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New and Need Help Understanding Pie Chart

Old 06-29-2010, 02:39 AM
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Default New and Need Help Understanding Pie Chart

I'm new to this site. What does a "good" pie chart look like? Not sure what are normal percentages for carbs, fat & protein. The first couple of days about 50% of the chart was fat (not good).
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Old 06-29-2010, 02:56 AM
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Everybody is different, and trial and error will show you what works for your body, but I ended up at less than 50% carbs, 25-30% protein, and 25-30% fats (very little saturated fat). Some do a 40 carbs/30 protein/30 fat or 40 carbs/40 protein/20 fat.

I think the biggest adjustment for me was incorporating so much protein into my diet, but I've become used to it now, and I feel so much better. Also, when I started, I wasn't paying attention to the kind of fats I was getting, but I've cut out almost all saturated fat now. Most of my fats come from nuts, olive oil, soy beans, etc.

It wasn't until I started using the food log on fitday that I realized how easy it is to have half your calories come from fat... scary!
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Old 06-29-2010, 08:04 AM
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For me the most important part of the pie chart is the protein percentage. I need to keep my protein above 30% for the best weight loss results. I don't even worry about the percentage of fat as all of mine is from healthy sources like olive oil and almonds or from my meat and eggs and dairy foods. I limit my simple carbohydrates so the majority of my carb calories are from vegetables and a few fruits. Since I joined Fitday I have averaged 49% Fat, 29% Protein and 22% Carbs. When I started my protein was too low (usually around 20%) so my averages are lower than what I am eating now.

I believe it is more important to limit simple carbs, when losing weight, then fat. It is easier for your body to convert simple carbs into fat stores than to convert fat into fat stores. Without protein your body can and will catabolize muscle when you are in a caloric deficit. Since muscle is what drives metabolism you want to minimize any muscle loss.

The exact percentages may vary from person to person. Either the 40/40/20 or 40/30/30 ratios sarkai90 mentioned above are a good place to start. You can tweak from there. Once you see how your body reacts.
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Old 06-29-2010, 11:40 AM
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Percentages that work well also are somewhat dependent on gender and on your workouts. Body builders and swimmers typically do higher fats and high proteins, whereas a dancer might do low fats and high proteins. My own personal experience has been that 40-40-20 works well for me, although admittedly I've not tried a really high fat diet. I'm something of a borderline vegetarian, so a high fat, high protein diet would be a bit tricky. I've played around with my protein/carb ratio plenty, and I can say with absolute conviction that a high protein diet has done wonders for my muscle tone.
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Old 06-29-2010, 12:56 PM
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It is so individual don't go getting concerned at all about them. Mine are around 60/carbs 15 and 25 for protein and fat. Other days have been 70 percent carbs.
But all the carbs are from vegetables and/or fruit and all the fats are from nuts and seeds and olive oil. I have lost a steady 2 pounds a week doing it this way.

One thing is that you have to eliminate the simple carbs and sugar that was the trick for me.
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Old 06-30-2010, 05:22 AM
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My pie chart stressed me out. lol I know that I'm eating healthy -- mostly veggies, yogurt, fruit, olive oil, nuts and lean protein but my pie chart shows me that the largest part of my calories come from fat and carbs.

58% carbs
28% fat
15% protein

I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, lol. I do know that I need to increase my protein consumption but what about my carb intake?
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Old 07-01-2010, 06:18 PM
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Originally Posted by 55mandy55
My pie chart stressed me out. lol I know that I'm eating healthy -- mostly veggies, yogurt, fruit, olive oil, nuts and lean protein but my pie chart shows me that the largest part of my calories come from fat and carbs.

58% carbs
28% fat
15% protein

I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, lol. I do know that I need to increase my protein consumption but what about my carb intake?
If you maintain the same amount of calories going forward then as you increase your protein the percentage of calories from carbs will need to decrease. It is kind of a balancing act. As almeeker has done you need to find the right balance for you. There is nothing wrong with getting most of your calories from vegetables, fruits and healthy fats. You will want to limit the simple carbs like white bread, white rice and sugar. (Substitute whole wheat/grain bread, brown rice and fruits. Along with that you need the protein to retain as much muscle mass as possible when in a caloric deficit (commonly referred to as dieting). Other wise your body will catabolize muscle for fuel. I recently read and article in Muscle & Fitness magazine that talked about a university study that found as much as 75% of the weight lost by dieters who do not exercise can be muscle. I want to burn the fat and not the muscle.
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Old 07-02-2010, 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by rpmcduff
If you maintain the same amount of calories going forward then as you increase your protein the percentage of calories from carbs will need to decrease. It is kind of a balancing act. As almeeker has done you need to find the right balance for you. There is nothing wrong with getting most of your calories from vegetables, fruits and healthy fats. You will want to limit the simple carbs like white bread, white rice and sugar. (Substitute whole wheat/grain bread, brown rice and fruits. Along with that you need the protein to retain as much muscle mass as possible when in a caloric deficit (commonly referred to as dieting). Other wise your body will catabolize muscle for fuel. I recently read and article in Muscle & Fitness magazine that talked about a university study that found as much as 75% of the weight lost by dieters who do not exercise can be muscle. I want to burn the fat and not the muscle.
I have been around 15 to 20 percent protein but i am way stronger than i was 6 months ago. I go to the gym maybe once a month with my wife and my strength is noticeably more now that i have lost 70 lbs. I can see if someone is on a starvation diet that might be true but certainly not for someone who is getting a healthy amount of calories and balanced nutrition.
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Old 07-03-2010, 04:28 AM
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Originally Posted by waynegretzky
I have been around 15 to 20 percent protein but i am way stronger than i was 6 months ago. I go to the gym maybe once a month with my wife and my strength is noticeably more now that i have lost 70 lbs. I can see if someone is on a starvation diet that might be true but certainly not for someone who is getting a healthy amount of calories and balanced nutrition.
So, are you saying that protein doesn't need to be at 30%? If so I agree, to an extent. As I, and other posters, mentioned everyone's body is unique so while 20% works for you, 40% works for almeeker and 30% for me. The point of my reply to 55mandy55 that you quoted was about how carb calories. My point was that if you are trying to lose weight and you have set a daily calorie goal (whether that is 1500 or 2000 or 3000) then as you consume more protein you will need to consume less of your calories from carbs and fat. If you just consume more protein your daily calories would increase also. That would slow your weight loss.

By the way I really like your user name!
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Old 07-03-2010, 12:33 PM
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Most of the 80 pounds I lost was done on a diet of 80% carbs, 10% protein, and 10% fat from raw fruits and veggies.. I tried every diet in the book prior to this and gained weight after each attempt. When I switched to this diet, the fat just melted right off. I dropped to around 15% body fat in a matter of months. Now, the weight loss has slowed, but that is expected.

A little while back I started P90X and have really noticed a difference. I have probably gained 5 to 6 pounds of lean body mass.
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