I visited a nutritionist and...

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kwenners
kwenners Posts: 9 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi MFPers. A while back I visited a nutritionist and she told me that they don't use calories as part of their guidelines, but use total fat and grams of carbs per day to build plans (they use the diabetic exchange system). For a women, we should have no more than 50g of fat per day. For carbs, she gave me two options: 45-60g per 3 meals a day, for a total of 135-180g. Or, if you are one that has a harder time losing weight, you can use 30-45g per 3 meals a day, for a total of 90-135g per day. I love the idea of following carbs and fat rather than calories - I typically tend to stay on track better. So, with that being said, I think I'm going to go back to following these guidelines and see what kind of success I have. Anybody else out there doing the same? What have your results been vs. just following a calorie goal? Also, I always welcome new friends!!

Kelly

Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Did she say why this plan didn't provide a protein goal? Or can you eat all the protein you want, as long as you stay within the fat and carb goals?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    It's very close to the numbers I'm getting with MFP, to be honest. I have a bit more fat now that I use TDEE -20% but carbs are the same. So yes I would expect the same kind of results.
  • 6spdeg
    6spdeg Posts: 394 Member
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    well how about protein.. it is all relative anyways really with the x amount of grams of fat carb or protein.. but definitely what works for you is best!!!

    I always just referred to it as working with macronutrients vs calories. tomato tomato
  • amycook54
    amycook54 Posts: 4
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    I've heard of doing a 40/30/30 meal plan. Meaning that each of your meals would consist of 40% carbs (not bread carbs, but fruit/veggie carbs for the most part), 30% protein and 30% healthy fat. So per meal 40% of your calories would come from carbs, 30% protein and 30% healthy fat. I've been implementing it for a while and it works GREAT and I feel even better. So yeah, I don't stress as much about calories when following that type of meal plan.
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    I have my percentages set to 40/30/30 for Carbs/Protein/Fat. After reading this post, I went and looked at the goal numbers and they are right there in that range you just posted (127g/96g/42g), so I'm feeling pretty good about. :)
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    I keep an eye on calories, but I'm mostly trying to maximize protein and minimize packaged foods. I find that these two things together help keep me satisfied and not thinking about calories and food so much. I don't worry about carbs at all, and I know that by minimizing packaged foods, the fat I get is good fat. I've only been focusing on this since Saturday ( before that I was maintaining since March) and I've already had great results this week, paired with good workouts of course.

    If counting carbs and fat works for you, go for it! Neither are the devil though. You need carbs for energy and fat for satiety, among other things.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    If it's easier for you, then it's a good method. It's less than I would eat, but will still probably work out roughly the same as doing an even macro split, depending on your size/fitness/age - 50g fat = 450 calories, ~120g carbs = 480 calories... eat about 120 g protein for another 480 calories and you get a total of roughly 1400 calories. Although if you're eating a lot less protein than that, it's going to work out to be a pretty tiny diet.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Since fat and carbs are what most people "binge" on, I can see the effectiveness in this plan. It is fundamentally flawed, but I can see how it could work, especially if your goal is simple scale weight loss.
  • martybartram
    martybartram Posts: 12 Member
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    This is similar to the plan my nutritionist developed for me. We use calories along with nutrition guidelines. It seems while she is not giving you a caloric goal, by default she is by giving you grams of carbs and fat.
    My plan is:
    1800-2000 calories per day. 45% carbs (200-225g) 20% protein (90-100g)
    Breakfast 400 calories
    Snack 200 Calories
    Lunch 500-600 calories
    Snack 200 Calories
    Dinner 400 Calories

    20-30g protein per meal
    At least 60g carbs at lunch

    This works great for me as most often dinner falls around 7-9pm. I start work at 6:30am finish at 3, coach for couple of hours, hit the fitness center, and head home. Inches have been steadily falling on the floor (and I am not picking them back up) and I have plenty of energy.
  • BobOki
    BobOki Posts: 245 Member
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    No ONE plan works for everyone. i ask how many times nutritionists have been proven wrong on something.

    REAL advice. Use what works for YOU, it really is that simple.
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
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    It's even better to count macros than just empty calories in my opinion. This method is good cos that way you can follow all your macros and get way more balanced and healthy diet. Because if you do so you can not over eat on calories anyways, if your carbs and fat are limited, cos each of them have a certain amount of calories (1 gram fat = 9 calories, 1 gram carbs = 4 calories, etc.). So you actually DO count your calories, only not directly (You are eating 1170 calories in total, plus the amount of calories for protein, if you ate any. If you don't that is kinda too low in my opinion, but I guess your nutritionist took that into account by knowing that you will ate protein, I hope.). And you will have hard time overeating on protein even if you do not count it cos usually it fulls you up quite a bit and has rather low calories and highest thermic effect .

    That being said, if you do not count protein there is a possibility to overeat, if you ate A LOT of it, but in that case you should be binge eating all day every day, pretty much.
  • rachseby
    rachseby Posts: 285 Member
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    well how about protein.. it is all relative anyways really with the x amount of grams of fat carb or protein.. but definitely what works for you is best!!!

    I always just referred to it as working with macronutrients vs calories. tomato tomato
    Love your picture!
  • amy0975
    amy0975 Posts: 22 Member
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    I visited my doctor Monday 6/24 to ask about my diet and some other things. I suffer from insulin resistance so carbs and sugar are my worst enemies. My doctor told me to concentrate on high protien and low calories. So far it's working great.

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