Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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Hi. I am still somewhat new to paleo, but am wondering where people like to keep their macronutrients? Before I switched to paleo I ate healthy, but still included some whole grains into my diet and added sugar in my coffee and honey in my tea. I tracked my macronutrients for a month before I started switching to paleo, and hit about 40/30/30 carbs, proteins, and fats more less very consistently. So, after dropping the little bit of whole grains I was eating, I tried to make up with extra fruit or vegetables to keep my macronutrient ratios at about the 40/30/30 level. I feel very good since switching to paleo, but am just a little curious where others keep their macronutrients at. OH, and I do realize it is maybe a little higher in carbs than a lot of people choose to eat, but I am a dancer and do ballet for at least 4 hours a day, and the carbs give me the stamina that I need for that. I don't feel like they're too high, but would be better at being objective if I saw some other people's ratios that they're following.

Thank you so much for helping with your answers! :)

flag	asked Oct 26 at 16:10 paleoPrincess 263●8

JayJay · Answer 1 · 2012-10-26 20:22:44Z UTC

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100% food. . . . .

answered Oct 26 at 20:22

JayJay
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CD · Answer 2 · 2012-10-26 16:18:18Z UTC

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Not sure how my macros will help you, but here it is:
Fat (55%)
Carbs (16%)
Protein (27%)
Alcohol (2%)

answered Oct 26 at 16:18

CD
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Britt · Answer 3 · 2012-10-26 16:43:20Z UTC

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I do about 40/35/25 carbs/fat/protein. It works well for me!

answered Oct 26 at 16:43

Britt
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borofergie · Answer 4 · 2012-10-26 20:31:39Z UTC

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80F:15P:5C = Keto heaven.

answered Oct 26 at 20:31

borofergie
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	Trying to get here... ok on the carbs, but how do you get so much fat into your diet? – reluctantMANGO Oct 27 at 0:35
	Lots of fatty meat, plus avocados, cheese and double cream. If you want to lose weight, you can cut out some of the fat and count the body fat you are burning in its place. Restricting the protein is tha hardest bit... – borofergie Oct 27 at 11:32
	i do the same ratios :) – Robert Oct 27 at 21:22

Kelleil · Answer 5 · 2012-10-26 16:23:21Z UTC

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I'm working on 65% Fat, 25% Protein 10% Carbs.

answered Oct 26 at 16:23

Kelleil
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rooky · Answer 6 · 2012-10-26 16:27:37Z UTC

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Calories range from 1700-2300 depending on activity levels.

Feel best on medium carbs, medium/high protein, high medium fat.

answered Oct 26 at 16:27

rooky
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Yvette · Answer 7 · 2012-10-26 16:41:22Z UTC

60-70% fat - If I want to eat extra fat, I lose even quicker, so I don't skimp.

20-25% protein depending on my fitness level

15-20% carb but not over 100 grams while still trying to lose weight

Calories are between 1600-1800 a day (female, 34 years old, 5'10")

Asclepius · Answer 8 · 2012-10-26 16:49:04Z UTC

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Off topic I guess, but why do you WANT to keep your macro ratios constant? That is soooo 2008 ;)

Carbs are the only thing I cycle (and to a lesser extent fat) - eating around 150g on a rest day and 400g on a training day. This is a rough guide - I 'eyeball' the amount, and is coarsley managed by manipualting the number of sweet and regular potatoes I eat!

With regard to fat, I opt for fish like tuna on a training day as it is low in fat. On a rest day I will go for oily fish (salmon, sardines and mackerel).

Keep it simple. Leave the scales on the fish.

answered Oct 26 at 16:49

Asclepius
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	One of the questions I have never understood is whether random cycling matters. If I eat 50% of my diet from fat and that stays pretty consistent week-to-week, but not day-to-day does it matter? How tactical is our macros? – CD Oct 26 at 17:05
	Get yourself to Leangains. Remember, the fate of different macro nutrient is not the same. Some go to repair, some to replenish, and some to storage. Some leave you feeling fuller for longer, others help you work harder. Varying your macro ratios can help express your metabolic flexibility. Variation in total daily calories is beneficial for obvious reasons, but only if your body doesn't seek to defend its fat stores (a consequence of chronic restriction). Occasional vigorous and intense work is also important. Think hormonal milieu rather than 'calories in' vs 'calories out'. – Asclepius Oct 26 at 21:20
	Yeah, good points. I have ready through leangains. Personally I find it too prescriptive. But maybe I am just not willing to do what it takes to get, and stay, below 10% BF – CD Oct 27 at 1:19
	If you post up your age, weight (kg), height (cm) and approx BF (%), I can work out your TDay and RDay macros if you want. Personally my meat intake is pretty constant daily, and as above, I just make food choices that accentuate higher/lower fat as required. My CHO level is pretty much dictated by training. I don't really adhere to macros as such, but have retro-measured my foods to see what they are (ie I layed out a few meals and then went back to find out their macro composition). Simply by the food tweaks above, I get close enough to the LG guide. This gets me under 10% BF easily. – Asclepius Oct 27 at 12:50

Poop Master MC · Answer 9 · 2012-10-26 20:35:26Z UTC

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Fat 20% Protein 30% Carbs 20%

Which only adds up to 70%, so I am undereating by 30% which is how I stay so lean.

answered Oct 26 at 20:35

Poop Master MC
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Is that a joke? – CD Oct 26 at 23:09

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No it is most decidedly not a joke, I do not know what could have lead you to suspect that it might be a joke. A person would have to be insane to find any humor in it. It is not in the least bit funny, it is like the opposite of funny. Why do you think that it may have been intended as a joke? – Poop Master MC Oct 26 at 23:23

I do think that's a valid strategy the spare 30% is body fat rather than dietary fat. It's like a virtual 50F:20P:20C – borofergie Oct 27 at 11:34

Diane · Answer 10 · 2012-10-26 22:13:43Z UTC

I used low carb at first because I was struggling with insulin resistance and on the verge of metabolic syndrome with several of the markers for it despite being very physically active. I no longer worry about them now, but I don't eat a LOT of fruit or starch. Some, but not a lot. I simply don't count or worry about it anymore.

Nemesis · Answer 11 · 2012-10-26 23:30:11Z UTC

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Since I'm not trying to lose weight, I aim for 20% protein/35% carbs/45% fats. This varies widely day by day, so I don't bother logging the majority of my food.

answered Oct 26 at 23:30

Nemesis
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a mesmerizing trickster · Answer 12 · 2012-10-27 12:48:30Z UTC

Sedentary 25 year old woman (when not sedentary I do manual labor all day long I up calories by more than half the usual, I add even more fat than usual since they're the most calorie dense food. I never up the carb ratio, no matter how active I become. It's not "oh I'm running a marathon so I'll eat two sweet potatoes", it's "I'm running a marathon so I'll have an extra slice of roast beef with a pat of butter".)

65 to 75 % fat completely from animal sources, mostly fatty cuts of beef. Secondary fats come chicken, eggs, and fatty fish when I can afford it.

I also cook with grease, occasionally butter. But the majority of fat comes from the meats themselves, not cooking fat. Though I certainly use lots, at least 2 large tablespoons when cooking a steak.

Next is protein, about 25%, again, mostly from animal sources.

The rest is carbs from vegetables, preference given to dark green leafy greens, variety of non-starchy vegetables, and occasional starchy vegetables. Starchy vegetables taste so sweet to me, they make me crave sweets. Fruits: I try to limit to berries and have a taste of local fruit when it comes in season.

I feel the best when I eat the biggest meal when I wake up, then I eat a small lunch if I'm hungry.

I don't make this macro on purpose. I cook traditional foods and this is how it turns out. When I deviate, I don't feel as good anymore. I'm glad I have my childhood to guide me, since I grew up in a traditional society.

Eating a lot of saturated animal fats and cholesterol makes me feel really good, I feel blessed that I'm now healthy after severe hyperthyroid and gallbladder problems.

Ironphoenix · Answer 13 · 2012-10-27 08:09:27Z UTC

I'm a nutritionist and I would consider 40% carbs to be a normal level of carb intake. Ideally I would suggest keeping it at a level you feel comfortable at. I like mine to be below 20% or under 70g.

Poop master is obviously joking because ratios refer to a percentage of a total amount. Whatever you eat, however many calories, your macro ratios still equal 100%.

Paleo is about finding your version of it! I like 20% carbs, 25% protein, 55% fat. I still play around with it thou and I only eat if I'm hungry.

James · Answer 14 · 2012-10-27 08:53:12Z UTC

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33.33% carbs 33.33% protein and 33.33% fat.

It's what I call a balanced diet.

answered Oct 27 at 8:53

James
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Macros- What are the ratios that work for you?

14 Answers