Carb/protein/fat ratios

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Liggy302
Liggy302 Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone.

I would like a little advice on what I should set my carb, protein and fat ratios/grams to?

I'm 26 years old, female, 5"3, not very active, 207lbs currently.

I want to lose around 1lb per week until I find a nice weight for me.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this but carbs are like my enemy! Not that they make me fat but they generally make me bloat, feel uncomfortable and lousy so I tend to stay away from them when possible, and when I say carbs I mean more a long the lines of breads, cakes, rice, pasta etc, not fruit etc.

When I lower my carbs I drop weight very quickly BUT I have zero energy and it really annoys me.

I suffer with anxiety (which I take meds for) but no other illnesses, no diabetes, to my knowledge. Recent bloods came back all clear.

I'd like a bit of advice as to what to set my goals at so that I can lower my carbs slightly but not too much to make me tired.

Is there anyone with similar stats to me that can give me any pointers?

Thanks in advance :)

Replies

  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    Based on your stats your calories should be 1852 with carbs 178, protein 145, fat 62. Try this and see if it works for you. If you need any assistance just message me. Best of luck!
  • JMC3Terp
    JMC3Terp Posts: 2,803 Member
    edited July 2015
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    What I do (And I'm sure some TDEE/IIFYM nut will show up saying I'm wrong for this) is 0.9g Protein for each lb lean body mass, 0.3g Fat for each lb of lean body mass, and the remainder in carbs. Some things I have read state that you can do 1g P per lb and 0.45g Fat per pound. So if your looking to lower carbs, maybe something like that.

    also, as far as lowering carbs. I cut out most bread and cakes and only eat rice and pasta on occasion because otherwise I do a carb overload. So maybe a change in diet is in order? Also, while carbs are the main source of energy for your body, Protein and Fat also provide your body energy. So when you lower carbs are you then increasing your proteins and fats to compensate?

    I am in no way an expert, so I would do some of your own research before blindly listening to me; but this has worked for me. 120 days on MFP, 56 lbs lost. Though I do have 160 lbs to lose, so that certainly has helped with my quick loss.
  • CorlissaEats
    CorlissaEats Posts: 493 Member
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    I think ratios are a matter of personal preference. I naturally eat at 40% carb, 20% protein, and 30% fat but I am gluten, dairy and egg free due to allergies. I would like to get my protein higher but its constant work to even hit 20%. Lowering your carbs is a good goal, but maybe you might find it easier to exchange your carbs as a stepping stone. I mean: Shift from a plate with 1 cup of rice or potatoes and only 1/4cup veggies to a plate that is 1 cup of steamed veggies and only a 1/4c starch. The volume doesn't change for your stomach and technically both have carbs. Reducing carbs for me really is about choosing more/larger servings of veggies, legumes, and nuts than it is about avoiding pasta, breads, rice completely.

    And I would say the rule of thumb is to make sure you get enough protein as it helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss. I know its high but I try to get 100g of protein a day (usually fail but it still helps me hit 20%). I never worry about fat unless I am eating too much fried foods. Healthy Fat is actually essential and also helps keep you full.
  • Liggy302
    Liggy302 Posts: 47 Member
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    JMC3Terp wrote: »
    What I do (And I'm sure some TDEE/IIFYM nut will show up saying I'm wrong for this) is 0.9g Protein for each lb lean body mass, 0.3g Fat for each lb of lean body mass, and the remainder in carbs. Some things I have read state that you can do 1g P per lb and 0.45g Fat per pound. So if your looking to lower carbs, maybe something like that.

    also, as far as lowering carbs. I cut out most bread and cakes and only eat rice and pasta on occasion because otherwise I do a carb overload. So maybe a change in diet is in order? Also, while carbs are the main source of energy for your body, Protein and Fat also provide your body energy. So when you lower carbs are you then increasing your proteins and fats to compensate?

    To be honest no, when I decide to "diet" (for lack of a better word), I tend to go hell for leather and eat a shed load of veggies, fruit, salad and not much else, although I do tend to throw a bit of chicken in the mix. In a sense it is also easy for me because I genuinely LOVE veggies so it is easy for me to have conflicting messages in my head. On one hand I can continue to live off salads because 1. I love them and 2. Because I lose weight easily that way but on the other hand I know that I need more proteins, fats and it leaves me exhausting and nearly falling asleep at work :neutral: I might have to just accept the fact that my weight loss will have to slow down for the sake of being awake! haha
  • Liggy302
    Liggy302 Posts: 47 Member
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    CorlissaEats wrote: »
    I think ratios are a matter of personal preference. I naturally eat at 40% carb, 20% protein, and 30% fat but I am gluten, dairy and egg free due to allergies. I would like to get my protein higher but its constant work to even hit 20%. Lowering your carbs is a good goal, but maybe you might find it easier to exchange your carbs as a stepping stone. I mean: Shift from a plate with 1 cup of rice or potatoes and only 1/4cup veggies to a plate that is 1 cup of steamed veggies and only a 1/4c starch. The volume doesn't change for your stomach and technically both have carbs. Reducing carbs for me really is about choosing more/larger servings of veggies, legumes, and nuts than it is about avoiding pasta, breads, rice completely.

    And I would say the rule of thumb is to make sure you get enough protein as it helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss. I know its high but I try to get 100g of protein a day (usually fail but it still helps me hit 20%). I never worry about fat unless I am eating too much fried foods. Healthy Fat is actually essential and also helps keep you full.

    Yeah, I think I'll start doing this with the switching thing. I know it's stupid but I'm just scared of not losing weight while I still involve starchy carbs in my diet, but I have to bite the bullet and find out! I feel it is going to take a long time for me to figure out a happy medium for me.
  • MathematicalOwl
    MathematicalOwl Posts: 10 Member
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    first of all, welcome!

    You might want to talk to your doctor about it, because we all need different amounts of nutrients to function. Dropping weight is good, but if you're going to be so tired, it'll be very hard to maintain and you'll probably gain it back very quickly (which is not fun). I'd suggest starting recording what you usually eat for a few days. If you have the mobile app, it'll show you what percentage of your calories was carbs, fat, and protein in a nice pie chart(i still havent figured out how to do this on the desktop website). See where you stand now.
    So then, I'd lower not necessarily the number of carbs, but rather the percentage of carbs. So say you find out that 60% of calories come from carbs. Then I'd aim for 55% the next week and see how I feel. If I still feel good, then the next week I'd aim for 50%.
    Now, personally, I aim for 50% carbs, 25% fat, and 25% protein. Once I get the hang of that, I'm going to go to 50% carbs, 20% fat, and 30% protein, but this is what my doctor and I decided on, so it'll be different for you. Maybe it'll make you feel too tired or just won't make you feel good. Your doctor might be able to tell you what to aim for because they know you better. I know a lot of people go with the 50/25/25 model, so maybe you can try that out for a while and see how you feel, but if you find yourself wicked tired or otherwise uncomfortable, don't be afraid to reach out to a professional.


    Good luck, Idk why this was so freaking long, I tend to ramble. :)
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited July 2015
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    The tiredness you're describing it what those who eat low carb on a regular basis know as the "carb flu". It's the in between state when a body is switching from using carbs for fuel to fat. It usually lasts about 4 to 5 days if one is consistently keeping carbs low. If you cycle from lower carb back to eating carbs and then back to low carb again, it'll linger rather than going away. So, you can do low carb without losing energy but you have to be consistent about it. Also, your body processes the carbs in fruit the same way it does the carbs in potatoes and such. If you were trying to eat low carb while also eating fruit, that's probably why you never got to the place where you felt better.

    As far as what percentages to go with now, it really depends on you. I do very well on a low carb diet because I'm better at saying "no" to carby junk food (my weakness) since I know it'll throw me back into the place where I feel sluggish again. Since I'm not looking to lose many pounds right now, simply staying under 100 grams of carbs each day is working for me. I have mine set to 30% carbs, 35% fat and 35% protein since I'm also lifting weights so need the extra protein. You could start somewhere around there and then tweak them to suit how you feel.

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