How much fat, carbs and protein per day

Does anyone know what percentage of fats, carbs and protein each day will get you the best results!!!

this is an old issue and everybody has different opinions. Different approaches have different proportion, in the end the only thing that counts in terms of fat loss is the calorie deficit so as long as you keep your overall intake within the limits of your daily allowance you will be ok. I would suggest you eat the foods that you like rather than the ones that somebody else impose based on dubious claims because that will be easier to sustain long term.
Fiber and proteins tend to fill you for longer so they should definetly be part of the diet

Hi, I've read you should aim for 50% carbs, 20% fat and 30% protein. My diet since I've started on here has been keeping to roughly these proportions. Amber

Weight gain or loss is related to total energy (calorie) intake, not the source of food eaten. When total caloric intake exceeds output, any excess carbs, fat, or protein may be stored as body fat until energy expenditure once again exceeds energy input.

Thanks you guys!!!! I appreciate the feedback!!!!

I'm on Atkins and according to that we should ideally have 60 - 70% fat, 10% carbs and the rest proteins. This is for induction though as you move to the other phases the fat percentage reduces and the carbs + protein go up.

Hope that helps too.

disregard this response seeming how it is biased towards a diet with arbitrary restrictions that in no way directly related to weightloss

Thanks buddy. You are just so right about everything, aren't you.
Best with yours!

There is actually a lot of science behind the low carb diets. If you are primarily eating carbs your body will burn them first before burning fat, then it has to go through a process where it switches to fat burning. If you are eating primarily fats (healthy ones) and secondary proteins, then a small amount of carbs you will still burn your carbs first, but since there are so little your body will switch to fat burning mode, which will thne lead a more efficient way to loose weight.

Carbs also cause huge blood sugar spikes. Your body processes all carbs the same, so basically breads, and even fruit are treated just like table sugar. Granted it keeps you full longer then table sugar, but your body still processes it the same way. The other bonus of not eating so many carbs, and eating a high fat, low carb diet is that you don't get hungry as often, because there aren't so many ups and downs with the blood sugars.

One of my favorite diets, and how I would love to eat is the Paleo diet. It is basically eating what our bodies were made to eat, how cavemen would eat basically. Which is in fact a very low carb way of eating.

So basically before you become judgmental you should really look into the science behind it. And it has proven to be a great resource for weightloss for very many people. Not to mention I personally feel better when I eat low carb then when I eat lots of carbs. I am less emotional, I have fewer mood swings, and I have more energy.

Carb calories burn off before fat and protein because carbs are 3x easier for the body to burn off than fat and protein. My only concern with the Atkins diet is that all that fat must be horrible for the heart, unless very little of it is saturated fat.

Honestly, there's no right answer to this question. All our bodies work differently, we all have different preferences, etc. What you should pay attention to are refined sugars and starches- there's little good in these and lots of bad. Rather than getting hung up on the ratios, I'd suggest you focus on eating real food (get away from processed stuff where you can) and just pay attention to what makes YOU feel your best.

great another good forum goes to the 2 year olds. please people can we not just say we disagree on something, do we always have to turn into the playground bullies? and worst of all you are trying to be a law enforcement officier.

shame on you marlboro man.

hey, i was just trying to be frank with em. my bad for spreading the truth.

There is a difference between saying your opinion and saying that someone else's is invalid.

First things first if you like eating just proteins and no carbs then by all means go for it since at least to some extent the benefits of fat loss are higher than those of a more balanced diet.
As for the rest the information you are sharing are inaccurate or at least confusing.

If you are eating 0% carbs and all your intake is made of proteins and fats (good, bad and average) in whatever proportion you wish to eat you will still store fat and become fatter if the total calories intake is higher than your consumption, there is no possible debate on that, it is a fact not an opinion. There is no magic formula, there is no serious and well designed study whatsoever that supports the claims of Atkins, Paleo etc.
If the calorie deficit is the same Atkins work exactly like any other diet with the additional hazard IMHO and according to several studies that it tends to overload the body with animal proteins which in the long term can have negative health implications.

As for the Paleo I will hold my thoughts since I do not want to be too disrespectful and I find its assumptions quite bizarre to say the least.

The one thing I tend to agree with low carbs fans is that proteins have the benefit of increasing satiety and require more calories to be digested so increasing proteins at the expense of carbs (especially refined ones) can be helpful for those who experience hunger during their diet. I think it would be wiser to address this issue via whole wheat grains, legumes and vegetables but to each his own, as long as one does not want to sell as science based TRUTHS what are at best personal preferences and at worst elaborated scams sold around by people that make their living by selling their fad diets books and products.

wasn't an opinion

For what it's worth, saw this recently:


People on the Atkins diet who lose weight are not eating more than they burn and losing fat in spite of it. Whether you count calories and consciously eat fewer than you burn, or you don't count them and unconsciously eat fewer than you burn, either way, the end result is the same.
While counting calories in the literal sense is clearly not always necessary, you always have to be aware of calories and portions. No diet or special combination of foods can override the law of calorie balance.
Anyone who believes that you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight is living in a dream world.

Low carb diets like Atkins are an extreme solution, and with all extreme solutions they have extreme consequences. Read up on it.

For most people, a balanced diet with a calorie deficit and moderate exercise is what's needed to lose weight.

That said, the higher protein intake you have the better -- to a point (a point which atkins blows right passed). Protein is less calorie dense and takes more time and energy to digest, so you can eat more and stay sated longer. It's also important to have a high protein intake when exercising to give your body the raw materials necessary to repair itself after exercise.

Personally, I am for 20% fats, 40% protein and 40% carbs, and in addition I avoid processed simple sugars (anything with table sugar, corn syrup, etc.) which are not good.

White bread, soda, sugary cereals, etc. are full of processed simple sugars and should be avoided. Whole/multi grain bread, potatoes, vegetables, etc are complex carbohydrates and are a much more suitable source of carbs.

why does it matter? all carbs get broken down into a sugar and digested mostly the same way.
processed simple carbs are no more a problem for fat loss than anything else. a carb is a carb.
sure complex carbs have more fiber and are a little slower digesting but there is no reason to completely eliminate simple carbs. it's an unnecessary restriction as long as you have the self-control to practice moderation and ensure adequate micronutrients, satiety and energy

True, but not all calories are created equal. I agree with the general guideline of fat at 25% or less, protein at 25% or more and the rest in healthy carbs.

Aim for balanced nutrition by way of whole, fresh foods in the form of lean protein, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and your plan will come together nicely.

At the end of the day you should be at, or close to, your RDI and be able to go to bed without being hungry.