Macros confusion

(Dale Carson) #1

I dont get the percentages of fat to protein and calorie amount of what to eat, im 213 want to loose weight 5ft2 inches and pushing 50, all i have been is trying to stay under 25 net carbs closer to 20but from there im LOST.

(Lazy, Dirty Keto 😝) #2
(Carl Keller) #3

The calculator Becca posted will give you a good idea of what amounts of protein and carbs you should eat, in addition to carbs… but macros are just guides and people are different so don’t treat it like you have to eat those exact amounts. If you are just starting you just need to pay attention to a few simple things:

Keep net carbs under 20 (25 is ok but 20 will hold you more accountable).
~You can likely start a bit higher and work your way down but 20 is a good honest number that will allow you to eat plenty of vegetables along with fat and protein.

Use a carb tracker like cronometer.com
~so you can accurately track your carbs. It tracks many other things but this is the most important

Feed yourself plenty of fat and fairly moderate protein
~These two things are your best friend in regards to keeping hunger and cravings in check. You should not gorge yourself on these things but eat until you are not hungry. It’s very important to not starve yourself, so eat when you are hungry.

Keep your electrolytes up.
~At least 64oz (2liters) of water and 2+ teaspoons of salt per day. We don’t retain either of these very well on a ketogenic diet and those two things are paramount for reducing/preventing the Keto Flu

Don’t stress and get plenty of sleep.
~Growing, healing and recovering work best when we are relaxed. So try to get 7-9 hours per day and don’t obsess with what keto is not yet doing. Most likely it is doing plenty of good things for you that you’ve yet to notice.

#4

Forget about ratios and percentages. Keto is a simple concept – Minimal carbs, adequate protein, fat as needed (for satiety).

You want to keep carbs low, because that’s what keeps you in ketosis. The 20 grams of net carbs is a lowest common denominator where ketosis is almost certain, but many can go higher. But, in general, the lower the better.

You need to make sure you get enough protein, because your body needs them. It will vary depending on your lean body mass and activity level. Make sure you get enough. More is better than less, and it’s hard to get too much.

After that, it’s fat and calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, you’d want to eat less fat because you want to use stored body fat. But if you’re hungry, you need to eat more fat. Maybe a little protein. But as few additional carbs as possible. Early on, it’s OK to go above a calorie goal. Later on, for most people, getting into ketosis provides a natural appetite suppressant.

When I do the online calculators, the only thing I take away is the grams of protein I may need.

What you want to get to is a point where food is just fuel. My second keto mantra is “Eat when hungry. Stop when full. Mostly meat.” I’m still working on getting there… :frowning:

#5

Forget the number crunching for a moment. I reckon it’s simpler to understand via a menu.

Breakfast: 2 eggs fried in butter with about 3 pieces of bacon
Coffee with cream.

Lunch: Avocado, 1 ounce Colby cheese (pretty thick slice) OR chunk of feta (2 oz), canned sardines or salmon.
Coffee with cream.

Dinner: Roast chicken, I’ll eat 3 drumsticks or about a quarter chicken. A bunch of steamed vegetables with butter on top.

Snacks like almonds, walnuts or a low-carb trail mix.

Dead simple.

I don’t dabble with sauces or anything from a jar. As close to real food as I can get.

Drink tons of water. And don’t spare the salt.

If you do all the number crunching on that you’ll get about 20g carbs, 80-120g protein the rest is fat (from the butter, avocado and whatever is in the meat so nothing weird).

OR

  • Let’s put it another way, instead of eating any bread, rice, pasta or cereal - replace those with vegetables with butter on top. Continue eating meat pretty well as before … Avoid sugary drinks and juice like the plague.

Hope that helps but that’s my secret formula.

(Mary) #6

Loved the simplicity of your post! As a 63 year old just starting Keto today you made is very clear on how to eat. I was getting so confused and obsessing about the macros. For now I will just keep net carbs under 20g and feel the rest will fall into place.

(Scott) #7

For me the hardest part was going from fat is bad for me to fat is good for me. That doesn’t mean go crazy for fat. Just go back to using butter and olive oil for cooking. Eating eggs and bacon for breakfast goes a long way and save the drippings for cooking too.

(Full Metal KETO AF) #8

Everyone has given great advice here. No need to overthink or stress. You got it right to closely watch the carbs and you should not worry at the point about too much protein or fats. Both of those can be reduced once you’re in the keto groove and feeling good without sugar and carbs. Your body will be changing and what you need to eat will also with time. I really only keep a running daily carb count in my head and if you’re not choosing veggies and condiments that are a on the border of being significant carb sources then your going to be fine. A little chili paste or something with a few carbs in a spoonful can get you out of range if you’re not mindful. I find it pretty easy to stay under 20-25 a day. You should watch out for large amounts of garlic and onions as these are generally allowed but can jack up your carb count if used indiscriminately. There are many 7-day keto or Atkins meal plans available on the net that may help you stay in line at the beginning especially until you get the hang of it. All the best wishes for your success in this great choice you have made.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #9

@CarlKeller, @OgreZed, and @Alex99 put it best. All I can add is to ignore the calorie goal any macro calculator gives you. Even the total calories on “Maintenance” tend to be too low. Listen to your body, and pretty soon you will find your appetite shifting. You’ll be quite happy with less food.

For me it happened around three weeks in, and it was the first time I can remember having food on my plate and not finishing it. I got halfway through and just wasn’t hungry anymore. That was my satiety signaling reasserting itself, and it has only grown stronger over the months since. It not that I don’t have room for more, it’s that I don’t want more.

So the moral is: Listen to your body, and make sure to give it what it wants. It will reward you with improved health and by getting rid of any excess stored fat you may happen to have lying around. (As long as you keep your carb intake low, anyway.) And you won’t have to count calories, and you won’t have to go hungry for all this good stuff to happen!

(Running from stupidity) #10

:metal::metal::metal::metal::metal:

#11

Hear. Hear. That is my goal. I just have five decades of bad eating habits to unlearn. Bad eating habits partially created by the sugar-insulin cycle.

(Sheryl) #12

I have been living the keto life for over a year. I find this lifestyle very satisfying. I get disappointed by the fact that the scale doesn’t budge like the fabulous posts of others loosing significant weight in 6 or 8 months. I know Inhave lost inches but would like to see the scale budge more. Reviewing my eating habits I don’t measure out my nuts (peanuts or almonds). Otherwise breakfast usually two eggs cooked in avocado oil, half avocado, bacon and coffee with heavy cream. Lunch usually salad with olives anchovies, cheese. Dinner usually meat, roasted cauliflower and another green veggie. Snack in evening few fat bombs, or nuts. Don’t usually feel the need to sack during the day unless hungry then will grab a slice of cooked bacon or salami or cheese.

(Scott) #13

You may want to try losing the after dinner snacking. As I keep reading and refining my keto WOE I have come to the conclusion that once dinner has ended I don’t eat again til morning.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #14

I’m curious about this. It seems to me that losing fat while gaining more muscle and increasing bone density would be a good thing. Would you really prefer to go back to weaker muscles and more brittle bones, just to see a lower reading on the scale?