Protein and strength training???

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bluiz13
bluiz13 Posts: 3,550 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
so i have started working with the trainers at my gym doing strength training......i have worked every part of my body over the last 8 days in 5 different workouts....i am also doing zig zag calories and i eat back my calories burned through workouts no matter how many they are...i am set for a 1lbs loss per week with MFP and i have set my daily calorie goal to the average of my zig zags for the 7 days so by the end of the week it should all even out....

well now with this new graph option on the iphone app i can actually see a pie chart of the distribution of protein/carbs/fat for the day and for the week....i dont really know how to play around with the custom goals settings to get the right distribution of protein, carbs and fat for what i am doing for workouts now....i am doing pretty "intense" training 3-4 days a week for 45-60 mins with 20-40 of cardio before and/or after....i also have 2 days of running added in there with 2 days of rest.....i wear a hrm for all workouts and average 400-1000 calories burned during workouts only depending on the activity and length of my workouts...

so my question is.....what percent of my day/week should be carbs, protein and fat??? i want to be getting the right amounts to help me restore after my workouts but i am not "giving up" carbs all together....i'm very much uneducated about the science of weight loss/fitness....i get the math part of calories in and calories out but i dont get the science of what you need to make your body work "right"....my brain is filled with too many things due to full time work, 2 kids and just life in general for an overly detailed answer so please make your responses simple for the non-fitness/science minded person :wink:

thanks in advance for any help i get....

ps my diary is open and i dont mind anyone peaking around....please note that i do have chinese take out every thursday and have since i started my journey and have lost almost 80lbs so please dont give me shiattttt about that....oh and i drink diet soda so dont bash me for that either LOL....

i want to know about protein, carbs, fats ratios....

Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Wow, I'm impressed at your diary that you track everything - you're obviously very dedicated and motivated :smile:

    For strength training and muscle building, the rough guide is 1g protein for each lb of lean body mass you're aiming for. i try to get 100g per day, but often don't reach that. That's OK, it's an aspirational goal!

    Carbs wise, I found early on that halving my "usual" intake got great results, so I currently try to stay under 100g (again, dont always make it, but I'm rarely over 150g)

    There is a bit of trial and error, and what works for me may not work for the nexy gal. But you can play around with the setting under your goals and try a few different percentage splits.

    You're doing great!
  • OneFitMom_
    OneFitMom_ Posts: 151 Member
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    bump
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    If you are doing a lot of strength training and want to maintain a balanced diet protein can be as high as 30%, any higher is a high protein diet, not a balanced diet. Carbs between 45-60% for a balanced diet and fat from 20-30%.

    To make changes go to goals, click change goals, select custom, make your changes then click save changes.
  • secostley
    secostley Posts: 409 Member
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    Definitely agree with the other posters: 1 gram per pound of lean body weight. I use my BMI number of 164 for the grams I take it. I haven't been doing it for the first part of my weight loss progress, but started incorporating it as I tranisitioned toward lifting heavier weights.

    God Bless!


    Shawn
  • Larius
    Larius Posts: 507 Member
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    If you are doing a lot of strength training and want to maintain a balanced diet protein can be as high as 30%, any higher is a high protein diet, not a balanced diet. Carbs between 45-60% for a balanced diet and fat from 20-30%.

    To make changes go to goals, click change goals, select custom, make your changes then click save changes.

    This is spot on.

    Check my sig for my ratios. I do things a little differently. My diary is open too.
  • MayhemModels
    MayhemModels Posts: 367 Member
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    If your a fan of Dr.Mercola like I am, as far as carbs go, he says the carbs from veggies are fine in most amounts. He says to watch your carb intake on grains and fruits as there one of the things that will keep the belly fat on.
  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,100 Member
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    I also try to get 1 gram of protein for every lb of lean body mass but for this carb loving mama- it's hard so I've opted to supplement with protein shakes and bars. Once I have my calories and protein % set, I adjust carbs and fat. When I'm set to maintenance (which I dropped to a lb loss a week this week b/c of my crappy week last week)... I usually run 45% carbs, 30% protein, and 25% fat on average some days and on others I run 50% carbs, 25% protein, 25% fat... just depending on what I have going on that day.

    I try to eat the most carbs in the morning after waking up (fasting overnight) and eat some carbs before working out. I incorporate protein in snacks and most meals (usually not breakfast b/c I am an oatmeal addict and that's what works for me), and immediately following (and sometimes during) my workout.

    Again... this is what works for me... I have gone down to as little as 40% carbs, 35% protein, 25% fat... but that just didn't jive with the way I like to eat or my overall goals.

    I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone else does it!
  • bluiz13
    bluiz13 Posts: 3,550 Member
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    Wow, I'm impressed at your diary that you track everything - you're obviously very dedicated and motivated :smile:

    For strength training and muscle building, the rough guide is 1g protein for each lb of lean body mass you're aiming for. i try to get 100g per day, but often don't reach that. That's OK, it's an aspirational goal!

    Carbs wise, I found early on that halving my "usual" intake got great results, so I currently try to stay under 100g (again, dont always make it, but I'm rarely over 150g)

    There is a bit of trial and error, and what works for me may not work for the nexy gal. But you can play around with the setting under your goals and try a few different percentage splits.

    You're doing great!

    how do you determine your lean body mass to get how many grams it should be???
  • bluiz13
    bluiz13 Posts: 3,550 Member
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    I also try to get 1 gram of protein for every lb of lean body mass but for this carb loving mama- it's hard so I've opted to supplement with protein shakes and bars. Once I have my calories and protein % set, I adjust carbs and fat. When I'm set to maintenance (which I dropped to a lb loss a week this week b/c of my crappy week last week)... I usually run 45% carbs, 30% protein, and 25% fat on average some days and on others I run 50% carbs, 25% protein, 25% fat... just depending on what I have going on that day.

    I try to eat the most carbs in the morning after waking up (fasting overnight) and eat some carbs before working out. I incorporate protein in snacks and most meals (usually not breakfast b/c I am an oatmeal addict and that's what works for me), and immediately following (and sometimes during) my workout.

    Again... this is what works for me... I have gone down to as little as 40% carbs but that just didn't jive with the way I like to eat.

    I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone else does it!

    what a dipshiat i am....i should have totally come to you nikki for this question lol.....u r my strength training mentor ;)
  • BabyDuchess
    BabyDuchess Posts: 353 Member
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    I have manually set my ratios at 50/25/25 carb/protein/fat......I aim for between 100-130 grams of protein daily and usually fall short on the fat, which I don't mind and my fat comes from good sources except on Chocolate Friday.......which is today....Yay! 45/30/25 is a good ratio too...I just find I can't eat more protein than I already do. I do eat most of my exercise calories back but I allow for miscalculations/errors. :flowerforyou:
  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,100 Member
    Options
    I also try to get 1 gram of protein for every lb of lean body mass but for this carb loving mama- it's hard so I've opted to supplement with protein shakes and bars. Once I have my calories and protein % set, I adjust carbs and fat. When I'm set to maintenance (which I dropped to a lb loss a week this week b/c of my crappy week last week)... I usually run 45% carbs, 30% protein, and 25% fat on average some days and on others I run 50% carbs, 25% protein, 25% fat... just depending on what I have going on that day.

    I try to eat the most carbs in the morning after waking up (fasting overnight) and eat some carbs before working out. I incorporate protein in snacks and most meals (usually not breakfast b/c I am an oatmeal addict and that's what works for me), and immediately following (and sometimes during) my workout.

    Again... this is what works for me... I have gone down to as little as 40% carbs but that just didn't jive with the way I like to eat.

    I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone else does it!

    what a dipshiat i am....i should have totally come to you nikki for this question lol.....u r my strength training mentor ;)

    Thanks girl but I am no expert by any means!!! A lot of what I do is trial and error and suggestions from other people on this board so this is a great place to come for advice (I come here a lot too! lol).
  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,100 Member
    Options
    I have manually set my ratios at 50/25/25 carb/protein/fat......I aim for between 100-130 grams of protein daily and usually fall short on the fat, which I don't mind and my fat comes from good sources except on Chocolate Friday.......which is today....Yay! 45/30/25 is a good ratio too...I just find I can't eat more protein than I already do. I do eat most of my exercise calories back but I allow for miscalculations/errors. :flowerforyou:

    TGICF! Thank Goodness It's Chocolate Friday!!! It's hard for me to get in protein too... give me a loaf of bread and a sack of potatoes and I'll be in heaven... protein sources... eh... not so much.... hence one of the reasons I blew up to begin with!!! lol
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
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    I think for most people who are trying to lose while exercising, ideal macronutrient ratio is 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
    People are different, I thought it was interesting, Jillian Michaels has this theory on "oxidizers" or whether you are slow, fast or balanced, and then the ratio changes. If you want to take the test, it's free:
    http://luckytastebuds.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/oxidizer-test-from-jillian-michaels/
    see if it makes sense to you. I don't think I was very consistent on the answers so I just went with the "balanced" ratio.
    But then this new thing I saw, http://www.t-nation.com/article/bodybuilding/sexy_female_training&cr
    is suggesting a "flip" diet, where you cycle 3 days at low-carb (10/30/60 carb/protein/fat) for four days when you are training, and then on the fourth day you break from training and flip to 60/30/10 carbs/protein/fat, but I find it pretty hard to stay at 10% carbs.
  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,100 Member
    Options
    I think for most people who are trying to lose while exercising, ideal macronutrient ratio is 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
    People are different, I thought it was interesting, Jillian Michaels has this theory on "oxidizers" or whether you are slow, fast or balanced, and then the ratio changes. If you want to take the test, it's free:
    http://luckytastebuds.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/oxidizer-test-from-jillian-michaels/
    see if it makes sense to you. I don't think I was very consistent on the answers so I just went with the "balanced" ratio.
    But then this new thing I saw, http://www.t-nation.com/article/bodybuilding/sexy_female_training&cr
    is suggesting a "flip" diet, where you cycle 3 days at low-carb (10/30/60 carb/protein/fat) for four days when you are training, and then on the fourth day you break from training and flip to 60/30/10 carbs/protein/fat, but I find it pretty hard to stay at 10% carbs.

    I am hard pressed to think of food I could eat with 10% carbs and 60% fat... maybe a stick of butter? lol That would be mega hard.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    Options
    Wow, I'm impressed at your diary that you track everything - you're obviously very dedicated and motivated :smile:

    For strength training and muscle building, the rough guide is 1g protein for each lb of lean body mass you're aiming for. i try to get 100g per day, but often don't reach that. That's OK, it's an aspirational goal!

    Carbs wise, I found early on that halving my "usual" intake got great results, so I currently try to stay under 100g (again, dont always make it, but I'm rarely over 150g)

    There is a bit of trial and error, and what works for me may not work for the nexy gal. But you can play around with the setting under your goals and try a few different percentage splits.

    You're doing great!

    how do you determine your lean body mass to get how many grams it should be???
    I think you have to know your body fat % to calculate lean body mass, which is what you would weigh if you had no fat on you. So say you are 200 pounds and 30% body fat, 60 pounds is fat, so the lean mass would be 140 pounds, so you would eat 140 grams of protein each day.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    Options
    I think for most people who are trying to lose while exercising, ideal macronutrient ratio is 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
    People are different, I thought it was interesting, Jillian Michaels has this theory on "oxidizers" or whether you are slow, fast or balanced, and then the ratio changes. If you want to take the test, it's free:
    http://luckytastebuds.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/oxidizer-test-from-jillian-michaels/
    see if it makes sense to you. I don't think I was very consistent on the answers so I just went with the "balanced" ratio.
    But then this new thing I saw, http://www.t-nation.com/article/bodybuilding/sexy_female_training&cr
    is suggesting a "flip" diet, where you cycle 3 days at low-carb (10/30/60 carb/protein/fat) for four days when you are training, and then on the fourth day you break from training and flip to 60/30/10 carbs/protein/fat, but I find it pretty hard to stay at 10% carbs.

    I am hard pressed to think of food I could eat with 10% carbs and 60% fat... maybe a stick of butter? lol That would be mega hard.
    I know, right?:wink:

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