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MyFitnessPal Community

How to know if you have too much fats in your plan?

qkcam

I met with a nutritionist and she is recommending 1 cup a day of nuts and seeds, and 6 teaspoons of oils.. isn't 1 cup a day of nuts and seeds ALOT? thoughts?
thank you

Replies

cindytw

Depends on what else you eat and what you goals are. Maybe not if you are active and burn some calories daily.

Dragonwolf

A cup of nuts and seeds is a lot, especially if it's a cup without shells (not so much if it's with shells -- nut shells take up a lot of room). 2 tablespoons of oil isn't too bad, though. I use about that much to cook my eggs.

You can't really overdo the fats unless you're also overdoing the calories, which for most people is difficult to do if their carb intake is relatively low (not necessarily ketogenic levels, but lower than SAD).

Nuts aren't the only source of fats, even if you believe the "saturated/animal fats are bad" crap. Avocados, coconuts, and palm fruits are but a few other sources of fats.

FaylinaMeir

a cup of nuts and seeds is a lot wow, the only time I've ever eaten that many nuts in a day was my stent as a raw vegan and it made me feel like crap. The oils probably wouldn't be hard since that's only 2 tablespoons. My other concern would be that eating a lot of one food everyday is a great way to develop an allergy to it, also in nature you know how hard it would be to gather and open and eat 1 cup of nuts?

Personally I think you need a new nutritionist but I'm grumpy today so who knows.

Akimajuktuq

There is no such thing as too much fat for me but from nuts and seeds? omg... and what kind of "oils" is she suggesting? Nuts and seeds are similar to grains when it comes to the damage they can cause in our body.

Imo oils from nuts, seeds and most plants are NOT the best kinds and should be consumed in moderation. As for animal fats, that's the good stuff! Yeah, I know we've been told the opposite and most nutritionists are behind the times unfortunately.

GrokRockStar

I eat a lot of nuts and seeds, not a cup though and seem to do better losing when I include them in my WOE, although my fat primarily comes from meat and I average 70-100g per day. The more healthy fat I consume, the better I am physically and mentally!

homesweeths

Yeah, for me that amount of nuts or seeds would be bad news. I know nuts and seeds are on the "okay" list for paleo/primal, though they're advised to be eaten in moderation, as they have similar toxins to grains. Soaking before consuming can help some. Their fats are also Omega 6, right? Which are supposed to be consumed in balance with Omega 3 fats. I think I'm using the right terms. I have a killer headache today, probably a result of five days of massive stress. (Health and family health related, but things are settling down today, thankfully. Maybe I'll sit in the warm sun for a bit.

Also, depends on the oils your nutritionist is suggesting. Seed-based oils are bad news (canola, sunflower, safflower, peanut, soybean). The healthiest choices, I understand, are coconut, olive, palm, and avocado. (I'm sure there are others, too, but those are the ones in my pantry.) Butter (if you can do dairy), and ghee are good, too, but I have suddenly started reacting to butter, so I've removed it from my list for at least the next 30 days.

As to quantities... I might have a handful of nuts, a couple times a week. Almonds are my preference. I'm told macadamia nuts are the healthiest, but I won't have them in the house because they are so poisonous to dogs.

Oils and fats? I'd consider 2TBS a paltry amount. I eat a minimum of 4 TBS a day, and often more. I find that getting at least 60% of my calories in fats keeps me sated and has contributed very positively to my health.

qkcam

thanks for the great feedback everyone! I thought that sounded like a like.. the other oils she suggested are the healthy ones, olive, coconut, ghee, organic butter, avacado oil, almond, hazelnut, walnut, pecan, macadamia oil.
also i am to not have any grains or dairy (i guess the butter is ok) sugar or alcohol for 2 weeks. .. my BMR came out to 1713- i have some health issues so sometimes i am more active than others- really confused by this and i can't afford a nutritionist, this one i got through a special health program. she definitely has some great suggestion and at least i have a starting point, she said to see if it helps my energy after 2 weeks and then we can tweek the calories- only thing is i am 35 pounds overweight I can't really afford to add more weight. so i may do more self education- I found this weight loss regime here, seems like not enough food..but maybe i find a middle spot http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/meal-plans-shopping-guides/

homesweeths

Yes, Robb Wolfe and Mark Sisson were extremely helpful for me when I first started this journey.

homesweeths

Just looked at that link. Do you realize that the list at the beginning is just one meal, that you multiply it by 3 or 4? That is actually a lot of food! Especially if you're getting at least half your calories in fat, you eliminate white potatoes and limit super starchy vegetables like sweet potato, parsnips, beets. (Not eliminate, just limit to keep your carbs under 100g for the day.)

It's doable. I've been doing it for years. My biggest problem is getting enough calories in a day because I am never hungry.

Kitnthecat

I don't believe there is such a thing as too much fat, unless you've gone over in your calories. 1 c of shelled nuts and seeds is too much IMO. I limit those since they stall weight loss for me.

qkcam

definitely puts me over my daily calorie intake . The odd thing is when I went to her I told her I wanted to lose weight , yet calls got increased. at this point I found out my body cannot tolerate that many nuts and oils . I've been up since 3 o'clock this morning with trips to the bathroom. I guess my body is not very happy with all the nuts or it could be the egg whites I am not sure not sure what I'm gonna be eating for the day. whole stomach feels really upset. The ideas any nuts today make me feel kind of nauseous.

homesweeths

Some suggestions:

Look up "bone broth" and cook some up. If your stomach is very grumpy, don't add vegetables, just a tablespoon of sea salt and two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the pot. It's amazing, but the chicken bone broth I've made this way is delicious. I haven't tried it yet with beef bones.

Drink a cup of bone broth first thing in the morning.

Gelatin is soothing and healing. Look up Great Lakes green label collagen. I take 2 tablespoons every morning, in coffee, or filtered water with raw apple cider vinegar, or added to bone broth.

Look up the "safe" list of autoimmune paleo foods and try to eat off that list for a few days, see if your digestive issues improve. It can take a month, or even three months, to see improvement, and improvement can be so gradual you might not even realize it's happening, until you start to reintroduce foods and suddenly feel horrible, and realize what the wrong foods were doing to your body all along. It is very motivating. I miss tomatoes and potatoes, for example, but I have no temptation to eat them anymore.

Dragonwolf

Without any numbers, it's hard telling whether the increase in calories a good thing, but if your bmr is 1700, then you were probably under eating and needed your calories brought more in line with what your body needs. Less food isn't necessarily better and 9 times out of 10, will hinder your progress, not advance it.

homesweeths

Very true! I did not lose at 1200 calories. I am losing weight at 1500 - 1700.

qkcam

she did give me reciepe for bone broths i have to find a place to get the organic bones. i have been loggin my cals in MFP for over a year and i average around 1800 to 2200 and haven't lost any weight

qkcam

also I am 35 pounds overweight.

Akimajuktuq

I really don't think consumption of lots of plant/nut oils are healthy.

Coconut, avocado, and olive are the better ones of the bunch; but still the animal fats are the good ones and most of them come right inside the food and do not have to be added. Ghee and butter, and what's in meat would be the best fats. imo

homesweeths

qkcam wrote: »

she did give me reciepe for bone broths i have to find a place to get the organic bones. i have been loggin my cals in MFP for over a year and i average around 1800 to 2200 and haven't lost any weight

If you've been logging, take a look at your daily grams of carbs. I'd be curious to hear where you fall on Mark Sisson's carb chart.

Nutmeg76

If you have been logging, how are you measuring? Also, what were you eating during that time?

Dragonwolf

qkcam wrote: »

she did give me reciepe for bone broths i have to find a place to get the organic bones. i have been loggin my cals in MFP for over a year and i average around 1800 to 2200 and haven't lost any weight

Easiest way is to get bone-in cuts of meat and save the bones.

qkcam

my food changed a bit over the past year some of it was around having rotator cuff surgery, i would log as sometime to feel consistant in my world- and still do as having chronic illness takes a toll.. also i have noticed when i am "feeling better" i can eat alot better, but when my energy is so low .. i tend to have to get what i can find available. for a short time i tried "lower carbs" and then i heard carbs were needed for muscle building..so i eased up on that, and truthfully my limits were at 1800 and often i went over- and the going over was at nite with bran cereals or greek low fat yogart with PB2 or both, sometimes at nite i would pack in 500 cals : ( looked at report, in the last 30 1/2 my carbs where over 200, in the past 7 days only 1 days was over 200 the rest average 130.

homesweeths

Okay, so if I'm remembering right, according to Mark Sisson, you're in the range of "slow but insidious weight gain" when your carbs average above 150g a day. 50-100g is what he calls the weight loss "sweet spot", and 100-150g is "maintenance". So if he's right (and his method works for me, so at least as far as I'm concerned, he's right), you've been eating to gain or maintain, not to lose.

Hope this sheds some light, and helps.

FaylinaMeir

homesweeths wrote: »

Okay, so if I'm remembering right, according to Mark Sisson, you're in the range of "slow but insidious weight gain" when your carbs average above 150g a day. 50-100g is what he calls the weight loss "sweet spot", and 100-150g is "maintenance". So if he's right (and his method works for me, so at least as far as I'm concerned, he's right), you've been eating to gain or maintain, not to lose.

Hope this sheds some light, and helps.

I'm losing weight between 100-150g so I don't think it's absolute for everyone

homesweeths

FaylinaMeir wrote: »

homesweeths wrote: »

Okay, so if I'm remembering right, according to Mark Sisson, you're in the range of "slow but insidious weight gain" when your carbs average above 150g a day. 50-100g is what he calls the weight loss "sweet spot", and 100-150g is "maintenance". So if he's right (and his method works for me, so at least as far as I'm concerned, he's right), you've been eating to gain or maintain, not to lose.

Hope this sheds some light, and helps.

I'm losing weight between 100-150g so I don't think it's absolute for everyone

I'm sure you're right. I can "keto" between 50 and 80g, and I've heard you're supposed to be closer to 30g for that to happen. Everybody's body works differently, which makes perfect sense to me.

qkcam

thank you ! this is great info to have .. i can definatly work to keep my carbs in the "sweet spot" range of 100 to 150! yay what a great goal to have! what about the fat grams with that amount of carbs? thanks.

FaylinaMeir

qkcam wrote: »

thank you ! this is great info to have .. i can definatly work to keep my carbs in the "sweet spot" range of 100 to 150! yay what a great goal to have! what about the fat grams with that amount of carbs? thanks.

eat as much fat as you want, as long as it comes from animal sources or say coconut oil, ghee, and depending on who you ask butter.

qkcam

so my total cals for the day don't really count with this ? i feel like i need to keep counting. usually i take the skin off chicken,but i guess that would be a good serving of fat? so much to learn! thanks for your help.

FaylinaMeir

qkcam wrote: »

so my total cals for the day don't really count with this ? i feel like i need to keep counting. usually i take the skin off chicken,but i guess that would be a good serving of fat? so much to learn! thanks for your help.

oh I understand and honestly I was always the same way, I WANTED to eat that chicken skin but oh noes it had fat. I REALLY suggest reading the paleo solution by robb wolf, if you don't want to buy it borrow it from the library, that's what I did. It's a little "sci-ency" but if you read it you'll learn a lot. I ate 1900 calories today and I'm slowly losing weight and feel great! I was stuck at my weight for months eating 1200 calories or 1900 it didn't matter. I increased fat, lowered calories and bam, weight loss. Some of it might be just water weight and I'm okay with that but the most important part is I feel great.

Basically you want to focus on fat, some protein, and some carbs. You can also read up at marksdailyapple.com his book is great too, pretty much the same as Robb's but less sciency. I like the science parts, gives you things to say to people when they argue with you. I dunno, I'm willing to give this diet 30 days and access how I feel. So far, pretty good. Oh and another thing: as time goes on you'll be able to eat more fat. I started out almost gagging trying to eat enough food because the fat made me SOO full, but now I'm fine. I can't remember the last time I ate almost 2000 calories LOL It's a nice feeling!

Akimajuktuq

If one can eat Paleo pancakes I do not understand removing chicken skin. High fat with moderate/high carbs may not work well so just keep that in mind as you try different things. (Ie I'm not for a minute suggesting a low fat diet in order to eat more carbs/sugar). Calories will indeed count with a higher carb intake because over-eating is likely with higher carb intake (for many people, not all). I'd monitor carbs/sugar rather than calories though.

Dragonwolf

qkcam wrote: »

so my total cals for the day don't really count with this ? i feel like i need to keep counting. usually i take the skin off chicken,but i guess that would be a good serving of fat? so much to learn! thanks for your help.

If you're tracking your calories, just set your macros in MFP to reflect your goals of more fat. You can keep calories constant and still get more fat in -- it just requires reducing your carbohydrate (and to a lesser extent, protein) intake. Eating fat doesn't automatically mean you're going to blow your calorie count out of the water. You can eat 150g of fat and still be under a reasonable calorie goal of 1850 calories, for example (150g of fat come to 1350 calories, leaving 500 for carbs and protein, which are also reasonable at 100g protein, and 25g carbs).

Also, by nixing the skins, you're missing out on a fair bit of selenium and other nutrients, it's not just a gob of fat and nothing else -- http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/658/2