Is 50% protein, 30% fat and 20% carbs a good macro split to loose weight but gain muscle?

Question

Is 50% protein, 30% fat and 20% carbs a good ma to split to loose weight but gain/retain muscle?

I’m 5 foot 6 inches (or 167cm) tall male with a body weight of 80kg. During my last ‘weight in’ my breakdown was 35.4kg muscle and 24.6kg fat.

In the last several months I’ve taken up long distance running and have noticed my body weight increase from 75.8kg to 82.4kg in a 7 month period. I’ve been trying to get weight down but it’s slow progress.

More recently, I’ve started to do 40/30/30 macro split which has helped but I’m curious if 50/30/20 would help me get there faster.

I’m pretty active with 3 training session with trainer a week (2x strength on Monday and Wednesday and 1x HIIT on a Friday). I do longer runs on days in between (1x 12km run on Thursday and 1x 15-20km run on a Saturday. On Tuesday I do a home strength training session (usually arms/chest). Sunday’s are rest days.

I feel like I’m trying a lot but seeing very little progress. Since the long distance running started, it’s been hard to keep weight down and I just don’t understand why.

Can any fitness gurus shed some light or give me suggestions on what I could change?

Answer 1

If you want to lose weight you need to eat (and drink!) less than you use. There is no way around that basic fact. Usage can be direct burning or resources used for structural changes (improved bone density, muscle gain, ...). Still, excess calories will be "invested" (stored) regardless of the source, in one way or another. Without a caloric deficit, there is no incentive for the body to break up stored fat.

Yes, proteins have a higher fraction (30-40%) of calories that needs to be used before it is in a form usable for the body, carbs can be used (and stored) almost without loss. That does not change that you must monitor calories.

What you need to be a bit careful with is too much protein, though. You need about 1.2g/kg body weight when building muscle. Too much protein can also lead to a slight shift of the pH of your blood (acidosis) which leads to your body breaking down minerals, e.g. from your bones, to compensate that. That means you bereft your body of essential minerals that way. If you eat a lot of animal protein, it also increases your cholesterol levels and can slowly but certainly lead to arteriosclerosis. Thus, you'll want to digest a lot of vegetables.

Regarding weight, you need to count in that with training taking effect after what seems to had been rather lazy times, you build muscle as well. You should, even if it increases your weight for the moment. It will increase you calorie baseline needed over the day.

That being said, fasting (either intermittent or properly - under medical supervision) may kickstart a renewal of your body as it makes the body break down old, dysfunctional structures and literally "slim down" to meet the current needs.

Best idea would be to see someone with a training as nutritionist for education and the development of an individual nutrition plan.