What’s the percentage of protein, fat, and carbs you shoot for, or have seen recommended?

Now that I’m using FitDay, I’m looking at that pie chart and thinking, hmm, that seems like a lot of fat!  Considering what I’ve eaten today (a Zone bar, coffee with nonfat milk, a salad with a hard boiled egg and a little goat cheese but only vinegar as dressing, three chicken mini-pieces and a scoop of lowfat cottage cheese) I thought if anything I’m too high on protein.

This is before 4pm snack. Planning on some cottage cheese and a few grape tomatoes, on my way to teach my final Excel boot camp lesson to coworkers… An ESPN article I read on strength training said protein should only be about 25%, fat 25% or less, with 50%+ from carbs.  What are your opinions?

That is an interesting question. Reading what you’ve eaten, I wouldn’t have thought fat would be so high. I don’t know the right numbers, but I’m gonna do some looking.

Bree

Thanks! I think, actually, that I seriously overestimated the amount of goat cheese. I just used the Fitday listing for soft goat cheese and said two ounces, though it is almost-powdery-fine crumbled goat cheese, and I sprinkled it on my salad in lieu of dressing. It’s probably about 2 tbsp, so maybe one ounce.

The other thing is that I had two Zone bars today, due to being really pressed for time today. No Egg Beaters or other breakfast/midmorning fuel.

I’m about where I expect to be calorie-wise, just not sure whether I should have more protein, or carbs, or just concentrate on less fat. I’ve been going pretty light on the starchy carbs lately.

Oh, just realized, I also used their standard fast-food chicken thingy. Mine was frozen and microwaved. I guess I shouldn’t have thrown out the box when I took the last three out of there, or entered it in FitDay first, huh? So I probably am over what I actually had there.

I had read a while back where a 40Carb/40Protein/20Fat split was good for people who are lifting weights aggressively because if you are trying to build muscle mass you really need the extra protein.

I have been using a 50c/33p/17f ratio and do well on it. But remember, calorie intake is the major target you want to hit, as extra protein can turn into fat just like extra carbs and fat can.

Thanks for the input! It’s amazing how many different answers there are out there on the web.

I revised yesterday’s calories, including looking up the Tyson chicken content online, and revising the amount of goat cheese (once I visualized a block of goat cheese I realized I had put in too much.) This left me with a calorie deficit in the evening, even after my protein shake. But I was too tired after my workout and shower to eat anything else! Oh, well, ~1300 calories isn’t starving.

Today I have a luncheon out. Just checked their menu online (Mimi’s) which has “additional information” on a show/hide basis at the bottom of the page. Helpful.

You’re not kidding about so many different answers out there! It looks like you’re doing good, so I wouldn’t worry, but as far as any real answer, I haven’t found one yet. I like Mark’s suggestion, that sounds very reasonable. But I’m sure every day will be different.

Bree

Well, just to up my intake of “good carbs” I bought a box of cereal at the natural foods store. Since my chiro has me groovin’ on the Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain breads, I thought I’d try their flax-fortified cereal. Oof. With a bit of nonfat milk this morning, and a teaspoon of actual sugar, it still tasted like tree bark. Maybe I’ll get used to it. Maybe their greater purpose is to make the steel-cut Irish oats I bought seem desirable in comparison. Ha! George Bernard Shaw had some quote about “Remember always that he least plain sister is the family beauty.” He’d understand the least plain cereal situation.

Bought also some yummier MUFA’s: garlic sesame sticks and some cocoa-powdered almonds. Now that I know what MUFA’s are I’m noticing that I’ve been eating more of them lately anyway.

"40Carb/40Protein/20Fat split was good for people who are lifting weights aggressively”

I’ve also heard the 40/40/20 lifters. I try to do something similar since I’m hitting the weights harder now. Not all fat is bad though! Check out the reports on fitday and under the calories eaten report it should break down what kind of fats you’re taking in. Sat Fats are bad, Mono & Poly are good.