How important are macros- how bad is too much fat

renattadawn

It seems my biggest issue with eating healthy is not sticking to the calorie goal-i eat 1200 a day and usually feel full or full enough throughout the day thankfully. However I usually go over the 30% recommended macros count for fat. It usually comes out of the carbs 50%. So my macros look like this on average : protein 20-25%, carbs 35-40% fats 40%. How bad is this going to be in the long haul? It's not trans fats but I'm worried that I'm wrecking all my hard work with this. It's just that I love avacados and mayo in a sandwich and cooking with olive oil and salmon! All fatty things what to do

rawrmama

Personally I can't stick to such a low calorie plan unless my macros look like that. Fat keeps me satiated. Trying to eat 1500 or less and keep my fat under 30%, I'm a hangry mess 24/7 and I can't keep my calories where they need to be for weight loss. As soon as I up my fat and protein, but especially fat, I'm full on fewer calories. I think as long as you focus on good fats like avocados and nuts, it's okay short term (like for weight loss). You won't be eating 1200 cal forever. Once you're maintaining you can worry about getting your fat intake lower imho.

Someone else probably has a more scientific answer for you.

Cheesy567

You can change your macro settings.

I follow a Low-Carb, High-Fat diet. My fat macros are at 50%, protein at 35%, and carb at 15%. (My protein goal is high by choice, 120-150 gm per day, and I try to keep my carbs at 50-70gm per day. I have a muscle disease that has been flaring lately and the moderate carb has been better for that. Once it's under control again, I may drop back down to 30-50gm carbs a day, where I was last year.)

remark6

Cheesy567 wrote: »

You can change your macro settings.

I follow a Low-Carb, High-Fat diet. My fat macros are at 50%, protein at 35%, and carb at 15%. (My protein goal is high by choice, 120-150 gm per day, and I try to keep my carbs at 50-70gm per day. I have a muscle disease that has been flaring lately and the moderate carb has been better for that. Once it's under control again, I may drop back down to 30-50gm carbs a day, where I was last year.)

I am working on lowering my carbs... When u say 50-70gm per day is that net?

LivingtheLeanDream

Nothing wrong with fats and what you've listed aren't all bad fats - your protein is too low though so that would be more important to increase. I eat around 40% fats regularly, it never hindered my weight loss. Eating too much is the only thing that hinders weight loss, regardless of what macro.

How much are you losing on average a week?

frannyupnorth

It seems the tide is turning on the whole fat vs carbs thing, there was an interesting article in New Scientist this week on the subject https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23030771-600-carb-your-enthusiasm-are-bread-pasta-and-spuds-making-you-fat/

WinoGelato

OP many people set protein and fat goals and treat those as minimums and let carbs shake out wherever they happen to. Still others find success eating LCHF, many find it very satiating (I personally do not).

When you say you are staying under your 1200 cal goal, are you exercising? Are you eating back some of those calories? Many people do not need to go as low as 1200 in order to lose weight, depending how much you have to lose that might be too aggressive of a goal for you especially if you are having a hard time staying full. For what it's worth I lost 30 lbs eating between 1600-1900 cals, and no specific focus on macros other than trying to add more protein.

lemurcat12

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

Nothing wrong with fats and what you've listed aren't all bad fats - your protein is too low though so that would be more important to increase. I eat around 40% fats regularly, it never hindered my weight loss. Eating too much is the only thing that hinders weight loss, regardless of what macro.

This. It's perfectly fine to play with your macros and set them in a way that's most satisfying, and on low calories (like 1200), you will probably want a higher percentage of protein and fat than MFP gives you. I started with 35-35-30 (P-C-F) when at 1250 before I started getting exercise calories. Increased them to 30-40-30 when I had more calories from exercise to play with, but lots of people do 40% or more fat and are happy (I don't find fat that satiating, so it wouldn't work for me). (Once I started exercising I lost most of my weight eating at least 1500 and often more.)

At 1200, 20% protein is only about 60 g, and it's more important at quite low calories/an aggressive deficit to keep protein at optimal levels to prevent unnecessary muscle loss, so I agree with RunRutheeRun that you might want to look at this. A common recommendation is at least .65-.85 g per lb of a healthy body weight/goal weight. Similarly, although lower fat works for some, a goal of at least .35 g per lb of healthy body weight is similarly a common recommendation. I would make sure that you are getting in good sources of fat, but it sounds as if you generally are.

Cheesy567

remark6 wrote: »

Cheesy567 wrote: »

You can change your macro settings.

I follow a Low-Carb, High-Fat diet. My fat macros are at 50%, protein at 35%, and carb at 15%. (My protein goal is high by choice, 120-150 gm per day, and I try to keep my carbs at 50-70gm per day. I have a muscle disease that has been flaring lately and the moderate carb has been better for that. Once it's under control again, I may drop back down to 30-50gm carbs a day, where I was last year.)

I am working on lowering my carbs... When u say 50-70gm per day is that net?

Total, but I don't sweat it if I'm a couple over and the net is still around 50.

CattOfTheGarage

Too much fat is just enough!

I don't worry too much about macros, if I find I'm persistently hungry I try and increase protein, but otherwise I don't sweat it. Like you, I don't need to worry about not eating enough fat!

I'm a great believer that the most important thing for a healthy diet is lots of fruit and veg, and I let the rest take care of itself. Of course, there are a lot of others who are much stricter about macros and wouldn't agree.

terbusha

The most important factor in weight loss if your calorie intake. If you stick within your appropriate calorie goal, then you had a good day. Be sure to get enough protein, nutrients from fruits/veggies, and fiber. After that, fill up your remaining calories with carbs and fat. If you like higher fat in your diet, then compensate down your carbs. That's no problem at all!

Francl27

Carbs don't matter at all.

K_Anness17

I do lchf/keto and my macros are set at 10% carbs, 20% protein, and 70% fat. Carbs DO matter, especially if you're eating too much fat and carbs together. It should be one or the other, and find a diet that works for your body. Calorie counting doesn't work for everyone.