Help regarding reaching a nutritional equilibrium

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sethkey
sethkey Posts: 10
in Food and Nutrition
Hey how is it going?

My question today is finding a way to reach a perfect balance between my daily needs of Calories, Carbs, Fats, and Proteins. The main issue really is reaching my goal for Calories, without exceeding my daily intake of carbs.

First of all, which of these two situations would be better for me? This is for a weight-loss goal by the way.
1) meeting my daily carbs, fats, and proteins, but being a few hundred (300ish) short on calories a day
or
2) meeting my daily calories, fats, and proteins a day, but significantly surpassing my daily intake of carbs

I suspect neither of them are great scenarios and that I should balance my diet so that all of my nutritional goals are met, however it just hasn't worked out that way for the past week. I added some higher calorie, low carb foods to my diet today, but it just didn't add up right.

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it.

Replies

  • thealbinofox
    thealbinofox Posts: 7 Member
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    This may be different for other people. But for me with my weightloss goals it has been more beneficial for me to make sure that my carbs aren't too high. When my carbs are in check it is easier for me to loose weight. I seem to plateau if I eat too many carbs. As a side note my intake of carbs from fruit or oatmeal don't seem to set me back as much as the ones from breads/pastries.

    I would probably vote for #1 and try to add some nuts to your diet. I like almonds and walnuts, they are low in carbs and high in protein, and calories.
  • sethkey
    sethkey Posts: 10
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    Thanks for the quick reply, and I assume you are probably right. I read online about other people stressing the same idea about carbs quickly increasing their weight. Right now I eat a lot of bread in order to get my calories and carbs in, but it ends up leaving me with not much left on my plate by the end of the night when I really struggle to catch up with my calories. Do you have any recommendations for reaching my calorie goals without bloating up on carbs?

    EDIT: Sorry I didn't see that you recommended food. I ended up getting some all natural peanut butter to try to help out with my calories and healthy fats, but I don't think it by itself will get the job done.

    EDIT 2: Also would anyone recommend NOT getting the majority of my daily carbs from bread like I do? Would Oatmeal be just as bad, or is it not really an issue at all? The reason why I bring this up is because I get a good amount of my calories a day from bread, yet I'm still behind. I don't know if I can afford to cut it out of my diet.
  • thealbinofox
    thealbinofox Posts: 7 Member
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    A few other foods to try, I love peanut butter and honey, but have found that the bread is really bad. So I have substituted Celery for my bread and use 2 servings of peanut butter. That ups the calories to 360 + 20 or so for the celery. Not a bad calorie boost for lunch or a between lunch and dinner snack. Oatmeal in the morning can add up quickly if you like it. I like to also use 5 whole wheat Ritz crackers and a full serving of fat free cottage cheese. That ratio allows you to load up your crackers and it seems like you are eating more. Good Luck!
  • sethkey
    sethkey Posts: 10
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    Alright thanks for the reply, you always seem to answer my questions before I even ask them. I really like that celery idea, and I think I might check it out. Tonight I went out of my way to eat 4 tablespoons of Peanut butter just to get the calories in, but I can't help but to feel like it's a bad idea to eat so much peanut butter when I'm on a weight loss diet. But hey I'm still under my daily intakes for the day. And yes I am a huge oatmeal fan, and I usually have a cup of it for breakfast, again it just doesn't seem to go as far as bread on the calorie scale.
  • stronglikebull
    stronglikebull Posts: 402
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    if you're using the mfp recommended ratios for macronutrients and still going over on carbs, you're eating way too many. i'd recommend starting with a 40/30/30 ratio of carbs/fat/protein (you can edit the ratios in the goals section of your profile.). the fat and protein will help sate without freaking your body out like carbs can. the more complex your carbs are, the better. oats are a wonderful choice. as is produce and legumes.

    ideally you should be close to your goal and your ratio numbers at the same time. i'd focus on restructuring your intake percentages and see how you feel from there. good luck!

    also, if you open your diary to all mfp users we can give you more specific advice :)
  • sethkey
    sethkey Posts: 10
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    Hey I really appreciate the post, and I think I'll take your advice about the Oatmeal. I think I'll try to limit my diet to one slice of bread a day, and get the rest of my carbs through fruits and oatmeal.

    Oh and I changed my Diary settings, everyone can see it now.
  • DBabbit
    DBabbit Posts: 173 Member
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    I upped my intake level of protein to keep the carbs down. I limit bread to low calorie versions, and always eat as close to whole grain as I can find. Proteins fill you up, and fiber takes it out of your system. This sites lists the carbs in vegetables. http://www.lasting-weight-loss.com/low-carb-vegetables.html. Serving sizes are listed by the gram if you're into measuring your food. They also have a section on the carbs in fruit. I have trouble meeting my calories without going over on sugar, sodium, and fat, and find it a bit frustrating.

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