So you’ve heard a lot about a 40-30-30 diet, but don’t know exactly what it means. Don’t be troubled it’s not as complex as it might sound. It stands for the percentage of calories you consume from carbohydrates, protein and fat….40-30-30 respectively. This diet moves away from the extremes of low-carb diets which can be difficult for many people. Remember that food pyramid where the grains and wheat products were the huge portion on the bottom? Well it turns out a diet made up of 70% carbohydrates could be the cause for the sum of overweight and obese people in the world.
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This diet is slightly based on that same theory of the pyramid, but just portioned in a different more balanced manner. A diet made up of thirty percent fat might seem like a lot to you, but the truth is fat doesn’t make you fat. It is our regular intake of sugar that makes us fat. Sadly it’s almost everywhere you turn like at the smoothie stand, coffee shop and all fast food restaurants. So with the reduced intake of carbohydrates, particularly simple sugars, and in increase of fat, our body is less unwilling to let go of it in a caloric deficit.
You might of heard of the “Zone Diet” written by Dr. Barry Sears, which uses the 40-30-30 diet as it’s base. His theory goes into more extent than just the caloric breakdown of our diet, and he has many books that describe his theory. But the benefits are said to be balanced hormones, more energy, faster metabolism and spending all day in “the zone.”
So on to the nitty gritty….how do you know if you’re consuming a 40-30-30 diet? It’s not as difficult as you might think. You can do it with some simple math. You need first understand the amount of calories in each gram of nutrient: Four calories per gram of carbohydrates, four calories per gram of protein, and nine calories per gram of fat. Just right there you can see why it is essential to keep a watchful eye on your fat intake because it is over twice as calorie dense as carbs or protein.
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Next we want to figure out how many calories your body needs to preserve its current weight. To find out this number, use this scale:
· 10 Calories/Pound – Sedentary
· 13 Calories/Pound – Low Activity(No planned physical activity)
· 15 Calories/Pound – Moderate Activity(Planned activity;30-40 min 2-3 times a week)
· 18 Calories/Pound – Strenuous Activity(60 minutes of activity 4-5 times a week)
A healthy and not very extreme way to get fit and shed the extra weight is to reduce your calorie intake by 20% of your maintenance number. So if you’re a moderately active person weighing 170 Lbs, you would figure out your goal calorie intake like so:
· 170 x 15= 2550
· 2250 x .20(20%)=510
· So a 20% decrease in calories would be 2550-510=2040
You can now break down your daily caloric consumption with the 40 30 30 categorization of carbs, proteins and fats.
· 40% Carbohydrates = 816 calories (Divide by 4 to get number of grams=204)
· 30% Protein = 612 calories (Divide by 4 to get number of grams= 153)
· 30% Fat = 612 calories (Divide by 9 to get number of grams= 68)
You can now take all this information and enter in your own numbers and get the exact amount of carbs, proteins and fats necessary for you to follow the 40-30-30 diet with a 20% calorie deficit.
Learn more about the 40 30 30 Diet here.
