Opinions on too much fat
rpmkarting
Posts: 49 Member
So I have been Keto for almost 4 months now. Everything seems to be steady, love the way I feel, suppressed appetite, energy levels etc. starting, getting used to it for the first month I was around 60-65 percent fat. I slowly increased that until around 75-80%. I have done some more research learning that you can have too much fat. There are lots of different opinions out there regarding proper Ketogenic macros, it is difficult to know which ones are correct. I for the most part stay around 20-30 grams of carbs per day, occasionally having 90 grams once in a while (maybe once every three weeks) I started at 300 lbs, now I am 240 (began April 11) my goal weight is 185. I will now experiment with slightly more protein (.8 grams per pound of lean body mass). I think this will put me around the 60-65 percent range of fat. I try to avg around 2000 calories per day as I do not want to lose too fast. My question is, has anyone had experience with 75-80 % fat vs 60-65% fat and what difference have you found? I think for me I have lost at a slower rate at 75-80% but also I think the first month you see more come off, so the results are most likely inconclusive. I will now try the next four weeks upping my protein slightly while lowering fat intake. Keeping my carbs around 5%. Any feedback favoring either side is welcomed. I want to know who has experience with this.
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I think generally you will find that once the water weight has gone what you want your body to do is to use your own body fat as a fuel rather than adding large amounts of fats to your diet. Additionally eating higher protein preserves lean tissue. I'd say increase protein to about 1 gram per pound and reduce the fat further. Try it for a couple of weeks and see how you go.5
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chinatowninchina wrote: »I think generally you will find that once the water weight has gone what you want your body to do is to use your own body fat as a fuel rather than adding large amounts of fats to your diet. Additionally eating higher protein preserves lean tissue. I'd say increase protein to about 1 gram per pound and reduce the fat further. Try it for a couple of weeks and see how you go.
Yes. This is what I’m thinking. I still have a lot to lose and have been in a slight deficit the entire time which is most likely why the high fat intake has still worked. But I’m thinking .8-1 gram per pound of lean body mass will work. I will do this for the next four weeks and come back with an update.1 -
I have been told if you have fat to lose, you do not need to hit your fat goals. I try to hit mine, but it's not often I do. I have to really TRY for that goal (and that's the only one!). I can cut carbs from my life, sure, no problem. Protein? Got it in the bag. But dang it, that fat goal is hard to reach! I've stopped worrying about it and I continue to see a loss, so I'm not overly stressed. Granted, I'm fairly new still - only been at this way of eating since mid/late June.1
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I try to keep protein in the .8-1/lb range. I keep carbs under 20, and I create a deficit with the fat. I don't ever try to meet the fat goal, since the want the fat being burned to come from the strategic fat reserve. I find I need some fats to feel satisfied with what I am eating, but I don't need the full 60%. FWIW, I stumbled around with help from the forum figuring all this out in 2016. I have lost over 130 lbs, so this approach has worked for me anyway.5
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I try to keep protein in the .8-1/lb range. I keep carbs under 20, and I create a deficit with the fat. I don't ever try to meet the fat goal, since the want the fat being burned to come from the strategic fat reserve. I find I need some fats to feel satisfied with what I am eating, but I don't need the full 60%. FWIW, I stumbled around with help from the forum figuring all this out in 2016. I have lost over 130 lbs, so this approach has worked for me anyway.
I think it will work. I am never hungry at 1700-2000 calories avg per day with Keto. I can afford to reduce the fat and still most likely will not be hungry. In 2011 I lost 100 lbs on a high carb diet, but still mostly paleo. Just a lot of fruits. I was always hungry at the same intake. I gained all back over a period of 5-6 years. Mostly from not eating correct. This time around is much easier. I have continuously lost even at 70-80 percent fat. I feel it may be too much. I am going to shoot for 60/35/5 now and see how it goes. So far down 60 lbs in 4 months. Not difficult at all.
Thanks for the advice.
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I think too much fat is only bad in a few situations:
1. It creates too many calories and you lose your caloric deficit.
2. It displaces protein. I I go with 0.8 X TOTAL body weight in pounds at about goal weight. I like to weigh 150 lbs so that is a protein goal of about 120 g or 480 calories.... That's my goal, but I'm usually closer to 100g.
3. Too much fat can lead to gastrointestinal upset and diahrrea.3 -
I think too much fat is only bad in a few situations:
1. It creates too many calories and you lose your caloric deficit.
2. It displaces protein. I I go with 0.8 X TOTAL body weight in pounds at about goal weight. I like to weigh 150 lbs so that is a protein goal of about 120 g or 480 calories.... That's my goal, but I'm usually closer to 100g.
3. Too much fat can lead to gastrointestinal upset and diahrrea.
For sure. Little tweaks along the way are working out. I think it will be a solid program to up the protein for sure. Can’t wait to see results. Thanks for the input.0 -
rpmkarting wrote: »Yes. This is what I’m thinking. I still have a lot to lose and have been in a slight deficit the entire time which is most likely why the high fat intake has still worked. But I’m thinking .8-1 gram per pound of lean body mass will work. I will do this for the next four weeks and come back with an update.
Are you maybe meaning .8 to 1 gram per lb of total body weight, not lean body weight? In order for you to know accurately what your lean body weight is you would have to get a Dexa scan or do the water immersion body fat test. I get Dexa scans pretty regularly and even with them they can be off due to hydration levels at the time of testing compared to hydration levels at the other times they are taken.
Much easier to calculate your protein intake with total body weight.
Personally I ensure I take in .5 to .8 grams of protein per pound of total body weight and I am successfully retaining my lean mass while losing fat at that amount. But I am not currently lifting weights due to a back injury as well. I have fluctuated with the protein amount a bit at the beginning but I have been keeping it very steady lately in those ranges.
Like others have mentioned you don't have to be super concerned with getting in lot's of fats if you have lot's of fat on you and if you are completely keto adapted where you know your body has converted itself to burn fat for energy rather than glucose. You will have to ensure you are testing your blood ketones regularly to know for sure you are fully in ketosis. Some people pop out of ketosis easier than others. Every one is a bit different with how many carbs they can take in and still stay in ketosis. That's something everyone should experiment with, with their own metabolisms to see where their sweet spots are for fat burning, staying in ketosis and carb intake.
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PaulChasinDreams wrote: »rpmkarting wrote: »Yes. This is what I’m thinking. I still have a lot to lose and have been in a slight deficit the entire time which is most likely why the high fat intake has still worked. But I’m thinking .8-1 gram per pound of lean body mass will work. I will do this for the next four weeks and come back with an update.
Are you maybe meaning .8 to 1 gram per lb of total body weight, not lean body weight? In order for you to know accurately what your lean body weight is you would have to get a Dexa scan or do the water immersion body fat test. I get Dexa scans pretty regularly and even with them they can be off due to hydration levels at the time of testing compared to hydration levels at the other times they are taken.
Much easier to calculate your protein intake with total body weight.
Personally I ensure I take in .5 to .8 grams of protein per pound of total body weight and I am successfully retaining my lean mass while losing fat at that amount. But I am not currently lifting weights due to a back injury as well. I have fluctuated with the protein amount a bit at the beginning but I have been keeping it very steady lately in those ranges.
Like others have mentioned you don't have to be super concerned with getting in lot's of fats if you have lot's of fat on you and if you are completely keto adapted where you know your body has converted itself to burn fat for energy rather than glucose. You will have to ensure you are testing your blood ketones regularly to know for sure you are fully in ketosis. Some people pop out of ketosis easier than others. Every one is a bit different with how many carbs they can take in and still stay in ketosis. That's something everyone should experiment with, with their own metabolisms to see where their sweet spots are for fat burning, staying in ketosis and carb intake.
Per lean body mass but estimated. I have never checked my ketone levels but I am certain I am adapted based on how I feel and how much fat I consume vs carbs. Sure it’s not exact but it will definitely be a change from what I have been doing the last few months.
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I think as long as you are staying within your calorie range and are consistently losing, it's all good. Personally, protein fills me up better than fat so I go heavier on that and usually am way below my fat macro, but whatever works. Congrats on how much you've already lost!2
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rpmkarting wrote: »So I have been Keto for almost 4 months now. Everything seems to be steady, love the way I feel, suppressed appetite, energy levels etc. starting, getting used to it for the first month I was around 60-65 percent fat. I slowly increased that until around 75-80%. I have done some more research learning that you can have too much fat. There are lots of different opinions out there regarding proper Ketogenic macros, it is difficult to know which ones are correct. I for the most part stay around 20-30 grams of carbs per day, occasionally having 90 grams once in a while (maybe once every three weeks) I started at 300 lbs, now I am 240 (began April 11) my goal weight is 185. I will now experiment with slightly more protein (.8 grams per pound of lean body mass). I think this will put me around the 60-65 percent range of fat. I try to avg around 2000 calories per day as I do not want to lose too fast. My question is, has anyone had experience with 75-80 % fat vs 60-65% fat and what difference have you found? I think for me I have lost at a slower rate at 75-80% but also I think the first month you see more come off, so the results are most likely inconclusive. I will now try the next four weeks upping my protein slightly while lowering fat intake. Keeping my carbs around 5%. Any feedback favoring either side is welcomed. I want to know who has experience with this.
In regards to the bold/italics:
The correct version is the one that works for YOU. Keep experimenting.
My disclosure is I didn't lose my excess 60+ pounds eating keto but rather low carb of about 128 grams per day total. It worked for me except I went to bed hungry many evenings keeping to my deficit calories. In maintenance, I was ALWAYS hungry (for a year and a half) until I decided to try medically therapeutic keto for a reason other than weight management and upped my FAT significantly while eating very low carb AND low protein.
During MTKD there were periods (months) I ate upwards of 80% fat. Since weight loss was never a goal during that 52 week trial, the best I can say as an N=1 is 1) I wasn't hungry and 2) since I stuck to well established maintenance calories, I neither lost nor gained. Neither pounds nor observable body fat.
I currently eat somewhere mid-point between the ~33-33-33 percentages I averaged during weight loss and the ~5-15-80 I did during parts of my MTKD. I later kept carbs to around 50 for a year or so but have recently relaxed on that. Some days I eat 20. Some days 80. What I pay attention to is 1) not mindlessly eating when not hungry which is how I became overweight 2) not eating sweets and treats except rare special occasion AND 3) staying sated within calories via high fat intake (compared to MFP default % of 30).0 -
For weight loss, it's pretty much whatever you like best and whatever keeps you satisfied and feeling well.
Keto used for seizures is recommended to start at a 4:1 ratio (fat:carbs+protein) to ensure a very high level of ketone availability. If it works, they reduce the ratio (usually by increasing protein) until they get to a 2:1 ratio, or until it becomes less effective (at which point they push the ratio back up)
Keto used for migraines is recommended to start at a 2:1 ratio and then if that doesn't work, increase the ratio, and if it does work then lower it to 1:1 and if it works keep it, if it doesn't work go back up.
Keto for weightloss doesn't even use the ratios at all, but keep carbs super low, keep protein moderate, fill in with fat to control hunger.1
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