Carbs V Protein V Fat???

starsarahs
starsarahs Posts: 10
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
Under the Goals tab you can customise the percentage of how many carbs, proteins and fat you can eat each day. I think the set targets are unrealistic so want to do my own – but what would you recommend? At the moment I have 40% carbs/30& protein/30% fat….

Thank you

Replies

  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    bump
  • GunnarGSD
    GunnarGSD Posts: 2 Member
    Here's a link that will help you with your carbs value: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/.

    Good luck,

    Dave
  • starsarahs
    starsarahs Posts: 10
    Thank you :smile:
  • tmaksparkie
    tmaksparkie Posts: 279
    I go with marks daily apple too, but yes their are those days I do go over but normally it is on days I exercise.
  • starsarahs
    starsarahs Posts: 10
    Here's a link that will help you with your carbs value: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/.

    Good luck,

    Dave

    So this has helped me work out the carbs - but what about protein/fat and sugars? Anyone else have any ideas?

    Thank you
  • MargieNgainesville
    MargieNgainesville Posts: 47
    There is no one right answer. It depends on your body. For me, the thing that works the best is low carbs (only complex ones and balanced with my fiber in an appx ratio of 1 gram of fiber for 2 grams of carbs or max 1f to 3c), high protein, moderate fat. My ratio varies between: 30 carb, 40 protein, 30 fat or 25 carb, 45 protein, 30 fat.

    That said, my friend is the just the opposite. His body demands much higher carbs... again, complex mainly veggies and fruits, with lower amounts of protein and about the same fat.

    There is lots of good info out there. If something sounds whacky, it probably is. Read up and listen to your body. God made our bodies and they desire to be healthy.

    Best Wishes
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
    40/30/30 is a pretty good balance. I think that is a good goal for anyone.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Under the Goals tab you can customise the percentage of how many carbs, proteins and fat you can eat each day. I think the set targets are unrealistic so want to do my own – but what would you recommend? At the moment I have 40% carbs/30& protein/30% fat….

    Thank you

    It's down to you really and what fits best for your day to day life and allows you to maintain your daily deficit without going nuts.

    I think the only thing an average dieter really needs to be concerned about is keeping protein levels at a reasonable level. I think 30% which is what you are doing is just about perfect. From a purely logistical point of view trying to consume more than that tends to be difficult.

    The % of carbs / fat you go for is up for grabs. I think if you are exercising frequently then you will end up consuming a higher % of carbs naturally as it is the easiest access of energy for you body over and above fat (ever noticed how recommendation of pre and post workout nutrition always centre around protein & carbs but not fat? There's a reason for that...)

    Good luck with whatever you choose. There's a lot of nonsense floating around by people who do not understand that correlation does not imply causality but I am sure it is well intentioned.
  • starsarahs
    starsarahs Posts: 10
    Thank you so much
  • Charli666
    Charli666 Posts: 407
    mine are set to 55 carbs, 30 protein and 15 fat, but i rarely eat simple carbs, its mostly fruit and veggies, i had to use trial and error for a while, but these seem to work for me.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    The Board of Nutrition of the Institute of Medicine recommends the following ranges to adequately provide for the needs of 98% of people:

    45-65% Carbohydrates
    10-35% Protein
    20-35% Fat
    <7% Saturated Fat (This is included in the 20-35% Total Fat)

    The actual percentages you chose depends on your specific needs (goals, workouts, etc.) and what your body likes to work with. The standard recommendation is to go higher carb in order to supply the proper fuel for strenuous workouts so that the protein consumed can all be used for muscle repair and growth. Going too low in carbs can cause the body to break down protein (IE: Muscle) to burn for fuel. The breakdown of protein is very rough on the body and can cause issues with the liver, kidneys, acidity in the blood and other body fluids, etc. If you start to smell ammonia when you sweat or have acetone breath, then you're too low in carbs for your workouts. If you are trying to build muscle and are having a hard time with it, then you are too low in carbs for your goals. In general, I recommend my clients start with 5-6 grams per kilogram of body weight of carbs per day. If they are working out intensely for at least an hour a day, then I recommend more like 8-10 grams per kilogram of body weight. Protein has to be sufficient to repair and rebuild muscle, too. The average person only needs 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, but someone who is training intensely needs more like 1.5 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. The easiest way to figure your needs is to get an estimate of the calories you need and then figure your carb and protein needs in grams. Multiply those grams by 4 and divide them by the total calories to get the percentages for you. The remainder of your calories should then come from fat, primarily unsaturated fats.

    Here's an example of how to do the math (with a simple calculation of calorie needs) if that helps.

    100 kilogram person (220 pounds), moderately active lifestyle + 1 hour per day of exercise including both weights and cardio that burns approximately 500 calories per day.

    1(calorie per kg) x 100 kg x 24 (hours per day) = 2400 calories
    2400 x 1.5 (activity factor) = 3600 calories
    3600 + 500 (exercise calories) = 4100 calories per day Total Daily Energy Expenditure
    4100 x 0.8 (should eat no less then 80% of TDEE) = 3280 minimum daily calories
    4100 - 500 = 3600 calories for standard recommendation of 1 pound per week loss

    100 kg x 5 g carbs = 500 g carbs
    500 g x 4 = 2000 calories from carbs
    2000 / 3600 = 0.55 or 55% from carbs

    100 kg x 2 g protein = 200 g protein
    200 g x 4 = 800 calories from protein
    800 / 3600 = 0.22 or 22% from protein

    55 + 22 = 77
    100 - 77 = 23 or 23% from fat

    3600 x 0.23 = 828 calories from fat
    828 / 9 (calories per gram for fat) = 92 grams of fat per day
  • dawnkitchen
    dawnkitchen Posts: 161
    bump
  • KeyMasterOfGozer
    KeyMasterOfGozer Posts: 229 Member
    2400 x 1.5 (activity factor) = 3600 calories

    ...

    100 kg x 5 g carbs = 500 g carbs

    ...

    100 kg x 2 g protein = 200 g protein
    So I have some questions about this. If I plug in my numbers, I get 83% Carb, 33% Protein, and -17% Fat, so something has got to be amiss.

    What is this "Activity Factor", and how is that number calculated?

    Where do you get the 5g per kg of Weight number for Carbs? 2g per kg for Protein?
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    2400 x 1.5 (activity factor) = 3600 calories

    ...

    100 kg x 5 g carbs = 500 g carbs

    ...

    100 kg x 2 g protein = 200 g protein
    So I have some questions about this. If I plug in my numbers, I get 83% Carb, 33% Protein, and -17% Fat, so something has got to be amiss.

    What is this "Activity Factor", and how is that number calculated?

    Where do you get the 5g per kg of Weight number for Carbs? 2g per kg for Protein?

    Okay, if you are getting more then 100% then you have to adjust your numbers to your goals. You're picking too much of something. PM me with your info (weight, activity level, workout, goals, etc.) and I'll be glad to give you an estimate of your needs.

    The Activity Factor is the amount of calories added for your activity level not counting exercise. It ranges from 1.2 for sedentary to 1.88 for extremely active. I picked a middle of the road moderately active person for my example, but it changes for each person based on your activity level. The 5g per kilo of carbs and the 2 g per kilo of protein are based on the fact that the OP was wanting to do a lower carb plan since the OP mentioned 40/30/30 so I went with the lower recommendation for carbs and the higher recommendation for protein based on that and the hypothetical workout of an hour a day of weights and cardio, but also mentioned the recommendations for most people in the body of my reply. Its actually a range of recommendations, not a specific recommendation because it depends on the response of the individual to the plan so there is room for tweaking. The actual numbers I use for figuring are from the classes I'm doing in college for my nutrition minor. Primarily, the sources I use for reference are "Nutrition for Health, Fitness, and Sport" by Melvin Williams and Nancy Clark's "Sports Nutrition Guidebook" as they are specific for athletes and those who are working out regularly.
  • KeyMasterOfGozer
    KeyMasterOfGozer Posts: 229 Member
    In fact, the more I look at these calculations, the more they don't make sense.

    1) In these calculations, Protein is calculated only on Body Weight, and has no connection to Physical Activity. This doesn't seem right, as you even say up in your write up above that intense training requires more protein.

    2) In the calculations, more activity calls for less Carbs percentage wise. This also doesn't seem right. In the calulations, as you decrease the "Activity Factor" Carbs shoot up. Using your example 100kg, when you reach 1.17, you then have 0% Fat and 71% Carbs. 71% is above the safe limits you list above, and seems like a recipe for Diabetes, especially if your activity is low.

    It seems to me that, IF you are highly active, you should require more Protein. Also, it would seem to me that you should use a lower percentage of Carbs if your activity is lower. Your carbs should never be 0%, but neither should your Fat. Your brain needs both Carbs and Fats to function.
  • KeyMasterOfGozer
    KeyMasterOfGozer Posts: 229 Member
    The Activity Factor is the amount of calories added for your activity level not counting exercise. It ranges from 1.2 for sedentary to 1.88 for extremely active.
    Ok, I see, well those limits at least make the calculation not break.
    The 5g per kilo of carbs and the 2 g per kilo of protein are based on the fact that the OP was wanting to do a lower carb plan since the OP mentioned 40/30/30 so I went with the lower recommendation for carbs and the higher recommendation for protein based on that and the hypothetical workout of an hour a day of weights and cardio, but also mentioned the recommendations for most people in the body of my reply. Its actually a range of recommendations, not a specific recommendation because it depends on the response of the individual to the plan so there is room for tweaking. The actual numbers I use for figuring are from the classes I'm doing in college for my nutrition minor. Primarily, the sources I use for reference are "Nutrition for Health, Fitness, and Sport" by Melvin Williams and Nancy Clark's "Sports Nutrition Guidebook" as they are specific for athletes and those who are working out regularly.
    ok, cool, so what are the ranges for those protein and carb ratios if you don't mind me asking (5g/kg Carb, 2g/kgProt)?
  • KeyMasterOfGozer
    KeyMasterOfGozer Posts: 229 Member
    @TrainingWithTony
    I'm sorry, I am not meaning to attack you, I'm just trying to get my calculations right, and you seem like a good source for info, so I'm aggressively milking you. Also, I'm a skeptical person, so please don't take it personally, it's just my crabby personality.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    In fact, the more I look at these calculations, the more they don't make sense.

    1) In these calculations, Protein is calculated only on Body Weight, and has no connection to Physical Activity. This doesn't seem right, as you even say up in your write up above that intense training requires more protein.

    2) In the calculations, more activity calls for less Carbs percentage wise. This also doesn't seem right. In the calulations, as you decrease the "Activity Factor" Carbs shoot up. Using your example 100kg, when you reach 1.17, you then have 0% Fat and 71% Carbs. 71% is above the safe limits you list above, and seems like a recipe for Diabetes, especially if your activity is low.

    It seems to me that, IF you are highly active, you should require more Protein. Also, it would seem to me that you should use a lower percentage of Carbs if your activity is lower. Your carbs should never be 0%, but neither should your Fat. Your brain needs both Carbs and Fats to function.

    1--The protein is based on the activity--1 hour a day of weight training and cardio. When doing weight training, you need more protein to repair and rebuild the muscle. The range of protein per kilogram is 0.8 grams to 2.0 grams. The more intense the cardio or with more weight training, you should go for the higher end of the protein range. Plus the OP was looking at a higher protein plan with the 40/30/30, so I went with the max for the estimation. If it is only light weight training and low intensity cardio, even for an hour of training a day, then the protein requirement should come down to 0.8 or 1 gram per kilogram of body weight because more isn't necessary for muscle repair and growth.

    2--The activity that is used to determine carb needs is the exercise activity, not the daily activity not counting exercise which is the activity factor for the calorie needs estimate, at least for most people. Someone who is extremely active would burn more carbs then someone who is sedentary and may need to adjust their carbs up, but that is usually only athletes or trainers who are working out (or teaching exercise in the case of the trainers) for several hours a day. The range of carbs is anywhere from 2 to 10 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. 2-4 grams being the standard recommendation for sedentary individuals and 5-6 for recreational exercisers and 8-10 for runners, athletes, etc. So, I used the 5 grams per kilogram for recreational exercisers and the lower end because the OP was looking at a low carb plan with the 40/30/30. As for the percentages, they actually change based on the amount of calories you choose based on weight loss goals. If you're at the low end of the gram per kilogram ranges and still going too high in percentage (over 100% from carbs and protein), then you are setting your calories too low for what your body can safely lose more then likely. The fact that the percentage is over the 45-65% range for carbs isn't necessarily a big deal if you are able to get in the ranges for protein and fat and you are getting all the nutrients needed for your exercise level. I'm actually one of those people who does better on a 70% carb plan with only 10-15% protein but I'm also on my feet most of the day teaching fitness classes and demonstrating exercises for clients. As for the risk of diabetes, high intake of carbs isn't a risk factor unless you have problems with your insulin production or insulin receptors. Being overweight is actually a bigger risk for diabetes then a high carb diet because the added body fat effects the hormone production and reception ability.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    @TrainingWithTony
    I'm sorry, I am not meaning to attack you, I'm just trying to get my calculations right, and you seem like a good source for info, so I'm aggressively milking you. Also, I'm a skeptical person, so please don't take it personally, it's just my crabby personality.

    No problem. I'd much rather someone ask questions and try to understand it all then to just blindly follow the media promoted diet of the week. Like I said, if you want to post me your info, I'll be glad to do the estimates for you and then explain why I choose the numbers I do for the various formulas.
  • LaJauna
    LaJauna Posts: 336 Member
    There is no one right answer. It depends on your body. For me, the thing that works the best is low carbs (only complex ones and balanced with my fiber in an appx ratio of 1 gram of fiber for 2 grams of carbs or max 1f to 3c), high protein, moderate fat. My ratio varies between: 30 carb, 40 protein, 30 fat or 25 carb, 45 protein, 30 fat.

    That said, my friend is the just the opposite. His body demands much higher carbs... again, complex mainly veggies and fruits, with lower amounts of protein and about the same fat.

    There is lots of good info out there. If something sounds whacky, it probably is. Read up and listen to your body. God made our bodies and they desire to be healthy.

    Best Wishes

    I am a low carber as well. I really consider myself a High FAtter! My ratios are 70%healthy fats, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates. I feel like a million bucks and my labs reflect it! I love being able to eat fat with my meals. It helps me feel full and satisfied.
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