General Diet Plans and Questions General diet questions, support for various diet plans other than those listed below.

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Old 02-19-2008, 01:36 PM   #1  
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Default Fat/Protein/Carbs

What should my Ratio Of Fat/Protein/Carbs Be In My Diet?

It currently looks like 30/30/40 according to fitday. Is that good or bad?

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Old 02-19-2008, 01:54 PM   #2  
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I think it depends entirely on the individual. Do you feel satisfied with ratios like that? Is it sustainable for you? If the answer is yes, it's an excellent ratio!

I'm on low carb, so my ratio looks more like 45% fat, 45% protein, 10% carb most of the time. That works for me, but I know other people who eat a very high-carb diet and succeed--so it's all about you!
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Old 02-19-2008, 02:23 PM   #3  
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It's funny because until I decided to look into this I thought I was doing low carb but now I don't think so!!

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Old 02-19-2008, 02:32 PM   #4  
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If you're happy with what you're eating then the ratio is good for you. You're pretty much doing what a friend of mine does (the Zone), although he's a little more obsessive in that every meal must be equal.

I usually end up about 25% fat, 50% carbs, 25% protein. Sometimes they change a bit. I only look at them out of curiosity, I'm not aiming for something specific. I usually try and ensure that my protein is at least 20%, but that's mainly because it's something I had problems doing in the past.

Also most of my carbs come from fruits and vegetables (about 75%). To my mind these are healthy additions to any diet. Your carbs may be coming in that way as well. In the end if you're losing weight, and you're not craving anything madly then it's probably working for you.

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Old 02-19-2008, 02:55 PM   #5  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2beautiful2Bfat View Post
It's funny because until I decided to look into this I thought I was doing low carb but now I don't think so!!
I think that 30-40% is considered "moderate" carb, 10-30% is considered "low carb" and 0-10% is considered "Very Low Carb".

Those are rough numbers, as the definition of what makes a diet "low carb" (I believe that the Food Guide Pyramid recommended by the government suggests 60% calories from carbs) is different depending on who you ask. A Very Low Carb diet is likely a ketogenic diet (you put yourself in ketosis that that your body recognizes dietary fat as fuel instead of carbs), whereas a low-moderate carb diet is still a glycogen-for-energy based situation.

Again, if it works for you, there's nothing wrong with your ratios. It is very individual

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Old 02-19-2008, 03:06 PM   #6  
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It is very individual. My carb count is somewhere around 70%. Fat and protein are each around 15%.
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Old 02-19-2008, 03:54 PM   #7  
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So I don't have any particular goal I just recently noticed the number sin fit day and was curious what I should be aiming for.

I think I may look into the zone.

About 85 % of my carbs are fruits and veggies. I don't eat bread or pasta but do have on occasion flatbreads or crackers.

So far this is working for me so I uess I will stick with it until I need to change.
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Old 02-19-2008, 04:02 PM   #8  
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Really it is calories that count so as long as you are counting those, you are doing good. I know a lot of people put an emphasis on carbs but that is only if they are trying to get away with not counting overall calories. Carb counts don't matter.
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Old 02-19-2008, 04:18 PM   #9  
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Nelie I am not really counting anything...Is that bad? I basically eat what I want but in moderation and try to stay away from breads and pasta because they are my personal enemy. I lost 19 lbs in a month so it is definitely working!! But I may need to get more serious about counting and paying attention to exactly what and how much I eat.
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Old 02-19-2008, 04:21 PM   #10  
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Actually, for your initial weight loss (and maybe beyond), you can get away without counting. It is only recently that I've started counting although before I did do days of occasionally counting calories to get a general idea where I was at on a typical day. So I've been able to lose 70% of the weight I need to lose without counting, just cutting back and eating healthier foods. If your weight loss slows then you may need to count calories.
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Old 02-19-2008, 05:03 PM   #11  
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I think I am going to do that. For the next little while I plan to log everything itno fitday just until I get into onderland!!
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Old 02-19-2008, 09:09 PM   #12  
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Quote:
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Really it is calories that count so as long as you are counting those, you are doing good. I know a lot of people put an emphasis on carbs but that is only if they are trying to get away with not counting overall calories. Carb counts don't matter.
I count carbs and calories; I simply feel that less carbs = less cravings. That's me, though. I know many people who don't count calories on low carb or very low carb diets. For those of us on VLC diets (who are in ketosis), carbs counts do matter, if we want to give our body enough fuel. Cabs low, fat high keeps one in ketosis and fueled.
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Old 02-19-2008, 10:11 PM   #13  
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My body does not process carbs as well. I'm insulin resistant so yeah, carbs do matter to me. My doctor has told me that part of my rapid weight gain and struggle with losing is because of how my body processes them.

I'm on a metabolic diet now and am doing 60% protein, 30% carb and 10% fat. I have a structured menu that I'm allowed to eat off of and it is working beautifully. I've lost 10 lbs in 10 days.

And yes, I know it will not continue to drop that rapidly and that SOME of it was water weight but not all of it. I have been eating better (cutting out the crap) since 1/02 (and drinking close to 2-3 liters of water a day) and had only lost 8 lbs. Since starting the metabolic diet on 2/08, I've lost 10 (now drinking 4-5 liters of water a day).

As for cravings... I can honestly say that my desire for sweets has drastically dropped. Whether it will stay away is another matter but for now, I haven't had any cravings and didn't even get tempted when the girl scouts were at the office today. (GO ME!)

Personally, I just believe we each need to find what works for us and stick with it. Low/no carb, low cal, low fat, high protein, whatever. If you're feeling better, eating better and losing weight then it doesn't really matter.

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Old 02-20-2008, 11:24 AM   #14  
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Azure,

Really I was trying to say that calories overall are what will determine your weight loss, not carb counts. I do agree that eliminating some carbs will curb cravings.

I also have insulin "issues" (PCOS/hypoglycemia) and I've played around with carbs a long time. I never tried a very low carb diet but all throughout my weight loss I had cut out refined carbs. I do have to say it is a scary thing to go from be cautious of carbs (eating minimal fruit for years) to eating lots of carbs. Funny thing is that as long as the carbs aren't refined, my cravings and insulin issues seem to be in check.
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