Protein or Carbohydrates?

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3/31/12 11:39 A

Sparkspeople ratios are just fine and I body build on them.. More or less of anything not necessary if moving butt enough..

Edited by: REDSHOES2011 at: 3/31/2012 (11:39)

Posts: 16,219
3/30/12 11:29 P

When I switched to low carb, my protein went up to 25% instead of 20.

I think for energy the real question is fat or carbohydrate. Protein is good up to a point, but excess protein is just excreted through our urine, and can tax the kidneys, if you have an issue with them already.

To get 50% protein, I would need to eat 200 grams of protein from my 1600 calorie diet. This is too much for me . I know that many of you have no issue with carbs, so you stick with 30% fat or cut it. That leaves 70 %, and you eat almost double the RDA ( 35% ), but that leaves 35% of the diet from carbs.

This may work for you, some of us can handle it. I would have an issue with that much protein, and definitely the carbs at 35%. I would eat protein over carbohydrates, but more than either, I would eat fat.. at least 50%. I normally eat 60% fat, 25-30% protein, and 10-15% carbs.

I don't think one kind of diet fits all of us, and I don't think you can replace your carbs with protein. Protein is limiting. Have any of you thought that maybe it is the fat you add by eating the protein, that reduces your hunger, along with your lowering of carbs?

I love this thread, but I think when you ask a question like this, it should be part of a larger discussion, and hope that it was not a one time question, that you hope fills your preconceived ideas. If you believe that by adding protein, which adds fat, therefore lowering carbs, there should be many questions to follow. The best way to answer them is to test these theories on yourselves, with an open mind, and you may be surprised at the answers. That is what has gone wrong with the experts these days. They didn't like the answers, so they rigged the tests to say what they wanted.

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3/30/12 11:09 P

Ugh I love my carbs but eating more protien

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3/30/12 4:41 P

Proteins over carbs but when I have carbs i aim for the good carbs.

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3/30/12 3:27 P

I don't follow the pyramid or the usda plate. As you-all can see, I follow my own plate lol. As Russel said, your body needs glucose, but you don't need to eat any carbs.

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3/30/12 2:30 P

I honestly aim for lots of protein; I do a lot of weight lifting and cardio, and need it to rebuild my body. When I don't get enough, I feel exhausted and weak.

I don't deny myself carbs, either; I aim for 40-65% of my diet in complex carbs. I don't always make it but I don't stress over them. Carbs are needed, too!

Posts: 1,080
3/30/12 2:30 P

I still plan my meals around protein, but don't shy away from the carbs...especially if they are good carbs. I figure that as long as I am getting plenty of protein, it will all balance out.

Posts: 441
3/30/12 2:22 P

I try to keep an even balance between carbs and proteins. Protein wasn't something I thought much about as far as how much I was getting or where I was getting it from until I joined Spark.

Posts: 5,070
3/30/12 2:16 P

I don't follow the food pyramid or the new plate that Obama created. I don't think either of them are right. I get a good mix of all. Most of my protein comes from my greens and carbs from my veggies and fruits. I don't eat a lot of meat and when i do it is generally 100% green fed.

Posts: 1,193
3/30/12 11:44 A

I was finally glad to see that proteins are becoming more of a priority in the "food pyramid".

Our bodies need carbs, but the good ones, the complex ones. Protein helps us stay "fuller" longer.

Do you put more focus on proteins, rather than watching your carbs and fats?

Since I had WLS, I have realized the importance of proteins and the role they play in our bodies. Now, I have to follow a high protein regiment and I am finding that it is much more satisfying to my body.

So, I choose proteins over carbs....and I don't follow any pyramid

Edited by: UNIQDRGNFLY at: 3/30/2012 (14:47)