I’m quite new to this diet (just finished my first week) and have lost 5 cm from my waist. Dropping the carbs was actually very easy; but it left me with a perplexing question. In what ratio of protein to fat should their be in grams? Should it be 50:50 or 75:25?

Looking at my setup on Cronometer I use 1:2 calories which isn’t far from 1:1 grams, on a 1350 day it is 85g protein and 75g fat for me. I know I tend to run a bit higher in protein than many though, due to muscle and exercise requirements. Others may be closer to 1:3 in calories, between protein and fat.

Hi, JRChild. I’ve been in maintenance for 9 months, but my
approach to macros during 10 months of the Fast800 was
the following: I used this formula to establish protein requirements –
1 gm of protein per kg of IDEAL body weight. I set carbs at 20 gm,
and the remainder was allocated to healthy fats. If you do a lot
of strength training at the gym, protein can be as high as 1.5 gm.
My weight loss was approx. .5lbs per day, and very consistent
at this level. I never saw the need to calculate fat grams, but
was more concerned with adequate protein and carbs <20gms.
Hope this helps!

Allie

Hey there Mixnmatch and alliecat, thank you for your very quick replies… I’m truly amazed and pleased!!! I too am going to gym (or I should say re-resuming gym!) after some pretty serious health problems. At this point I do aquarobics for an hour 3 times a week; I used to go to gym for an hour of cardio and an hour of heavy weights per day, and have plan to resume that ASAP.
I found your advice to be most helpful and also a relief to be sure; I have been able to bottom out my carbs but was very worried about the fat – even though I am convinced about it being important and not the demon we’re told.
So if I understand what you’re both saying, it is more important to be precise about the protein than it is about the fat… is that true? That so long as I keep the total calories as close to or below 800 calories as possible, the fat isn’t the bigger of the two concerns?
I might say that the 800 calorie diet is an interesting concept for me. My wife is doing the diet with me and we are both on 800 calories, she is 155 cm tall (5’2) and I am nearly 190 cm tall (6’3-4). Needless to say, she copes with the calories better than I but I remain resolute! Maybe this is a topic for a different thread!?

You may find it easier but still effective to move to 1000 calories a day, provided you are still following the principles, one of our number, JulesMaigret if you want to search for his posts, is a similar height and did this and lost over 100 pounds at 1000 calories so it still works and may be easier and more pleasant for you to stick to. Good luck and let us know how you are getting on.

Again you quickly come to my aid Mixnmatch! Thank you! So it is still kosher to up the calories that much based on my size? All the same though, I’d like to try sticking with 800 calories as long as is comfortable!

Hi again, CR! JulesMaigret does have a great story. Reading
his “replies created” might be a great help to you.
CR, there are no hard and fast rules, other than to remember
that this is a low carb-moderate protein-high fat diet. Many do
very well on <50gm of carbs a day. How I chose to set my macros
was by trial and error. Approx. 2 months in I hit an 18 day plateau,
and it was necessary to go very low carb to break it. Fat is a very
necessary element to the diet, it helps to keep hunger at bay
as well as facilitates fat burning. Too much protein get stored
as glycogen in the muscles, and what we want to be burning for
fuel is our fat stores, not stored glycogen. Everyone begins this
with concerns over loss of muscle mass, which is why I found
the protein formula particularly help when LindaA it. I’m not a
gym afficionado however. I’m sure someone who is will come
along and share their experience with you!
Very best of luck to you and your wife. This WOL really works!

Allie

Hi JRC

I took the view that carbs would be my challenge, so pitched for around 40g a day or less. I am 6’3″ and with a heavy frame and carry a fair bit of muscle mass from my days playing rugby to a decent standard. My logic was, and I took some flak from the purists for it, was that 800 could only be a general target as the impact on a five foot woman or a six-foot bloke couldn’t reasonably be the same.

To be honest with a target of 800-1000 and the need to actually eat a reasonable amount, the level of fat was automatically limited and I took a fairly lax approach to it. As I increased calories in maintenance I did, and still do favour protein over fat.

I used the UK RFU Veterans (i’m 53) strength and conditioning regime – it used to be online but seems to have disappeared – and really never had too much bother with tiredness.

So sorry, JRChilds, for mistyping your name!

Hello JulesMaigret. So nice to meet you at long last, and glad
to see you back on the forums 🙂 I’m afraid I am guilty of being
one of the purists here, but I’m no expert on anything but how my
own body reacts to carbs….I’m looking forward to reading your
new posts!. What I most remember from reading what you’ve
had to say in the past is your observation that for you, changing
things up and increasing your carbs temporarily was an adjunct
to getting over a plateau. Found that very interesting…

Allie

Hi Allie

One of the most striking things I found out doing the Fast 800 (or so) was that my body responded in really weird and unpredictable ways and just to go with the flow. As I think I said at the time, I wouldn’t recommend the “short, sharp carb-shock” technique as part of BSD but it worked for me on three (?) occasions.

The other thing was that my tastes really changed and things I’d never been bothered about became core parts of my diet (fennel, for instance.)

I remember about the fennel, Jules! For me it has been, raw,
unpasteurized kimchi, courtesy of Esnecca. Now I don’t like
to be without a backup 32 oz. jar in the refrigerator. Tastes do
change in remarkable ways!

A few years ago, I did a project in Korea and there is nothing like a breakfast of scrambled eggs and Kimchi-cochugai (sp?) to start the day. A chilli blast to clear the head.
I occasionally make my own kimchi but have to admit that the raw sauerkraut from the local Polish deli is hard to beat. I’m also lucky to have a goat farm less than a mile away and they make lovely kefir, so good that I just can’t be bothered to try to make my own!

So I’m 6’3″ and 110kg (17.5st) and wondering what is a sensible amount of protein. The 1g per kg formula leaves me with say needing 80g of protein but I’m finding it difficult to get that without also pushing up fat a lot, if I include sat 40g of carbs then I find 800cals difficult.
So while my head is sorted out and I’m not hungry and while I find it easy (10 days) to stay around 800cal I still find it difficult to get near they 80g protein recommendation I see around for someone my size.
What’s the story with protein then?
Help appreciated.

Johno, have you looked at any of the online BMI calculators to determine the ideal weight for your gender, age
and height, as determined by a figure right in the middle of your healthy range? Also, are you eating clean, lean
animal protein like wild fish and free range chicken, or do you favor sausage and beef? We can take a better look
at your macros with additional information 🙂

Allie

Hi thanks Allie
I think about 80kg would be in middle of healthy (though I would be emaciated).
I have mostly eggs, chicken, prawns and ocasional lean beef. But I have eggs everyday.
I don’t eat anything processes except half a slice of ham in an omelet. I like salmon and also smoked mackerel but don’t eat either often. Mackerel seems to have loads of fat but it’s tasty.
Does that help.
I’m a desk worker (programmer) and 52.

Johno, I know exactly what you mean about some men not adhering to the tables at all. My husband has an extra
large bone structure, and the recommended weight for his height would correspond to a 14 yr old! Unless you
spend a lot of time doing intense training in the gym, a good measure is no more than 20g of protein per meal
x 3 meals a day. When using “the formula”, I think it applies to the maximum per day, not a prerequisite requirement.
This is a very general and loose rule, but the average woman needs no more than 50g of protein, and the average
man needs no more than 60g. Since we are limiting ourselves to 800 cal. a day on the Fast 800, this may be a
way of thinking about it for the 8 weeks, at least. JulesMaigret has accomplished and maintained great loss on
this way of eating, and I hope that he will be along soon to add to my remarks. I hope this hasn’t confused you
further 🙂 Let us know how you go, and we’re always happy to help.

Allie

So something like ..
60g protein
40/50g of carbs
And the rest of the 800c as fat, whatever it turns out to be.
I’ll give that a go then.
Thanks for the advice.
John

I think you’re on the right track, John! Let us know how things go for you, and if any adjustments need to be made,
one of us will be able to help.

Best,

Allie

Thanks loads.
Looking back at my records I’m not too far off those protein and carb numbers.
Will let you know.
Thanks John

PS made two litres of kimchi. Fantastic with an omelette or steak.

Sounds delicious, John. I’ve become a kimchi lover too. Esnecca posted a recipe for kimchi deviled eggs on I
believe the kimchi thread, if that appeals to you!
Enjoy your batch 🙂