Help! Re Carbs, Protein, Sodium and Sugar!

Options
Natasha7t2
Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
in Food and Nutrition
I am a little confused as I have had different advice for how many grams of carbs, protein, sodium and sugar I should be eating per day to lose weight sensibly and efficiently.

MFP has currently set my daily gram intake as:

Carbs / Day 165 g
Fat / Day 40 g
Protein / Day 45 g

Are these gram settings the best they could be, or could they be better?

Advice would be so welcome. I want to get this right. Also, advice would be welcome in grams!

Thanks so much :smile:

Replies

  • Ciarn
    Ciarn Posts: 92
    Options
    i would like to know too
  • Rompa_87
    Rompa_87 Posts: 291 Member
    Options
    Assuming you asked to keep your calories at 1200 which for some reason all females seem to want to do even though that's incredibly low... then mfp has allocated 15% of your diet to protein, 30% to fats and 60% to carbs. This is a pretty reasonable split and for an average healthy person is ideal
  • Rompa_87
    Rompa_87 Posts: 291 Member
    Options
    Assuming you asked to keep your calories at 1200 which for some reason all females seem to want to do even though that's incredibly low... then mfp has allocated 15% of your diet to protein, 30% to fats and 60% to carbs. This is a pretty reasonable split and for an average healthy person is ideal

    Sorry make that 55% carbs :P

    Good split IMO
  • Natasha7t2
    Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
    Options
    Assuming you asked to keep your calories at 1200 which for some reason all females seem to want to do even though that's incredibly low... then mfp has allocated 15% of your diet to protein, 30% to fats and 60% to carbs. This is a pretty reasonable split and for an average healthy person is ideal

    Hi,
    I'm with you on this as I also thought 1200 calories was too low! 1200 calories is what MFP has worked out. I will increase after 2 weeks.
    My understanding is that you should only do 1200 calories for maximum 2 weeks, then increase to 1500 calories or your body will think it's going into starvation mode.
  • alesimons
    alesimons Posts: 3
    Options
    Hey,

    I have the same values and I'm in a 1800 calories diet... I weight 110lbs
  • Natasha7t2
    Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
    Options
    Hey,

    I have the same values and I'm in a 1800 calories diet... I weight 110lbs

    Great. I will leave the settings as they are!
  • girlypop
    girlypop Posts: 80
    Options
    Well I don't know for sure but there are lots of different diets that suggest different amounts of each group. (low carb, low fat, high protein...) Ultimately though you need some of each. You can easily find different sources that will tell you different ratios based on your calorie needs, however you will lose weight if you eat less calories than you burn.

    What I do is try to make healthy choices based on my personal tastes. I love fruits and vegetables so I pile up. I also like breads, a lot. I try to eat whole grain... I don't really enjoy fats as much, so I tend to rarely eat cheese. I usually just have some low fat yogurt and skim milk. These are foods I enjoy. If you like cheese, you need to make room for it in your diet. But remember you are looking to eat healthier so keep in mind serving sizes; and maybe your cheese will go really nicely on a salad ;)

    Anywhoo as I said the ratios vary depending on who you ask so I wouldn't worry too much if you aren't meeting exactly those targets in your diary on this site.

    Of course that's more applicable to carbs, protein, and fats. The suggested amount of sodium and sugar is relevant to your health, because too much salt or sugar is bad for you.
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
    Options
    I am a little confused as I have had different advice for how many grams of carbs, protein, sodium and sugar I should be eating per day to lose weight sensibly and efficiently.

    MFP has currently set my daily gram intake as:

    Carbs / Day 165 g
    Fat / Day 40 g
    Protein / Day 45 g

    Are these gram settings the best they could be, or could they be better?

    Advice would be so welcome. I want to get this right. Also, advice would be welcome in grams!

    Thanks so much :smile:

    You can switch it up a little, considering you will comply to these percentages and types of foods you eat. If you look at my food diary, I try (try being the key word) to increase my carbs and reduce my fat percentages. I try to eat 10% or less of fat, 7-15% of protein and the rest in carbs.

    The carbs I do eat are starchy veggies, fruit, legumes. Whole wheat pasta is fine for me. I do not get my fat from meat, I get them from veggies, nuts (very few almonds or sunflower seeds or ground flaxseed), and grains (brown rice and oatmeal).

    I would like to have my protein be about 15% of my intake, no more and no less than 10%.

    No one in mfp will tell you that good carbs are bad, but carbs for some is bad, so take my story under advisement, if you decide to do what I do (vegan centered).

    I believe in the formula, if you want to weigh say 140 lbs, you multiply that number by 10 140 x 10 =1400 calories minimum a day.

    I don't have a problem with sodium because most of my food is from natural sources, if I eat a slice of bread, I'm not freaking out.
    Again, check my food diary and you will see I mark off sodium.

    Sugar, is tough for me. I don't mind fructose (sugar from fruit), glucose and sucrose. As long as I exercise, I am fine with my sugar levels. I avoid high fructose corn syrup because I found out that our brain doesn't register the sweetness from it as well it does the types of sugars mentioned above so why eat a sweetner which I will eat more of (eat more calories).

    I would add that my fiber intake is increasing and I find that I get full faster and keep the full feeling longer because of fiber. I believe whatever diet you follow, fiber is a great component to your health.
  • Natasha7t2
    Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
    Options
    Well I don't know for sure but there are lots of different diets that suggest different amounts of each group. (low carb, low fat, high protein...) Ultimately though you need some of each. You can easily find different sources that will tell you different ratios based on your calorie needs, however you will lose weight if you eat less calories than you burn.

    What I do is try to make healthy choices based on my personal tastes. I love fruits and vegetables so I pile up. I also like breads, a lot. I try to eat whole grain... I don't really enjoy fats as much, so I tend to rarely eat cheese. I usually just have some low fat yogurt and skim milk. These are foods I enjoy. If you like cheese, you need to make room for it in your diet. But remember you are looking to eat healthier so keep in mind serving sizes; and maybe your cheese will go really nicely on a salad ;)

    Anywhoo as I said the ratios vary depending on who you ask so I wouldn't worry too much if you aren't meeting exactly those targets in your diary on this site.

    Of course that's more applicable to carbs, protein, and fats. The suggested amount of sodium and sugar is relevant to your health, because too much salt or sugar is bad for you.

    Thanks Girlypop!
    I guess that the most important thing is not to go into the red with the calories. And to recognise good fats against bad fats etc. I'm not a fan of processed food so my salt intake is usually well into the green. I just have to be careful with carbs, but then again, salad has carbs! It's all about balance I guess and keeping food and produce as near to fresh as possible.
  • Natasha7t2
    Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
    Options
    I am a little confused as I have had different advice for how many grams of carbs, protein, sodium and sugar I should be eating per day to lose weight sensibly and efficiently.

    MFP has currently set my daily gram intake as:

    Carbs / Day 165 g
    Fat / Day 40 g
    Protein / Day 45 g

    Are these gram settings the best they could be, or could they be better?

    Advice would be so welcome. I want to get this right. Also, advice would be welcome in grams!

    Thanks so much :smile:

    You can switch it up a little, considering you will comply to these percentages and types of foods you eat. If you look at my food diary, I try (try being the key word) to increase my carbs and reduce my fat percentages. I try to eat 10% or less of fat, 7-15% of protein and the rest in carbs.

    The carbs I do eat are starchy veggies, fruit, legumes. Whole wheat pasta is fine for me. I do not get my fat from meat, I get them from veggies, nuts (very few almonds or sunflower seeds or ground flaxseed), and grains (brown rice and oatmeal).

    I would like to have my protein be about 15% of my intake, no more and no less than 10%.

    No one in mfp will tell you that good carbs are bad, but carbs for some is bad, so take my story under advisement, if you decide to do what I do (vegan centered).

    I believe in the formula, if you want to weigh say 140 lbs, you multiply that number by 10 140 x 10 =1400 calories minimum a day.

    I don't have a problem with sodium because most of my food is from natural sources, if I eat a slice of bread, I'm not freaking out.
    Again, check my food diary and you will see I mark off sodium.

    Sugar, is tough for me. I don't mind fructose (sugar from fruit), glucose and sucrose. As long as I exercise, I am fine with my sugar levels. I avoid high fructose corn syrup because I found out that our brain doesn't register the sweetness from it as well it does the types of sugars mentioned above so why eat a sweetner which I will eat more of (eat more calories).

    I would add that my fiber intake is increasing and I find that I get full faster and keep the full feeling longer because of fiber. I believe whatever diet you follow, fiber is a great component to your health.

    Thanks so much! You have definitely helped me here! I will check out your food diary. I think I'm panicking a bit because I'm on a newbie who has been on my since Monday so I want to get everything exactly right!
  • sonjalucia
    sonjalucia Posts: 120 Member
    Options
    There are a few different types of splits that you can try... and switching up every few weeks sounds like a good idea! ( I personally am going to try that!)

    Let me know if you need some ideas for meal plans, I've got plenty!
  • Natasha7t2
    Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
    Options
    There are a few different types of splits that you can try... and switching up every few weeks sounds like a good idea! ( I personally am going to try that!)

    Let me know if you need some ideas for meal plans, I've got plenty!

    Yes please! I would love some ideas for meal plans. Have friend requested you :)

Categories