How to break down how many grams of fat, sugar, carbs etc. i need to consume?

Hi all,

I am a 21 year old guy at 6' 3'' weighing in @ 210 punds and trying to get down to 185-190 pounds. I was wondering if someone can tell me how many grams of fat, sugar, protein etc. i need to consume in order to lose weight? I already know how many calories i need to consume to lose weight.

So should i just concern myself with calories or how much carbs, fats etc. an item has?

Please let me know if you need any more information..

Thanks!

Make sure you are getting at least 20% of your calories from carbs, protein, and fats each. Avoid trans fats when possible.

Other than that - calories in vs calories out are what will matter for weight loss.

I wouldn't overthink it and try to get a certain number of grams of each per day. 

I'd try to eat a complex carbohydrate (grain), a protein, a fat, and a fruit or vegetable serving at each meal (usually that means fruit at breakfast & for one snack, then vegetables at lunch and dinner - at least a cup at each). Don't have JUST a carbohydrate for a snack, because it won't be filling - pair it with some protein and/or fat.

If you do that, put reasonable portions on your plate, and you are at your target calories, you should be just fine.

Congrats on trying to reach your goals! Some others said that you shouldn't worry over think all your numbers too much, and thats true; you don't want to overwhelm yourself at first by trying to reach too many dietary goals at once, but it is important to make sure you are working towards reaching the ideal. And, to have a healthy body, there are certain numbers you should be going for. Being slimmer is great, but it isn't necessarily healthy if you're not putting the right stuff in.

Making sure to eat at least 95 grams of protein for someone your size would be good. If you work out, I would recommend more. Also, about 60 grams of fat would be recommended for someone your size.

That being said, it's all about the quality of protein and fat you're taking in. If you are eating good fats (not too much saturated, and a balance of poly and mono) than more wouldn't be a bad thing.

Seem overwhelming? Don't worry! If you strive to just eat healthfully, you will usually get close to reaching these goals anyways. After learning to opt for healthy foods (fruits, veggies, limited dairy, good cooking oils, nuts, quality proteins, ect), then you can go back and tweak your diet to reach you're ideals. Being healthy is just something you constantly improve on throughout life, and no one is ever perfect, so don't sweat it out too much... baby steps!

Oh and one last thing :)You should know that you that you do not need to be aiming for a certain amount of sugar. You will always inevitably end up consuming sugar because its in healthy foods (and natural sugars found in fruits and veggies are more easily absorbed and cause less of a spike), but technically, we don't really need sugar. Avoid high sugar foods and, when eating something healthful high in sugars, try combining it with a food that is low in sugar to lessen the impact it has on your body. A lot of sugar will cause a sugar spike, but you can prevent the level of the spike by eating something sugary with say, a salad or some nuts.

Good luck!