40-40-20, too much protein, too low of carbs?

[thehulkster]

Hey y'all,
I was just wondering who lives by the 40-40-20 rule of protein, carbs, fats. I did that when I was bulking with sometimes more emphasis on the carbs for energy. Now that I am in a cutting phase I have been off it cause a guy i trust told me to drop the carbs gradually each week and bump up the protein. Then this new guy i started workin out with about a month ago who i studying all this crap says you dont need anymore than 1g of protein per KILOGRAM of OVERALL weight. a kg is about .45 lb. Whcih means me being 223 only need about 200 grams of protein a day. I've been taking in like 300. This came as quite a shock to me.
I'm thinking I'm goin to change back ot the 40 40 20 method with this new amount of protein and fix the carbs and fats back. It's more about calories in versus calories out then anything else.
Also I read somewhere that to cut you should multiply ur weight by 10-12 and that's how many calories you need roughly to loose weight. Then split that into the 40 40 20 method with carbs and protein at 4g per calorie and fats at 9.
Well I just wanted to hear what any of you people who are seasoned vets in this area have to say. Thanks
-Dave

[Dave P]

I think you're putting too much emphasis on ballpark figures and generic calculations. There is no magic formula that is going to tell you what is best for you. These ratios, forumlas, and calculations are meant to get you in the general vicinity of where you need to be.

1-1.5g of protein per pound is enough protein. Figure out how many calories you want to take in for the day. Subtract the calories from protein. What you have left over is calories you want to get from carbs/fat. Think about what you like to eat...dont look at it as "omg I had 25% of my calories from fat today Im screwed". Get your protein, then fill in the gaps with healthy carbs and fats.

The ratios mean jack ****. Think of it like this. Getting on a diet is like going to a movie. At first all you need is a roadmap to get you there. Once you are there you will see the flick and will have a good time. However, finding the optimum seat is another story. There is no way to get advise on what the best seat is...its something you have to experiment with and figure out for yourself.

Sorry for the cheesy analogy.

[JustLost]

I think you're putting too much emphasis on ballpark figures and generic calculations. There is no magic formula that is going to tell you what is best for you. These ratios, forumlas, and calculations are meant to get you in the general vicinity of where you need to be.

1-1.5g of protein per pound is enough protein. Figure out how many calories you want to take in for the day. Subtract the calories from protein. What you have left over is calories you want to get from carbs/fat. Think about what you like to eat...dont look at it as "omg I had 25% of my calories from fat today Im screwed". Get your protein, then fill in the gaps with healthy carbs and fats.

The ratios mean jack ****. Think of it like this. Getting on a diet is like going to a movie. At first all you need is a roadmap to get you there. Once you are there you will see the flick and will have a good time. However, finding the optimum seat is another story. There is no way to get advise on what the best seat is...its something you have to experiment with and figure out for yourself.

Sorry for the cheesy analogy.

Wow, you beat dbx to this one!!

I think dosage is a better metric than ratios. For instance, I set a minimum for protein (1 * LBM), a minimum for fats (.5 * LBM), and both minimum and maximum for carbs, depending on what I'm trying to accomplish. If I started with a ratio, I'd still have fine tune the macros, so I figure just do the calculations and be done.

Many bodybuilders and nutritional fanatics stress over ratios of Protein/carbs/fat. It's not necessary. The fact of the matter is that ratios are completely irrelevant. Lean mass should influence your overall macronutrient reuquirements; note calories. 'Tis true. Ratios are nothing more than an unintentional characteristic of any individual's diet following whatever modifications have been made depending on a multitude of factors such as training, goals, activities, etc. Overall, ratios are actually unplanned and unintentional and should not be practiced.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=492749