What should be the balance of carbs, fat and protein?

[AM2977]

I am looking for a good balance and at the present time I seem to have a high % of carbs.  Looking for some feedback on what a balanced breakdown wood be?

[Odyssey13]

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@AM2977 wrote:

I am looking for a good balance and at the present time I seem to have a high % of carbs.  Looking for some feedback on what a balanced breakdown wood be?

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@AM2977 
If you were diabetic, you'd be told to keep your carb grams to 45 (female) or 60 (male) per meal. Since carbs are mostly sugar, you can offset this with fiber (whole grains, fruit, veggies).

There will be many different opinions on the forums about this subject. The main thing is to become more aware of what you're eating and you are. You can increase the veggies and learn how to do the right balance for yourself.

Your health care professional, or insurance company nurse, might be able to say what you should eat that would be best for you. There are many places online that have charts based on age, gender, height and weight, too.

Welcome to the forums.

[carl669]

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@AM2977 wrote:

I am looking for a good balance and at the present time I seem to have a high % of carbs.  Looking for some feedback on what a balanced breakdown wood be?

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this is going to be different for everyone.  for me, my ideal balance of fat/protein/carbs seems to be around 70/25/5.  but that's just me and i had to do some trial and error to figure it out.  

if you're concerned you've got too many carbs, lower the amount down for a week or two and see how you feel.  just make sure you compensate for the missing calories by adding either extra protein and/or extra fat.

[gerrymcd]

Pick any percentage you like and you - high protein/low carb, low protein/high carb, low fat, high fat -- and you will find people who swear this is the best balance.  

I think it all comes down to what works best for you, and your goals.  If you want to lose weight and your present diet isn't taking you in that direction make some changes.  If you feel like you lack energy, try changing to more/less carbs. Its a case of trial and error and, most importantly, listening to your body rather than following a formula.

[tallson]

I just finished reading an interesting book that addresses most of those questions. "Why we get fat" by Gary Taubes, a science writer.

[Steven]

Don't know if this will help:

"If you eat 2,000 calories a day, you should consume about 250 grams of complex carbohydrates per day. A good starting place for people with diabetes is to have roughly 45 to 60 grams of carbs per meal and 15 to 30 grams for snacks."

Source: Health.com

[sonia_trainer]

Hi, I just came across your post and maybe I can be of help.  I'm a nationally certified personal trainer and weight management specialist and the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a daily split of 58% carbs, 20-30% fats (preferably non-saturated) and 20-25% proteins (if meat, then preferably lean types.)  However, this is a split for someone at a healthy weight.  If you're trying to drop lbs. then you should restrict your carbs to one apple or a cup of berries a day and do away with anything processed as well as all breads, rice and pasta.  You'll see the extra lbs melt away pretty fast and you'll also feel better with less bloat and definitely smaller around your waistline.  Then, after a few wks you can start adding a few more carbs, just abit every other day, but while still keeping it healthy and natural.  Anything processed will ruin the progress so be mindful.  

Hope this helps!

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@AM2977 wrote:

I am looking for a good balance and at the present time I seem to have a high % of carbs.  Looking for some feedback on what a balanced breakdown wood be?

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Sonia

[Dominique]

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@AM2977 wrote:

I am looking for a good balance and at the present time I seem to have a high % of carbs.  Looking for some feedback on what a balanced breakdown wood be?

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As often, the answer is: it depends.

Here is a very good article (in four parts) by Lyle McDonald that compares the main types of diets:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/comparing-the-diets-part-1/

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/comparing-the-diets-part-2/

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/comparing-the-diets-part-3/

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/comparing-the-diets-part-4/

At the end of part 4, there's a chart that suggests the optimal diet depending on factors like your activity level, insuline sensitivity etc.