Carb Protein Fat Ratio in a Healthy Weight Loss Diet

Before I tell you about one of the more important aspects of a healthy weight loss diet, the carb:protein:fat ratio, it is time to do my weekly weigh in. Actually, my weigh in day was yesterday, but I was away from my computer so it is one day late – sorry. At yesterday morning’s weigh in my weight was…

195 lbs

This is another week of losing 4 or more pounds and I couldn’t be happier. I know that most people say healthy weight loss should occur at an average of about two pounds a week. In my experience, however, many people will lose weight faster than this even if they are following a healthy weight loss program, especially if they have lots of weight to lose (like me). As long as you are eating right and getting lots of exercise, don’t worry if you are losing weight faster.

Following the recommended carb protein fat ratio in your diet will help you to lose more weight or overcome a weight loss plateau.

Recently, with the help of fitday.com, I have been able to track the amount of fats, carbs and proteins I eat each day. Before using fitday.com I had no idea what these values were or how close (or far) I was to reaching the recommended carb protein fat ratio that is recommended for a healthy weight loss diet. Now, it is true that I have been losing weight without paying any attention to the carb:protein:fat ratios of the calories I eat, but now that I have been following it more closely I have been losing weight more consistently. Since I have changed nothing in my exercise routine, I have to assume that my recent weight loss streak has something to do with balancing these sources of calories in my diet. So if you are not losing weight consistently, or are perhaps struggling with a weight loss plateau, modifying your diet so that your within the recommended carb:protein:fat ratio may be just the thing you need.

There are a few things to understand about fats, carbs, and proteins that will help any dieter. The more a person knows about what they are eating and why they are eating them, the more powerful their diet is going to be for them. You can go on any diet, but if it does not make sense to you, you won’t be as willing to stay on it because you are confused. If you understand why you are making the food choices that you are making, and what is going on in your body, you are more likely to stay put with your eating plan and will see great results in the long run.

Carbohydrates are found in foods like fruits and vegetables, and also in many processed foods that contain sugar, flour, and other white foods. These carbs are made into glucose and will impact your blood sugar. The fruit and vegetable variety of carbs are the ones you want to have the most of (as they have the lowest blood sugar impact) and you want to avoid the processed type. The processed ones have the most impact on blood sugar and cause huge peaks and valleys in blood sugar levels and insulin. When sugar levels drop, hunger ensues. That is what you want to avoid.

Fats and proteins are not the same thing, but they do both help with keeping a person fuller for a longer period of time. Fats are not as bad for you as you may think, as long as you are not eating the wrong types. Stay with natural fats found in nuts and the unsaturated variety you find in other foods. Proteins come from meat, beans and nuts, and are more slowly digested with little impact on blood sugar. Eaten in the right amounts, fats and proteins keep you strong while keeping you full.

For the most part, the carb:protein:fat ratio in a healthy weight loss diet is generally about 40-50% carbs, 25-35% protein and 20-30% fats. However, that is only a guideline. If you have pre-diabetes (insulin resistance), you will want a lower the carb ratio in your diet, thus lowering your blood sugar. Bodybuilders or people who are trying to build more muscle mass may want to include more protein in their diet that what this ratio suggests. It is also recommended for a weight loss diet that you keep your sodium intake below 2500mg a day and consume at least 25 grams of fiber.

As I mentioned before, I am now tracking my carb protein fat ratios in my diet using fitday.com. If this is something you want to try as well, go to fitday and sign up for a free account. There are a number of other online resource that all do the same thing as well. Check out a short list of them in my post “Best Online Diet Trackers“.

Happy Canada Day to all of our beautiful Canadian friends :)!