ISO Nutritional Info - Protein and Carbs

[lindrusso]

I'm starting to keep track of protein and carbs and I'm trying to find information on how much is recommended for women.

The YMCA program is recommending 83g of protein and 66g of carbs (also - 37.5g of fat). The protein sounds quite high to me (I keep thinking more like 45g???) and the carbs very low. I would like to head in the direction of more protein and less carbs, but I'm not sure what to shoot for.

I am shooting for 1500-1800 cals per day and I am 34. I see the nutritional recommendations in Cooking Light for a 2000 cal diet, but I'm also wondering what you all may have read or learned and what works for you. Can anyone help?

[pmmahan]

you're right...I think that protein recommendations are around 45-50 grams, and carbs, 300 grams....

[emilycat]

I've always thought that I have an extremely healthy diet, but I know I most likely don't get enough protein...especially since I'm a high-mileage (well, okay, average-mileage http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif )runner.

I think I average around 2,000 to 2,200 calories daily, and although I would like to get around 65% carbs, 15% protein and 20% fat, I'm not sure if I'm getting that much protein....so thanks, Alysha, I think I'm going to start paying more attention to that.

Anyway, for you, I think those recommendations are way out of whack...it sounds like some kind of Zone diet thing, which I heartily disapprove of.
I would think that 45-55 grams of protein, and around 250-300 grams for carbs would be good -- 30-35 grams of fat sounds about right, then, too.

This is my highly unprofessional opinion, but just thought I'd throw it out there anyway http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Em

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by emilycat:
Anyway, for you, I think those recommendations are way out of whack...it sounds like some kind of Zone diet thing, which I heartily disapprove of.
I would think that 45-55 grams of protein, and around 250-300 grams for carbs would be good -- 30-35 grams of fat sounds about right, then, too.

This is my highly unprofessional opinion, but just thought I'd throw it out there anyway http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Em

That's kind of what I was thinking. It didn't turn me off TOTALLY because they say that pasta and potatoes are okay - it's not one of those diets that eliminates them totally, but it does also say NO SUGAR. I've already decided that is totally unrealistic. I didn't realize they were going to be making these sort of recommendations when I signed up. I don't approve of those kinds of diets either.

I plan to use this opportunity to sort of tweak here and there and come up with my own plan. I'd like to reduce the amount of carbs - things like bagels, white bread (I love French bread) and all the "filler" stuff I eat. I definitely don't eat enough fruits and veggies, so I think I need to trade off. I also would like to increase my protein so that I feel more satisfied and am less inclined to snack.

And your well-informed (if not professional) opinions are VERY welcome! Love to hear more!

[Lars]

I agree that the YMCA diet looks a little funny - it seems like the calories would be way off what you are wanting. The Daily Nutrition Guide in Cooking Light appears to be based on 60% of the calories from carbohydrates, 10% of the calories from protein and 30% of the calories from fat. I think this is a pretty standard breakdown.

Using the same guidelines for 1500-1800 calories I think you would want 225-270 grams of carbohydrates, 37.5- 45 grams of protein and 50-60 grams of fat. Maybe that will help a little!

[LGBurns]

I think too often people don't distinguish between complex carbs and simple carbs. The more complex carbs you get in your diet (like vegies, fruits, whole grains, beans, etc.) and the less simple carbs (like refined flours and sugars) the better off you are. Especially if you're going for 300g of carbs a day, you probably won't lose weight if almost all of those are bread, pasta, and sugars.

Also, I'm curious how one accounts for things that are carbs by themselves but combine to create a complete protein (I'm thinking of beans & rice for example). Any thoughts?

[Ralph]

Lindrusso,
That diet looks really weird; it only computes to about 930 total calories! That's not healthy for ANYONE!
From my professional medical perspective, both Emily & LGBurns have the right ideas. Emily's suggestion regarding LOW fat (<20%) & high carbo is excellent. LG's recommendation on complex vs. simple carbos is right on. Your body expends much more energy burning off complex carbos than it does simple ones.
I'm VERY reluctant recommending the high-protein, high-fat, low-carb diets (a la Atkins) so in vogue right now. Sure, you'll lose quite a bit of weight rather rapidly, but what are the long term consequences? Excess protein gets stored in the body as fat! Plus, ingesting all that fat only sends it directly to the walls of your arteries! A recent report (sorry, I don't have the reference) indicated that diets such as Mr. Atkin's actually increase the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).
May I refer you to Dr. Dean Ornish's work?
He has shown through repeated studies that lifestyle changes alone can reverse CAD. Alright, his diet is extreme: All vegetarian, 8-9% calories from fat, only animal product acceptable is skim milk. But, it works!
Hope this helps....

[lindrusso]

Thanks Ralph, Lars and LGBurns.

LGBurns - you make an excellent point about simple versus complex. That's sort of what I'm aiming for when I mentioned that I want to cut out the "filler" stuff - or at least cut down. I'm trying to replace my "bad" snack things (like the kids' Cheezits or something) with fruits and veggies.

Ralph - this diet is definitely skewed, but it's not nearly as extreme as the Atkins - this diet does, at least, emphasize low-fat and doesn't do weird things like say no carrots or beans (I can't believe anyone would tell you to avoid something as healthy as beans just to cut down or eliminate carbs!!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif ).

I am familiar with Dr. Ornish, but I could never stick to a diet like that. It's WAY too restrictive for me. I didn't eat meat for almost 9 years (but did eat seafood) and was never good about getting my protein. I am finding that by eating lean meats now, I feel more satisfied and am less likely to snack or binge on junk.

I am finding that I can stick with the 30-37.5 grams of fat on a typical day (maybe not on a day with a party or a day when we're going out to diner), which is still below 30% of calories from fat. That's why I love Cooking Light. It allows just enough fat in my diet that I'm not feeling deprived.

This has been very interesting. Thanks for all your input!

[hhcowgirl]

Lindrusso--

That's interesting that you assert that now that you have incorporated lean meats into your diet, you are less likely to get hungry for snacks/desire "junk." I'm a vegetarian and am really careful about my protein, but I often wonder if I began eating meat again, would I be less likely to "have to have" those baked lays at lunch (which I consider nutritionally bankrupt, but yummy http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif)? So my question is, do you simply feel more full throughout the day? Or have your tastes sort of change so that you simply don't want "junk" anymore? Please elaborate on exactly how your appetite/diet changed once you included meat. Thanks!

[lindrusso]

hhcowgirl,

Hmmmm-good question! Let's see if I can answer it!

I would say that my tastes have NOT changed! I still very much crave junk (that's just the type of person I am), but I don't get hungry as often when I'm eating meat, so I don't feel the urge to snack or pig out as much. Sometimes I'll even go so far as to snack on something like a lean piece of ham - fills me up quickly and stays with me longer.

I think that my diet as a semi-vegetarian (don't want to anger the "true" veggies out there http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif ) was not well thought-out. I relied VERY heavily on carbs - bagels, pastas, rice, etc. And these were all simple carbs, not complex. As a result, I would get hungry very easily - even after a large plate of pasta - I suppose because my body was metabolizing these simple carbs so quickly.

I began eating meat again, not because of my diet, but because I craved it during my second pregnancy - turns out I was anemic. Once I started putting meat back into my diet - my favorites are chicken and lean pork - I felt more satisfied. Maybe it was a psychological thing or maybe it was the extra protein or maybe it was even the fact that I had so many more things to choose from. There are many, many wonderful things to prepare as a vegetarian, but I get stuck in a rut a lot more easily when I cook without meat. Again, the pasta thing!

I think the other thing that is better about eating meat for me is that when I don't eat meat, I crave creamy and cheesey things a lot more. The lean meat satisfies me without all the fat in those dairy products.

So, I guess I can't say that I don't crave junk food, but I think I eat smaller portions overall and I don't feel hungry as often. Hope that helps explain it a little!