Fat loss, protein/carb/fat balance?

[zubinmadon]

Hi,

I'm trying to balance my protein, carbs, and fat properly to
help reduce body fat. I've read various things on the web, but
many of them conflict, so I was hoping someone here has
expertise/experience in fat-loss eating.

I tend to run and do some mild weight training two or three
times a week.

Also i've been trying to eat 4 or 5 smaller meals a day, but
am unsure what good timing for them is. How much before
sleeping should my last meal be?

Any advice will be appreciated

Zubin

[Wanwo]

I think you said the right word there - balance. 40/30/30 with
the emphasis on whatever you think is the most important. I
emphasize the protein since I like to do some weight training.
I'm not too obessessed about the numbers. As long as I'm in
the ball park. Oh, you forgot the fourth calorie source -
alcohol. So you might make it 30/30/30/10. Hmm .. maybe that's
too much alcohol, I have no idea.

Protein is the hardest one to get up. I find if I go off my
diet and just eat whatever I feel like, my protein will slip
down to about 15%. I think that's because most processed and
junk foods are big on the carbs and fat. Also, protein is the
most expensive of the three.

Regards to timing, everyone has different opinions. Because I
do some weights I like to get in some protein just before
sleep. Muscles build and repair during rest (so they say), so
I'll have some eggs or a chicken drumstick. Yum!

[Heidi]

<zubinmadon@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1127606923.489567.190370@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Hi,
>
> I'm trying to balance my protein, carbs, and fat properly to
> help reduce body fat. I've read various things on the web,
> but many of them conflict, so I was hoping someone here has
> expertise/experience in fat-loss eating.
>
> I tend to run and do some mild weight training two or three
> times a week.
>
> Also i've been trying to eat 4 or 5 smaller meals a day, but
> am unsure what good timing for them is. How much before
> sleeping should my last meal be?
>
> Any advice will be appreciated
>
> Zubin
>

Some of the best advice I've heard and tried to incorporate:
do what feels best/works for YOU. I find that I just feel
better when my protein intake is on the higher side (say
40/40/20), but it's hard for me to maintain that unless I take
in a lot of animal protein, which is not my favorite thing.

I went with a friend to a new gym, and the owner/trainer
(Terry Fultz, very successful body builder in Oregon)
suggested a 60/30/10 ratio of carbs/protein/fat. Now, this 10%
fat seemed pretty extreme, and it's about impossible for my
friend to achieve.

For me, since I'm interested in low fat as the main
criteria for my way of eating, I call it a good day anytime
my fat ratio is below 20. I try to get as much protein in
as possible.

I recently read (Low Fat Living by Cooper and Cooper) that
most American guidelines call for no more than 30% fat, but
that studies suggest even less is better, suggesting no more
than 20%. YMMV, but it's working for me.

Good luck!

Heidi
262/202/201 Losing 100lbs. 1 lb at a time.

[Joanne]

Heidi wrote:
> I recently read (Low Fat Living by Cooper and Cooper) that
> most American guidelines call for no more than 30% fat, but
> that studies suggest even less is better, suggesting no more
> than 20%. YMMV, but it's working for me.

That recommended 20-30% is keeping the BAD fats in check.
Americans have bought into the lowfat myth as meaning 'nofat'
and are the fattest we've ever been. Your body needs GOOD fats
to work properly and yes when you feed it good fats the body
lets go of its stored bodyfat because it doesnt percieve that
the next famine is coming.

If you dont know the difference between fats here is a good
link to read: http://www.stumptuous.com/fat.html

Why and where you can get many EFA's (essential fatty acids)
in foods: http://tinyurl.com/davbl

joanne

[Nick]

Why not try reducing calories? Why rearange your food when you
won't rearange you calories?

Seems silly to me. If the goal is weightloss that is.

[Doug Freyb]

zubinmadon@gmail.com wrote:
>
> I'm trying to balance my protein, carbs, and fat properly to
> help reduce body fat.

Whatever the word "balance" means to you, understand that it
does not mean that to everyone. Besides, balance is not
necessarily the effective way to go.

> I've read various things on the web, but many of them
> conflict, so I was hoping someone here has
> expertise/experience in fat-loss eating.

The reason you find conflict is simple: BOTH low carb and low
fat systems work. Neither is based on what most would call
"balance".

[Carol Fril]

In article
<1127761971.006216.18510@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Doug
Freyburger <dfreybur@yahoo.com> wrote:

> zubinmadon@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> > I'm trying to balance my protein, carbs, and fat properly
> > to help reduce body fat.
>
> Whatever the word "balance" means to you, understand that it
> does not mean that to everyone. Besides, balance is not
> necessarily the effective way to go.
>
> > I've read various things on the web, but many of them
> > conflict, so I was hoping someone here has
> > expertise/experience in fat-loss eating.
>
> The reason you find conflict is simple: BOTH low carb and
> low fat systems work. Neither is based on what most would
> call "balance".

When I speak of balance, I mean fairly equal ratios of fat to
protein to carbs and have to factor in the fact that fat
calories per gram are almost double the other two.
>

--
Diva
******
There is no substitute for the right food