which is more important?
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Adtirey
Posts: 9
The calculator I used started as expected: 25 carbs and 100 protein. But, it made my fat intake optional based in how fast I want to lose. However, if I eat less fat, it skews my macro ratios. Which is more important? Keeping fat and protein consistent regardless of my fat intake and letting my macros skew? Or eating even less carbs and protein in orDer to keep my macros ratioed properly?
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Replies
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A good place to start is about 5% carbs, 25% protein, 70% fat. Those are decent numbers to work with when you first get started. Make sure that first, your carbs macro is hit, then fill the rest in with fat and protein. If you're just starting, don't calorie count. Eat until you are satisfied. Your calories will come down naturally as you become keto-adapted.0
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I understand that much. What Im wondering is that the calculator I used said I could cut my fat intake based on my desired calorie intake. But if I cut my calories, 25 carbs becones a bigger %. I guess Im not understanding that sticking to 25 carbs at 5% means you can't negotiate calories without one of those changing.0
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Your body doesn't work on percentages. Ratios are typically useless, often they are worse than useless because they cause confusion like you're struggling with.
From what you have said, eat:
* less than 25g of carbs
* around 100g of protein (give or take... it doesn't have to be precise)
* fat til full
And forget all about the percentages.0 -
Your body doesn't work on percentages. Ratios are typically useless, often they are worse than useless because they cause confusion like you're struggling with.
From what you have said, eat:
* less than 25g of carbs
* around 100g of protein (give or take... it doesn't have to be precise)
* fat til full
And forget all about the percentages.
This!
It can be confusing especially since MyFitnessPal asks you to adjust ratios, but its really just the raw numbers that are all that matter.
My calories aren't always consistent every day. Usually they're between 1800-2200 (my goal is currently set to ~2050/day), but sometimes I have bad days and pig out (I've had the occasional outlier 3000+ calorie day usually due to dining out). No matter how much or little I eat, my carbs are *always* in line and under 25g/day. I don't care at all what % of my total calories come from carbs, all I care about is 25g or less.0 -
The calculator I used started as expected: 25 carbs and 100 protein. But, it made my fat intake optional based in how fast I want to lose. However, if I eat less fat, it skews my macro ratios. Which is more important? Keeping fat and protein consistent regardless of my fat intake and letting my macros skew? Or eating even less carbs and protein in orDer to keep my macros ratioed properly?
This is how it works:
1. Carbohydrate: You keep the amount low and fixed in order to stay in ketosis.
2. Protein: You calculate the optimum amount and keep it fixed.
3. Fat: This is the only major source of calories in your diet - you adjust it depending on your goals.
The important thing to realise is that if you eat the right amount of protein, it is not burned for energy by your body, but used to repair tissue. With carbs also low and fixed, that leaves fat as the energy source. The ratio between protein and fat is totally irrelevant. Sometimes you hear statements like "More than 25% protein in the diet is bad for the kidneys" - these are very misleading, because they assume a "eucaloric" diet, meaning one where you're in energy balance. If you cut calories for weight loss on a well formulated low carbohydrate diet, since protein and carbs are fixed, you only cut fat, and that means that carb and protein percentage numbers will go up.
:-)0
