calorie distribution question

I'd appreciate some advice from the resident experts ......

my calorie distribution over the last week has been:

62% fat
12% carb
23% protein
3 % alcohol

Am I anywhere near a proper distribution? Are there other factors I should
be weighing into this equation? I am keeping track of vitamins and
nutrients, etc. and am eating plenty of green veggies. Just wondering if
the above is worth tracking and, if so, worth adjusting.

Thanks.


--
John V.
LC - as of 1/2/04, rededicated 9/04
262/247/241 goal for Oct./175

Percents are the wrong way to look at it. You need a *specific*
amount of carbohydrates and protein each day. Fat is adjusted to meet
total caloric need. Percents are irrelevent, grams are more
important.

See http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/proteincalc.htm for details.

"DJ Delorie" wrote in message
...

Percents are the wrong way to look at it. You need a *specific*
amount of carbohydrates and protein each day. Fat is adjusted to meet
total caloric need. Percents are irrelevent, grams are more
important.

See http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/proteincalc.htm for details.


Not to be argumentative ... just exploring, but the middle aged lady in your
online example had a meal plan that amounted to

57% fat
16% carb
27% protein .....

The example at least suggests that this distribution would be normative for
a person like her ..... does it follow that attention to this distribution
would amount to eating the right number of carbs and protein grams for her
plan? It just seems that percents and gram counting are two different ways
of looking at the same issue, rather than one being relevant and one being
irrelevant.

I'll be anxious to hear more......


--
John V.
LC - as of 1/2/04, rededicated 9/04
262/247/241 goal for Oct./175

"DJ Delorie" wrote in message
...

Percents are the wrong way to look at it. You need a *specific*
amount of carbohydrates and protein each day. Fat is adjusted to meet
total caloric need. Percents are irrelevent, grams are more
important.

See http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/proteincalc.htm for details.


Not to be argumentative ... just exploring, but the middle aged lady in your
online example had a meal plan that amounted to

57% fat
16% carb
27% protein .....

The example at least suggests that this distribution would be normative for
a person like her ..... does it follow that attention to this distribution
would amount to eating the right number of carbs and protein grams for her
plan? It just seems that percents and gram counting are two different ways
of looking at the same issue, rather than one being relevant and one being
irrelevant.

I'll be anxious to hear more......


--
John V.
LC - as of 1/2/04, rededicated 9/04
262/247/241 goal for Oct./175

Sounds good to me. Fat could be a bit higher.

"John V" wrote in message
.. .
I'd appreciate some advice from the resident experts ......

my calorie distribution over the last week has been:

62% fat
12% carb
23% protein
3 % alcohol

Am I anywhere near a proper distribution? Are there other factors I
should
be weighing into this equation? I am keeping track of vitamins and
nutrients, etc. and am eating plenty of green veggies. Just wondering if
the above is worth tracking and, if so, worth adjusting.

Thanks.


--
John V.
LC - as of 1/2/04, rededicated 9/04
262/247/241 goal for Oct./175

John V wrote:

Percents are the wrong way to look at it. You need a *specific*
amount of carbohydrates and protein each day. Fat is adjusted to meet
total caloric need. Percents are irrelevent, grams are more
important.

See http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/proteincalc.htm for details.


Not to be argumentative ... just exploring, but the middle aged lady in your
online example had a meal plan that amounted to

57% fat
16% carb
27% protein .....

The example at least suggests that this distribution would be normative for
a person like her ..... does it follow that attention to this distribution
would amount to eating the right number of carbs and protein grams for her
plan? It just seems that percents and gram counting are two different ways
of looking at the same issue, rather than one being relevant and one being
irrelevant.

I'll be anxious to hear more......


Jumping in here....The thing is, if your caloric requirements were
higher, or your protein needs were higher, your carb percentage would
be much, much lower. For example, if you want to stick to 30g carbs
(120 Kcals), but you need 2500 total calories and 180g protein (720
Kcals), that leaves 1660 Kcals (= 184g) fat, with these resulting
percentages:
66.4% fat
28.8% protein
4.8% carbs

So your distribution of
62% fat
12% carb
23% protein
3 % alcohol
would be seriously at variance in the carb department. It really all
depends on what your total caloric intake is, and whether that's
enough protein for you, or the right amount of carbs to keep you
losing weight (assuming you want to lose weight; not all low-carbers
do).

..:. Craig

Jumping in here....The thing is, if your caloric requirements were
higher, or your protein needs were higher, your carb percentage would
be much, much lower. For example, if you want to stick to 30g carbs
(120 Kcals), but you need 2500 total calories and 180g protein (720
Kcals), that leaves 1660 Kcals (= 184g) fat, with these resulting
percentages:
66.4% fat
28.8% protein
4.8% carbs

So your distribution of
62% fat
12% carb
23% protein
3 % alcohol
would be seriously at variance in the carb department. It really all
depends on what your total caloric intake is, and whether that's
enough protein for you, or the right amount of carbs to keep you
losing weight (assuming you want to lose weight; not all low-carbers
do).



Ah, I am with you now ..... it appears to be all very subjective .... thanks
for the post.


--
John V.
LC - as of 1/2/04, rededicated 9/04
262/247/241 goal for Oct./175

John V wrote:

Ah, I am with you now ..... it appears to be all very subjective ....

I get how you'd see it that way, but it's really not all that
subjective. The basic rules are pretty fixed:

1. Determine how many calories you need to keep your current weight,
and if you want to lose weight, eat between 500 and 1000 fewer
calories than that, but in any event not less than a 20% reduction in
calories.

2. Determine your protein needs (.36 x current body weight plus 45g
for brain functioning). Multiply by 4 to convert to calories.

3. Determine your carb level (start at 25 or 30g per day for a couple
of weeks, then add 5g each week until you either stop losing weight or
start getting cravings, then subtract 5g, and stay at that level until
you lose all the weight you want). Multiply by 4 to convert to
calories.

4. Subtract your protein and carb calories from the total in #1, and
eat that many calories of fat (divide by 9 to determine the number of
fat grams).

THEN, if you want to see what percentages this works out to for you,
that's all fine and good, and it may be a nice shorthand for you.

That said, some dietary approaches, like the Zone, are big on
percentages; they feel it's the *ratio* that matters, rather than
specific amounts. Personally, because I need my carbs to be
significantly lower than is allowed on the Zone, the approach that
Jenny the Bean details on her website makes more sense to me.

..:. Craig

John V wrote:
DJ Delorie wrote:

Percents are the wrong way to look at it. You need a *specific*
amount of carbohydrates and protein each day. Fat is adjusted to meet
total caloric need. Percents are irrelevent, grams are more
important.

See http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/proteincalc.htm for details.

does it follow that attention to this distribution would amount to
eating the right number of carbs and protein grams for her plan?

It does NOT follow. If your body does best at 90 grams of carb
per day and 110 grams of protein, you could eat 1500 calories one
day and eat (1500-(90*4)-(110*4))/9 = 78 grams of fat. The next
day you could eat 2500 calories (2500-(90*4)-(110*4))/9 = 189
grams of fat. The two percentages are VERY different.

Now extend that to how much you might weigh and how many calories
might be est for you. My examples above would work okay from a
calorie-only viewpoint for a person wh weighs 150 pounds and a
person who weighs 250 pounds respectively.

Te body should have some number of grams of protein, which can be
figured out, and some number of grams of carb, which can be
figured out. Once those numbers are figured out, you can get
your own percentages, but they will NOT be anyone else's percentages.

It just seems that percents and gram counting are two different
ways of looking at the same issue, rather than one being relevant
and one being irrelevant.

If your best percentages aren't anyone else's best percentages,
and if your best percentages change as your weight changes, then
percentages are irrelevant.

One way to figure out your best number of protein grams is from
Protein Power by Drs Eades. One way to figure out your best
number of carb grams is from Doctor Atkins New Diet Revolution by
Dr Atkins. There are other ways, but those two give numbers that
are specifically customized to your own body. The Atkins method
is also experimentally determined using your own body's reactions
as the guide.

John V wrote:
DJ Delorie wrote:

Percents are the wrong way to look at it. You need a *specific*
amount of carbohydrates and protein each day. Fat is adjusted to meet
total caloric need. Percents are irrelevent, grams are more
important.

See http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/proteincalc.htm for details.

does it follow that attention to this distribution would amount to
eating the right number of carbs and protein grams for her plan?

It does NOT follow. If your body does best at 90 grams of carb
per day and 110 grams of protein, you could eat 1500 calories one
day and eat (1500-(90*4)-(110*4))/9 = 78 grams of fat. The next
day you could eat 2500 calories (2500-(90*4)-(110*4))/9 = 189
grams of fat. The two percentages are VERY different.

Now extend that to how much you might weigh and how many calories
might be est for you. My examples above would work okay from a
calorie-only viewpoint for a person wh weighs 150 pounds and a
person who weighs 250 pounds respectively.

Te body should have some number of grams of protein, which can be
figured out, and some number of grams of carb, which can be
figured out. Once those numbers are figured out, you can get
your own percentages, but they will NOT be anyone else's percentages.

It just seems that percents and gram counting are two different
ways of looking at the same issue, rather than one being relevant
and one being irrelevant.

If your best percentages aren't anyone else's best percentages,
and if your best percentages change as your weight changes, then
percentages are irrelevant.

One way to figure out your best number of protein grams is from
Protein Power by Drs Eades. One way to figure out your best
number of carb grams is from Doctor Atkins New Diet Revolution by
Dr Atkins. There are other ways, but those two give numbers that
are specifically customized to your own body. The Atkins method
is also experimentally determined using your own body's reactions
as the guide.