[giggles31]

Hi everyone!!! I found a great site that tells me what calorie amount I need to lose 1-2 lbs the healthy way and has menu ideas. What I am unsure of is what is a healthy amount of carb, fat, and protein calories to lose weight? The site says that right now I need 2500 a day to lose 2lbs a week. I just have no idea how much of each of the above mentioned I should have. I hope someone can help or know where I can go to get the information. Thanks everyone, this is the best forum I have every found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[northernbelle]

Check out the food pyramid for a general guideline for carbs/fat/protein ratio. If you exercise intensely, you may need a different ratio. Play around with the ranges to see what suits you best. The ratios can range from c/f/p: 60/20/20 to 40/20/40.

Carbs give the body energy; protein repairs and builds muscle; fat keeps things running smoothly; so all three are important.

Make sure you get complex carbs and lots of vegetables/fruits. Make sure the protein is from lean sources (fish, chicken, lean beef). And the fats are from the good group (mono and polysaturated, omegas). Some saturated fat in the diet is unavoidable, and shouldn't be completely avoided, but keep it to a minimum. Avoid trans fat (hydrogenated oils) like the plague.

Hope this helps...

[chick_in_the_hat]

I think 2500 is kinda high....but if you actually lose 2 pounds a week on it- then it's all good. Different body types need different ratios...I aim for 40/30/30 (carbs/protein/fat)...my protein is a little higher because I'm lifting weights. If you don't lose on 2500...you might want to take it down to 2200 or 2000. See what happens with that after 3-4 weeks. Each time you get stuck for more than a month or so in the same weight you can bump down another couple hundred calories.

For me at the beginning it was enough to just get used to logging what I ate...the playing around with ratios came later. I think it's great you are researching what is healthy!!