Hi all,
This might be all theoretical, but I've been grappling lately with this question and wanted some thoughts on this.
When it comes to losing weight and eating healthy, do calories count more than how you divide the macronutrients (i.e., carbs, protein, fat)?
For example, let's say that you know you need to eat 1400 calories a day in order to lose weight at a good rate (not to fast, not too slow). How much does it matter whether you focus on carbs or fats or proteins?
I'm grappling with this because I've been trying debating whether or not to go back to eating lower carb again. I was very successful in losing weight 7 years ago on an Atkins-type low carb diet but since then, I've stopped eating all meat and I've been trying to be a vegan (without much success, I'm afraid - every vegan diet I try seems to drive me to binge at some point).
So I made up a plan for myself that includes lots of veggies, some dairy and eggs that are lowfat, and one 3 oz serving of fish a day (so in essence, a pescetarian diet). The calorie level is about 1350 and the nutrient breakdown is about 40% carbs/40% fat/30% protein.
I then made another menu for myself that also includes a lot of veggies and is entirely vegan and about the same calorie amount (a little higher). The nutritional breakdown, according to Fitday, is 60% carbs/25% fat/15% protein).
So my question is - is one healthier than the other (I'm not talking from the standpoint of someone who believes in vegetarianism, since I know what their answer would be)? Both, by the way, have a good amount of fiber and meet the RDA requirements for vitamins and minerals, so we're not talking about an "all bacon and cheese" type of Atkins diet, which many would consider unhealthy.
I've read about some studies that have shown that health and weight are more about keeping your calories relatively low (not starvation) and leading a healthy lifestyle (like exercise and stress management) and eating whole foods then about how you divide your nutrients (I believe that Walter Willet is one of these). But I'd like to hear what others think here.
To be honest, I'm having some dilemmas about going pescetarian because I haven't eaten any kind of meat/fish for about 7 years (though I have eaten dairy and eggs at intervals). My reasons for going vegetarian were mainly health (reading about factory farms just didn't make meat appealing to me) rather than ethical ones, so that might be the reason why I am willing to go back to eating some fish.
It depends on your body. For me, I would feel like I was starving on the vegan diet, too many carbs not enough fat. I have some days where 50% of my calories are from fats - some bacon, some avocado, some cheese.
If you are choosing to eat fish, be vigilant about your sources - lots of fish has mercury and you could get too much with 3 oz a day.
I buy a half a cow every year from a grass fed ranch near me. I buy my chicken meat from a farm store, too. My lamb comes from the farmer's market and pork comes from a nearby farm too. Check out eatwild.com for local meat sources near you. None of my meat comes from factory farms.
I don't do percentages, I was going nuts. Protein is really the only macro I'll focus on, but even then I just choose foods higher in protein.
I do track every so often, just to see where I am. My intake was about 45% Protein, 30% Carb, 25% Fat last time I checked.
For WEIGHT it's more about calories. For health: nutrients. You CAN be skinny and unhealthy after all.
Personally for me, I just try to eat more real foods then not. I figure that is the best way to stay healthy and not go crazy trying to track my macros (because I was starting to get overly obsessive about it)
I'm like sontaikle - I can't do percentages, it will drive me insane, but I do keep my foods similar per meal/snack/time of day with whole foods, not too many carbs, a lot of veggies, and a good amount of protein. I find that it's the best thing for my hunger and that's the only reason why I would stray from my plan.
From following this forum I think that there is no one diet that suits everyone.
Having said that I watched a documentary on the BBC before on scientific studies done on what actually helps people to lose weight. One thing that seemed to work was protein in the morning. Another was blended soups keep you full longer. Calorie counting. Eating food of one or few colours. (yes really!) Eating dairy, yogurt was the one used in the experiment. I think there were a few more but those are the ones that I remember.
I went from being vegetarian to eating meat and my tummy was upset the first time so I suggest small amounts until your stomach's fauna adapts.
Thanks for all the responses. I usually don't worry too much about percentages either but since I've been really examining how I want to eat, I've paid more attention to them.
The funny thing is that calorie-wise, my low carb pescetarian plan is actually quite a few less calories than 1400 - more like 1250. I didn't mean for it to be that way and will probably try to add some more protein if I find myself hungry. So that sort of defeats the idea that eating a diet that is higher in fat means a diet that is higher in calories.
I totally agree with much that has been said here - focusing on eating whole foods (which I am trying to do) rather than processed and junk food is the key to both health and weight loss.
Calories or Macronutrients?
