I am in full on prep mode for my first event in a couple of years. This means close monitoring of calorie balance to lose weight (I am fat). Something I am aware of more than I have been in the past in the ratio of macronutrients. I read online that ranges of 50-65% from carbs, 20-30% from fats and 15-25% from protein.
Looking at my last 5 weeks, I am at 45-51% carbs, 25-29% fat and 21-25% protein. Is it worth trying to manage the fat down and the carbs up?
How closely do you track your diet?
Hi,
first of all: I am not a dietist.
Second: I did track my food habits for over two years. Quite closely, with weighing and such. It can help to achieve to goals, but what I found more useful is that it gave me an insight in what I actually ate. It helped me to scratch some things, replacing them for better foods. It seems you are doing this as well, so that should give you an insight.
Is it worth focusing on these numbers of macros? I don’t think it is. It might be better to just keep on improving and evaluating what you are eating and how that can be replaced with better food. Try to focus on the fun of eating and cooking healthy, instead of losing yourself in these percentages in order to lose a couple of pounds.
If you still insist on getting the exact percentages, my advice would be to seek help from a professional.
KR!
Best of luck!
Agreed with Ultrathom on seeking professional advice on this if you are very stuck or concerned.
IMO, I have always gone with 20-30% protein. Mainly this large swing will be due to eating less protein on days when you ride a lot and consume a lot of carbs.
I keep fat low and carbs high. Again, in my experience, I need to focus on one source of fuel - carbs or fat. When I have a lot of both, my body will struggle to digest and end up putting weight on.
Like Ultrathom, I’m not a nutritionist nor do I hold any nutrition qualifications, so purely anecdotal advice.
On the mental side, try to not over-fixate on this as you need to reduce stress in order for your gut to work efficiently. That seemed to be a revelation for me.
Best of luck!
100% agree with everything said here!!
Some great advice here!