Calories vs carbs, fats or proteins

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gretchensdoll
gretchensdoll Posts: 32
in Food and Nutrition
If I keep under or to my calorie count everyday but when I look the count of C,F or P is higher, will I still lose weight?

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  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    Yes.
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
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    It's all about calorie deficit. Move more, eat less (don't net under 1200 calories, it's unsafe. Meaning, if you burn 300, eat no less than 1500 that day).
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    It's all about calorie deficit. Move more, eat less (don't net under 1200 calories, it's unsafe. Meaning, if you burn 300, eat no less than 1500 that day).

    netting even 1200 is too low for most people too.
  • RagtimeLady
    RagtimeLady Posts: 172 Member
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    I agree with the others - it's all about the calorie deficit. That said, it helps to have a heart rate monitor and to know when you're in the fat burning zone, when you're in the cardio zone (when you burn fats and carbs) and when you're at threshold or above and burning only carbs. When you start working in cardio and above, you'll need to have adequate carbs or you'll run out of energy on your workouts. High protein helps your muscles rebuild after hard workouts, but trust me - you don't want to be burning protein for energy! That's bad news. I work out hard, but I concentrate on getting enough protein first, then carbs. Fat? I have enough of that to burn for a while! I know what my "zones" are from a metabolic assessment, so I can tell by my heart rate average whether I need to boost my carbs. But just to lose weight, it's the deficit that counts, not the type of calories.
  • michedarnd
    michedarnd Posts: 207 Member
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    Different bodies respond differently. Generally, the calorie deficit will keep you losing. Some balances work better for some people than others. I don't lose as well when my sugar goes too high, but that is due to mild insulin resistance. Losing weight will tend to happen when you keep your calorie deficit, but you need to find the balance that gives you the most energy. Inadequate carbohydrates, and it will be harder to have the energy to work out well. Inadequate protein, and you will find that your muscles don't recover well from exercise, which means you won't increase lean muscle, and lean muscle burns more fat. Inadequate fat, and again, you will have inadequate energy.

    So, you have to find the balance that maximizes your weight loss and works well with your body. In order to be healthy, overall, you need a proper balance, but not everybody's optimal balance is the same. I changed my numbers to the Zone diet numbers (40% protein, 30% of the other two), and this works fairly well in balancing gradual weight loss with having enough energy to go through the day.

    Going over on your protein by small amounts is fine, but I don't personally recommend aiming for ketosis unless you are specifically doing Dukan or Atkins (I will withold my opinions on those, because I'm not trying to start a religious war!!). I usually am in the red on SOMETHING, but my first goal is always to keep the calories where they belong (unless it's a high-calorie day in a calorie-cycle).

    Hope this helps, somewhat. I'm trying not to be absolute or dictatorial here. I just wanted to try to help.
  • fightingautism
    fightingautism Posts: 84
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    I agree generally yes, but no absolutes. I lose fastest when my diet is vegetables, protein, fruits, and almost no grains. But I have insulin-resistant diabetes history and gluten sensitivity. There was a study conducted in which people ate either 80% fat, 80% protein, or 80% carbs. Those eating the fats and the proteins group lost, the one in the carbs actually gained weight. Some dieticians/fitness trainers say to eat a carb with a protein because it makes blood glucose levels more steady over time. Some say you should eat fats with vegetables because overall nutrition is better-absorbed. I personally could go OCD trying to make sense of it all, so I try to make the healthiest selections I can with each meal, considering vitamins and minerals as a whole. If I want a big piece of red meat, I'm gonna eat it but try to stick with a moderate portion and lower fat. I've lost 65lbs doing it this way, so I think there is something to it. still, those last 40 have been a beast lol.
  • gretchensdoll
    gretchensdoll Posts: 32
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    thanks everyone for offering such great info, personal experiences and motivation to keep on. I really like the efficiency of knowing my exercise to calorie input balance. Before when i was dieting ti was so in the dark, just thinking and hoping I was going to create weight loss. This is simple and I'm so surprised
    I'm not hungry ! Bonus :)
  • Fit4lifestlouisbethpennington
    Fit4lifestlouisbethpennington Posts: 51
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    Its awesome to see when people know what they are talking about! Good job explaining it RagtimeLady!!

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