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

tigersword

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.

Carbs may not be required for SURVIVAL, but you brought up hormones. Carbs are rather necessary in order for the body to properly regulate anabolic hormones.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/578951-ketogenic-diets-not-good-for-muscle-building?hl=igf#posts-8235696

clobercow

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.

Carbs may not be required for SURVIVAL, but you brought up hormones. Carbs are rather necessary in order for the body to properly regulate anabolic hormones.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/578951-ketogenic-diets-not-good-for-muscle-building?hl=igf#posts-8235696

That is true. However, this person is on a cut. Also, Protein does trigger insulin. There are natural body builders that build muscle on a carb restricted diet. Protein is the primary modifier. My suggestion to get enough protein basically requires a cut in carbs. Going Keto isn't what I'm suggesting or is it necessary. Keto while cutting is very effective though.

This is a bad example, but Arnold was very low carb when he was training. Even though he had massive amounts of steriods, carbs were very minimal. That only serves as an example but does not make the rule. Glycogen does greatly help in the muscle building process.

Hormones are very important even on a cut. They help to control appetite and mood. Getting enough fat greatly helps that.

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.

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.

I'm not being extreme. I'm just giving advice. It was said that only calories matter and macros don't. I said otherwise. Big deal.

The second thing you said could be correct about the minor change in macros. We don't really know. I'm just suggesting more protein and fat to help. That's all I'm doing.

I didn't say anything about the scale. I'm giving advice for cutting fat. Yes, water weight is reduced when reducing carbs, but fat loss still happens. My main point is to maintain LBM and have stable hormones while cutting.

"This is all just advice. Do what ever the **** YOU WANA DO" -The Hodge Twins.

Helloitsdan

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.

Eat 6oz of chicken for lunch and 6oz of chicken for dinner.
Use a plant based protein supp for breakfast.

ShaneOSX

I don't think it's ever time to go 40/30/30, because that ratio is about as accurate and useful as the food period. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever to eat more carbs than protein.

You should eat your .8-1g protein per pound of body weight a day, and shoot for 25% of your calories to come from fat. Leave the rest for carbs, which works out to be ~20% for me.

tvanhooser

How do you know it's time to switch....when what you're doing isn't working and you experiment with it and find that it works, then stick with it. I lost 10 pounds that way 14 years ago before I found out I was pregnant with my son which rendered it all moot and I'm now ALMOST back to where I was then, just 11ish pounds to go. Not doing it now because just healthy eating is working but the thing I remember most is the first two weeks, cutting out all starches to cleanse the system and the weight just almost fell off. So sometimes I restrict my starches when I start slowing down just to get that bump to kick start things again. Hey -- whatever works -- not starving myself just not eating starchy carbs on occasion and getting my calories elsewhere. Give it a shot...see what happens. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work and you find another experiment to try until you find what does. That's how I found that restricting my sodium to 1500ish instead of the 2500 they allow on here was enough to get me off the last plateau. Don't trust reality TV fitness gurus but I will believe the evidence my own body gives me!

Helloitsdan

Personally I shoot for 1g protein per LBM so at least 120g protein per day.
Fat fluctuates from .30-.75g per LBM depending on if I lift or I'm resting.
Carbs make up the rest.

When I started it was protein and Fat 30% each.