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So I'm confused on how to count macros and calories.. :( >

So I'm confused on how to count macros and calories.. :(

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So I'm confused on how to count macros and calories.. :(

Old 02-23-2012, 02:33 PM
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Question So I'm confused on how to count macros and calories.. :(

Ok guys so, my diet is supposed to be 25% protein, 50% carbs, 25% fats..

But I was wondering, should I count the protein that my carb sources (such as pasta and oatmeal) have? Or just the protein coming from my protein sources (such as beef or chicken)?

I don't know if I should just count the calories from the macronutrient that the food source is known as or the overall calories from it? (You know, pasta, potato and oatmeal are known as a carb source not protein source but they still have protein).

For example 50% from 600 calories on a meal should come from carbs. So if I want to use pasta for that meal, how many grams of pasta should I eat?

Thanks, this is really driving me crazy.

Last edited by eduardojgg0; 02-23-2012 at 02:45 PM.
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Old 02-23-2012, 03:02 PM
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Just log them in and let the software figure the %ages. If they're way off, you can adjust the portions next time around. In general, carb sources won't give you enough protein to throw off the figures(legumes being an exception).

if you're eating the protein source with carbs, all the protein in both will be available. If you eat the carb source alone(say rice), very little of the protein will be usable by the body. This is the basis of combining proteins in vegetarian eating.

You need a certain ratio of each amino acid for a protein to be usable by the body. Eggs, milk and meats all contain AAs in more or less optimal amounts.

For vegetarians, they need to eat combinations that provide a proper balance. Example: Peanuts are low in certain AAS while wheat is high in those same AAS and vice versa=peanut butter on bread.
Beans and tortillas, beans and rice are other examples.

You can also add small amounts of milk eggs or cheese to a carb based dish to do the same thing.
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Old 02-23-2012, 03:38 PM
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Alright, so in short words: I count just and only the carbs from my carbs sources not the protein in them? Cause if I count the protein in let's say pasta, I'll need to take off quite a bit of grams from the beef to get those 40g of protein I need on that meal.

If I include the protein from my carb sources I'll end up eating around 70g of protein in total.
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Old 02-23-2012, 04:09 PM
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Not quite. Say you have a big bowl of macaroni. Your body can only use a small percentage of the protein present.
Now you make a béchamel sauce (scalded milk, butter and flour) and melt in some cheese to make macaroni and cheese.

Besides using the protein in the milk and cheese, the gaps in the amino acid profile of the pasta is filled in and it's all usable.
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Old 02-23-2012, 04:13 PM
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Alright alright this starts making sense to me now. So let's start counting the protein from carbs? and actually fats as well? cause nuts, almond and peanut butter have some protein in them.
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Old 02-24-2012, 05:23 AM
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I really think you are making this harder than it is. Are you logging your foods? When looking at your entries for a day, scroll down and you will see the macro-nutrient breakdown for everything you've entered. While it is true that food combinations can effect how effeciently those nutrients are assimilated, unless you are specifically avoiding a nutrient it won't have a significant effect on how much your body assimilates. If your percentages are in the ranges you indicated it means you are balancing your diet and your bodies inefficiencies will be minimal.

Don't get too anal about the percentages. They are meant to be a guide. If your Protein is at 30% and your Carbs are 45% for a couple of days it won't make or break your diet. Keep your calories in line and adjust your diet to stay close to the macro percentages (Add more protein when you see a trend that it is too low, or subtract some carbs when you see they are too high, etc. ). Let the Fitday tools help you identify the trends so you can make the adjustments.
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Old 02-25-2012, 08:41 AM
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Originally Posted by rpmcduff
I really think you are making this harder than it is. Are you logging your foods? When looking at your entries for a day, scroll down and you will see the macro-nutrient breakdown for everything you've entered. While it is true that food combinations can effect how effeciently those nutrients are assimilated, unless you are specifically avoiding a nutrient it won't have a significant effect on how much your body assimilates. If your percentages are in the ranges you indicated it means you are balancing your diet and your bodies inefficiencies will be minimal.

Don't get too anal about the percentages. They are meant to be a guide. If your Protein is at 30% and your Carbs are 45% for a couple of days it won't make or break your diet. Keep your calories in line and adjust your diet to stay close to the macro percentages (Add more protein when you see a trend that it is too low, or subtract some carbs when you see they are too high, etc. ). Let the Fitday tools help you identify the trends so you can make the adjustments.
Yeah man that's great, good info.. But I don't quite understand the site, yet. I'm on that, I'll make a thread asking about some stuff I don't understand here.

Thanks a lot!!
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Old 02-25-2012, 08:40 PM
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My ratios are similar to yours... I aim for 40-50% carbs, 25-30% fats, and 25-30% protein. Those ratios are just a guide for me, and I enter everything exactly as is. My custom foods are entered right off the nutrition label, and I use the fitday database for all the basics. Protein is protein and fat is fat, whether it came from meat or from pasta. Keep it simple, and you'll get the hang of it. I always aim for my ratios, and if I'm a little off for the day, I'll make little tweaks to my meals to stay on track. Good luck!
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