What is more important? The ratios or grams?

#1

Do you focus more on hitting macros or the suggested grams of fat, protein, and carbs you eat each day, or some combination? Is the 20 grams or less of carbs a hard and fast rule or would you be okay aiming for 30 say?

I’m getting so much contradicting info online. If I look at my grams (tracking using chronometer) I’m always well over the suggested protein, nowhere near the suggested fat, and around 30 grams carbs. I started to be more concerned with hitting macro percents due to info I found online. Now, I feel that I’m finding info saying you CANNOT get more than 20 grams carbs. I tried to enter all my food for tomorrow into Chronometer and REALLY focus on hitting my specific grams of carbs, proteins, fats (plan my eating with that as a guide) but I’ve now entered a full day of food, me protein is slightly over, my carbs are right at 20, and my fat is WAY under, and more importantly, it’s only 900 calories for the day.

The only way I can think to meet my grams per day fat and hit 1500 calories is to basically start spoon feeding myself oil or butter, and not only does that not sound appetizing, but after just getting off a 5 day bout of a VERY upset stomach, I’m nervous to incorporate that much added fat.

How do people handle this? I have to fit more calories in somewhere…

(Ron) #2

This is all part of the learning process and everyone does it, so don’t panic.:slightly_smiling_face: You want to hit your macro’s as closely as you can. 20g carbs is a limit but try to be under as much as possible. Protein has some wiggle so if you go over it is no big deal (but most find it will slow weight loss and the adaption process), and fat is to satiety but try to reach your macro and don’t under eat as this will hinder the process and slow down the metabolism. You want to fuel the body as much as possible in the early adaption transition so the body has all the energy it needs to heal and do the converting process.
Welcome aboard, and ask if you have more questions. There are great people here willing to help!:+1::grin:

(Alec) #3

Grams and hunger. Grams for carbs and protein, hunger for fat.

(Candy Lind) #4

@Mntngirl, Alec has the basics right there. Don’t let this get too overwhelming! At first, concentrate on low carbs - 20 grams or less is ideal, a moderate amount of protein, and fat to satiety. That’s really all you should concentrate on. SATIETY is key - if you get hungry 3 hours after a meal, you didn’t eat enough fat.

Finding ways to add fat to your diet is the most challenging thing when you’re new to keto, when you’ve been taught to fear fat all your life. Think of your carbs & proteins as “fat transportation agents.” Salad should have plenty of full-fat dressing. Cooked veggies should be swimming in butter or oil or cream or fatty sauce. Add cheese to things! Protein should be a fatty cut of meat or have plenty of fat added, just like the veggies. If you can’t fit enough fat in, find some fat bomb recipes that appeal to you, so you can eat a couple to add fat to a meal or if you didn’t eat enough at a meal. Ask here if you need more ideas.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #5

If you give a typical day’s meals, we can show you where and how to add more fat and calories.

#6

IMO, ratios are next to worthless. If everyone followed the “less than 20 grams of net carbs”, obviously the ratio is going to be far different if you take in 1200 calories or 3600 calories. When I used the calculators, I really only paid attention to the protein suggestion.

For carbs, it’s all a matter of what keeps you in ketosis. Some people can take in 80 grams of carbs and stay in ketosis. Others can’t go over 50. It will vary widely by the individual. The “20 net carbs” level is just a “lowest common denominator” that should put almost anyone in ketosis. As you continue, you can increase it and see what happens to your cravings and your hunger levels.

I set my own daily macros based on my overall goals:

  • < 1200 calories (because I want to lose weight)
  • < 20 grams net carbs (because I want to control blood sugar and hunger)
  • > 120 grams of proteins (because my body needs them)

I don’t have a direct macro for fats, but there is an indirect limit applied to them because of the calories. But if I do feel hunger, I will feed it more calories, mostly via fat, but extra protein is also OK. I’d rather miss a day’s macros than find myself in a binge mood swing. That used to happen often for me on low-fat diets.

But you should never feel have to get up to a fat or calorie macro. If you are not hungry and have enough energy, you don’t need more fuel.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

It’s worth adding to all the valuable advice here that fat is not some miracle food; we recommend it because of the three macronutrients—fat, protein, carbohydrate—fat is the one that stimulates insulin secretion the least, so it is the safest macro for adding calories to a diet. Fat is also the most caloric of the the three, at about 9 calories (kilocalories, actually) per gram, so it takes less of it to reach a given level of calories.

You want to keep insulin as low as possible because it is the fat-storage hormone. If you eat more carbohydrate than your body can tolerate, it stimulates excess insulin, and all that carbohydrate then gets stored as fat. Eat the same amount of calories in the form of fat, and your insulin will stay low and your fat tissue can release its excess fat to be metabolized.