I don't track vitamins at all. I don't even enter them into my food journal. I should probably take a multi-vitamin.
For the most part I just focus on calories. Just doing that, fat is rarely more than 20% of my calories. I don't even think about it, it just works out that way. For a while there I was even trying to eat more good fats (salmon, avocado, nuts) because the fat in my diet is so low (yesterday, for example, it was only 11% of my calories).
Having read Meg's recommendations on how much protein to eat (in another thread), however, lately I have been trying to eat more protein. Breakfast always includes a full serving of plain NF yogurt, which has 20g of protein. Lunch and dinner almost always include 2 to 6 oz of lean meat. But even with this, my protein still comes in at only around 30% of my calories. So I've been trying to eat more protein (eggs, tuna, salmon, more yogurt) instead of carbs for my second afternoon snack. But I don't think I'll ever get to the point where I am eating more grams of protein than carbs. I don't know how Meg does that!
I don't know how she does it either. The plurality of my calories are from carbs (veggies track as carbs, after all) and I haven't been able to get my protein where it needs to be without also increasing my fats. It's a pickle.
I do wish that Nutridiary could distinguish between good and bad fats though. I had flax seed meal and avocado and salmon today, and the fats in those are weighted the same in nutridiary as if I had gotten them from ice cream.
I guess my problem comes down to getting the optimum split between carbs/fats/protein/alcohol. (Yes, about 10% of my daily calories come from alcohol...I like my wine.) I just CANNOT get the protein high enough, even with fish/lean protein 2x a day and usually egg whites as well. Actually, Meg eats relatively few calories a day--it might just be a question of it being easier for her to meet her protein goals because her overall intake is so much lower than mine (I'm 2000-2500 a day).
Hey, today I got just about as close as I ever have to a "nutritionally perfect" day - hit every vitamin/mineral target (except vit D which I get from sunlight, and just barely under on zinc and selenium...). 1418 cals, 104 g protein, 44 grams of fiber, and 26 g of fat.
It's interesting what people consider a nutritionally perfect day. I think it's up to the individual and it's very much a personal thing. Today was about as "perfect" as I've been for awhile.
1459 calories
44g of fat (29% and most of it monounsaturated)
229g of carbs (56%)
43g of fiber
51g of protein (15%)
I aim for under 30% on fat and approx 15% for protein. I don't worry about the carbs since they almost all coming from veggies and whole grains.
I have to say that I do not understand why most people feel the need to up their protein (unless they are weight training.) Most Americans consume too much of it already. But like I said it's a personal thing and I'm not criticizing. I just don't understand.
I have to say that I do not understand why most people feel the need to up their protein (unless they are weight training.) Most Americans consume too much of it already. But like I said it's a personal thing and I'm not criticizing. I just don't understand.
I agree. I read so many conflicting things, but the general consensus from the "experts" (World Health Organization, Dietitians, other medical professionals) is summarized pretty well here:
One way to determine your individual protein needs is to base it on your weight. The current dietary protein recommendation for most individuals is 0.4 grams per pound of bodyweight (0.8 grams/kilogram). Athletes and most active individuals require slightly higher amounts to meet the demands of strength and endurance training, however, there is no scientific evidence to support an intake above 0.9 grams per pound (2.0 grams per kilogram).
I agree. I read so many conflicting things, but the general consensus from the "experts" (World Health Organization, Dietitians, other medical professionals) is summarized pretty well here:
One way to determine your individual protein needs is to base it on your weight. The current dietary protein recommendation for most individuals is 0.4 grams per pound of bodyweight (0.8 grams/kilogram). Athletes and most active individuals require slightly higher amounts to meet the demands of strength and endurance training, however, there is no scientific evidence to support an intake above 0.9 grams per pound (2.0 grams per kilogram).
According to that I should be eating a little more protein than I am. I thought a good rule of thumb was 10-15% of your calories? Maybe that doesn't take in to account lower cals for weight loss.
Zenor--you're right, different people have different nutritional ideals.
I care about my protein because I am weight training and I want my muscles to have lots of good stuff to help them grow strong. My ideal breakdown is 30% fat, 40% carbs, 30% protein, but usually I have 10% from alcohol. 30% of my calories is 150 grams, but I usually get around 60-100 grams. I don't know that I've ever gotten my full 150 grams! (I have a bad habit of not logging all my evening meals and snacks, so I rarely have an accurate daily analysis.)
According to that I should be eating a little more protein than I am. I thought a good rule of thumb was 10-15% of your calories? Maybe that doesn't take in to account lower cals for weight loss.
What I referenced is what is widely acceptable in the mainstream...however what you and I have both read from other doctors, nutritionists and the like states that 10-15 is safe, adequate and best
I used to worry a lot more about my protein, being a vegetarian and hearing that silly "but where do you get protein?” question a million times must have done a number on me. Now after doing a lot of reading and research I realize this question has more to do with ignorance than any real threat of protein deficiency in a well balanced vegetarian diet.
I don’t carefully track anymore, but looking back at my old fitday I was getting about 20% protein, 25 – 30 % fat, and the rest from carbs. But it varies, some days are as low as 10% protein. I feel like I’m eating well, I try to stick to mostly whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans for my staples. I probably average somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 g of protein a day.
"Nutritionally perfect" is a subjective term. So much of our nutritional needs vary widely from person to person.
I eat more protein now than I used to simply because on 2000 calories a day when I ate 10-15% protein and 20-30% fat and the rest good whole carbs I was RAVENOUS , starving, mean, nasty and horrid to be around.
I now eat 30-35% fat (mostly from nuts and olive oil....and icecream), 40-45% good carbs and the rest protein and I am satisfied.
It's very subjective- based on how you feel, what you like and consider "food" (soulbliss would starve in my house and I in hers) and what your nutritional goals are. I eat to maintain what is probably an outlandish musclemass on a woman my size and age.
I eat about 45% protein, 25-35% carbs from mostly vegetables and fruit, and the remainer fat from mostly olive oil, flax seed, and whatever sneaks in there in a little bit of oatmeal and lean protein. Some days the carbs are a bit higher and the protein a little lower, but I've been pretty consistent over the last 5 years. Egg whites, low or no-fat cottage cheese, tuna, chicken, protein powder, tilapia, salmon, and more chicken are staples for me. Every meal I eat contains at least 20 grams of protein.
Generally, I eat about 1400 calories a day. If I were eating over 2000, I doubt I could maintain those ratios without at least 1 meal a day being a double scoop protein shake. Eating higher carbs just plain makes me feel lousy. I can't eat any wheat products due to gluten intolerance, so I guess I'd be eating alot more fruit and brown rice. But that's pretty much how I got fat in the first place.
