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Old 01-16-2008, 07:46 PM   #1  
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I use fit day and am obsessive about the little pie chart and the percentages of where the calories come from but I am not sure what the "ideal" should be. I am a middle school math teacher so I am unnaturally hung up on numbers anyway, but this is driving me NUTS!

For instance, today I have:

Calories: 1386
Fat: 47g (15g are saturated) 32% of my calories
Carbs: 130g 34% of my calories
Protein: 113 34% of my calories

My "plan" is to eat fewer calories than I burn so I haven't set a limit on fat/carbs/protein and I am wondering if I should be paying more attention to these.
Those of you who use fit day, where do you like to fall in these categories? What do you focus most on and why?

Thanks,
Jennifer

Last edited by okiechick; 01-16-2008 at 07:47 PM.
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Old 01-16-2008, 07:50 PM   #2  
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There is no right answer to your question. I have seen varying percentage breakdowns. Personally, I aim for 40/30/30 (carb, protein, fat) but that is just what works for me

I am a vegetarian, so a high protein content doesn't work for me. I strive to get healthy fats in my "30%". Through trial and error, I have found that this keeps me full, lets me eat healthy ingredients, and keeps me strong on my reduced number of calories.

Last edited by CountingDown; 01-16-2008 at 07:52 PM.
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Old 01-16-2008, 08:24 PM   #3  
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My goal is 30% or less in fat; I've been steady at around 27%, and steadily losing, too. I thik the % are great to help you keep track; if your fat gets a little high just look back over the day at what you had, and tweak it the next day to try to get it down. the % also can tell you (sometimes) why you aren't losing...like your sodium content. Unfortunately it can't foretell TOM or other stuff that affects your weight.

I do fitday as a way to keep myself accountable, and so that if I do gain, I can look back and see where I slipped. I also use it to journal out my food, so I am more aware of my choices, and to make better choices. Prevents mindless eating, I find. Above all, it tells you your cals so you can make sure you are staying within the correct range to be successful.

Everybody is different, and what works for me may not work for you. It's a matter of knowing your body, and fitday is a great tool to get to know what will or will not work, because if you are in a losing streak, then all of a sudden you start gaining, you can look at the % and cals and perhaps see an area you might have missed for that day. What fitday does is give you an honest look at your eating habits, because sometimes we tend to overlook small areas that could make all the difference, but it takes you being honest on fitday for that to happen so let's say you're at 40% carbs, 35% fat and 25% protein and you gain weight; try upping that protein through leaner choices like turkey or chicken breast instead of those nuts you ate yesterday, so you can up your protein and lower your fat at the same time, and flip flop the fat and protein % to 25% fat and 35% protein. For the record, I start to gain at 30% fat or above, so that is what I focus on; keeping that fat down and the protein high is what works pretty well for me. Doing just that, I have lost weight continually for 4 weighins in a row after a week of plateauing. Hope this helps!

Last edited by txangelgirl; 01-16-2008 at 08:27 PM.
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Old 01-16-2008, 08:43 PM   #4  
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I am on Fitday too since...yesterday.
And today I opened it a zillion times...
I have a question. If every day of your life you eat less than your body needs, you never grow fat again? Not even a pound?
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Old 01-16-2008, 08:51 PM   #5  
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I like 40/30/30
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Old 01-16-2008, 08:52 PM   #6  
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Vek - well, yes and no. Technically, you are correct. If you burn more calories than you take in, you will not gain weight. That being said - at some point, you will want to burn exactly the same number of calories as you take in (this is maintenance). Otherwise, you would eventually get too thin and/or your body would compensate by lowering your metabolism and energy level so that it could stay alive.

But, generally speaking - we get fat because we give our bodies more fuel than they need. Our bodies then store that fuel for a time when they might need it. Thus the goal while losing weight is to take in fewer calories than we need, and the goal of maintenance is to find the balance of calories/activity.

It is actually a lot more complex than this - entire books have been written to explain it. And - in reality - it is so complex that no one completely understands it - yet.

Last edited by CountingDown; 01-16-2008 at 08:54 PM.
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Old 01-16-2008, 08:52 PM   #7  
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I was using fit day but became frustrated with the difficulty finding normal, every-day foods. I've started using this tracker and really like it: caloriecount.about.com - It is also free and each food you choose is assigned a nutritional "grade." At the end of the day, you can analyze your nutrition and receive a grade for the day.
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Old 01-16-2008, 09:10 PM   #8  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by okiechick View Post
Those of you who use fit day, where do you like to fall in these categories? What do you focus most on and why?
I usually aim for under 30% fat, and try for at least 20% protein, the rest carbs (although a good amount of my carbs comes from fruits and vegetables). The numbers are more for information. In the end it's the calories I look at the most.
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Old 01-16-2008, 09:29 PM   #9  
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Thanks everyone, it helps to know what all everyone is working on.

Holli, what you said makes a lot of sense and yeah, I do use the information to adjust. Right now it is my lifeline and accountability. I just wanted to see if I was on the right track, weightloss is at once the simplest and the most complex thing I have ever done.
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