Balancing Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats and Fiber for Weight Loss

Balancing Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats and Fiber for Weight Loss

The recommendation is to have a good ratio of calories, 40-50% Carbs, 25-35% protein, 20-30% fat.  Be sure to stay under 2500 mg of sodium and over 25 grams of fiber. It is recommended to never go below 1200 calories if you are a female, because your body will go into starvation mode and it is possible that you might gain weight, besides doing serious damage to your body. (1500 calories if you are male).

Your body needs 1200 calories per day to survive (credit to Saroful).

-The heart needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The kidney needs 12% of the calories (144 cals)
-The Liver needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The brain needs 23% of the calories (276 cals)
-The skeletal muscle needs 30% of the calories (360 cals)

What is a safe calorie deficient reduction to lose weight? It is recommended to reduce your calories by 500 per day, but never more than 1000 calorie deficit per day.  When you’re down to the last 5-10 lbs, you should just focus on toning. Tone. Tone. Tone. Start lifting weights, keep up the cardio. As for the number of calories, don't reduce by any  more than 500 less than what you burn. It's only, if you have 20 or more lbs to lose, that you don't reduce by any more than 1000 calories less than what you burn. 3500 Calories = 1 lb. divide that by 7 days, and you have a reduction of 500 calories per day for a week. You can safely lose 1-2 lbs per week.

With the increasing summer heat, water is important to staying hydrated and aiding in meeting weight loss goals. (see, The Truth about Water and Dieting) If you exercise you should drink another 8 ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes you are active. If you drink coffee or alcohol, you should drink at least an equal amount of water. If you live in an arid climate, you should add another 2 servings per day. As you can see, your daily need for water can add up to quite a lot.

To figure out the math to determine the number of grams of Carbs, Protein and Fat you should consume, take the total number of calories you are supposed to consume.

Divide it by the precentages you are using. So for Carbs you will have a number of calories that represent a fraction of the total, same for protein and fat.

Then you take each of those number of calories, and you divide Carbs by 4 to get the total grams, Protein by 4 to get the total grams and Fat by 9 to get the total grams. For example:

The Math for a 1200 Daily Calorie Goal:

40-50% Carbs = 480-600 calories (120-150 grams) 
25-35% Protein =  300-420 calories (75-105 grams)
20-30% Fat = 240-360 calories (26-40 grams)

Aim for 25 gram or more of Fiber
Aim for 2500 mg or less of Sodium 

The World Health Organization’s recommends that 10% percent of your total calories come from sugars. Here is how the math breaks down:

1200 calories, 10% = 120 calories = 30.0 g of sugar
1300 calories, 10% = 130 calories = 32.5 g of sugar
1400 calories, 10% = 140 calories = 35.0 g of sugar
1500 calories, 10% = 150 calories = 37.5 g of sugar
1600 calories, 10% = 160 calories = 40.0 g of sugar
1700 calories, 10% = 170 calories = 42.5 g of sugar
1800 calories, 10% = 180 calories = 45.0 g of sugar
1900 calories, 10% = 190 calories = 47.5 g of sugar
2000 calories, 10% = 200 calories = 50.0 g of sugar
2100 calories, 10% = 210 calories = 52.5 g of sugar
2200 calories, 10% = 220 calories = 55.0 g of sugar
2300 calories, 10% = 230 calories = 57.5 g of sugar
2400 calories, 10% = 240 calories = 60.0 g of sugar

How much protein do you need?

According to the recently updated Dietary Reference Intake guidelines, the recommended daily consumption of protein for adult men and women is the following: Women aged 19-70 need to consume 46g of protein per day. Men aged 19-70 need to consume 56g of protein per day. The difference is due to the fact that, in general, men's bodies have more muscle mass than those of women.

Other recommendations suggest 1g of protein per kilogram of body weight while some extreme sources suggest that higher intakes of 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight are desirable. Higher levels of protein intake have not been proven to be necessary and may be harmful due to increased stress on the kidneys and liver.

How much protein you need in your daily diet is determined, in large part, by your overall energy intake, as well as by your body's need for nitrogen and essential amino acids. Physical activity and exertion as well as enhanced muscular mass increase your need for protein. Requirements are also greater during childhood for growth and development, during pregnancy or when breast-feeding in order to nourish your baby, or when your body needs to recover from malnutrition or trauma or after an operation.

Because the body is continually breaking down protein from tissues, even adults who do not fall into the above categories need to include adequate protein in their diet every day. If you do not take in enough energy from your diet, your body will use protein from the muscle mass to meet its energy needs, and this can lead to muscle wasting over time.

Can you eat too much protein?

Because the body is unable to store excess protein, it is broken down and converted into sugars or fatty acids. The liver removes nitrogen from the amino acids, so that they can be burned as fuel, and the nitrogen is incorporated into urea, the substance that is excreted by the kidneys. These organs can normally cope with any extra workload but if kidney disease occurs, a decrease in protein will often be prescribed.

Excessive protein intake may also cause the body to lose calcium, which could lead to bone loss in the long-term. Foods that are high in protein (such as red meat) are often high in saturated fat, so excessive protein intake may also contribute to increased saturated fat.