Dietary protein, carbs and fat

[Hercfeend]

How do you work them out? Do you do it on the fly, using a formula or an on-line calculator?

This is what I came up with.....

Weight: 83kg

BMR (1615) + Harris Formula (x1.55): 2503 Daily calorific requirement

40:40:20 (Pro:Cho:Fat split)

Protein: 250g - 2503cals *.40% /4.

Carbs: 250g - 2503cals *.40% /4.

Fats: 55g - 2503cals *20% /9

Cals: 2503 cals

Now I’m suffering from over thinking and information overload on the subject and though you might kick me back onto the rails.....

How many grams of protein per day should I be looking at?

I’m currently 83kg looking to increase steadily.

Train 4-5 x 45-60min sessions a week

Accordingly I’ve calculated I need approx 2503-2786 cals per day.

If I go with a 40:40:20 (Pro:Cho:Fat) split that's 250g protein per day.

250g per day at my current weight seems a bit high. I don't have an issue with this if it's correct and I can consume it but if it's too much for my body to utilise it's a waste of time and more importantly money.

2g per kg / 1g per lbs of bodyweight seems to be the majority consensus and this would require me to consume approx 183g per day. But there are so many articles on the subject all giving different and often conflicting advice that it's difficult to determine which are accurate, supported, personal opinions or just bu**ocks......

A little guidance from you knowledgeable folk would really be appreciated. Thx

[singular]

Hercfeend,

I go by trial and error initially to pick a calorie level.

At the moment I'm re-comping on 2000 calories and it's working.

From there I choose suitable macros. In my experience macros have a significant effect on my body. I've had cool runnings with 40/40/20 and am using it at the moment. From there if I want to reduce calories I take out the carbs until they're at half.

Currently -

Weight: 75 kg

Calories: 2000

40/40/20:

2000 * .4 = 800 cals from protein. 800 / 4 = 200 grams protein per

day. This is about 2.66 x BW.

2000 * .4 = 800 cals from carbs. 800 / 4 = 200 grams carbs per day.

2000 * .2 = 400 cals from fat. 400 / 9 = 44.4444 grams fat per day.

From here if I wanted to reduce calories I'd take carbs down to 100g per day.

If I wanted calories to go up I'd make sure I got everything back to 40/40/20 then increase overall.

On 2600 cals that would mean 260 g of protein, which is getting high, so I'd maybe start looking at alternatives. But the reason I go with 40/40/20 is because I'm very insulin sensitive, so I'd maybe then look at replacing protein calories with fat calories.

[teamfatboy]

That's a good approach, Singular... I do it essentially the same way. Use a calculator like Harris-Benedict to work out your calorie load (personally, I think H-B's a little high, but it's working for me ).

Then, work out the % - I'm on a carb-cycle, roughly 45:45:10 pro/cho/fat on weights days, 65:25:10 on non-weights days.

That gives you daily pro/cho/fat proportions in grammes. The fun starts with breaking those down into meals..... but essentially you'd end up with a goal gramme-count for pro/cho/fat per meal (six/day in my case).

First, work out the protein and carb sources... and then the fats (fish oil caps, olive oil, whatever).

The 'free' foods quickly become your friends - tomatos, capsicums, cucumbers and the like that add variety, flavour, and the five-a-day fruit-and-veg servings.

[PeterDolan]

I think a calculator may be a good way to get some numbers but you've gotta make adjustments on how you feel

[Hercfeend]

I'm a numbers man - maybe the military did it to me....

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): 1615 (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/)

Harris Benedict Equation

Total daily calorie need for maintenance: 2503 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55 (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/)

[Hercfeend]

Appended to post 1

[perpetual_injuries]

Work with kJ they're a bit more accurate

37kJ per gram of fat

17kJ per gram of protein

16kJ per gram of CHO

Protein recommendations don't have an upper limit set. However, over 25% is generally seen as pointless. The American Dietetic Association and the Dietitions of Canada did a meta-analysis of studies on the nutritional requirements for athletes. The paper they published was 'Nutrition and Athletic Performance'.

Key points from it:

CHO intake = 6-10g/kg body weight

Protein intake = 1.2-1.7g/kg body weight

Fat intake = at least 20% and up to 35% of total kJ. Under 20% can lead to major issue due to a lack of essential fatty acids.

Aim to have 1-1.5g/kg of CHO withing 30min of high intensity exercise to speed recovery. Then again every 2 hours for 4-6 hours total.

No vitamin or mineral supplements are required if an athlete is consuming adequate energy from a variety of foods.

The only ergogenic aids that have been proven to aid performance are"

Creatine

Caffeine

Sport Drinks (during exercise to maintain hydration and appropriate CHO and sodium intake)

Sodium Bicarbonate

Protein and Amino acid supplements. Only when you don't get the required levels (see above) from your normal diet.

[Flex]

Protein recommendations don't have an upper limit set. However, over 25% is generally seen as pointless. The American Dietetic Association and the Dietitions of Canada did a meta-analysis of studies on the nutritional requirements for athletes. The paper they published was 'Nutrition and Athletic Performance'.

Well there we go, everything tidied up and finalised in one little paper from the last bastion in sports nutrition - the American Dietetic Association. No more work to do here, all we need to use is some sodium bicarb and we're all going to be huge - retaining plenty of fluid and risking high blood pressure but huge all the same.

I'm all for studies and *** but personally I wouldn't be basing much on something from the ADA, something regulating the fattest nation on earth can't be doing too good a job. Check out some of these pearls of wisdom http://www.americandieteticassociation. ... px?id=6831:

Men are typically meat-eaters because of the perception that more protein equals more muscle mass. That is not the case unless exercise is involved. Men tend to view red meat as more masculine than other proteins; often this leads them to “order the steak.” -

IN OTHER WORDS THE ADA THINKS MEN ARE NEANDERTHALS. "mmmmm meat make me manly"

The good news is, belly fat is easy to lose. If you take fewer calories in than you burn, your body breaks down belly fat first for energy.

Really? Men preferentially burn abdominal fat over other fat when they are in a calorie deficit? How come most guys I know get sunken cheeks and faces like starved shipwreck survivors when they diet long before the abs start showing up. You might burn fat, Probably not belly fat for most guys, and it'll only be fat if you're eating decent protein. If all you needed to do was eat less calories than you burn then why isn't every guy that's ever dieted walking around with a wicked set of abs.

[Hercfeend]

Men are typically meat-eaters because of the perception that more protein equals more muscle mass. That is not the case unless exercise is involved. Men tend to view red meat as more masculine than other proteins; often this leads them to “order the steak.” -

IN OTHER WORDS THE ADA THINKS MEN ARE NEANDERTHALS. "mmmmm meat make me manly"

Dude, I have to agree that this is a pretty commonly held belief.

I don't eat red meat (cow, sheep or pig), seriously if I had a buck for every time some bloke said to me 'What! You don't eat red meat! What's wrong with you you big girl, real men eat MEAT!!' I'd be a very f**kin rich man. Lots of people hold this idea to be true. It does however always make me chuckle on the inside at the irony of a skinny plaid or fat lazy guy who's uttering this garbage to me........

[teamfatboy]

Actually, even before I read-up on the ADA, I started to smell a rat when I read the word 'athletic'.... since for many 'athletic' disciplines, while lean is good, muscle mass isn't, so naturally their conclusions wouldn't favour a high % of protein.