Fats?

Parkercomom

I am below my fat counts...I would rather eat than add the fat calories, since my allotment is only 1270. I take essential fatty acids daily...will that make up for the fats I am lacking?

savvyfantastic

You haven't provided really much information to make a statement against. Yes, essential fatty acids are great additions, however the body utilizes a range of fats for a number of functions including hormone function. It's important to have an adequate supply, with a range of fats within that supply.

jddnw

Sorry, I'm not seeing the issue. Put some butter on something you eat. Problem solved.

RodaRose

Almonds.

FreedomMK2131

I have found that eating a lot of healthy fat decreases appetite and stabilizes blood sugar. Avocados and cooking with olive oil are my favorite!

erikgoya

Just eat an entire stick of butter.

erikgoya

Just kidding.

That sounds like a low calorie limit, are you already really short? If your not, you're probably low on your calorie intake, and should eat some more. (I'm 5'5" and in a deficit of calories at 1800 - 2000)

As for the fat: avocados, cheese, beef, use butter to make your eggs, nuts, peanut butter, cottage cheese. Fat is pretty easy to get in your diet to be honest.

Parkercomom

My calorie goal according to this site is 1270. I am always under on fat, but right at my calorie allotment. So, to get the 30

arditarose

I hit it up when I eat salmon.

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Parkercomom

I have a goal of 1270 calories with 41g of fat per day according to this site. I have been 20 to 30 short on fat grams, but at or near my calorie limit. Seems like to get that much fat in, it will significantly cut down the amount of other food I can eat. Still just trying to figure it all out. I have 90 pounds to lose....was never much a fat eater...carbs were my downfall.

Parkercomom

I am 5'5 and 256

nyraphe88

You need to experiment with your macros and dietary intake. No body fits into a one size for all cookie cutter diet. You need to mess with your fat/carb/protein levels and calorie needs.
I've been experimenting for the past 2.5 years and finally feel I've found something that works. 40-60% fat, 25-40% protein, and 5-35% carbs. On really tough cardio days, I pull out some protein and add more carbs. On high strength days, I can go up to nearly 75% fat and less than 5% carbs.
It takes time to discover what your body really needs. Start reading lots of books, articles, health blogs. Get your information from everywhere instead of 1-2 sources. And always try new things. Don't be afraid of "doing a fad diet"... If it works and you feel awesome, it works. But also, treat yourself in moderation I like to have a glass or two of red wine and some 85% chocolate when I'm feeling really good.
Don't be down, just try and try and try again until it clicks.

erikgoya

Okay, bottom line: Don't, by any means, follow the number MFP gives you. Its notorious for being inaccurate.
Go find an online calculator (iifym . com works, but use multiple calculators for comparison's sake). Calculate your BMR and your TDEE. choose a number in between those two, and eat to that amount of calories.

I'm 5'5" and 210ish and eat 1800-2000 calories to lose weight. You need to increase your calorie intake and eat more fat. Fat is super important to your health. Eat some more cheese if you're not lactose intolerant (cottage cheese is a good option if you like it).
Eat some meat too! Don't be afraid of the fattier cuts of meat if you have trouble reaching your fat intake. Pork is cheaper than beef and fattier than it too.

If you're vegetarian or vegan...your fat intake will have to be from nuts and oils I guess. I don't know jack about vegetarian nutrition.

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Parkercomom

Not much of a FAT eater...over eater...HECK YES!! I don't blame the carbs...I blame eating them in abundance. Just trying to find a way to eat that I can live with...I don't ever want to look back!

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Christine_72

Yikes, some days I hover around 100g of fat. After being in a weight loss slump the weight is finally falling off.

Christine_72

Try coconut oil, salmon,avocado, full cream milk and yogurt etc etc Pretty much all the yummy stuff!
Up your fat % and lower your carb % to make up for it.

Nony_Mouse

christinev297 wrote: »

Yikes, some days I hover around 100g of fat. After being in a weight loss slump the weight is finally falling off.

Me too . Around 70g is pretty standard. I'm seriously shocked on days that I'm under that.

Parkercomom

christinev297 wrote: »

Yikes, some days I hover around 100g of fat. After being in a weight loss slump the weight is finally falling off.

How many calories do you eat when you are at 100g of fat a day?

ahamm002

Very low fat diets have been found to be bad for your cholesterol levels and may even cause issues with your hormones. Fat is an essential part of your diet. Make sure to include it in moderation.

lemurcat12

What are your macro goals currently and what are you actually eating on average? Are you satisfied with what you are eating? How long have you been doing this? Are you logging anything for oil/butter used in cooking?

My fat goal is 60 grams and I'm usually around there, but I have higher calories now since I'm close to goal. I checked what I did a year ago, when I was eating at 1250, and my fat even then was typically 50-60 grams. You don't have to eat that way if you are satisfied eating more carbs, though, although often lower fat gets combined with low protein or else lots of "fat free" diet products, which may not be the most satisfying choice--why I'm asking the questions I am. Too many people have preconceived ideas that fat is "bad" or must be avoided when dieting, although I understand you say you simply prefer carbs. (I don't so much--I've never been low carb, but I found cutting back on carbs was the most painless way to cut calories.)

Christine_72

Parkercomom wrote: »

christinev297 wrote: »

Yikes, some days I hover around 100g of fat. After being in a weight loss slump the weight is finally falling off.

How many calories do you eat when you are at 100g of fat a day?

@Parkercomom My phone app is playing up, so could only retrieve a few days from this week. I'll post both food calories and net, after exercise calories :

Food- 2,245 calories. Net-1475. Fat 105g

Food- 2,136 calories. Net-1,219. Fat 110g

Food- 1,834 calories. Net- 1,118. Fat 82g

Food- 2,247 calories. Net- 1,227. Fat 105g

Food 2,121 calories. Net- 1,086. Fat 79g

jnv7594

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

christinev297 wrote: »

Yikes, some days I hover around 100g of fat. After being in a weight loss slump the weight is finally falling off.

Me too . Around 70g is pretty standard. I'm seriously shocked on days that I'm under that.

Same here, I range anywhere from 70 to 100 grams of fat per day.

OP, 1270 calories seems awful low. As Mr. M said, you could lose weight on significantly more calories than that. I'm about 5 foot 8 and 214 pounds. My base calorie intake is just over 1600, and it's more than that if I exercise.

Parkercomom

I have been doing this for a little over 3 weeks, so I am new to trying to even out calories. I am going off the guidelines that MFP suggested when I put in my info. I put sedentary because I didn't exercise at all on day one. After the first week, I have been walking a minimum of 2 miles a day. I have lost 10 pounds since I started. I added 50 grams of almonds today so far for 14 gms of fat.

Parkercomom

lemurcat12 wrote: »

What are your macro goals currently and what are you actually eating on average? Are you satisfied with what you are eating? How long have you been doing this? Are you logging anything for oil/butter used in cooking?

My fat goal is 60 grams and I'm usually around there, but I have higher calories now since I'm close to goal. I checked what I did a year ago, when I was eating at 1250, and my fat even then was typically 50-60 grams. You don't have to eat that way if you are satisfied eating more carbs, though, although often lower fat gets combined with low protein or else lots of "fat free" diet products, which may not be the most satisfying choice--why I'm asking the questions I am. Too many people have preconceived ideas that fat is "bad" or must be avoided when dieting, although I understand you say you simply prefer carbs. (I don't so much--I've never been low carb, but I found cutting back on carbs was the most painless way to cut calories.)

I don't use butter or oil for cooking...or anything else. I eat a lot of chicken and egg whites, fresh veggies and fruit. I am usually around 30 or so over for protein and 20 under for fat.

Christine_72

Parkercomom wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

What are your macro goals currently and what are you actually eating on average? Are you satisfied with what you are eating? How long have you been doing this? Are you logging anything for oil/butter used in cooking?

My fat goal is 60 grams and I'm usually around there, but I have higher calories now since I'm close to goal. I checked what I did a year ago, when I was eating at 1250, and my fat even then was typically 50-60 grams. You don't have to eat that way if you are satisfied eating more carbs, though, although often lower fat gets combined with low protein or else lots of "fat free" diet products, which may not be the most satisfying choice--why I'm asking the questions I am. Too many people have preconceived ideas that fat is "bad" or must be avoided when dieting, although I understand you say you simply prefer carbs. (I don't so much--I've never been low carb, but I found cutting back on carbs was the most painless way to cut calories.)

I don't use butter or oil for cooking...or anything else. I eat a lot of chicken and egg whites, fresh veggies and fruit. I am usually around 30 or so over for protein and 20 under for fat.

Ditch the egg whites. All the goodness {and fat) is in the yolk. I've never had a plain egg white in my life..
I cook with butter and olive oil, I also add 10g of coconut oil in my smoothie everyday.

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lemurcat12

Parkercomom wrote: »

lemurcat12 wrote: »

What are your macro goals currently and what are you actually eating on average? Are you satisfied with what you are eating? How long have you been doing this? Are you logging anything for oil/butter used in cooking?

My fat goal is 60 grams and I'm usually around there, but I have higher calories now since I'm close to goal. I checked what I did a year ago, when I was eating at 1250, and my fat even then was typically 50-60 grams. You don't have to eat that way if you are satisfied eating more carbs, though, although often lower fat gets combined with low protein or else lots of "fat free" diet products, which may not be the most satisfying choice--why I'm asking the questions I am. Too many people have preconceived ideas that fat is "bad" or must be avoided when dieting, although I understand you say you simply prefer carbs. (I don't so much--I've never been low carb, but I found cutting back on carbs was the most painless way to cut calories.)

I don't use butter or oil for cooking...or anything else. I eat a lot of chicken and egg whites, fresh veggies and fruit. I am usually around 30 or so over for protein and 20 under for fat.

Yes, ditch the egg whites, whole eggs are good for you. Consider using olive oil with the veggies, at least a little. 30 is awfully low for protein--you want to be able to maintain muscle mass while on a deficit, and protein helps with that, as well as just being satiating. (I guess because I've always been something of a protein lover I'm always surprised at how many women seem to eat little protein.) Chicken also doesn't have to be boneless, skinless breast.

However, I know you are getting lots of comments, so if you are happy with the way you are eating for the time being and feel good, it's probably not that big a deal. My impression is simply that you sound as if you are going overboard with the diet food, and you should be able to eat basically normally (just less or a higher percentage of lower calorie things, like leaner meats and veggies) when losing weight, and don't want to cut too low on foods that are naturally satiating in favor of those that aren't so much (or in order to go too low in general). My diet when I was on 1250 was not much different in how enjoyable it was than it is now (when I'm more like 1950 most days) or than it will be in maintenance. Losing weight doesn't mean forgoing the pleasures of food, IMO.

What I'd say, though, is if you start to feel more deprived or less satisfied going forward don't feel like you have to keep to 1270 or to the food mix in your current diet. Very often people are super motivated at first and feel like it's easy and then start to get bored or tired of a stricter diet or feel hungry again and that's when strategies like upping protein and fat can be helpful (and also remembering that if you increase exercise you get more calories and don't have to eat the number MFP gives you based on sedentary/2 lb goal).

Parkercomom

Thank you Lemurcat12! Very helpful!!