How important to you is the ratio of carbs, protein, & fat?
I'm interested in what works for everyone here. I know many people are following plans such as WW or kcal counting, but within that, do people pay attention to what food groups make up their points/kcals, etc.? And if so, do you think it makes a difference?
I know that monitoring what I eat is a lifelong thing, which is why I haven't opted for a programme that severely restricts or pushes to excess any one food group. Ultra-low fat does not work for me--I find that a reasonable amount of fat is what makes food appetising, and filling, to me. With very few exceptions, I don't care for FF or LF versions: if I can't fit a particular food into my plan, I'd rather go without than compromise on the taste. I'm proud of myself for cutting out butter completely though . I had a block in the fridge when I started this and it's still there! I won't admit to how much I used to get through....
I usually choose whole-grain over processed carbs, but I haven't yet totally given up my white Basmati rice. I buy it in big sacks so perhaps when it runs out, I'll completely switch over to whole-grain.
I don't consciously try to fit my food choices into any particular model, but I do periodically check retroactively to see where I am within the food groups. When I'm OP, it just happens that I'm eating in the region of:
carbohydrate: 45-50%
protein: 25-30%
fat: 25%
I've halved my fat intake from what it used to be. Surely I wasn't getting 25% of my kcals from butter alone??
A friend of mine has had a fantastic weight reduction (95 lbs) after following a nine month plan averaging 20% carb, 60% protein, 20% fat. Beats me how she stuck to this, but she did. The problem she's facing now is that she gains weight with just the slightest increase in carbs. Can it really be healthy for her to stay with this ratio for ever?
Last edited by TooFatFish; 07-19-2005 at 02:40 PM.
I don't really pay much attention to ratio, as in counting grams of carbs or anything. I have done that. I refuse to do it again, unless my current plan stops working. I count calories, aiming for 1500-1800 a day.
I try to eat protein regularly, and I choose lower-fat options when practical. But I don't shy away from adding a slice of bacon to my beans, or using real butter on my whole wheat toast. These are no longer "forbidden" for me. I just need to eat them in moderation. It is more important to me now that I enjoy my food, mindfully, and eat less of it, rather than eating huge amounts of food that doesn't taste good or that I eat so quickly that I don't even taste it.
I shy away from huge amounts of carbs. I'm not officially "low-carb", but I do try to get most of my carbs from dairy and fruit and veggies.
Fortunately for your initial question, I use Fitday, so I can look back and see my ratios. In looking at a Fitday report for my food over the last month, I'm averaging 35% fat, 41% carb, 23% protein. I'm consistently losing 2-4 pounds a week when I stay OP.
I don't count anything, I just try to get as many of my calories as possible from fresh fruit and veg, followed by lean meat (usually poultry), pulses and low fat yoghurt. It seems to be working well enough, and I prefer to try to eat a bit "intuitively" rather than trying to find a mathematical formula to use.
Right now, it's not important to me at all. However, tomorrow I'm starting a 4-week nutrition class about "balanced" eating. The premise is that you eat protein, (good) carb and (good) fat at each (small) meal. I'm interested in seeing what the ratio is, if indeed there is a ratio. I've tried to eat this way since starting lifting weights again, and find that I don't run out of energy like I used to. Before I go to circuit training class, I eat 2 Tbl. FF cottage cheese, 3 green olives, and 5 cherries, for example, at around 8:00 am. That keeps me going strong for the two hours I'm working out.
Anyway, now that you've mentioned it in this thread, I'm going to ask about ratios tomorrow at the class.
What works for one may not work for another, not only physiologically, but also in terms of personal preference and activity level/type requirements, etc. It sure seems like what you're doing is working beautifully for you, and it also sounds very healthy!
What works for me is a larger proportion of protein. It's widely accepted that if you weight train, your body requires a greater amount of protein to support the rebuilding of muscle after each training session breaks it down. Because I also count kcals, I can't just pile on a bunch of protein on top of the existing food, so what I do is follow the recommended .6 - .8g of protein per pound of body weight, and at present that gives me a goal of about 180g protein per day.
My eating plan is low glycemic (so I can enjoy my basmati rice -- and even, on occasion, some pasta -- guilt-free!) and also low-cal. I currently average just over 1500 kcals/day -- I cycle my calories during the week, but this is my weekly daily average. (I post my daily cal's on my blog, if you're ever curious!) My targeted macro breakdown is 40% protein / 35% carb / 25% (low saturated) fat. I don't sweat it if I miss it on one day -- as long as I hit it the next and my overall averages are on track. Fiber is also very important to me, so I always make sure I get in at LEAST 35g a day, but usually I hit my real goal of 40.
Since I started to live on plan last March, with the exception of most of my time on chemo, I've logged all my eats and exercise in my Diet Power software. If I can, I enter the following day's eats the night before, and at that time I can confirm that I'm hitting all my goals. Usually though, I'm on auto-pilot, and because I know I need to have protein at each of my meals and snacks (5-6 per day,) and I eat healthy foods in appropriate portions, I'm usually right on track and see that when I log my foods at the end of the day. It's only when I throw myself a curve ball -- like a little piece of cheese, something with a little bit of cream, a little extra pasta, or a little bite of chocolate -- that I have to double check my ratios. Usually, though, those treats are planned, so I just make sure to adjust my other eats during the day to accomodate them. Like for instance if I know that I'm going to have a higher carb dinner, I'll make sure to reduce my carbs and increase my protein earlier in the day.
For the first year or so I was pretty anal about charting everything, but as time goes by I'm basing things more on intuition and acquired knowledge. I do tend to rely on lower-fat or fat-free items, even though I'm all about the taste too ~ its just that in many cases (milk, cottage cheese, yogurt and baked rather than fried foods) I'm finding it tastes just as good as full fat. While I've reduced "white" carb consumption, I've also come to love whole wheat bread, pasta and rice for the taste and not just the lower fat and increased fibre. I've increased fruits and veggies drastically, as well as lean poultry and fish (can't even remember the last time I had red meat). So while I'm not sure about my ratios (although I do make Fitday entries once in a while for the sake of interest) I AM doing something I think I can continue for life.
I would like to try to just eat a balanced meal according to how many servings of each food group a day. I'm not sure what that equates to in the grand scheme of my proteins/carbs/fats. I do know on the mornings when I would eat boiled eggs or omelets for breakfast I tended to be more alert throughout the day, had more energy and wasn't as hungry throughout the day.
I typically try to eat as balanced as possible. Lots of veggies, plenty of protein, and very carb conscious, yet not "low carb". I've never counted grams or kept track of the ratio but I always make sure to balance a carb with a protein and I strive to get plenty of fiber, dairy and enough good fat to be as healthy as possible. But as Sarah said, what works for one may not work for another, so make sure you play around with it and find the balance that works best for you.
I'm shocking for milking everyone's knowledge and experience! Thank you all for sharing it with me. Lots of food for thought there--and not one kcal in any of it!
I wouldn't mind going to a nutrition class myself, Sheila. I did a study course in it over twenty years ago, but my memory is rusty now, to say nothing of the shift in thinking by doctors/nutritionists.
Lots of good advice here.
I sometimes look at things as red light/green light/yellow light. Each person will discover their own lights. Red lights for me are potatoe chips and soda - no good can come from me buying these!!
I'm a carb whore! I have been making attempts to increase my protein, but I have more success staying on a low fat, higher carb diet in regards to calorie counting. Now that I have learned to eat one portion of pasta, I am feeling very in control of my choices. I do get most of my protein in the morning and after workouts.
At this point, I'm just counting calories and staying between, ideally, 1500-1800. I've done pretty good at staying within that range. I do watch those bad carbs though (a hold over from doing Atkins) and we only eat wheat bread, brown rice, etc. I avoid sugars and flours - though I'm not completely anal about it. I've pretty much cut out regular soda, only having 1 or 2 a week - a huge change for me but I know that corn syrup is SOOOO bad for you!
Anyway, at this point, this is working for me, I've lost 13 pounds in a month...but I figure as I go on (and learn more here! ) I can tweak it if need be. This seems to be working for me so far, I can eat whatever I want in moderation. I make lower fat choices when taste isn't compromised.
I can't have more than 8 ounces of animal protein per day. It's a lot more than you would think, sometimes.
When I eat pasta, I tend to go for whole wheat, rice is usually brown, unless I am a guest somewhere, and bread is high fiber, whole grain, as are crackers if I can at all help it. I like to get the most nutritional bang for my buck.
Dairy, I like 3 servings a day for weight loss.
Fat, I try to watch it. 2 servings a day is recommended for me. I usually choose real butter for that.
How important to you is the ratio of carbs, protein, & fat?
. I had a block in the fridge when I started this and it's still there! I won't admit to how much I used to get through.... 
I buy it in big sacks so perhaps when it runs out, I'll completely switch over to whole-grain.
Thank you all for sharing it with me. 
Lots of food for thought there--and not one kcal in any of it!
That made me laugh!
