[JerseyGirl69]

Just curious what others are doing for their intake. Any programs, limitations, etc.?

[sportmom]

Well, I'm actually looking at cutting back on protein smoothies going forward with the whey protein, since I developed kidney stones for the first time in my life. I think it could be related to having 2 shakes a day for a long period a year+ ago. So I'm actually going to look at going back to more of a balanced 30/30/30 plan, making sure the carbs are quality carbs, to see if that prevents formation of additional stones. Does anyone know what the BFL plan composition is? I was thinking it's likely more about 40/30/30 or 50/30/20. I'm not sure exactly where the shakes were sending me to, but probably higher than 40, which I could get on a normal day without the shakes.

[WaterRat]

Well, in theory, I'm doing WW. I do their Core program, which is basically whole foods. In actuality, I eat a few things that are on their "not allowed" list, so perhaps I'm really calorie counting and portion watching. Whatever it is, I've lost 10# in the last 2 months.

[Depalma]

Of course what works best for each of us will differ somewhat.

What works best for me is 40% protein, 30% fat, and 30% carbs with the carbs coming primarily from fruits and vegetables except for All Bran or Fiber One during breakfast. I've found that my body doesn't tolerate even better starchy carbs like sweet potatoes well and doesn't tolerate fast acting carbs too well even in the post-workout window, so I use mostly fruit as my post-workout carb source even though it is not theoretically optimal. The fat, I try to keep the saturated fat around 10% (1/3 of the fat total) but I don't get too stressed out if I go over that as long as I don't get too carried away for too long a stretch in time.

For me, maintenance at my usual activity level is between 14 and 15 calories per pound.

[Mel]

I eat 5 mini-meals a day, with ratios of about 45% protein, 30% carbs and 25% fat. Like DePalma, I don't tolerate carbs very well, so mine come mostly from a very little bit of oatmeal or sweet potato in the morning, occasionally brown rice (like 2 tablespoons) then the carbs in dairy (yogurt and cottage cheese) and fruit and vegetables. Lots of vegetables I can't eat any wheat at all.

My maintenance calories per pound are 12 and I have to go to about 10-11 calories per pound to lose. And those need to be clean calories if I want to workout and maintain muscle mass or not feel like I'm starving all day long.

What you need and can live with is really individual. Food preferences or allergies, age, current weight, diet and exercise history, gender are huge factors. If you tell us a little about yourself, maybe we can make some suggestions

Mel