Low-carb and MFP protein and fat amounts

k8tmama
k8tmama Posts: 58
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
My doctor recommended that I try a low-carb approach to weight loss, and after a week I'm really glad to say it's working for me. But I am always somewhat over on fat and protein compared to the numbers MFP gives me as goals. I'm not that worried about it because I'm losing weight, but do any of you who have been doing low-carb for a while have any insights into what those numbers should look like? I'm not following a specific low-carb diet (Atkins, South Beach, etc.)--just a list of foods my doctor recommended which I am putting together into recipes, so I don't really know how many grams of each I should be shooting for.

Thanks!

Replies

  • jparrish88
    jparrish88 Posts: 6
    Well I'm doing a mix of things. I'm definitely lowering my calories, but I'm also shooting for the atkins 20g of carbs a day. It's working okay but I seem to be winding up around 40g of carbs here and there; still losing weight though. That being said it's only bad to go over on protein if your going over by way to much. Fitness articles say that you should be getting your goal weight in grams of protein. So ie. I want to be 180pounds so I should eat 180g. I haven't come nearly that close but that's what they say. Just don't go have more than .70 g per pound you weigh, especially if you don't workout. Too much protein can cause kidney stones but it's really if you are supplementing with protein by .90g per pound.

    As for fat I don't know the answer on that one. But if your getting your fats from meat you should be relatively fine.


    I found a couple articles too that back up what I said about protein.
    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/
    http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/protein_2.htm
  • curvykent
    curvykent Posts: 140 Member
    As long as you are eating whole foods you don't need to worry about fat. Fat from avocado, olive oil, and cheese is encouraged on a low carb diet. Your body needs more fat on a low carb diet because it uses fat for energy. Not that you should add extra fat to your meals but don't shy away from it. Fat also keeps you satiated. What I have learned in various educational books and diet books is that the recommended amount of protein for most adults is around 0.37 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Our FDA says we should have 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 15-20% protein. 50% carbs is somewhere between 200-300 mg. Low carb diets vary between 20 (Atkins induction phase) - 150 mg per day. I find that I can lose about 1.5 lb per week if I stick to under 50 mg. carbs per day. Everyone's bodies are different though. The way I structure my diet is eat protein mostly, then veggies, then fat (cheese, oil, butter). Good luck!
  • Pragmatica
    Pragmatica Posts: 43
    As long as you are eating whole foods you don't need to worry about fat. Fat from avocado, olive oil, and cheese is encouraged on a low carb diet. Your body needs more fat on a low carb diet because it uses fat for energy. Not that you should add extra fat to your meals but don't shy away from it. Fat also keeps you satiated. What I have learned in various educational books and diet books is that the recommended amount of protein for most adults is around 0.37 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. Our FDA says we should have 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 15-20% protein. 50% carbs is somewhere between 200-300 mg. Low carb diets vary between 20 (Atkins induction phase) - 150 mg per day. I find that I can lose about 1.5 lb per week if I stick to under 50 mg. carbs per day. Everyone's bodies are different though. The way I structure my diet is eat protein mostly, then veggies, then fat (cheese, oil, butter). Good luck!

    This is exactly right! You need to focus on getting high protein and high/moderate fat into your diet. I set my percentages on MFP to 10% carbs, 40% fat, 50% protein. It seems that I am always a little over on fat, but that is okay. Saturated fats are good for you, even though our own doctors and government tell us otherwise. Don't worry about it as much. You really will be hurting your progress if you try to do low carb with low fat!

    If you are looking for some recipe ideas, besides the list your doctor gave you, take a look at: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/index.html

    Also, in the beginning, I always tell people to forget about the calories for a while - just focus on getting past your carb cravings and getting used to eating low carb! Good luck!
  • k8tmama
    k8tmama Posts: 58
    Thanks for your input, guys. I'm two weeks in and have plateaued around a 9 pound loss, but I know I will just keep going and see results. I think I need to be drinking more water. I will check out the website. Thanks!
  • almostadj
    almostadj Posts: 1 Member
    could you let me know what your meal plan would be fro an average day or two so i can follow your %'s.
    i would love to lower my carbs that low but unsure of how to get my fats up taht high.
    thanks
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