Sticking to 10-15% fat for total calories

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ConwayJosh
ConwayJosh Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm posting to add more incentive to stay on task with my diet. Through good resources I've heard of diets that keep fat percentages relatively low to help fuel training both energy from carbs and protein for building muscle. I'm curious if anyone else has tried this % on here and thoughts or advice on the matter?
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Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited February 2018
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    It sounds unhealthy, unless your total calorie requirement is so high that 10-15% equals a decent amount of fat.

    A good diet should make you feel good, support your athlethic goals and be easy to stick to. No diet can perform miracles.
  • jflongo
    jflongo Posts: 289 Member
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    You don't want to go that low. Healthy fats are good for you, try and be around 20 - 25%
  • ConwayJosh
    ConwayJosh Posts: 36 Member
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    My current caloric intake is roughly 2450 maintenance calories are roughly 3400
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,837 Member
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    ConwayJosh wrote: »
    I'm aware that fat is essential but the minimum amount necessary for bodily function is less than 10%.

    Maybe, maybe not. It depends on what kind of calorie goal you're talking relative to your size.

    In my understanding, you need a minimum of around 0.35-0.45g fat daily per pound of healthy goal weight. For me, I usually shoot for about 60g, so at the higher end of that range. That's almost 30% of my current net calorie goal. For someone with more body fat or a very active job giving them a higher calorie goal at the same body size, it'd be a smaller percent.

    For me (and lots of others), 10% of calories from fat would be crazy low.

    It's the math.
  • ConwayJosh
    ConwayJosh Posts: 36 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    ConwayJosh wrote: »
    I'm aware that fat is essential but the minimum amount necessary for bodily function is less than 10%.

    You're conflating bodyfat percentage with dietary intake of fat. Two different things.

    The video referenced above should help clarify my point but no I do understand the difference between bodyfat and daily requirements of fat for health
  • ConwayJosh
    ConwayJosh Posts: 36 Member
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    VintageFeline wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    ConwayJosh wrote: »
    I'm aware that fat is essential but the minimum amount necessary for bodily function is less than 10%.

    You're conflating bodyfat percentage with dietary intake of fat. Two different things.

    This.

    Also, you don't get brownie points for protein above your needs and carbs in excess of keeping glycogen stores sufficient. Eat the fat, it's good for you and for fuel.

    I don't need or want brownie points, and since I'm in a deficit it's unlikely that my intake of carbs and protein is excessive.
  • ConwayJosh
    ConwayJosh Posts: 36 Member
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    erickirb wrote: »
    ConwayJosh wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    ConwayJosh wrote: »
    I'm aware that fat is essential but the minimum amount necessary for bodily function is less than 10%.

    You're conflating bodyfat percentage with dietary intake of fat. Two different things.

    The video referenced above should help clarify my point but no I do understand the difference between bodyfat and daily requirements of fat for health

    Also, minimum amount, does not mean ideal amount!!! we should be shooting for as close to ideal macros as we can, not just minimums.

    10% is the minimum necessary for health, what is the advantage to consuming more? I know there's added benefits to higher intake for protein to help make sure I'm building as much muscle as possible. Carbs are the single best resource for energy especially for training. What advantage or benefit is there to consuming more and how much is that?
  • jflongo
    jflongo Posts: 289 Member
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    Please explain when you say you want more protein and carbs for muscle building? How many grams are you trying to get?
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
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    He does state in the video that as long as you're getting 10% of your daily calories from each macro nutrient that you should be fine...

    I know that Dr Mike/the RP program diet templates largely manipulates calories via fats. Deeper into their cut templates fats can get pretty low, but only for a short period of time, which they say is fine.

    Dr Mike has also been trying out super low fat massing and seems to be seeing good results.
    He discusses this in depth on a Revive Stronger Podcast, touches on how low of fat he personally can handle before he starts to have issues. (Again, this is only for his massing phase and not an indefinite period of time. He also mentions that he has weekly cheat meals that typically contain higher fat.)

    I wasn't able to find that specific video from a search, but here is one with Broderick Chavez discussing the low fat/high carb massing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbutiVOebro

    Not saying I am an expert on the subject, but I have also heard of this and OP isn't nuts.
  • ConwayJosh
    ConwayJosh Posts: 36 Member
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    jflongo wrote: »
    Please explain when you say you want more protein and carbs for muscle building? How many grams are you trying to get?
    Roughly 1 gram per pound or slightly less since I'm in a deficit, or 30-45 g per meal to help protein synthetic response. Carbs are where I put the rest of the calories. 248g protein daily and I believe 310 ish grams of carbs.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    ConwayJosh wrote: »
    erickirb wrote: »
    ConwayJosh wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    ConwayJosh wrote: »
    I'm aware that fat is essential but the minimum amount necessary for bodily function is less than 10%.

    You're conflating bodyfat percentage with dietary intake of fat. Two different things.

    The video referenced above should help clarify my point but no I do understand the difference between bodyfat and daily requirements of fat for health

    Also, minimum amount, does not mean ideal amount!!! we should be shooting for as close to ideal macros as we can, not just minimums.

    10% is the minimum necessary for health, what is the advantage to consuming more? I know there's added benefits to higher intake for protein to help make sure I'm building as much muscle as possible. Carbs are the single best resource for energy especially for training. What advantage or benefit is there to consuming more and how much is that?

    For bulking, eating above maintenance carbs are king, protein helps rebuild so should actually be higher when in a deficit so you don't lose muscle.

    this was on guy simplifying things, I am sure that 10% is different for each macro under different scenarios (training for endurance event vs. cutting fat (deficit), vs building muscle (surplus).

    advantage for fat being above 10% required for "general health" again % are not the best way to breakdown macro requimrents, but how about less constipation, strong nails, shinny hair.
  • jflongo
    jflongo Posts: 289 Member
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    ConwayJosh wrote: »
    jflongo wrote: »
    Please explain when you say you want more protein and carbs for muscle building? How many grams are you trying to get?
    Roughly 1 gram per pound or slightly less since I'm in a deficit, or 30-45 g per meal to help protein synthetic response. Carbs are where I put the rest of the calories. 248g protein daily and I believe 310 ish grams of carbs.

    Personally, I would still up healthy fats a little to 15 - 20%, but up to you. I'm set to 35% carbs, 40% protein, 25% fat, and I'm losing a little of weight and gaining muscles and strength.

    So you are 248 lbs is what you are saying?
  • ConwayJosh
    ConwayJosh Posts: 36 Member
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    not_a_runner wrote: »
    He does state in the video that as long as you're getting 10% of your daily calories from each macro nutrient that you should be fine...

    I know that Dr Mike/the RP program diet templates largely manipulates calories via fats. Deeper into their cut templates fats can get pretty low, but only for a short period of time, which they say is fine.

    Dr Mike has also been trying out super low fat massing and seems to be seeing good results.
    He discusses this in depth on a Revive Stronger Podcast, touches on how low of fat he personally can handle before he starts to have issues. (Again, this is only for his massing phase and not an indefinite period of time. He also mentions that he has weekly cheat meals that typically contain higher fat.)

    I wasn't able to find that specific video from a search, but here is one with Broderick Chavez discussing the low fat/high carb massing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbutiVOebro

    Not saying I am an expert on the subject, but I have also heard of this and OP isn't nuts.

    That's exactly where I got the idea, from this and from ted talks because he specifically referenced health in that one versus the podcast where they talk mostly on massing with higher carb and lower fat.

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