Correct ratios for carbs, fats, and protein?

lkeiser22

Hey everyone!

So lately I've been doing pretty well keeping to my calorie limit for the day as well as exercising. I'm looking to refine my diet to be as healthy as possible.

What are the right amounts of carbs, fats, and protein to aim for in a day to maintain weight loss?

Thanks!

Acg67

Hey everyone!

So lately I've been doing pretty well keeping to my calorie limit for the day as well as exercising. I'm looking to refine my diet to be as healthy as possible.

What are the right amounts of carbs, fats, and protein to aim for in a day to maintain weight loss?

Thanks!

There is no "right" amount, all you need is a caloric deficit. With that begin said I'd still try to focus on getting adequate amounts of proteins and fats everyday

dvdadie

i am shooting for 60% carbs, 15% fats, and 25% proteins.

Rocbola

Uh oh, here comes a crazy thread. There are a lot of different opinions on that subject.

Personally, i go way higher on the carbohydrates than on anything else. Fat very low.

AntWrig

Uh oh, here comes a crazy thread. There are a lot of different opinions on that subject.

Personally, i go way higher on the carbohydrates than on anything else. Fat very low.

Agreed on the carbs comment. I tend to keep fats around .35g/lb protein at 1g-1.25g, fill the rest with carbs! Doesn't matter if I am bulking or cutting.

neanderthin

Hey everyone!

So lately I've been doing pretty well keeping to my calorie limit for the day as well as exercising. I'm looking to refine my diet to be as healthy as possible.

What are the right amounts of carbs, fats, and protein to aim for in a day to maintain weight loss?

Thanks!

There is no "right" amount, all you need is a caloric deficit. With that begin said I'd still try to focus on getting adequate amounts of proteins and fats everyday

Agreed.

Protein is important when trying to lose weight. Here's just one of the hundreds of studies that support it.


Hypocaloric high-protein diet improves glucose oxidation and spares lean body mass: comparison to hypocaloric high-carbohydrate diet.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7990700

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of two hypocaloric (800-kcal) diets on body weight reduction and composition, insulin sensitivity, and proteolysis in 25 normal glucose-tolerant obese women. The two diets had the following composition: 45% protein, 35% carbohydrate (CHO), and 20% fat (HP diet, 10 subjects), and 60% CHO, 20% protein, and 20% fat (HC diet, 15 subjects); both lasted 21 days. A euglycemic hyperinsulinemic (25 mU/kg/h) clamp lasting 150 minutes combined with indirect calorimetry was performed before and after the diet. Both diets induced a similar decrease in body weight and fat mass (FM), whereas fat-free mass (FFM) decreased only after the HC diet. 3-Methylhistidine (3-CH3-HIS) excretion was reduced by 48% after the HP diet and remained unchanged after the HC diet (P < .05). A significant correlation was found between the changes in FFM and in 3-CH3-HIS excretion after the diet (rs = .50, P < .02). Blood glucose remained unchanged, while insulin decreased in both diets. Free fatty acids (FFA) significantly increased only after the HC diet (P < .05). During the clamp period, glucose disposal and glucose oxidation significantly increased after the HP diet and significantly decreased after the HC diet. Opposite results were found when measuring lipid oxidation. In conclusion, our experience suggests that (1) a hypocaloric diet providing a high percentage of natural protein can improve insulin sensitivity; and (2) conversely, a hypocaloric high-polysaccharide-CHO diet decreases insulin sensitivity and is unable to spare muscle tissue.

atjays

Hey everyone!

So lately I've been doing pretty well keeping to my calorie limit for the day as well as exercising. I'm looking to refine my diet to be as healthy as possible.

What are the right amounts of carbs, fats, and protein to aim for in a day to maintain weight loss?

Thanks!

There is no "right" amount, all you need is a caloric deficit. With that begin said I'd still try to focus on getting adequate amounts of proteins and fats everyday

This is spot on. Everyone is different and respond differently to different nutrient levels. As a reference, my current "macros" as we call them are 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fats . Of various combinations I've messed around with, I've liked this one the most in terms of how I feel throughout my day and the results I get from my workouts. This is strictly me though and I'd highly encourage you and anyone else to adjust their numbers from week to week and see what they like best.

alaskaang

Well I'm definitely on the other end of the spectrum. When trying to lose I aim for .8 to 1g of protein per lb of LBM, carbs under 100g, and fat wherever it ends up. When just maintaining carbs will be higher, but almost never over 200g.

wswilliams67

Your ratios will vary depending on your activities and goals. Mine are currently set for 30% C, 40% P, 30% F.

tnloser1970

What are the right amounts of carbs, fats, and protein to aim for in a day to maintain weight loss?
Thanks!

I am not sure there is a right answer. Everyone thinks differently. I personally eat a very small amount of carbs making my carbs around 10% or less of my calories. However, the reason for that is because if I eat the recommended carbs I can't lose weight. I am not sure what it is. But, I have to eat a lower carb diet because of my biological makeup of my body. So, I say try to find what works for you. If you want a starting point, go to http://www.choosemyplate.gov/supertracker-tools/supertracker.html and do a profile. It will tell you how many items from each food group you should be eating. It doesnt give percentages. But, you can play with it and find out what the percentages they are using for you are.

tnloser1970

I did find this:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends a daily macronutrient ratio of 10 percent to 35 percent protein, 20 percent to 35 percent fat and 45 percent to 65 percent carbohydrates

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/300129-the-best-ratio-of-carbs-protein-fat/#ixzz2EzqOJEy2

CassieReannan

My ratio is 50% carb 30% fat 20% protein.

ronaldjp13

There is no cookie cutter ratio. I don't recommend going below 50g of fat a day. Fat helps to keep hormones balanced. Between .8g and .65g of protein per pound of bodyweight is great. And fill the rest in with carbohydrates. Make sure you are getting around 1g of fiber per 100 calories consumed a day.

The word "healthy" is very misleading. It says that one food is healthier for certain reasons, but this isn't the case. For the most part a carb is a carb. There is no significant difference between sugar and oatmeal, although I don't recommend getting all or most of your carbs from sugars. What entails a healthy food would be if it is rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, but if you are taking a multi-vitamin, chances are, you are getting plenty of vitamins and minerals. Fish oils are great, and try to get plenty of poly and monounsaturated fats.

Dave198lbs

i am shooting for 60% carbs, 15% fats, and 25% proteins.

this wouldnt be good for me when I want to lose weight. If I was in a deficit, I would lose but I need more protein than this to maintain my LBM and I like more fats than 15%

there is no perfect ratio but for weight loss and maintaining your lean body mass, but I would shoot for 40 pro/ 30/fat/ 30 carb

AntWrig

i am shooting for 60% carbs, 15% fats, and 25% proteins.

this wouldnt be good for me when I want to lose weight. If I was in a deficit, I would lose but I need more protein than this to maintain my LBM and I like more fats than 15%

there is no perfect ratio but for weight loss and maintaining your lean body mass, but I would shoot for 40 pro/ 30/fat/ 30 carb

I personally don't like %'s. 20% from 1500 is much different than from 2000. Always go by grams per lb or lean body mass.