Calories vs Fat

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Hi there!!

I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day. What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

Thanks in advance!!
«1

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    Calories. You can lose weight eating 100 grams of fat.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Calories. You can lose weight eating 100 grams of fat.

    This
  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    arditarose wrote: »
    Calories. You can lose weight eating 100 grams of fat.

    True!!!

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    OP, if you want a healthy balanced diet-fine. Weight loss is about calories in/calories out. You need to consume less than you burn. Simple as that. If your macros are out of whack, maybe you won't feel well or might be missing out on some nutrition, but it has no bearing on weight loss.

    Also, eating Ben and Jerry's once in awhile isn't increasing your risk of diabetes.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Calories are king for weight loss. As long as you get them in the right range you should lose weight.

    Macros (carbs, fat, and protein) help with other things like health, hunger, etc. But it's important to note that MFP's recommendation is just one possible setup. You could set your fat goals in a variety of ways and still reach your goals. Including a high fat goal.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
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    As long as you are eating at a caloric deficit thy will lose weight, it does not matter how many grams of fat you eat. I eat well over 100g each day and have lost 27lbs since I started in March.

    Also eating fat does not cause diabetes and heart disease.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day.
    Untrue.
    (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)
    That's silly.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Options
    Hi there!!

    I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day
    . What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

    Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet
    and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

    Thanks in advance!!

    OP I heavily suggest you read the stickies because it seems that you haven't quite gotten your head around the idea of calories.

    To lose weight, you need a caloric deficit - it doesn't matter what you eat. If I wanted, I could just drink olive oil and get 1800 calories of fat and still lose weight... but I wouldn't because that's gross lol.

  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    Options
    The whole "eating fat makes you fat" concept was debunked. That came from doctors who were still working out the relationship between diet, obesity, and heart disease years ago.

    You need "good" fats to help your body process certain micronutrients, and help maintain your LDL/HDL cholesterol levels in the appropriate range. But the primary thing you need to lose weight is maintain an appropriate calorie deficit for your goals. Nutritional balance is for overall health, not weight loss.

    Transfats are different story, but again for nutrition not weight loss, but it's pretty easy to avoid them.

    As for binging on B&J and Entemenns, there's nobody rational here who would suggest you can do that and be successful over time (a one-time splurge is not going to ruin your health though). For most people, that type of binge would have them at their maintenance level or above, so yeah, it's not compatible with their goals. There is nothing to say you can't work in some ice cream or Danish from time to time and be completely compatible with your goals.

    Sugar is not the devil. Fat is not the devil. Carbs are not the devil. They serve a purpose for you as long as you don't go overboard with any of them.

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    My fat target for today is 102 grams.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
    edited June 2015
    Options
    I'm almost always over my fat grams every single day and after losing a pound a week for two months (because I am eating at a deficit) I'm starting to get over being bugged out about this.

    These aren't artificially created trans fats, however.

    Trans fat is double trouble for your heart health

    Trans fat is considered by many doctors to be the worst type of fat you can eat. Unlike other dietary fats, trans fat — also called trans-fatty acids — both raises your LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lowers your HDL ("good") cholesterol.

    A high LDL cholesterol level in combination with a low HDL cholesterol level increases your risk of heart disease, the leading killer of men and women. Here's some information about trans fat and how to avoid it.

    What is trans fat?

    Some meat and dairy products contain small amounts of naturally occurring trans fat. But most trans fat is formed through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature.

    This partially hydrogenated oil is less likely to spoil, so foods made with it have a longer shelf life. Some restaurants use partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in their deep fryers, because it doesn't have to be changed as often as do other oils.

    Trans fat in your food

    The manufactured form of trans fat, known as partially hydrogenated oil, is found in a variety of food products, including:
    • Baked goods. Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
    • Snacks. Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavor the popcorn.
    • Fried food. Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
    • Refrigerator dough. Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
    • Creamer and margarine. Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

    Reading food labels

    In the United States if a food has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat in a serving, the food label can read 0 grams trans fat. This hidden trans fat can add up quickly, especially if you eat several servings of multiple foods containing less than 0.5 grams a serving.

    When you check the food label for trans fat, also check the food's ingredient list for partially hydrogenated vegetable oil — which indicates that the food contains some trans fat, even if the amount is below 0.5 grams.

    Read more: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/trans-fat/art-20046114
  • Calamity_Jenn
    Calamity_Jenn Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the feedback!!

    Couple things though...maybe I should've added a smiley alongside the whole I gave myself heart disease & diabetes thing bc I know it doesn't happen just like that :smile:.

    As far as the correlation I made bt fat and heart disease, I was referring to the saturated fat in some of the foods I sometimes overindulge in...like ice cream & danishes. They were among the culprits for my increase in bad cholesterol and blood sugar.

    While I was aware of the calories in vs calories out, I didn't know that the amount of fat consumed had no effect on weight loss. Perhaps now I can have an extra tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette to moisten my salads a little better. :smiley:.

    Really appreciate your input folks!!
    Hi there!!

    I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day
    . What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

    Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet
    and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

    Thanks in advance!!

    OP I heavily suggest you read the stickies because it seems that you haven't quite gotten your head around the idea of calories.

    To lose weight, you need a caloric deficit - it doesn't matter what you eat. If I wanted, I could just drink olive oil and get 1800 calories of fat and still lose weight... but I wouldn't because that's gross lol.

    Would you mind telling me what a sticky is or where I can find them???
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the feedback!!

    Couple things though...maybe I should've added a smiley alongside the whole I gave myself heart disease & diabetes thing bc I know it doesn't happen just like that :smile:.

    As far as the correlation I made bt fat and heart disease, I was referring to the saturated fat in some of the foods I sometimes overindulge in...like ice cream & danishes. They were among the culprits for my increase in bad cholesterol and blood sugar.

    While I was aware of the calories in vs calories out, I didn't know that the amount of fat consumed had no effect on weight loss. Perhaps now I can have an extra tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette to moisten my salads a little better. :smiley:.

    Really appreciate your input folks!!
    Hi there!!

    I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day
    . What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

    Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet
    and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

    Thanks in advance!!

    OP I heavily suggest you read the stickies because it seems that you haven't quite gotten your head around the idea of calories.

    To lose weight, you need a caloric deficit - it doesn't matter what you eat. If I wanted, I could just drink olive oil and get 1800 calories of fat and still lose weight... but I wouldn't because that's gross lol.

    Would you mind telling me what a sticky is or where I can find them???

    Right here; http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177910/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest
  • Calamity_Jenn
    Calamity_Jenn Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    Thanks again!!
    Thanks for the feedback!!

    Couple things though...maybe I should've added a smiley alongside the whole I gave myself heart disease & diabetes thing bc I know it doesn't happen just like that :smile:.

    As far as the correlation I made bt fat and heart disease, I was referring to the saturated fat in some of the foods I sometimes overindulge in...like ice cream & danishes. They were among the culprits for my increase in bad cholesterol and blood sugar.

    While I was aware of the calories in vs calories out, I didn't know that the amount of fat consumed had no effect on weight loss. Perhaps now I can have an extra tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette to moisten my salads a little better. :smiley:.

    Really appreciate your input folks!!
    Hi there!!

    I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day
    . What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

    Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet
    and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

    Thanks in advance!!

    OP I heavily suggest you read the stickies because it seems that you haven't quite gotten your head around the idea of calories.

    To lose weight, you need a caloric deficit - it doesn't matter what you eat. If I wanted, I could just drink olive oil and get 1800 calories of fat and still lose weight... but I wouldn't because that's gross lol.

    Would you mind telling me what a sticky is or where I can find them???

    Right here; http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177910/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    Options
    Thanks again!!
    Thanks for the feedback!!

    Couple things though...maybe I should've added a smiley alongside the whole I gave myself heart disease & diabetes thing bc I know it doesn't happen just like that :smile:.

    As far as the correlation I made bt fat and heart disease, I was referring to the saturated fat in some of the foods I sometimes overindulge in...like ice cream & danishes. They were among the culprits for my increase in bad cholesterol and blood sugar.

    While I was aware of the calories in vs calories out, I didn't know that the amount of fat consumed had no effect on weight loss. Perhaps now I can have an extra tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette to moisten my salads a little better. :smiley:.

    Really appreciate your input folks!!
    Hi there!!

    I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day
    . What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

    Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet
    and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

    Thanks in advance!!

    OP I heavily suggest you read the stickies because it seems that you haven't quite gotten your head around the idea of calories.

    To lose weight, you need a caloric deficit - it doesn't matter what you eat. If I wanted, I could just drink olive oil and get 1800 calories of fat and still lose weight... but I wouldn't because that's gross lol.

    Would you mind telling me what a sticky is or where I can find them???

    Right here; http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177910/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

    A caveat: everything in the "Small but Super Helpful Habits" thread is garbage.

    The confessions thread isn't particularly helpful, either.

    I don't know why they are even stickied.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,939 Member
    Options
    Why are they stickied?!!!
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Options
    Thanks again!!
    Thanks for the feedback!!

    Couple things though...maybe I should've added a smiley alongside the whole I gave myself heart disease & diabetes thing bc I know it doesn't happen just like that :smile:.

    As far as the correlation I made bt fat and heart disease, I was referring to the saturated fat in some of the foods I sometimes overindulge in...like ice cream & danishes. They were among the culprits for my increase in bad cholesterol and blood sugar.

    While I was aware of the calories in vs calories out, I didn't know that the amount of fat consumed had no effect on weight loss. Perhaps now I can have an extra tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette to moisten my salads a little better. :smiley:.

    Really appreciate your input folks!!
    Hi there!!

    I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day
    . What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

    Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet
    and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

    Thanks in advance!!

    OP I heavily suggest you read the stickies because it seems that you haven't quite gotten your head around the idea of calories.

    To lose weight, you need a caloric deficit - it doesn't matter what you eat. If I wanted, I could just drink olive oil and get 1800 calories of fat and still lose weight... but I wouldn't because that's gross lol.

    Would you mind telling me what a sticky is or where I can find them???

    Right here; http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177910/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

    A caveat: everything in the "Small but Super Helpful Habits" thread is garbage.

    The confessions thread isn't particularly helpful, either.

    I don't know why they are even stickied.

    Wait...the confessions thread is stickied?!
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    Options
    arditarose wrote: »
    Thanks again!!
    Thanks for the feedback!!

    Couple things though...maybe I should've added a smiley alongside the whole I gave myself heart disease & diabetes thing bc I know it doesn't happen just like that :smile:.

    As far as the correlation I made bt fat and heart disease, I was referring to the saturated fat in some of the foods I sometimes overindulge in...like ice cream & danishes. They were among the culprits for my increase in bad cholesterol and blood sugar.

    While I was aware of the calories in vs calories out, I didn't know that the amount of fat consumed had no effect on weight loss. Perhaps now I can have an extra tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette to moisten my salads a little better. :smiley:.

    Really appreciate your input folks!!
    Hi there!!

    I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day
    . What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

    Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet
    and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

    Thanks in advance!!

    OP I heavily suggest you read the stickies because it seems that you haven't quite gotten your head around the idea of calories.

    To lose weight, you need a caloric deficit - it doesn't matter what you eat. If I wanted, I could just drink olive oil and get 1800 calories of fat and still lose weight... but I wouldn't because that's gross lol.

    Would you mind telling me what a sticky is or where I can find them???

    Right here; http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177910/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

    A caveat: everything in the "Small but Super Helpful Habits" thread is garbage.

    The confessions thread isn't particularly helpful, either.

    I don't know why they are even stickied.

    Wait...the confessions thread is stickied?!

    Yes. It's like they stickied it for spite...
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Options
    arditarose wrote: »
    Thanks again!!
    Thanks for the feedback!!

    Couple things though...maybe I should've added a smiley alongside the whole I gave myself heart disease & diabetes thing bc I know it doesn't happen just like that :smile:.

    As far as the correlation I made bt fat and heart disease, I was referring to the saturated fat in some of the foods I sometimes overindulge in...like ice cream & danishes. They were among the culprits for my increase in bad cholesterol and blood sugar.

    While I was aware of the calories in vs calories out, I didn't know that the amount of fat consumed had no effect on weight loss. Perhaps now I can have an extra tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette to moisten my salads a little better. :smiley:.

    Really appreciate your input folks!!
    Hi there!!

    I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day
    . What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

    Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet
    and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

    Thanks in advance!!

    OP I heavily suggest you read the stickies because it seems that you haven't quite gotten your head around the idea of calories.

    To lose weight, you need a caloric deficit - it doesn't matter what you eat. If I wanted, I could just drink olive oil and get 1800 calories of fat and still lose weight... but I wouldn't because that's gross lol.

    Would you mind telling me what a sticky is or where I can find them???

    Right here; http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177910/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

    A caveat: everything in the "Small but Super Helpful Habits" thread is garbage.

    The confessions thread isn't particularly helpful, either.

    I don't know why they are even stickied.

    Wait...the confessions thread is stickied?!

    Yes. It's like they stickied it for spite...

    Oh..that's why I probably have 200 GD friend requests right now. I posted on the first page of that back in the day.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
    Options
    arditarose wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Thanks again!!
    Thanks for the feedback!!

    Couple things though...maybe I should've added a smiley alongside the whole I gave myself heart disease & diabetes thing bc I know it doesn't happen just like that :smile:.

    As far as the correlation I made bt fat and heart disease, I was referring to the saturated fat in some of the foods I sometimes overindulge in...like ice cream & danishes. They were among the culprits for my increase in bad cholesterol and blood sugar.

    While I was aware of the calories in vs calories out, I didn't know that the amount of fat consumed had no effect on weight loss. Perhaps now I can have an extra tbsp of balsamic vinaigrette to moisten my salads a little better. :smiley:.

    Really appreciate your input folks!!
    Hi there!!

    I'm not completely new to MFP, but I've had this nagging question for the past year. Which matters more when losing weight: calories consumed or fat?

    Obviously I know that weight loss is impossible if you're scarfing down 100 grams of fat every day
    . What bugs me is when I've had a little too much ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, steak, fries, etc. (basically foods that are heavy in fat and lighter in calories), and I eat twice as many grams of fat allotted, but still manage to meet - or even come in below - my calorie goal, I'm shown that I could lose like 8 lbs in 5 wks if everyday were like this.

    Isn't weight loss a combination of sticking to a (healthy) low cal diet
    and limiting fat to a given range? How's it possible to murder a pint of Ben & Jerry's and 3 Entemann's cheese buns each day and still manage to lose like 6-7 lbs in 5 weeks??? (Confession: that was my meal plan for a random Sunday about 5 weeks ago - and yes, I'm absolutely aware that I increased my chances of heart disease & diabetes with that *kitten* move!!)

    Thanks in advance!!

    OP I heavily suggest you read the stickies because it seems that you haven't quite gotten your head around the idea of calories.

    To lose weight, you need a caloric deficit - it doesn't matter what you eat. If I wanted, I could just drink olive oil and get 1800 calories of fat and still lose weight... but I wouldn't because that's gross lol.

    Would you mind telling me what a sticky is or where I can find them???

    Right here; http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177910/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest

    A caveat: everything in the "Small but Super Helpful Habits" thread is garbage.

    The confessions thread isn't particularly helpful, either.

    I don't know why they are even stickied.

    Wait...the confessions thread is stickied?!

    Yes. It's like they stickied it for spite...

    Oh..that's why I probably have 200 GD friend requests right now. I posted on the first page of that back in the day.

    LOL, yes that may explain it. "OMG we have so much in common - let's support each other! We can do this!"

    Or blank. Blank is so much more common.