Going over on fat and not enough protein

little_miss_panda
little_miss_panda Posts: 79
edited December 2024 in Social Groups
I've got my macros set to 35% fat, 35% protein and 30% carb. But I keep going over on the fat, and am under on protein. If I eat a bit more fruit I can get to my carbs pretty much.

I have ordered some whey protein isolate from Kinetica, I had to get it online as when I went to the health food store I couldn't find any that were a reasonable price and guaranteed gluten free (I'm coeliac).

Are my macros right for a primal plan? I still eat cheese, so I'm thinking maybe I need to lose that or just save it for an occasional indulgence, and opt for leaner proteins instead, perhaps the shakes will help?

Replies

  • Cerebrus189
    Cerebrus189 Posts: 315 Member
    My macros are set to 60% fat, 25% protein, and 15% carbs. On days/weeks where I eat higher fat, I lose even faster.

    Don't be afraid of fat, but pay more attention to getting close to your protein goals to maintain muscle mass, and keep your carbs and natural sugar consumption under control (<100 grams if trying to lose by most standards).

    I don't drink protein shakes, as they're typically not Paleo-approved but more so because I like to eat my protein.
  • amanda6393
    amanda6393 Posts: 176 Member
    I have my macros set to 50% fat, 30% protein, 20% carbs. Seems to work well for me :smile:

    I use protein shakes, but only 3 days a week (on days I do strength training). I have a chocolate rice protein shake post workout to treat myself and get a big protein hit.
  • Thanks, I suppose I'm still a bit scared of fat - I have read a couple of things saying that high fat diets pose risk of heart attacks, and people on them have higher blood viscosity, which is a risk for cardiovascular disease. I do think that some people confuse primal/paleo with Atkins though and that may be why it's demonised - I eat far more fruit and veg on primal than I did when on a standard diet, and I'm getting more fibre.

    I'm going to try and concentrate on the poly and mono fats as those seem to be the key for reducing the inflammation from my Crohns, and keep an eye on the saturated stuff as well as making sure I get the protein in.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    Thanks, I suppose I'm still a bit scared of fat - I have read a couple of things saying that high fat diets pose risk of heart attacks, and people on them have higher blood viscosity, which is a risk for cardiovascular disease. I do think that some people confuse primal/paleo with Atkins though and that may be why it's demonised - I eat far more fruit and veg on primal than I did when on a standard diet, and I'm getting more fibre.

    I'm going to try and concentrate on the poly and mono fats as those seem to be the key for reducing the inflammation from my Crohns, and keep an eye on the saturated stuff as well as making sure I get the protein in.

    Naturally occuring fats are healthy..... Saturated fat coming from animal meats is fine unless your physician/specialist doesnt want you to consume alot of it.

    Avoid anything that says 'partially hydrogenated', 'fully hydrogenated', processed foods, baked goods, candy, junk, etc... if you are eating an entirely clean diet on either primal or paleo, you wont have much to worry about at all.
  • LeidaPrimal
    LeidaPrimal Posts: 198 Member
    Don't worry. I am trying to get fat to over 70%. As long as you feel well, that's the main thing. Going too low on fat and too high on protein may make digestion difficult and cause rabbit starvation... so just play it by ear, see where you are comfortable and losing fat.
  • Higher fat is working well for me from a digestive perspective, but my GP had a concern about saturated fat intake due to family heart disease history. My GP is Indian, and he thinks the standard Western diet is pretty dire really, so I don't have too much bother with him, he said primal was fine so long as I ate enough fruit and veg and watched the saturated fats. I don't use PUFA's at all, and have avoided trans fats and hydrogenated fats pretty much for a while, because they're poison.

    I have done high protein, low fat before and it was a digestive disaster, so I won't be going there again, that's why for now I've got my macros about equal and I'll see how it goes.
  • LeidaPrimal
    LeidaPrimal Posts: 198 Member
    I don't want to defy your GP, but even the cardiologist that started the whole saturated fat /cholesterol = heart disease craze re-counted his statements recently. So, again, natural fats from meats and fish are not thought to be the killers presently. But, you know, how they flip-flop on that. I guess, you might want to explore pollock and egg whites....
  • ChaoticMum
    ChaoticMum Posts: 115 Member
    So...should the fat be higher than the protein when talking percentages? I thought protein should be 1g per pound of lean weight? If I go by that, I end up with 40 and 40 for my protein and fat and 20 for my carbs.
  • lowm8nance
    lowm8nance Posts: 30 Member
    My settings are real similar to Cerebrus189. She knows her stuff. Advised me to set mine the same way and I immediately began to drop again. My carbs are set at 50 grams to help with fat loss, protein is set to match my lean body mass (to much is not healthy for the liver), and the remainder is fat.
  • MikeFlyMike
    MikeFlyMike Posts: 639 Member
    L.M.P.
    I agree with Leida.
    You MUST not be afraid of fat - keeping fat down will ensure failure.
    Most vitamins require fat to be metabolized.
    Good fats are required for satiation.
    BTW Omega 3's are fat.
    You simply need to google omega 3's to know how critical they are.
    I have a family history of cardiac disease - but I also have a family history of a family that eats a SAD diet.
    If you remain critically concerned of saturated fats - read the book, "Don't Die Early". He offers that sat fats can be bad for some people and how to make that an individual decision on the path of cardiac health.
    Butter, coconut oil, olive oil, MCT oil are all lovely and should be a part of your diet.
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
    Like Cerebus I also have fast a t 60% and protein 25% carbs 15%....it really works well for me.
    Enjoy the delicious full cream dairy produce and feel properly full after your meals!
  • Thanks guys - I am currently trying to increase "good" fats in my diet through butter, coconut, nuts, oily fish and flax/hemp oils mainly. I am finding that I cannot tolerate too much high fat dairy - it seems to exacerbate digestive symptoms, though it is definitely good for satiation!

    It's just hard to get your head around when all you get told is "fat is bad" and the medical profession look upon you as some sort of weird crank when you reject drugs and treat yourself with diet, especially if said diet flies in the face of what they think is "healthy".
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    Thanks guys - I am currently trying to increase "good" fats in my diet through butter, coconut, nuts, oily fish and flax/hemp oils mainly. I am finding that I cannot tolerate too much high fat dairy - it seems to exacerbate digestive symptoms, though it is definitely good for satiation!

    It's just hard to get your head around when all you get told is "fat is bad" and the medical profession look upon you as some sort of weird crank when you reject drugs and treat yourself with diet, especially if said diet flies in the face of what they think is "healthy".

    Part of the struggle is getting past that "fat is bad" mindset...yes it is bad if you are eating a bunch of potato chips or a big vat of processed soup...but eating avocado, nuts, coconut & olive oil etc...making your own foods full of good fats...

    One thing I have found is by eating a Primal diet i can keep my weight level and have good energy stores...but if I want to actually loose weight I HAVE to watch my carbs...through years of calorie counting, watching fat intake, etc...for me the ONLY way I have seen actual results in weight loss is really clamping down on my carb intake - and that includes natural carb sources like fruits and things like sweet potatoes...I switched my diet to clean eating slowly over a years time and then went to a Primal/Paleo slant - so even with eating clean I still wasn't loosing weight (and I had a bunch of blood tests to make sure there wasn't an underlying issue out of my control) - when I finally cut down on the carbs (to under 70/day) in addition to watching total calorie count (keeping to about 1300-1500/day) is when I actively saw weight loss. So I learned for me it really DOES matter what tyoe of foods I eat (I would surmise based on this I could eat non Primaly/Paleo and still loose weight as long as I keep my carbs down - but I have been eating clean for awhile now that I see no need to eat any other way)

    For the past few months I have taken a break from actively watching my carbs and my weight has stagnated - even though my overall diet (i.e. eating a whole clean lifestyle) and exercise has remained the same - the main difference has been simply carbs - summer = tons of fresh fruit = higher daily carbs
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