Does 40% carbs 40% protein 20% fat sound ok?

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sugarbugger
sugarbugger Posts: 45
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I've heard people say MFP is low on protein, and I find every day that I go over on protein unless I do lots of exercise to make up for it. Does it sound ok if I change it to 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat? I naturally don't eat huge amounts of carbs anyway so I never fill up that quota. Thanks!

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  • StrawberrySprinkles
    StrawberrySprinkles Posts: 90
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    I did a little research on my own for this....Daily recommended level of carbs is between 45 - 65 percent of your daily intake.

    I had experimented by lowing my carb levels to about 40% over two weeks ago and definitely noticed that they weren't there, so I upped mine to 50% as I was having difficulties reaching the protein aspect of it and needed the extra energy.

    So....you just need to find what works for you. If 40% carbs doesn't make you feel too lethargic and unpeppy, go for it. :) However, if you notice that you're getting headaches (like I was) and running low, try increasing them again and see how you feel.

    For having 50% carbs, I've not noticed a difference in my weight loss. It's actually increased since then and I'm not really doing anything different than I was.
  • maemiller
    maemiller Posts: 439 Member
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    My trainer/dietitian told me that I needed to eat 130-140 grams of protien due to the amount of exercise I do(im training for a marathon), so im at 35%carbs/40%protien/25%fats and it works for me. A lot of diets emphasize higher protien because they make you fuller longer. Im not sure about your carb % since i dont know what your exercise schedule is like so i cant say if its too high or no
  • polarduke
    polarduke Posts: 23 Member
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    20% fat is too low. The low-fat hypothysis is now proven wrong, but the USDA dietary guidelines have not adjusted yet.
    Try about 10% Carbs, 50% Protien, and 40% Fat (no trans-fat or man-made polyunsaturated, like vegatable oils).
    Red meat is fine, but it really must be grass-fed, totally different nutritional profile.
    All the fat and protien will keep you very full, and with only about 40 grams of Carbs on a 1500 calorie day (for instance), your blood sugar will level out after a few days, and you will lose your craving for sugar. With your insulin levels lower due to proper sugar (read: sugar AND startchy carbs) intake, you body will be able to actually use the fat (read: stored energy).

    Just get past those first few days and overcome your carb (sugar) addiction and you will feel a great surge of energy!
  • sugarbugger
    sugarbugger Posts: 45
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    maemiller I'm just starting out so I just mainly walk, sometimes I do simple exercise videos like leslie sansone, dancing, etc and I do a bit of strength training on my arms, so I don't need a hugely protein filled diet, but I do find protein helps to stop sugar cravings, I'm on a no sugar diet as I was an addict.

    Strawberry fizz, thanks I just looked back over my food diary for the last couple of weeks, it's a bit all over the place but I generally seem to have about 160-220 grams of carbs on a normal day so maybe 50% would be more realistic.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    This is where the USDA is just dumb. Trying to tell us that there's a one-size-fits-all ratio of carbs/fat/protein that will work for every single person is kind of ridiculous, if you think about it. Look at how diverse human beings are! You think a 4'10" Asian woman will need the same nutrients as a 6'7" African man? Yeah, right.

    So you just need to experiment to see what works for you. Everyone's metabolism is different. People can tell you what worked for them, but that may or may not work for you. Personally, my doctor did some tests and found that my body does not process insulin very efficiently, so he has me on a ratio of 5% carbs, 30% fat, 65% protein. And since I started that, I've been shocked at how my energy levels have gone up, my depression and mood swings are gone, and I've lost 30 lbs in four months. When you find the right mix for you, you'll know.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    40/40/20 is the approach programs like p90x take, but I would only suggest it for 30-45 days. After that, you should bump your carbs up by 5% (while decreasing proteins) and repeat at 30-45 days. This is especially true if you are actively working out. Your body will need the carbs for energy so you don't end up eating the energy from your muscles.
  • StrawberrySprinkles
    StrawberrySprinkles Posts: 90
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    Strawberry fizz, thanks I just looked back over my food diary for the last couple of weeks, it's a bit all over the place but I generally seem to have about 160-220 grams of carbs on a normal day so maybe 50% would be more realistic.

    What I've learned so far is that you have to find something that you can live with even at the risk of a slower weight loss. The more you exercise (in moderation) and eat right, the faster the weight loss will catch up with you. :) As someone else pointed out on another forum post, this isn't a punishment. This should be an enjoyable process as you watch your body change before your eyes. :)

    I, for one, have found it a quite liberating process watching how the changes affect my body and how it makes me feel. Your eating and exercise strategy needs to suit you and your personality. What works for one, doesn't work for another.

    When I plan meals, I try to hit each of the food groups so that it is balanced out. I may not hit every target for the day, but I try to get as close as I can.
  • polarduke
    polarduke Posts: 23 Member
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    40/40/20 is the approach programs like p90x take, but I would only suggest it for 30-45 days. After that, you should bump your carbs up by 5% (while decreasing proteins) and repeat at 30-45 days. This is especially true if you are actively working out. Your body will need the carbs for energy so you don't end up eating the energy from your muscles.

    Sorry - this is an incorrect statement. Lowering carb intake will cause the energy to come from stored fat - which is stored energy. The only way a low carb diet would take away from muscles is if you run out of body fat! In which case you are at your goal weight and need to start increasing carbs.
    Carbs are used for energy yes, but the same can be said of protien and fat when carbs are lowered - the body will simply change them into glucose, the way it was designed to.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
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    40/40/20 is the approach programs like p90x take, but I would only suggest it for 30-45 days. After that, you should bump your carbs up by 5% (while decreasing proteins) and repeat at 30-45 days. This is especially true if you are actively working out. Your body will need the carbs for energy so you don't end up eating the energy from your muscles.

    Sorry - this is an incorrect statement. Lowering carb intake will cause the energy to come from stored fat - which is stored energy. The only way a low carb diet would take away from muscles is if you run out of body fat! In which case you are at your goal weight and need to start increasing carbs.
    Carbs are used for energy yes, but the same can be said of protien and fat when carbs are lowered - the body will simply change them into glucose, the way it was designed to.

    OK, you're both sort of correct... the chemical reaction that changes fatty acids into energy also requires amino acids, which the body gets from protein.
    Yes, if you don't eat a lot of carbs, your body will get its energy from burning your fat. Which is a good thing.
    But in order to burn fat, your body requires protein. So if you're not also eating plenty of protein, your body will harvest that protein from your muscles. Which is bad.

    If you find yourself getting tired halfway through a workout, try eating more carbs beforehand. Otherwise, make sure & have plenty of protein. That way you can sustain that fat-burning reaction without losing muscle.
  • ColoradoRobin
    ColoradoRobin Posts: 510 Member
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    Everyone does respond differently, depending on your particular physiology. I do well on low carb, but find a balanced macronutrient ratio easier to follow. Adherence is the biggest problem for most diets. The more extreme the diet, the harder it is to follow faithfully.

    So number one is choose something you can live with.
    Two, eat a variety of healthy foods.
    Three, adjust your protein, fat, and carbs until it works well.

    Fat should be about 30% because your body obtains essential nutrients and vitamins from it, but you can try going down to 20% if that works for you. I would not recommend going lower. Eating fat doesn't make you fat, unless you eat too many calories overall.

    Protein should be 30% or more. Protein helps spare muscle while dieting, keeps you full longer, and takes more energy to digest than carbs, so it is effectively fewer calories per gram. Give yourself a few days to adjust if you switch suddenly from a high carb to a low carb diet.

    Carbs should mostly consist of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. I subtract the grams of fiber from my total grams of carbs for the day. Fiber isn't digested, so it doesn't count as part of my carb allowance.

    Good luck!
  • nvaldez28
    nvaldez28 Posts: 2
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    How is anyone able to follow the 40/40/20? I ate 2 egg whites and a cup of cofee and my carbs are already 50%. Most veggies and frutis have carbs soooo Im very confused... Any suggestions?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    You could do that but I think that is low on fat, maybe try 40/35/25.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    How is anyone able to follow the 40/40/20? I ate 2 egg whites and a cup of cofee and my carbs are already 50%. Most veggies and frutis have carbs soooo Im very confused... Any suggestions?

    Don't add sugar to coffee. That is the only thing you mentioned that had sugar/carbs, coffee and egg whites don't have carbs. But to keep carbs lower, eat less bread products and keep fruit to 1-2 servings and focus more on veggies. Again I will say that 20% fat is quite low, unless you are eating 2500-3000 cals/day. I would suggest if you have a hard time at 40% carbs to change your ratios to 45/30/25, c/p/f
  • paleojoe
    paleojoe Posts: 442 Member
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    My method is to first set the protein requirement. 1 gram per pound of lean body mass is enough for most people. From there I factor how hard my workout is going to be. If it is glycogen demanding my post workout meals will he heavier on the carbs... if my workout is not glycogen demanding my post workout meals will go heavier on the fats.

    I am 5'10" and weigh about 174lbs at 10% bodyfat (about 158 lbs or so) so it looks something like this...
    I round my numbers to make life easier...

    For my calories
    174 x 10 x 1.55(activity factor) = 2695 - 195 (deficit) = 2500 ( I am at a slight deficit to drop a bit more fat)

    Workout days...
    2500
    0640 calories protein @ 160 grams
    1860
    1250 calories carbs @ 315 grams
    0610 calories fat @ 68 grams

    Non workout days...
    2500
    0640 calories protein @ 160 grams
    1860
    1250 calories fat @ 135 grams
    0610 calories carbs @ 150 grams

    I think all the math is right ;)
  • Captivesmiles
    Captivesmiles Posts: 1
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    Hey!

    I've been able to do it pretty easily. I set up the "recommended plan" on here (myfitnessplan) then went back and changed my goal to fit my 40/40/20 wants. I simply track my meal plan for the day and see where I am at. If i am low in places I eat what will replenish that area (you can always google whatever food that is health and high in that area you're lacking). There are a lot of meal plans out there to help you with this too, beachbody has meal ideas, you can search 40/40/20 diet and even Dr. Oz has some recipe helpers. Basically I eat 5 meals a day around 250-400 calories (depending on a rest/workout days).

    Hope this helps a little and GOOD LUCK:)
  • elsdonward
    elsdonward Posts: 81 Member
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    sorry - I just find it amazing how many experts there are but how none of them agree. It is not just what you eat but what it can do to you.

    If you are talking meat / fish- you have cholestrol, additives and extra hormones and antibiotics to worry about

    If you are talking dairy you may have bovine viruses / antibiotics to cope with.

    Sugars - well white is out so that leaves natural sugars and those found in fruits.


    Rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruits are best. Elephants eat carbs - there are no fat ones. Chinese eat rice - only get fat when eating the Western diet

    I find a good mix of protein and fat (lean source) and complex carbs is best for me in weight loss. Definitely do not overload on protein - no more than 40 grammes per day at the most.

    It is the starchy vegetables that will give you the energy.
  • susieoj
    susieoj Posts: 181
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    I eat carbs after my workout, not necessarily before. If you're eating carbs before your workout, your body is probably not burning stored fat for energy during your workout.... Also, we should define what type of workout you're doing, I mean there's a big difference between going to the gym and hopping on the elliptical and going out and running a half marathon.
    Also, this is highly dependent upon your overall intake of carbohydrates, if you're eating 40% carbs already then you're not burning fat for energy anyway.

    "Carbohydrates boost insulin levels. When you eat carbohydrates--which are broken down into sugars--your pancreas produces insulin, one of the body’s primary storage hormones. You are supposed to eat a combination of protein and carbohydrates after exercising. The extra insulin actually helps your body to more efficiently utilize the amino acids from the protein, so you rebuild and repair your muscles more quickly."
    - This is a brief explanation of why to put those carbs after the workout, not before.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Hi, I've heard people say MFP is low on protein, and I find every day that I go over on protein unless I do lots of exercise to make up for it. Does it sound ok if I change it to 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat? I naturally don't eat huge amounts of carbs anyway so I never fill up that quota. Thanks!

    It is quite simple - and you can workout what you need to do based on what you enjoy eating.

    First off - Eat a calorie deficit - not too much though.

    Second - eat enough protein so your body doesn't strip your lean mass for amino acids when your liver produces glycogen. Recommendation for an active person is between 0.7 - 1g of protein per lb of lean mass. If you're less active you probably won't need that amount.

    Third - makes sure your diet includes all of your macro and micro nutrients.

    Outside of that the choice is yours. If you are a fan of carbs and really can't live without them, have a higher carb ratio and whatever percentage is left make it up through your fat.

    If like to said you do not eat that many carbs then set a low carb - high fat ratio .

    It is all personal choice. You will get a load of different answers on these forums because everyone will give you - their belief of what a diet should be (something that works for them) and the truth is they are all correct - if it's working for them then it works.

    As long as you are in a deficit and getting enough protein - outside of that do what works best for you - there is no right answer.

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