Paleo advise please.

[SheriLJWahner]

I am on a Paleo eating plan.  I just started logging my food to get a feel for what I am eating and the calories and all that.  I hope that once I get the hang of logging, I will be able to better determine any tweaks I need to make in my diet in the future.  I am just not sure what percentages of Protein vs carbs vs fats should look like idealy.  I don't want to obsess over it but I sure don't know what I should be looking for.  Would anyone be able to clarify or help me out?

[SunsetRunner · Accepted solution]

It’s really about what works for you. Some people do better on different macro ratio than others. Protein and fats are essential and carbs are nonessential. The absolute minimum for protein is I think 0.8 grams per pound of body weight, however, you have to keep in mind that some protein is excreted in the bowels and if you want to minimize muscle loss while losing fat you do need to keep your protein up. Protein also helps with satiety and is extremely hard to convert to body fat. Not that it can’t be converted to body fat but it requires a bigger process to do it. Fat is used for just about everything in the body and aids in fat loss. I prefer 0.5 grams per pound of bodyweight but you may have a different preference. The body does not need carbs but think of carbs as like an energy reserve. If you are very active you may need more carbs to keep your energy up. If you aren’t very active then it’s better to minimize your carbs. Glycogen stored in the muscles can only be used if you are using your muscles. So, if you are not very active and are eating a lot of carbs, the body has nowhere to store the glycogen because you aren’t using the glycogen that’s already stored and will be converted into body fat. There's a lot that goes into this but I hope it helps give you an idea of what would work for you.

[Dominique]

Whether your goal is to lose, maintain or gain weight, the most important factor are calories. How you spread your total calories between macronutrients comes after that. It’s mostly a question of personal preferences (as @SunsetRunner puts it: what works for you). 

You may want to have a look at this older topic on eating for health vs. body composition. It lists things from most important to least important, depending on what your focus is.

The minimum requirements for each macronutrient are rather low, and it is likely you meet all of them with your paleo diet.

[SheriLJWahner]

Thank you!  I appreciate you sharing the article.

[SheriLJWahner]

Thank you for your help!