% of nutrients I need?

tim_mcf · 12-Jul-05, 12:30 AM

I want to lose 24 lbs in the next 12 weeks. What % of my diet should come from protein, carbs, fat?

I'm working with a 2500 cal/day diet. Here's my workout journal:

http://www.discussfitness.com/showth...t=28575&page=5

The shorthand form of the workout is: Monday chest & abs / run intervals; Tuesday back / swim; Wednesday legs / steady distance run; Thursday arms & abs / swim; Friday full body / run intervals.

**Lady C** · 12-Jul-05, 08:35 AM

I reviewed your diet and the biggest things that stand out are;
1-too many breads, pasta, rice, oatmeal, etc for cutting
2-too much peanut butter
3-dump the beer post-workout - it is killing your gains
4-add more (tons more) veggies to make up for the lost carbs from breads, rice, etc.

If you really want this in the next 12 weeks, I would not eat ANY breads, pasta, rice oatmeal, etc and no alcohol. I did this in the begining and it works wonders. After you have reached your goal, add them back in sparingly until you understand your body. I don't think you need any peanut butter for the next 12 weeks, especially if you are that serious. Stick with salmon or tuna for your omegas. When finished cutting I would only eat PB once per week NOT daily, IMO.

You are probably thinking, I just worked out a beer won't hurt. You are drinking beer when your body wants nutrients (beer has little nutrients). Alcohol slows down your metabolism. Working-out it boosting your metabolism. Your body doesn't know if it should gain muscle, lose fat, or stay the same.

What do you eat on Sat & Sun? <very important question> If you are feeling entitled to eat whatever and drink beer this is also killing any gains/losses.

tim_mcf · 12-Jul-05, 02:34 PM

Thanks for the input. I haven't posted my diet on the workout log for quite a while...here is yesterday:

food - calories - protein - carbs - fat
smoothie - 361 - 16 - 45.1 - 15.9 (peanut butter in this)
energy bar - 163 - 16 - 33 - 14 (peanut butter in this)
2 pieces of toast - 260 - 12 - 46 - 3
1 link of turkey sausage - 65 - 4.5 - 0 - 5.5
tb olive oil - 120 - 0 - 0 - 14
1/2 cup salmon - 175 - 21 - 0 - 7
sandwich (2 slices bread, mustard, salmon, tomato, mozzarella cheese, lettuce) - 519 - 39.8 - 51.1 - 13.3
nectarine - 67 - 1.3 - 16 - .6
1/2 cup salmon - 175 - 21 - 0 - 7
1 slice bread - 130 - 6 - 23 - 1.5
nectarine - 67 - 1.3 - 16 - .6
Cajun chicken sandwich (hoagie roll, chicken breast, tomato, gr. pepper) - 780 - 78.2 - 41.4 - 32.4
dinner salad (lettuce, negligible amount of cheddar, vinagrette dressing) - 10 - .4 - 2.5 - .1

That's a total of: 3042 - 230.1 - 275.3 - 124.9
That's more calories than I wanted, but yesterday was when I refigured what I should have, and also the first time I figured out all this stuff in this much detail, so I wasn't really sure what was happening until it was all over. I'm going to stick to the 2500 calories today (so help me). Today I'm eating less bread (only 1 slice of toast with breakfast, no bread with the afternoon snack), no smoothie this morning (although I sure do like it as a pre-workout meal at 5 am), and I will attempt to get more veggies. Celery, broccoli, carrots sound good?

My other question is, how exactly to I work out what % of the calories are coming from protein, carbs, fat? Do I just add up the total grams of everything and divide to get a percentage, or do I have to figure out how many calories are coming from each and then divide THAT number?

I sure appreciate your help.

**Lady C** · 12-Jul-05, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim_mcf

here is yesterday:

food - calories - protein - carbs - fat
total: - 3042 --- 230.1 -- 275.3 - 124.9

Using your values this is how one figures out the percentages.
protein ---> 230x4=920
carbs ---> 275x4=1100
fat -----> 125x9=1125
----------------------
total calories -- 3145 <my numbers are off due to rounding>
920/3145=.29 or 29% protein
1100/3145=.35 or 35% carbs
1125/3145=.36 or 36% fat

The fat is way to high drop this down to around 25%. Make up the difference in calories in veggie carbs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim_mcf

no smoothie this morning (although I sure do like it as a pre-workout meal at 5 am)

keep the smoothie but dump the fat (peanut butter) you want those calories to digest fast. Fat slows it down too much.

tim_mcf · 12-Jul-05, 05:23 PM

Wow, just tons of very helpful information. Thank you. So I want 25% fat, 30% protein, 45% carbs? If not those proportions, then what?

I cut out the olive oil on my toast today...that's 120 calories less fat, that should help.

Okay, so assuming I eat 2500 calories a day, 625 of those should be from fat, which equals 69 grams. Did I get that right?

I'm looking at my list for other high-fat items...the energy bars have 14 grams apiece. Can you recommend a recipe that doesn't rely so heavily on peanut butter? I work out at 5:30 am and I usually grab the smoothie, which I made the night before, and an energy bar and head out the door. After the workout I have the regular breakfast, with eggs, toast, turkey sausage and coffee.

Again, thanks so much for the help.

**Lady C** · 12-Jul-05, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim_mcf

Okay, so assuming I eat 2500 calories a day, 625 of those should be from fat, which equals 69 grams. Did I get that right?

Yes, Yes, my son.

You learn fast!

Pre-workout you don't need the smoothie AND the bar. I would stick with the smoothie partially because I think bars are low quality nutrition.

**cursor** · 13-Jul-05, 10:50 AM

Hit Tim. You might find these threads to be somewhat helpful in balancing your macronutrients:

Slimming Down
Workout Timing and Diet Tactics

tim_mcf · 14-Jul-05, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady C

Pre-workout you don't need the smoothie AND the bar. I would stick with the smoothie partially because I think bars are low quality nutrition.

Today I didn't have the bar, and I was dying by the end of my workout - leg day went well, but I couldn't do as much cardio as I had planned. I meant to run 3.5 miles and could barely do 2. I know the energy bar has a lot of fat, but I seem to need the honey and so forth in it for... um... energy. It's homemade, so doesn't have all the artificial stuff found in commercial bars. Of course, I don't know much so I'm open to your teachings, o my guru.

Why do you say I should have NO bread or pasta, rather than just less?

It's hard to keep the fat down to 25%. I did pretty well today:
2610.5 cal - 197 .7 p (28%) - 342.6 c (48%) - 76.3 f (24%)
but it was tough. Nearly everything that has protein also has a lot of fat. Thank goodness for salmon. By the way, when I multiply out my nutrients and add up the caloric values, I come up with more than I got from adding calories as I went. I figured percentages with the higher number I got via the multiplication. I suppose the difference could be due to rounding...?

Thanks for the input, Cursor. The links you posted are interesting. In regards to the "workout timing" thread...I understand what you're saying, but it's tough to get that much food in me at 5 am before a workout; which is why I'm so fond of the energy bars and smoothies. Any suggestions? After the workout, I come home and roust my wife and son out of bed for breakfast (and I always have the same thing - it drives my wife crazy) and that meal is 345 cal - 21.1 p - 24.2 c - 17 f. (1 slice dry toast, 2 eggs, 1 link turkey sausage)

**Lady C** · 14-Jul-05, 08:58 AM

If you need more energy, add the honey and maybe some oats to the smoothie or find a way to make your bars without the PB. BTW what do you put in your smoothie?

I went back and read your workout routine. Pretty agressive. I would drop some of those aerobic exercises on weight days or you will end up in overtraining.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim_mcf

Why do you say I should have NO bread or pasta, rather than just less?

Because you have an aggressive goal of 24 lbs fat loss AND muscle gain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim_mcf

It's hard to keep the fat down to 25%. I did pretty well today:
2610.5 cal - 197 .7 p (28%) - 342.6 c (48%) - 76.3 f (24%)
but it was tough. Nearly everything that has protein also has a lot of fat. Thank goodness for salmon. By the way, when I multiply out my nutrients and add up the caloric values, I come up with more than I got from adding calories as I went. I figured percentages with the higher number I got via the multiplication. I suppose the difference could be due to rounding...?

That is why I recommend EVERYONE try the exercise of adding up calories and adjusting as necessary to reach one's goals. Could be the rounding for the different numbers.

Quote:

Any suggestions? After the workout, I come home and roust my wife and son out of bed for breakfast (and I always have the same thing - it drives my wife crazy) and that meal is 345 cal - 21.1 p - 24.2 c - 17 f. (1 slice dry toast, 2 eggs, 1 link turkey sausage)

I would have another smoothie with protein powder added. About 1 hr after that have a bowl of oatmeal or a baked potato and some lean protein.

tim_mcf · 15-Jul-05, 06:58 PM

The smoothie is 6 ice cubes, 3/4 cup of oatmeal, 2 tb yogurt, 2 tb chocolate whey powder, 1 tb flax, 1 cup 1% milk. (And up until a couple days ago, I also put 2 tb peanut butter in it...)

I'll try adding some honey and more whey powder.

**Lady C** · 16-Jul-05, 09:35 AM

I would add up to 1/2 cup yogurt and more whey. You may not need the honey if you add more yogurt.

FYI - My shakes are 1/3 c yogurt, 1/3 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 banana, 1/2 scoop whey & a few frozen strawberries. My husband doubles those amounts.

tim_mcf · 16-Jul-05, 11:28 PM

I'll try your advice for the smoothie.

As far as the bread is concerned, I guess what I really wanted to know is, "What is it about the bread and pasta that will make it harder to reach my goal?"

**threenorns** · 16-Jul-05, 11:39 PM

high GI, common cause of bloating (wheat and/or gluten), and white, refined pasta and bread are basically empty carbs. put the calories to better use. if you're on a slimming regimen, you want every single calorie to count toward superior nutrition.

**Lady C** · 17-Jul-05, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tim_mcf

As far as the bread is concerned, I guess what I really wanted to know is, "What is it about the bread and pasta that will make it harder to reach my goal?"

You are really having a hard time with that suggestion. Why, really think about it? Do you really love those kinds of carbs? Do they seem to satisfy you more? Do you feel it makes you feel better? You find yourself craving and binging on these types of carbs. If you can't figure out why, then I would seem to think it is more out of habit than need. If you just love them, then decide how much you want to reach your goal. Like 3N suggests they are empty carbs. Eat them if you want. It is your personal goal and no one will be judging you if you do or you don't.

People do lots of things out of habit not need. I found myself eating them out of habit. I simply don't crave them anymore. And if I feel like eating them, then I do. We had 1/2 mashed potatoes & 1/2 mashed califlower (mixed together) the other night. It was pretty good.

tim_mcf · 18-Jul-05, 12:12 AM

I don't have a huge desire to eat pasta, I just want to understand why things work the way they do. I definitely do have a habit of eating bread, but it's not necessarily something I can't live without. If white, refined pasta and bread is bad, what about whole wheat bread and pasta? Do they also represent "empty carbs"?