Carb intake--Let's take a vote!

So, I asked a similar question last week (with reference to the "Iron Man" here at the office). Kelly & Pam from the Nutrition forum were kind enough to provide me w/ the following: Post Date: 6/27/08 2:23 pm

I don't exactly know how our body decides whether to burn fat or muscle for fuel when we create a calorie deficit.  I do know that we burn different types of energy when we exercise based on how hard we're working; in the lower heart-rate zones, we're supposedly burning fat (that's the "aerobic" zone because our body needs oxygen to be able to use fat for energy), and in the upper heart-rate zones, we're supposedly burning some form of energy other than fat ("anaerobic" because our body isn't using oxygen in the energy equation at these higher zones).  But I'm not how that translates to what our body uses for energy when we're just sitting around like lumps...  

I have read that our brains can only utilize the energy from carbs (glucose), so if you totally eliminate carbs from your diet or really limit them, it may affect how well your brain functions.  Here's a link to some basic information about this principle at a couple websites:
http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/carbs.html
http://weight-loss-methods.suite101.com/article.cfm/low_carb _diets_can_be_unhealthy

I've read the 30% carbs/30%fat/40% protein ratio in many posts - it's a pretty common formula that some folks follow when they are working to lose weight.  

In terms of how many calories an individual needs everyday, you can either estimate your daily calorie needs using a BMR/RMR calculator (see link below), or you can pay to have it tested by a New Leaf Fitness franchise or some place that does testing with a Body Gem (it's sort of like figuring out how many "miles per gallon" your body gets). 

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php

For "normal" folks, most dieticians and nutritionists recommend that they create a 500-1000 per day calorie deficit, which should result in a 1-2 pound weight loss per week.  If you're pretty far our from the surgery, that's probably a pretty reasonable goal a well.  Some folks think that the greater your calorie deficit, the faster you'll lose weight.  But if you create too great of a deficit, your body may think it's not going to get enough calories for the long-term and it may cause your metabolism to slow down.  So that BMR/RMR number that you worked so hard to figure out may, in fact, go down if you take in too few calories.  Lower BMR/RMR = burning fewer calories = not losing weight or losing slower than you planned.  

What does all that translate to?  Say your BMR/RMR is 1800 calories, meaning if you eat 1800 calories per day, you should maintain your current weight.  To lose 1 pound per week, you'd need to eat 1300 calories per day (1800 RMR minus 500 calories per day).   If you want to use the 30/30/40 ratio for those 1300 calories, here's what it looks like:
1300 calories
30% carbs = 390 calories divided by 4 calories per gram = 97.5 grams
30% fat = 390 calories dividied by 9 calories per gram = 43.3 grams
40% protein = 520 calories divided by 4 calories per gram = 130 grams

Pam says:  Your brain can not function on the energy provided by protein, it can ONLY function by glucose which is what carbs provide.

Many people think that carbs are just bread, pasta, potatoes, etc.  However, carbs are also in fruits, veggies, dairy and cheese.  Your body can use fruits and veggies and diary for it's carb needs wthout ever touching bread or pasta again.  However, we also need whole grains to promote good health, so we need to incorporate those in moderattion too. 

If we cut out ALL carbs the only way for our body to provide the fuel for our brain (and other organs that function on just glucose) -- the only way to get that energy is for the body to create it.  and the way glucose is created without carbs is through muscle wasting.  yes, the body uses it's muscle mass to create glucose (in a much more complicated process that that simplified sentence). 

I think the key here is BALANCE.  His nutrition balance percentages aren't all that far off from what I've been told by my nutritionist, my trainer and doctor.  Here's what I strive for:

40% protein
30-40% good carbs
20-30% good fats

But the number of calories is going to be different for every person.  You're 4 years out, so you probably have a pretty good understanding of how your body reacts to different levels of calories.  You know how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight. 

2000 calories is the federally mandated recommended daily intake for the average person.  But who's average?  Hardly anyone!   It's often said that you should maintain at least 1200 calories to keep your body out of starvation mode.  But for some it 1200 calories will cause weight gain.   It depends entirely on the person and how their body works.

And remember that as a former morbidly obese person our bodies DO NOT function the same way as a normal person.  Our hormones, metabolism and endocrine systems are all screw up for life.  Our body doesn't function the same way as a person who has been slim and health all their lives.  We need to compensate for that forever -- even after we lose the excess weight. 

Some people actually get a RMR (resting metabolic rate) reading done to determine how many calories your body requires each day.  You can have this done at any good gym or health center. 
I'm 7.5 months out and still in "losing" mode.  I just increased my calorie intake to 1000-1200 calories per day.  I maintain the above percentage balance pretty closely.  I get about 100mg protein per day and about 80-100mg carb per day.  On big workout days (I'm training for a half marathon) I try to get more carbs than normal and might get 100-125mg before a long workout.