30?

    When I have forgotten how good I feel (and look) on Low Carb (15%)/High Fat (65%).

    Unlikely.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    Why are you eating that low as a man? That's generally too low for a lot of women, let alone a man who will always have higher nutritional needs.

    Secondly what is your height? 135lb seems quite light...
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
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    Body fat percent (according to electronic scale) is 17-18%. I was seeing still a 1 lbs loss at my deficiency but I am concerned about my lean muscle and my metabolism eating that at this point. I wanna be at at a lower body weight and body fat % but I don't want to wreck my body. And please don't judge on my caloric intake, I was a bean pole with no upper or lower body strength before I dieted too. :-D

    Deficit was 1200 but I moved it to 1300 because I am reaching my limit with dieting. My macro was the US standard moderate (55c/15p/30f) but I have since moved it to 45c/30p/25f (last night). People say men need 1500 calorie minimum, but I was eating 1000 to 1200 for 5 months and I feel fine. Helps most of my life has been sedentary.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
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    I've always done 40/30/30. I run and I lift. It just feels better for me. Personal preference, though.
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member
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    Body fat percent (according to electronic scale) is 17-18%. I was seeing still a 1 lbs loss at my deficiency but I am concerned about my lean muscle and my metabolism eating that at this point. I wanna be at at a lower body weight and body fat % but I don't want to wreck my body. And please don't judge on my caloric intake, I was a bean pole with no upper or lower body strength before I dieted too.

    1. Electronic scales are usually highly innacurrate.
    2. You don't want to wreck your body you say? At 1200 calories, good luck with that. You ARE eating up your LBM and you WILL rebound your fat loss when you try to go to maintenence. Hmmm Skinny Fat much?!
    3. And by the way you used the term BMR in your original post, tells me you don't even clearly know what the term means.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
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    Does anyone on this site who has never been to a real gym or a nutritionist know what they are doing? Seriously, I am just as lost as the next wanna be health zealot. That's why I came to the best (or in some cases the egos) to set me straight.
  • barbellina
    barbellina Posts: 13
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    It's not the macros you should be worried about. 1200 calories? For a grown man? And I thought my situation was preposterous.
  • epmck11
    epmck11 Posts: 159 Member
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    The difference between 45/30/25 and 40/30/30 is pretty damn minor and likely won't make a difference. But eating at 1200 is pretty absurd for an adult male.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    First off you are a guy and shouldnt be eating so low.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/8017-in-place-of-a-road-map

    This should sum things up.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
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    Decided to go to 50% carb / 20% protein / 30% fat. I just can't afford egg white protein (dairy allergy - no casein/whey) powder or liquid egg whites right now. Just too hard to hit 100g of protein while still restricting calories for the last 24 lbs I wanna lose.
  • 2shoes123
    2shoes123 Posts: 204 Member
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    bump
  • clobercow
    clobercow Posts: 337 Member
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    Sufficient protein is required. Around 0.5g per lb of lean body mass minimal. I sit somewhere in the middle of that 1.5g P/LBM max. After that and the fat that comes with the protein, there isn't a whole lot of room for carbs.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Macros really have nothing to do with it, it's about calories. Changing your macros won't change your weight loss, if the calorie deficit is the same.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    1200 calorie restriction
    first mistake...

    I don't plan on building muscle just yet?
    second mistake
  • clobercow
    clobercow Posts: 337 Member
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    Macros really have nothing to do with it, it's about calories. Changing your macros won't change your weight loss, if the calorie deficit is the same.

    Nope.

    Calories is not everything.

    Try a diet that is 100% carbs with no source of protein and fat. Hormones will be a terrible mess. You will start wasting away slowly from the lack of protein. A whole slew of potential health problems can arise.

    Protein is a must. Fat is a must. Carbs are not required at all. So get enough protein and fat, fill the rest in with carbs based on your goals. I think that is optimal.

    Edit: If you want to lose fat quickly, you should consider intermittent fasting. That away you can eat more to keep yourself satisfied and healthy while creating a deficit. Prolonged VLCD does have side effects and will cause stalling.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    Macros really have nothing to do with it, it's about calories. Changing your macros won't change your weight loss, if the calorie deficit is the same.

    Nope.

    Calories is not everything.

    Try a diet that is 100% carbs with no source of protein and fat. Hormones will be a terrible mess. You will start wasting away slowly from the lack of protein. A whole slew of potential health problems can arise.

    Protein is a must. Fat is a must. Carbs are not required at all. So get enough protein and fat, fill the rest in with carbs based on your goals. I think that is optimal.

    Edit: If you want to lose fat quickly, you should consider intermittent fasting. That away you can eat more to keep yourself satisfied and healthy while creating a deficit. Prolonged VLCD does have side effects and will cause stalling.

    ok Mr Extremist...never did anyone say NO protein or fats...

    simply that going from, say, 55/30/15 to 40/30/30, for example, won't affect the way your body burns calories and loses weight if the calorie deficit remains constant...

    sure, some people get a flatter belly from going lower carb, for instance, but that is because of bloat, AKA WATER weight, not FAT.
    Less carbs, means less glycogen storage, means lower number on the scale...but it does NOT mean less BODY FAT.

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