Is 30/40/30 okay?
lizkharvey
Posts: 65 Member
I have my macros set to 30g of carbs, 40g of protein, and 30g of fat a day. My goal is to lose weight. I don't always hit my protein goal a day, and I'm usually only a little over in carbs because I drink an energy drink once a day.
I know that's awful but I keep it in my calorie range! Haha. One bad habit I haven't been able to break.
But, is this a good way to set up my macros for weight loss?
I know that's awful but I keep it in my calorie range! Haha. One bad habit I haven't been able to break.
But, is this a good way to set up my macros for weight loss?
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Replies
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It's worked for me. Bread is evil.0
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As long as you are eating in a deficit and within a healthy range of your goal calories, it really doesn't matter how your macros are set up. If you go over in one and under in another, it's ok. There is nothing awful about including something you love in your food choices. Make changes you can sustain forever. If energy drinks are your forever, then make room for them.0
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Macros aren't directly related to weight loss - only a calorie deficit is. However, eating the macros that keep you fullest are indeed helpful for achieving that calorie deficit.
MyFitnessPal’s current default goals distribute calories as follows: 50% from carbohydrates, 20% from protein and 30% from fat. I do better on 40:30:30.0 -
sunnyside1213 wrote: »It's worked for me. Bread is evil.
Yes! I LOVE bread so much but my diet is gluten free
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debrakgoogins wrote: »As long as you are eating in a deficit and within a healthy range of your goal calories, it really doesn't matter how your macros are set up. If you go over in one and under in another, it's ok. There is nothing awful about including something you love in your food choices. Make changes you can sustain forever. If energy drinks are your forever, then make room for them.
That was a very encouraging and positive thing to say. Thank you. 0 -
Not sure what your stats are but a good guideline is .38 to.42 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight (as a minimum) and .8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (as a minimum). Then the rest goes to carbs.
This is for healthy skin, hair, joints and hormones (from the fat) and muscle retention (protein) and won't affect overall weight loss (that's determined by calories).0 -
Carlos_421 wrote: »Not sure what your stats are but a good guideline is .38 to.42 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight (as a minimum) and .8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (as a minimum). Then the rest goes to carbs.
This is for healthy skin, hair, joints and hormones (from the fat) and muscle retention (protein) and won't affect overall weight loss (that's determined by calories).
By that I need to increase my fat by like 10 g at the very least and take it from my carbs and add a few to protein. Would be tough for me, hard to find low carb foods I think. I don't think I do well with high fat, but not entirely sure0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Macros aren't directly related to weight loss - only a calorie deficit is. However, eating the macros that keep you fullest are indeed helpful for achieving that calorie deficit.
I agree with this, but the specific macros may matter less than the food choices. If I ate 50% carbs and got those carbs mainly from pastries (along with all the fat I'd get) and sweetened coffee (which I don't actually like) or juice, I'd be hungry. If I got those same 50% from potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasta, legumes, fruit, vegetables, oatmeal, plus (why not!) some ice cream or chocolate in moderate amounts, and ate most of them as part of a balanced meal with protein and fiber, I would not be hungry. In fact, raise it to 60%+, and I suspect I also would not be hungry, so long as I continued getting adequate protein too and choosing those sorts of sources.
To OP, sure, those macros can work, but you may not have any reason to go that high on protein if it's a struggle. The usual recommendation is that protein can be beneficial in maintaining muscle while on a deficit (along with working out) up to about .65-.85 g per lb of healthy body weight (or to make it easy, .8 g per lb of goal weight).0 -
lizkharvey wrote: »I have my macros set to 30g of carbs, 40g of protein, and 30g of fat a day. My goal is to lose weight. I don't always hit my protein goal a day, and I'm usually only a little over in carbs because I drink an energy drink once a day.
I know that's awful but I keep it in my calorie range! Haha. One bad habit I haven't been able to break.
But, is this a good way to set up my macros for weight loss?
To be clear - you may have your macros set with a 30/40/30 PERCENTAGE/RATIO - but that isn't the number of grams. 30g of carbs + 40g of protein + 30g of fat would be only 550 total calories per day.0 -
lizkharvey wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Not sure what your stats are but a good guideline is .38 to.42 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight (as a minimum) and .8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (as a minimum). Then the rest goes to carbs.
This is for healthy skin, hair, joints and hormones (from the fat) and muscle retention (protein) and won't affect overall weight loss (that's determined by calories).
By that I need to increase my fat by like 10 g at the very least and take it from my carbs and add a few to protein. Would be tough for me, hard to find low carb foods I think. I don't think I do well with high fat, but not entirely sure
When thinking about increasing your fats, don't think literal fat. You can increase your fats by eating avocado, nut butters, eating a handful of almonds, drizzling some olive oil on a salad, using full fat butter in recipes, etc. Adding beneficial fats might also keep you full longer. Also, someone below mentions that 30/40/30 is the percentage, not the grams. I'm sorry I didn't catch that before but yes...you are aiming for that percentage of each. Look at the grams goal at the bottom of your diary to know how many grams of each your goal is for.0 -
My bad, you guys are right. I knew it was percents I wasn't thinking.
I did end up changing it to 35/35/30 though since I rarely hit my protein and seem to go over in carbs a bit0 -
I think there's a pretty broad range of healthy ratios. What's important is getting all your micronutrients and enough energy.
There's a pretty good reference over at Coach Calorie: "What is the Best Macronutrient Ratio for Weight Loss?"
For me, 50/20/30 comes out to my normal diet without having to eat things I don't want (like protein shakes, ugh). That's within the range of healthy. If you're eating 35/35/30 you're also in the range of healthy. Most people advocating high protein are one of two types (1) low-carb dieters, (2) bodybuilders.
Your total calorie intake determines your weight loss. The macro goals are merely loose guidelines to keep you from falling into nutritional deficiencies (unless you're one of the two types above).0 -
I think you mean 30% carbs, 40% protein, and 30% fat. 30% carbs is OK Protein should be 25% instead of 40%, and Healthy Fats should be 45%. 30/25/45 Keep total carbs under 100 grams/day.0
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lemurcat12 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Macros aren't directly related to weight loss - only a calorie deficit is. However, eating the macros that keep you fullest are indeed helpful for achieving that calorie deficit.
I agree with this, but the specific macros may matter less than the food choices. If I ate 50% carbs and got those carbs mainly from pastries (along with all the fat I'd get) and sweetened coffee (which I don't actually like) or juice, I'd be hungry. If I got those same 50% from potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasta, legumes, fruit, vegetables, oatmeal, plus (why not!) some ice cream or chocolate in moderate amounts, and ate most of them as part of a balanced meal with protein and fiber, I would not be hungry. In fact, raise it to 60%+, and I suspect I also would not be hungry, so long as I continued getting adequate protein too and choosing those sorts of sources.
To OP, sure, those macros can work, but you may not have any reason to go that high on protein if it's a struggle. The usual recommendation is that protein can be beneficial in maintaining muscle while on a deficit (along with working out) up to about .65-.85 g per lb of healthy body weight (or to make it easy, .8 g per lb of goal weight).
I thought it was 0.8 g protein / 1 kg bodyweight. This is a quite dramatic difference. This seems to be one of those cases where units have been lost in translation.Need for Protein
A study by William M. Rand, Peter L. Pellett and Vernon R. Young, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests that healthy adults require between 0.65 g and 0.83 g of protein for every 2.2 lb of body weight. Athletes and people involved in resistance training require between 1.2 g and 2.2 g of protein per 2.2 lb of body weight, as suggested in a study by Jacob Wilson and Gabriel J. Wilson in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
-- "How Many Calories are in One Gram of Protein"
Here are some helpful references:
Macronutrient Ratios in a Diet (Livestrong)
Rand, William M., Peter L. Pellett, and Vernon R. Young. "Meta-analysis of nitrogen balance studies for estimating protein requirements in healthy adults." The American journal of clinical nutrition 77.1 (2003): 109-127.
Wilson, Jacob, and Gabriel J. Wilson. "Contemporary issues in protein requirements and consumption for resistance trained athletes." J Int Soc Sports Nutr 3.1 (2006): 7-27.
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I don't know if the OP or anyone really cares, but I love numbers and the conversation got me wondering what protein values people are recommended to eat.
I've used the recommendations from the above references in g/kg to create a table comparing the range of protein for both dieters & athletes. I calculated the needs for people of weights from 100 - 225 lbs in 25 lb increments
As protein has a standard 4 cal / g, this results in the following ranges of protein needed by body mass for both dieters and athletes.
Anything falling in these ranges should be "healthy", leaving individuals a great deal of latitude in determining their personal optimal intake.
So that got me wondering what the % protein would look like for dieters of various weights. Using a reference woman of average American height (5 feet 4") who is moderately active, I calculated the recommended caloric intake (assuming a 500 calorie deficit) (column 2) and the recommended protein as a % of total calories for a standard dieter (3-5) and an athlete (7-8)
I noticed that the number of calories recommended was not linear with mass! The less a person weighed, the more calories they could consume relative to their weight.
At first this struck me as very odd, but then I recalled that our bodies spend an enormous amount of energy maintaining our organs.. our brain alone accounts for 20% of our caloric consumption, and the brain of a person at 225 is not going to be different than that of the same person at 125 (you do NOT lose fat in your brain, thank goodness!).
Your fat tissue takes far less energy to maintain, so that you need to consume fewer calories relative to your body weight to maintain a higher weight, even though obviously you need more calories overall. I just thought that was interesting.
*** CAVEAT
The circumstances under which an athlete/bodybuilder under severe training would attempt to lose 1 lb/week as in the tables above are pretty limited. However, there are plenty of people on these forums who have had much success with weight loss in conjunction with strength training; my numbers here would be valid for those individuals assuming they were following a directed dieting course. As the caloric goals of an athlete in maintenance would be considerably higher, their protein consumption as a percent of calories consumed would be lower than above.
Athlete, 5'4", in maintenance
This lowering of protein as a % of body weight is due to the fact that the dietary guidelines give protein needs as a fraction of overall body mass, and caloric needs are not linear with body mass. Therefore the recommended protein consumption is not linear either (which would result in a constant % protein regardless of body mass).
**CAVEAT 2
I do not believe these dietary recommendations were made for the special circumstance of ketogenic/low-carb dieters. So if you're following a low-carb diet, please feel free to simply ignore everything above. According to the papers referenced, these numbers would correspond to optimal protein balance for dieters and athletes following a standard mode of metabolism.
SYNOPSIS:
1. The more you weigh, the more protein you need.
2. Athletes need more protein than dieters.
3. Raising your calories at a set weight (i.e. maintenance eating vs dieting) will drop the % of calories necessary from protein.
4. None of my calculations address people who are trying to gain body mass.
5. These numbers do not apply to people on ketogenic/ low-carb diets.
6. I really like math.
I really hope I found all the spreadsheet formula errors... Proofreading ftw.0 -
I've always been successful with a diet in that range. Keeping carbs low and protein high preserves your muscle during weight loss and gives a more toned look. For weight loss, calories in vs calories out is most important but for fat loss with minimal muscle loss, your macros of 30/40/30 look great!0
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muscleandbeard wrote: »I've always been successful with a diet in that range. Keeping carbs low and protein high preserves your muscle during weight loss and gives a more toned look. For weight loss, calories in vs calories out is most important but for fat loss with minimal muscle loss, your macros of 30/40/30 look great!
Thank you!! 0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Macros aren't directly related to weight loss - only a calorie deficit is. However, eating the macros that keep you fullest are indeed helpful for achieving that calorie deficit.
I agree with this, but the specific macros may matter less than the food choices. If I ate 50% carbs and got those carbs mainly from pastries (along with all the fat I'd get) and sweetened coffee (which I don't actually like) or juice, I'd be hungry. If I got those same 50% from potatoes, sweet potatoes, pasta, legumes, fruit, vegetables, oatmeal, plus (why not!) some ice cream or chocolate in moderate amounts, and ate most of them as part of a balanced meal with protein and fiber, I would not be hungry. In fact, raise it to 60%+, and I suspect I also would not be hungry, so long as I continued getting adequate protein too and choosing those sorts of sources.
To OP, sure, those macros can work, but you may not have any reason to go that high on protein if it's a struggle. The usual recommendation is that protein can be beneficial in maintaining muscle while on a deficit (along with working out) up to about .65-.85 g per lb of healthy body weight (or to make it easy, .8 g per lb of goal weight).
Yes, good point - my vegan friends, who eat much more legumes, etc., than I do, do just fine on much higher carbs than I do.0 -
@tomteboda thank you for playing with numbers.
As a slightly older and shorter woman your 100 lbs numbers were right on. It was interesting to read that I got relatively more cals now than I did when I was heavier. And it really explains why it took so long to go from 130-105 eating 1200 sedentary plus exercise.
@lizkharvey if your macro split works for you keep at it. If analysing your MFP data, you find your satiety and energy levels would be better on a different split, change it.
Personally I like 40% carb, 30% protein, 30% fat.
That keeps me sated, while giving me the fuel to lift and retain muscle.
Cheers, h.0
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