"good" fats?

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nineteentwenty
nineteentwenty Posts: 469 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all, sorry if this is a silly question.

I am very good at managing calories, but I constantly blow my fats macros out of that water because I live on almonds and peanut butter. Is this "okay" because the fat isn't coming from butter or fast food grease? They give me so much protien, I'd hate to give them up.

Again, I could barely type that out because it sounds so silly, but I am curious. Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • selina884
    selina884 Posts: 826 Member
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    Yeah, those fats are good for you anyway.

  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Those are good fats, but there are so many other ways to get good fats into your diet as well.

    For the record, butter isn't bad for you.

    I cook in either (grass fed) butter, bacon fat, tallow, coconut oil, or evoo

    I try to eat a lot of avocados.

    Don't always get the leanest cut of meat, especially with beef, it really adds a lot to the flavor as well as giving you some healthy animal fats.

    You can also switch to 2% or whole milk for some additional fat without a huge hit on your overall caloric intake.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2016
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    When nutrition-types talk about "good fats" they mean unsaturated fats.

    For example: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/

    "Rather than adopting a low-fat diet, it’s more important to focus on eating beneficial “good” fats and avoiding harmful “bad” fats. Fat is an important part of a healthy diet. Choose foods with “good” unsaturated fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid “bad” trans fat."
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Almonds are OK, don't do peanut butter because of the aflatoxin/cancer link. Macadamia nuts are best. KerryGold Grass-fed butter is tops! :)
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    BTW - saturated fats from coconut oil and KerryGold butter are the healthiest for you. Most unsaturated fats contain unhealthy omega-6's that are easily oxidized. ;)
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,160 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Kkallisti wrote: »
    Hi all, sorry if this is a silly question.

    I am very good at managing calories, but I constantly blow my fats macros out of that water because I live on almonds and peanut butter. Is this "okay" because the fat isn't coming from butter or fast food grease? They give me so much protien, I'd hate to give them up.

    Again, I could barely type that out because it sounds so silly, but I am curious. Thanks in advance.

    @Kkallisti we all have to learn about fats or perhaps it is more 'unlearning' about fats.

    My macro is 5% carbs, 15% protein and 80% fats and I have eaten it for 1.5 years now for pain management successfully. That is a whale of a lot of fat since I maintain at 2500 calories.
  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
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    Are you reaching your goals with your diet? If so, awesome. Keep on doing it! If not, increase or decrease calories accordingly. Eat what works for you and you will continue to eat your whole life. Macros are very individual and you have to pick a macro breakdown that works for you. For the record my macros are pretty fat heavy at 40% on non workout days and 33% on workout days (85g of fat). Works for me.
  • nutritionK
    nutritionK Posts: 12 Member
    edited March 2016
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    It is great that you love good fats, your body needs them in order to function well and also lower the risk of heart disease. There are different kinds of good fats the Monounsaturated: olives, olive oils, almonds, peanuts, peanut butter, avocado. Polyinsaturated: canola oil, salmon, mackerel and flaxseeds. They are so great but if you are in a weight loss plan you need to watch the amount of portions you eat cause they are high calorie foods. for a women around 30-40 gr of fat per day.

    [Edited by MFP Mods]
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    edited March 2016
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    nutritionK wrote: »
    It is great that you love good fats, your body needs them in order to function well and also lower the risk of heart disease. There are different kinds of good fats the Monounsaturated: olives, olive oils, almonds, peanuts, peanut butter, avocado. Polyinsaturated: canola oil, salmon, mackerel and flaxseeds. They are so great but if you are in a weight loss plan you need to watch the amount of portions you eat cause they are high calorie foods. for a women around 30-40 gr of fat per day.

    [Edited by MFP Mods]

    Where are you getting your information that says 30-40g of fat per day is good for women? I'll have consumed 78g of fat by the end of the day today, and that is actually on the low end for me. There are so many different variables, you really shouldn't be making blanket statements like that.

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I hope you were not serious that you "live on" almonds and peanut butter. While almonds and peanut butter are yummy and good for you, I hope you are also eating fruit, vegetables, etc.

    I've been in maintenance for years and often go over on my fats. Think of your fat and protein numbers as minimum goals to reach every day.
  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
    edited March 2016
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    nutritionK wrote: »
    It is great that you love good fats, your body needs them in order to function well and also lower the risk of heart disease. There are different kinds of good fats the Monounsaturated: olives, olive oils, almonds, peanuts, peanut butter, avocado. Polyinsaturated: canola oil, salmon, mackerel and flaxseeds. They are so great but if you are in a weight loss plan you need to watch the amount of portions you eat cause they are high calorie foods. for a women around 30-40 gr of fat per day.
    [Edited by MFP Mods]

    Eating 30-40g/day of fat is appropriate for all women. Generally .35g/lb is a reasonable place to start for women. For women with hormonal issues (ie. PCOS) more fat is recommended. I've lost weight consuming a heck of a lot more than 30-40g of fat...I just made sure that I was in a calorie deficit.
  • nineteentwenty
    nineteentwenty Posts: 469 Member
    edited March 2016
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    I hope you were not serious that you "live on" almonds and peanut butter. While almonds and peanut butter are yummy and good for you, I hope you are also eating fruit, vegetables, etc.

    I've been in maintenance for years and often go over on my fats. Think of your fat and protein numbers as minimum goals to reach every day.

    Oh of course, sorry, I was exaggerating for the sake of stressing how much I enjoy them. I eat almonds for breakfast every day, and a protien shake loaded with natural peanut butter every night for dinner. It's calorie rich, but I eat lightly (fruits, meats, tons of eggs) through the rest of the day so I can enjoy my treat. I also take flaxseed oil supplements along with several other vitamins to be sure that I am getting proper nutrition at a relatively low caloric intake.

    Thank you all for your help. May I go further to explain that I am specifically looking to gain muscle and lower my bodyfat percentile? I am 5'9" and 130lbs, and am probably around 22%-25% bodyfat. It's softer than I prefer, and my overall goal is to build a trim figure as opposed to lose much weight (goal around 17%-18%, I model and wanna up my game). My diet is protien heavy, and I wanted to be sure that my fats intake was not impeding my progress. Thank you all again for your insight.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    You are already on the very low side of your weight range. BMI puts you at 19.2 and 18.5 is considered underweight. Just work the weights, eat a varied diet.

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