Question, people's fat/carb/protein ratios

david1956
david1956 Posts: 190 Member
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I'm curious what ratios people have determined for themselves, if they exercise fairly intensely (I do a very intense weights workout, cardio intervals, boxing and do some form of them basically every day).

Here's the strange thing, the reason for my question. I have never in my life had a clue what calories I eat or the make-up of them. I made a switch to a healthy (kind of what in my mind was intuitively healthy) diet when I hit the gym, especially a couple of months back when I went onto a much more intense weights program. So on Friday I loaded a day's typical diet into a spreadsheet (very accurately) and weird.. by a fluke I have been maintaining a slight calorie deficit if I factored in exercise. I'm kind of gobsmacked that I'd fluked that knowing nothing whatsoever about calories or even thinking about it.

I'm really pleased the way things are going ... did measurements at the gym yesterday and since my newer weights program 9 weeks ago I've lost 4.4 kg, and my chest and waist (the only obvious places I carry some fat) are both 2" less, even though my chest is definitely building muscle. I'm now 79.1 kg which I think is not a real long way from an ideal, a bit tricky to know as BMIs are definitely wrong for my build. And I am simultaneously building a lot more strength, harder muscle.

So in about 14 months I've gone from 91.5 to 79.1 kg, but the hard yards have been in last 2 months (from 83.5 to 79.1)

Anyway... that spreadsheet showed a fat:carb:protein ratio of about 25:45:30. I'd had in my mind a bit higher protein and a bit less fat but I am thinking, "How much do I want to fix what is working?" By the way, the saturated fat is fine,low.

So .. wheew, sorry that was long-winded, curious what other people, with a reasonably intensive exercise life, use as their ratio, if in that "smaller pounds, fat burning phase while maintaining or increasing strength at same time".

Replies

  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    45/30/25 (carbs, protein, fat) is what seems to work best for me. :smile: Occasionally I get into 40/30/30 territory but generally stay around 45/30/25.
  • absie107
    absie107 Posts: 290
    Nutrition scientists have done studies showing that the ratio doesn't really matter too much. Be careful with that - because the government told people to lay off the fat and thus butter, they invented margarine, which is worse due to hydrogenated oil. People can survive on all manner of diets and breakdowns of macronutrients. The important thing is the quality of what you're eating and how you consume it.
  • SylvieJacques
    SylvieJacques Posts: 113 Member
    I like to keep my fat low and the protein high. So I'm probably around 40% carbs, 35% protein, 10-15% fat

    But it's a matter of trying what works best for you.
  • glfprncs2
    glfprncs2 Posts: 625 Member
    I find that 40% carbs, 35% proteins and 25% fats is a good breakdown for me. If I try to up the protein more and lower the carbs, I find have horrible cravings and tend to bonk in workouts from time to time.
  • selbyhutch
    selbyhutch Posts: 531 Member
    I'm 40/30/30... & it's working good for me so far. I try to cut out sugar as much as possible too... it seems to really play a factor in my weight loss more than anything else.
  • lmr9
    lmr9 Posts: 628 Member
    Right now I'm at 50 carb / 20 protein / 30 fat -- but I'm considering changing. MFP is the first time in my life that I've tracked what I eat in this much detail. I tweaked the ratio a bit from what MFP originally recommended - I lowered the carbs a bit, but didn't want to mess with it too much because I didn't really know what I should be eating.

    At 50 carb / 20 protein / 30 fat I've found that I never do eat that much fat and when I go over on a category, it's on protein. So I'm thinking about tweaking that a bit more.

    I need a dietitian. :smile:
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
    http://caloriecount.about.com/metabolic-types-eating-ft93247

    This quiz said I should be at 40/30/30. It's working for me.
  • lilmissy2
    lilmissy2 Posts: 595 Member
    Good work with what you are doing :flowerforyou:

    Research has shown that in exercising subjects who consumed at least their base requirements of protein, there was no change in muscle mass associated with those consuming more protein but rather with those consuming more calories.

    Definitely agree to take a hint from the fact that it is working instead of trying to adhere to popular belief.
  • lmr9
    lmr9 Posts: 628 Member
    http://caloriecount.about.com/metabolic-types-eating-ft93247

    This quiz said I should be at 40/30/30. It's working for me.

    Thank you for sharing that link! :flowerforyou: Very interesting. I took the quiz and it says I am a "Balanced Oxidizer" - and suggested the 40 carb / 30 protein / 30 fat ratio. I think I'm gonig to give that a go and see how it does for me.

    Happy 4th! :flowerforyou:
  • lyndsloo
    lyndsloo Posts: 242
    I have mine set at 40 protein, 35 carbs, 25 fat. This helps me eat more protein filled meals (I tend not to), and keeps me from inhaling carbs all day long. It has been working!
  • anu_6986
    anu_6986 Posts: 702 Member
    I am fairly new to this eating right thing, and am just following the ratio set by MFP for me. After reading this post, it got me thinking as to check what I am myself doing. Could some one take a look and tell me how to calculate the ratio of foods.

    Total cals: 1250
    Carbs: 172
    Fat: 42
    Protein: 47
    Chol: 300
  • david1956
    david1956 Posts: 190 Member
    I am fairly new to this eating right thing, and am just following the ratio set by MFP for me. After reading this post, it got me thinking as to check what I am myself doing. Could some one take a look and tell me how to calculate the ratio of foods.

    Total cals: 1250
    Carbs: 172
    Fat: 42
    Protein: 47
    Chol: 300

    That is a 55:30:15 ratio of carbs:fat:protein

    If you multipy the fat grams by 9, the carbs and protein by 4,
    then take each of those calories (688 : 378 : 188) as a percentage of their total you'll get the ratio.
  • lmr9
    lmr9 Posts: 628 Member
    I am fairly new to this eating right thing, and am just following the ratio set by MFP for me. After reading this post, it got me thinking as to check what I am myself doing. Could some one take a look and tell me how to calculate the ratio of foods.

    Total cals: 1250
    Carbs: 172
    Fat: 42
    Protein: 47
    Chol: 300

    Go in to your MFP "goals" section. Go through the steps as though you were going to change your goals - do the custom goals, not the guided. (I think it is: Goals / Change Goals / Custom / Contiue.) Then don't actually change anything, but from there you can see the percentages for each area.
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    I am the oddball out here, but my ratios are as follows:

    65%/10%/25% fat:carb:protein

    For maintaining my weight, I find I can do: 40%/20%/40%
  • Happyoceangirl
    Happyoceangirl Posts: 1,993 Member
    Bumping for the link
This discussion has been closed.