Confused about carb, fat, protein ratios

Briaboo4
Briaboo4 Posts: 1,080 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
The last 2 1/2 weeks on mfp has been the first time that I've ever kept a journal of what I eat so I'm still pretty new at all of this. I keep seeing stuff about macros and %s of carbs/fat/protein and I'm starting to wonder if what mfp automatically set up for me is right. (I've set it to lose 1 lb a week but didn't alter the macros in any way). I'm not currently having any issues with losing weight or inches....I just want to make sure I'm headed in the right direction (other than cutting out caffeine and alcohol...working on that)
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Replies

  • Briaboo4
    Briaboo4 Posts: 1,080 Member
    Bump.
  • JessicaW0204
    JessicaW0204 Posts: 64
    Bump - I would like info on this too!
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    More than likely what MFP has set up is not ideal. I would target the following

    1g protein / 1lb LBM
    .35g fat / lb

    Stay 10-20% below TDEE and fill in the rest as you like.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    Honestly, at the beginning, I did not worry about anything other than the calorie number. Once I got that part down, I moved on to the macros. If you try and change too much at once (at least for me anyway) you might get over whelmed and give up. I'm still working on keep my macros in line but not doing very good as of late.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    I'm a Nutrition Science major and those ratios are the same ones we learn in class. They've got it right :)
  • danielle1983cov
    danielle1983cov Posts: 48
    Bump. No help at all though, sorry! :wink:
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    Honestly, i think it depends on if you workout or not, I think heavy lifters need even more protein,, but I personally believe the 40c/30p/30f approach is a great place to start and see how it works :) don't worry if you go over on your protein and always try to get at least 1 gram per lb of body weight . Eating this way keeps me full and satisfied and within my daily goals :)
  • jamiesadler
    jamiesadler Posts: 634 Member
    I would suggest 40percent from protein and 30% each from carbs and fats.
  • temp666777
    temp666777 Posts: 169
    Calories are almost irrelevant. Eat 72 grams of carbohydrates per day and stick to it. Read the book "Life without Bread" by Dr. Lutz! Enjoy!
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    I would suggest 40percent from protein and 30% each from carbs and fats.

    That might be a good starting point too... I've considered that one and I'm still mulling it over in my head lol
  • Briaboo4
    Briaboo4 Posts: 1,080 Member
    Thanks all. I'm still mainly focusing on calories and not worrying about the rest but I've started to think that I need more protein.
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
    I prefer 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat. I think it comes down to personal preference, and what you can realistically maintain. I eat approximately 2000 calories, and with this split I lose 1 lb+ on average each week. I'm not hungry, and have tons of energy. The 40/30/30 split is good too. Best wishes!
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    Where are you all getting this information supporting high protein diets? Most Americans, besides bodybuilders (NOT people simply looking to build some muscle) get more than enough protein in their diets. It's about choosing lean sources rather than increasing the amount consumed. It's your choice what you want to do, and some people find eating more protein curbs their appetite, but other than that there's not much benefit to consuming more, while conversely, its quite beneficial to consume more fruits/veggies/whole grains.I would wonder if people would get enough vitamins and minerals in their diet with very higher protein diets. MFP's ratio is in line with the latest nutrition research from established scientific research.
  • Zeromilediet
    Zeromilediet Posts: 787 Member
    People here have varying goals and have their macros set accordingly. MFP sets a default that meets conventional weight loss criteria. It's up to you to determine what else you want to accomplish besides weight loss.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    I think MFP's ratios are fine and don't need to be messed with unless you have some specific dietary need.
  • valorieflowers
    valorieflowers Posts: 154
    I have gotten a huge boost in my results since I started doing 40c-30p-30f macros ratio. Another side effect is that it has supressed my appetite significantly too, which is a plus cuz I tend to like to eat high quantities, but now I am finding it much easier to stick to 1500-1700 cals, sometimes I don't even want that many!

    I do recommend waiting until you feel ready to get into that much control. When I awas first doing calories, it seemed very overwhelming to me to do macros too, but then at some point I just felt ready to do so. So I just went into Goals>Change Goals>Custom to set the percentages to 40-30-30.

    If you do it, one big tip that helped me was the simple knowledge that 1g protein= 4 cals, 1 g carb= 4 cals and 1 g fat=9 cals. That way you can caculate the balance of certain meals or items too, not just the overall food for the day.
  • mommy7
    mommy7 Posts: 153
    I actually set mine up according to what I read about bodybuilders doing a 40P/40C/20F split. I will admit that I have a really hard time with this and usually fail to have my diet that exact. Maybe I should switch it up a tad.
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    Ask 100 MFPers what you macro ratio should be and you'll get 150 opinions. My opinion? As long as only watching calories is working for you, keep doing that. Look at your macro ratios (beautifully illustrated on the mobiles, not so much at this website) but don't worry too much about a particular ratio . . . unless your protein is consistently well below the MFP recommended 15% or your fat or carbohydrate is consistently well above the MFP recommended values.
  • _blizzard_
    _blizzard_ Posts: 40 Member
    This calculator can help you figure out what you want. http://www.freedieting.com/tools/nutrient_calculator.htm
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    I did some googling on this subject, based on government advice (US and UK mainly) and research studies.

    I'm aiming to up my protein, fibre, and calcium, while reducing fat, red meat, processed food, and sodium, while sticking within my calorie limits and all in moderation...I don't really care about carbs, as if you eat like this they sort of become irrelevant, as does cholestorol.

    My macro targets are:

    Protein 75 (min)
    Calium 100
    Fibre 25 (but anything over 14 acceptable)

    These are based on

    It doesn't help that MFP currently won't allow you to set maximum or minimum targets, and doesn't let you set an absolute value, only a percentage - e.g I would like to be able to set 14g of fbre as my minimum target, not have it rise in relation to my daily exercise burn, and for anything over that to appear in green not red! But perhaps that's asking too much from a free website!
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
    Where are you all getting this information supporting high protein diets? Most Americans, besides bodybuilders (NOT people simply looking to build some muscle) get more than enough protein in their diets. It's about choosing lean sources rather than increasing the amount consumed. It's your choice what you want to do, and some people find eating more protein curbs their appetite, but other than that there's not much benefit to consuming more, while conversely, its quite beneficial to consume more fruits/veggies/whole grains.I would wonder if people would get enough vitamins and minerals in their diet with very higher protein diets. MFP's ratio is in line with the latest nutrition research from established scientific research.

    Well I have my protein set at 30% right now, and sometimes go over. But I also eat quite a few veggies and fruits... I love them... Hence my profile picture lol and i know I'm getting my vitamins and minerals. I have studied nutrition quite extensively and I am considering it for a future career. I've read many credible sources that state 1 gram of protein per lean body mass will HELP prevent loss of muscle tissue when in a calorie deficit.. If you don't know your lbm it's fine to eat 1 gram per lb of body weight as well. I do NOT advocate low carb eating, but rather getting your carbohydrates from nutrient dense sources. Everyone's opinion is different in the matter, but overall the healthiest diet is the one you can stick with and that usually means balanced macros with nutrient dense food, and in my case at LEAST 30 % of my diet coming from protein, especially poultry, eggs and fish.
  • Briaboo4
    Briaboo4 Posts: 1,080 Member
    Where are you all getting this information supporting high protein diets? Most Americans, besides bodybuilders (NOT people simply looking to build some muscle) get more than enough protein in their diets. It's about choosing lean sources rather than increasing the amount consumed. It's your choice what you want to do, and some people find eating more protein curbs their appetite, but other than that there's not much benefit to consuming more, while conversely, its quite beneficial to consume more fruits/veggies/whole grains.I would wonder if people would get enough vitamins and minerals in their diet with very higher protein diets. MFP's ratio is in line with the latest nutrition research from established scientific research.

    I've seen several posts about eating more protein here on MFP which is why I started questioning. I'll probably stick with what MFP has set up for me as long as I'm seeing results. Personally, my goal is to eat lean meats, complex carbs and lots of fruit and vegetables stay under my calories (net) for the day. There is still some junk in my diet but not a whole lot.
  • Briaboo4
    Briaboo4 Posts: 1,080 Member
    I think MFP's ratios are fine and don't need to be messed with unless you have some specific dietary need.

    This sounds good to me. Honestly, I only asked about macros because they're brought up quite frequently so I wanted to be sure that I wasn't missing anything.
  • Randomcheese
    Randomcheese Posts: 15 Member
    Started tracking my food intake about three months ago. I've concentrated on limiting my calorie intake and being brutally honest about it in my tracking log. I occasionally glance at the ratios thing on my phone and often worry about the amount of sodium I'm consuming, but since I've lost about 5 lbs/month by just limiting intake, I'm not going to worry about any of the other stuff until I have to.

    I guess I'm saying that you shouldn't over-complicate the process. you're just starting out, aim for one target at a time.
  • TreyT3
    TreyT3 Posts: 16 Member
    What I tell people, and what I did myself, is go talk to your doctor about it and tell your doctor everything that you are thinking as far as diet and exercise. It is the safest way to get results because they know your medical history and any factors that you need to figure into your diet equation, and is one more layer of accountability.

    I use almost the exact 50p, 30c, 20f ratio that @thistimeismytime uses, but agree with @slkehl that fruits, veggies, and whole grains are important which is why I try to eat some everyday, and should eat more than I do. Ultimately everyone is different and has had success in many different ways, so your going to get a million different ways to go about it.
  • Briaboo4
    Briaboo4 Posts: 1,080 Member
    Ultimately everyone is different and has had success in many different ways, so your going to get a million different ways to go about it.

    Isn't that the truth!
  • Misiaxcore
    Misiaxcore Posts: 659 Member
    Honestly, at the beginning, I did not worry about anything other than the calorie number. Once I got that part down, I moved on to the macros.
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
    Ultimately everyone is different and has had success in many different ways, so your going to get a million different ways to go about it.

    Isn't that the truth!

    Truth!!! Find what you can maintain long-term.
  • Mommyof3texans
    Mommyof3texans Posts: 347
    I agree that you are going to get a lot of opinions. From everything I've read, protein and fat are essential macros while carbs are not. I have my protein set to 30% and fat to 30%. I find that when I am close to my protein number, the rest tends to fall in line. I don't fear fat, I just stick with the healthy dietary fats as much as possible.

    There are a lot of benefits to getting enough protein, especially if you are doing any kind of strength training as it helps with muscle repair.
  • LadyMustard
    LadyMustard Posts: 104 Member
    I picked up a nice median for mine: 50/30/20 (carbs, protein, fat)

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