How many carbs/ fat/protein each day?

(Terri) #1

I again sorry for all my questions! I’m tracking all my food on my lose it app. When I weigh in it tells me how many calories are allowed for the day. I tried to log the lowest carb foods I can which in turn gives me a good amount of food if I make smart choices. I’m trying to keep my carb count 25 or less, and if I can get it under 20 it’s even better. As for protein and fat what are the targets I should be trying to hit or does it matter? Thanking you all in advance

(Lazy, Dirty Keto 😝) #2

Net carbs under 20g a day, adequate protein based on body weight, the rest fat to satiety. The only macros you need to concern yourself over are being under 20g net carbs and having at least the right amount of protein. It’s ok to eat more than the minimum for protein.

#3

It’s very, very indiviual. I never could even use anything close to the numbers told me by calculators as that would be starvation feeling all day… I figured out my own numbers using my body signs. If I was hungry, I ate more. I learned what satiates me well and what not at all and other things.
One can say something about a human’s protein need. I (similarly to very many people) consider 1-2g/kg (lean bodyweight) adequate, activity level matters too but just because one is pretty inactive, it doesn’t mean they must be in the lower range or something. If more protein suits you better, eat more.

Your fat intake doesn’t really matter as long as you feel right, get enough but not too much energy from food, get your nutrients… It’s usually the leftover. You eat some little carbs (our limit is individual, some people stay in ketosis with more, some need to go lower, skip certain items, many people here use total carbs), adequate (or a bit higher) protein, the rest is fat.
You need to figure out what macros work for you. Some people eat way more fat than protein, others eat more protein than fat, some people get away with surprisingly little calories, others need more than what the calculators tell them for maintenance and they still lose just fine.
What if you eat until you get satiated? It’s a very natural, nice way. If it doesn’t work, you still can change your food choices or something. You don’t need to force your life into certain macros, it’s not a good idea for many of us.

(Windmill Tilter) #4

It’s complicated and it can get a bit boring in places, so I will relate it in the form of a parable/fairytale.

There once was a boy who ate real foods that were high in fat, and did so to satiety every day. He was always careful to keep carbs under 20g. He got very skinny and grew strong muscles. The end. :yum:

If you want to get real fancy, you can check to see if your protein was around 25% of total calories. E.G., if your total calories are 1600, you’d want to see around 100g protein. You’ve had enough fat when you’re not hungry. The best way though is to just eat real foods to satiety.

(Terri) #5

1600 omg! Well the more weight I lose the lower calories I’m allowed, I so for today for example I’m allowed 1188

(bulkbiker) #6

Forget calories please… carbs 20g max ever and eat until you’re satiated.

(Brandy) #7

If that app you’re using is counting calories eaten as the primary metric, delete it immediately and then celebrate your first big win.

Everybody does this their own way. My personal metrics are 5% carbs, 25% protein, 70% fat. I try to stick to that, regardless of the amount of calories I require to be satiated on any given day. I gave increased protein the ol’ college try but it didn’t suit me.

(Windmill Tilter) #8

Hmmm. Unlike “The Boy Who Kept Things Simple” above, the story of “The Metabolism & The App” is not a very happy one, but here’s how it goes…

There once was a metabolism that was the by-product of billions of years of evolution that became so complex that even the greatest scientists could barely comprehend it. For all it’s sophistication however, it could only speak two words: “hungry” and “not hungry”.

The boy to whom the metabolism belonged was quite clever and decided, understandably, that something that could only speak two words probably wasn’t very bright. In his search for something less monosyllabic, he came across an app on itunes that told him what average boys ate to achieve fat loss with pinpoint precision. Little did the boy know, this precision was an illusion. The app failed to consider the enormous variations in metabolic rate between individuals, and more ominously, the fact that the hormonal mechanisms of metabolic rate were entirely within the metabolism’s control.

One day, the metabolism said to the boy “hungry” as he had done for eons, and the boy consulted his app. “Silly metabolism, millennial developers spent months coding this app, and it says you’re wrong” replied the boy. The metabolism was sad, but it knew exactly what to do. It down-regulated the boys resting metabolic rate, and increased the hormone gherlin so it could shout “hungry” louder. Alas, the boy just played with his phone and pretended not to hear.

In his despair, the lonely metabolism down-regulated the boys metabolic rate even further through adrenal hormones, increased the caloric efficiency of work so that exercise could not help him, increased his hunger exponentially with ghrelin, and refused to use leptin to speak the word “full” no matter how much the boy ate.

At first, things seemed fine and the boy grew a bit slimmer, but soon the weight loss slowed, and then stopped altogether. In the coming months, the boy regained all the weight that he had lost and grew fatter still, despite his best attempts at subsequent diets and trendy exercise classes. The developers fucked off to the carribean with IPO money and bought expensive things.

The End. :yum:

On a more serious note, eating to satiety sounds counterintuitive at first, but it really is the best way for long term weight loss. There are some things that confound satiety signals like artificial sweeteners, exercise, nuts, and keto baked goods, but there is wide variation between individuals as to whether these are an issue. For the meantime, just keep things simple, get fat adapted, and see where you are in a couple of months. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. :+1:

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #9

Keto is really simple. Keep your carbs sub-20 grams per day. Don’t be hungry. Hungry before meals is OK, it’s just your body’s way of reminding you it’s time to eat. Hungry before, after meals and all the time is not OK. It’s your body’s way of telling you EAT MORE!

In a few months you can fine tune the fat and protein ratio. Don’t worry about it now. In a few months you will know a lot more than you know now and will be a lot less confused. There’s a world of great no/low carb food out there awaiting your discovery. You can find it, just like the rest of us did. :heart_eyes:

(Terri) #10

Thank you so much! This explanation with humour was a great read and very informative at the same time. Perhaps some of my error is I’m trying to adapt the ideal protein protocol that is burned in my head from 8 years ago to fit more to what you all are following. Thanks for teaching me something and making me smile at the same time

(Troy Mitchell) #11

I kinda do mine by feel. When I first started, I weighed 380 and eating keto I barely got 1800 calories and I was full all the time. Now that I exercise regularly and down 30 plus pounds, I eat 2500 calories and my protein to fat ratio is almost 1 to 1. I suppose it has to do with me strength training now. I rarely crave carbs anymore. When I get hungry, I want a piece of meat topped with butter and an avacado on the side. Feed your body what it needs.

(Windmill Tilter) #12

Lol, yeah I guess I kind of got a bit carried away there. I read too many Brothers Grimm stories as a kid I guess… :smile:

You should never worry about asking questions around here. We all started exactly where you are. Keto runs contrary to most of what we’ve been taught our whole lives. People are pretty helpful and friendly around here, and most of them know more than I do. Ask away!

Also, there are 1000 ways to keto successfully. Some people track calories and macros meticulously, some never do it even once. Some monitor ketones and glucose with devices, and some track nothing. There’s plenty of ways to approach keto and none of them are “wrong”.

The key principles of eating to satiety and staying under 20g carbs seem to work well for most people. It’s a great place to start and get settled before adding in any complexity.

(Katie) #13

That is very low, in my opinion, and might end up preventing you from meeting your goals. It is typically recommended to not even count calories during the adaptation phase. Just stick to fewer than 20g of carbohydrates. Do not starve yourself or be restrictive. Once you are adapted, then you can consider calories.

That is just what I recommend, I am not a professional.

(Terri) #14

Thank you!!!

(Susan) #15

Neither am I, but Katie is giving you great advice, @Terrim

Believe me, I under ate on calories and it caused a stall, so please make sure that you eat enough … 1188 is not enough, get a new app =).

(Terri) #16

does protein need to be higher than the fat? According to what I have logged for the day this is what it’s showing

Screenshot_20200206-114340
Screenshot_20200206-114340.png1080×2340 212 KB

#17

It’s irrelevant or individual. Protein should be adequate at least. Fat should be enough to give enough energy together with protein and the tiny amount of carbs. It says nothing about their relationships.
I don’t care about their ratio but I usually eat a tad more fat than protein as I like my food just as fatty and it gives me nice macros (adequate protein, enough but not too much energy, enough for satiation). It’s the easiest, simplest and most enjoyable. I surely will have totally different ratios later and it will be fine. Many people eat way more fat than protein (twice as much in the PKD but it’s for therapic reasons. surely it just happens in other cases, like when one needs very high energy). All is okay as long as it suits the person at the moment.

(mole person) #18

No, a ketogenic diet is generally described as high fat and moderate protein. A lot of people here, myself included, find that higher protein negatively impacts weight losses. Others do not seem to have this issue. For myself, if I consume protein in excess of 75 grams per day then my ketone levels drop very steeply and my weight begins to creep up from my maintenance level.

(Bunny) #19

I’ve found this tip by Dr. Berg extremely useful:

Ignore Counting Vegetable Carbs on Your Keto Plan