How to decide daily nutrient percentage?

rebloonin
rebloonin Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition

Hi! Other than 1 gram of protein per pound of goal weight, and a standard 25g of fiber, how should one determine the goal percentage for carbs and fats?

Replies

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 15,817 Member

    From a purely biological perspective, the body can survive with zero carbs. Due to its use in hormone control, you do need at least a bare minimum of fat each day.

    What this means for you is there is no one right answer for how much/little of carbs and fat. Some people feel more energized and able to move around if they include higher carbs; others feel more satisfied with less hunger pangs if they include more fat.

    Only you can decide where on the spectrum you fall. I recommend giving yourself a week for doing higher carbs/lower fat, taking notes how you feel during the day, level of hunger, any grouchiness or mood swings, etc. Then a week of the reverse, with lower carbs and higher fat, again taking notes. Now you can make a call of where you want to be: higher one or the other, or a balance.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 38,362 Community Helper

    I agree with @nossmf above, in general.

    If you want a rough rule of thumb for fat goal, a common one to consider is something in the range of 0.3-0.45g daily per pound. Women may need a bit more than men, hormonally.

    Note that fat intake can affect digestive throughput. Because of that, high fiber + low fat may not be the best combination.

    Many people get enough fat without paying it much attention. I don't.

    Just in case: Note, also, that alcohol has calories, about 7 per gram, but isn't a carb, fat or protein. Basically, it's a poison. Sometimes I drink some anyway. 😉

  • sarataylor3216
    sarataylor3216 Posts: 5 Member

    It depends on your activity level and how your body feels best — after setting protein and fiber, you can adjust carbs and fats based on energy, performance, and satiety.

  • justgirl81
    justgirl81 Posts: 831 Member
    edited November 8

    There are so many different opinions, most with data from medical and science published studies to back them.

    One general consensus among them tends to be: eat only unprocessed food for optimum health. For that reason, I play within the broad guidelines of Paleo eating. Lots of diet options can fit under the Paleo umbrella; paleo can be vegan, keto, atkins, vegetarian, etc.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 38,362 Community Helper
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48826646#Comment_48826646

    Only UNprocessed food? I don't think so. Eating mostly less-processed food, maybe; little or no highly processed food, maybe.

    There aren't many mainstream experts and authorities saying "eat only unprocessed foods for optimum health". Some processed foods are considered health promoting and are recommended, things like live-culture yogurt, whole-grain bread, etc.

    Paleo is fine, if that's what you want to do. "Only unprocessed foods" is a pretty extreme claim.

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,566 Member

    Once you have protein figured, fats and carbs will be a personal preference. Fats generally fall into place just by a having some semblance of a balanced diet. Tracking will tell, though. If you're in the neighborhood of .4 ish grams per lb of goal weight then its fine. Keto people will be a lot higher however keeping at a minimum of around the .4 number is sufficient

  • ddsb1111
    ddsb1111 Posts: 1,090 Member

    When I tried a very low carb diet, my hands would start to close like a fist, and my arms would tighten toward my chest. I eventually began blacking out at work from severe drops in blood sugar. It was one of the worst physical experiences I have ever had.

    Medically, this happened because carbohydrates are the body’s main and most efficient source of glucose, which the brain, muscles, and nervous system rely on to function. When carb intake is too low, blood glucose levels can fall dangerously, disrupting the brain’s energy supply and muscle contractions. The body can convert fat and protein into glucose through gluconeogenesis, but that process is slow and stressful on the system, leading to symptoms like weakness, dizziness, muscle rigidity, memory loss, loss of focus, and in my case, near syncope.

    A low carb diet isn’t necessary for weight loss. It’s one of the most misguided modern myths, turning carbohydrates, a fundamental nutrient, into a villain. The reality is that balance and nutrient quality matter far more than elimination. Cutting carbs to extremes is not just unnecessary, it can be genuinely dangerous.

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