I just found this microwave meal in my pantry (I bought a while back before I began my new healthy lifestyle) called szechwan garlic chow mein, made by Simply Asia, and the nutrition facts are: 650 calories, total fat 12g (of which, sat fat=1.5g and trans fat=0g), 16g protein, and a whopping 121g of carbs (of which fiber=5g and sugar=14g).

Question, is this too many carbs for me to eat in one sitting? And if not, would I need to eat an equal or nearly equal amount of protein for that meal? (age 23, 6'5", 297lbs. I need ~3300 calories/day at around 70g fat, 300g carb, 300g protein)

And that leads me to another question which might be a common sense issue: are my individual meals meant to be balanced as far as fat/carb/protein is concerned (i.e. 50g carb/50g prot/12g fat each and every meal).

I'd stay away from that meal... let's just say nothing "good" will come of it. That's an awful lot of carbs for what is probably a pretty small portion. I'll bet the sodium level is really high on that too... you'd see the scale move the next day from the retained water, for sure.

Since your ratios are balanced (300/300) it's a lot easier to track if you eat things which are also balanced. If you are going to go heavier on the carbs, however, I'd suggest you have them earlier in the day.

Thanks, phillydude. That's about what I was thinking, that many carbs at once couldn't be good.

And speaking of sodium, how much is "too much"? I've been using low sodium soy sauce (and ground red pepper) on my boneless skinless chicken breasts to enhance the flavor. Is salting food "bad" in that sense of water retention and overall longterm fat loss?

Speaking of sodium, how much is "too much"? Is salting food "bad" in that sense of water retention and overall longterm fat loss?

I don't add salt to ANYTHING I eat (and never have)... but at the same time I don't track my sodium intake either. There is no RDA for sodium, but most dieticians say that between 1000mg and 2500mg a day is a good range for most people. Here's some science:

"When the salt content of your blood goes up, it attracts water from around your cells (in muscles and organs) into your blood to dilute it. Otherwise, your blood would be too salty. There is salt as sodium outside every cell in your body. When the salt content of the fluid around your cells goes up, it attracts water from your blood and swelling occurs. Your kidneys are responsible for regulating salt and water levels in your body. When salt and water levels increase around cells, the excess is drawn into your blood, which is filtered by your kidneys. Your kidneys remove excess salt and water from your blood, both of which are excreted as urine. When your kidneys don't work well, fluid builds up around cells and in your blood. Your heart is the pump that pushes your blood around. If there is more fluid in your blood, your heart has to work harder and your blood pressure can go up because there is more pressure on the walls of your blood vessels. Your heart can get weaker or worn out from the extra work."

I don't think excessive salt consumption will directly affect fat loss, but it will cause you to retain water (bloat) which will push your scale weight upwards. It will put additional strain on your heart (not good if you are doing a lot of cardio) and kidneys (not good if you are consuming a lot of protein and/or taking creatine).

Excellent info, phillydude, thanks again. I can easily do without the extra salt and won't miss it too much =)