Hi All: I have been lifting for about 5 months. Went from being a pretty unsightly 220 lbs to 195 lbs. Ideal weight is probably 170 (I am 5’10" and had very little muscle on me prior to this year).
I am trying to tweak my nutrition right now. My current daily routine has me at:
Calories: 1820
Protein: 170
Carbs: 176
Fat: 46
Does that seem right? I feel like it is too much carbs, although some of it comes from fruits vegetables.
Advice appreciated.
I’d say good job!
Assuming that you’re somewhere in your mid-twenties and that you’re spending most of your time in a metabolically non-demanding job (e.g. sitting in front of the computer eight hours per day), 1800 calories per day are approximately equivalent to a 20% caloric deficit. I’d say that’s great for losing fat at a moderate speed while keeping (and building) muscle mass (please note that building muscle and losing fat at the same time is hardly possible once you passed your newbie-phase).
When it comes to your macros I’d say that looks pretty fine.
Assuming that you get enough protein (somewhere between 1,4 and 2 g/kg/day, i.e. 120-180 g/kg/day), fat makes up approximately 20% of your caloric intake considering the data. It might be possible to slightly up fat intake (up to 30% of your total calories), but then you’d have to lower your carb intake in order to sustain the deficit.
In conclusion, keep going! To answer your question: you don’t have to lower your carb intake as long as progress doesn’t come to a halt. Don’t change the things that are working for you and don’t forget to add in higher calorie days once in a while, i.e. slightly eating above maintenance levels (e.g. starting once per month and getting more frequently the leaner you become). This ensures that your hormones don’t make you hungry and prone to overeating and cheating.