I think I’m eating too much fat

ChickieBoom22
ChickieBoom22 Posts: 80 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I use 2 tbsp of olive oil or butter to cook my lunch and dinner and looking at my macros I’m thinking it’s too much.

Replies

  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    I recently started increasing my healthy oils and decreased my starches and I’m finding it’s working out well for me. I changed my default macro setting from 50c-20p-30f to 40c-20p-40f to match my new way of eating. I’m totally with @Panini911, that it’s about the calories; macros are a matter of personal preference.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited June 2019
    goldthistime wrote: »
    I recently started increasing my healthy oils and decreased my starches and I’m finding it’s working out well for me. I changed my default macro setting from 50c-20p-30f to 40c-20p-40f to match my new way of eating. I’m totally with @Panini911, that it’s about the calories; macros are a matter of personal preference.

    I started paying attention to fat a little (i don't really care much about macros) because i realize it was always in the red. I wasn't actively trying to eat low fat but when you want more volume in your meals that is the one that tends to go down. I try to get a solid minimum of fat in my diet overall.

    Once I hit maintenance I will need to play around and start toying around with the volume issue. Rather than add 250 calories of "lots of food" I should consider a good portion of that being fat. Only waiting as I don't want to attack my eating on two fronts and i'm about 1-2 weeks from maintenance!
  • endermako
    endermako Posts: 785 Member
    if you're still eating at a deficit that isn't going to matter much unless you have a medical need to eat less fat.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    For the long-term, maintaining fat at 30-35% of calories is a good thing. If you are eating below 1200 calories, you need to be mindful about eating enough fat. Short periods of low-fat won't hurt but over the long haul, too little fat = constipation, hair loss, skin disorders and lack of essential vitamin absorption.
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    Personal preference, but, if you use a good nonstick pan you can use way less oil/butter. Saves calories for more chewable foods 😀
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    It all depends on personal preference. That's about 240 calories just from the oil. If you're splitting the meal between two servings, that's not bad -- but if you're eating it all in one go, that may be taking up a chunk of your calories that you would rather use elsewhere. I know *for me*, I wouldn't want to waste all of that on something I can't necessarily taste (I use half a tablespoon per serving when I cook), but if it tastes good for you, there's nothing wrong with it.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited June 2019
    Like everyone else has said, it's personal preference. I don't use that much oil for cooking, as for me it's a waste of calories, but I tend to consume around 30-40% fat from other sources (plus some olive oil, including in salad dressings), and that helps me feel more satisfied. The MFP default macros are just a starting place, not magical.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    missysippy930 wrote: »
    Personal preference, but, if you use a good nonstick pan you can use way less oil/butter. Saves calories for more chewable foods 😀

    Yes, I love oil and my cast iron pans, but sometimes I use non-stick to reduce the need for oil to save calories. Foods like scrambled eggs do best in nonstick, IMO.

    @ChickieBoom22 nothing wrong with going over your fat targets but 2 T of oil/butter does provide a lot of calories, so if you need to cut calories to make room for more protein or whatever, that is a good place to look.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    ChickieBoom22 wrote: »
    I use 2 tbsp of olive oil or butter to cook my lunch and dinner and looking at my macros I’m thinking it’s too much.

    Do you mean too much for weight loss? Or do you have health concerns?

    If you are just talking about weight loss, log the oil or butter. If you still hit your calorie goal, you're good. If you find the cooking fat is taking up calories you need for food that will fill you up more or that you just want more, then it might be a good idea to use less.

    There are some things that just really need to be cooked in fat for my tastes, but where I can, I like to use a non-stick pan or the bare minimum of cooking fat necessary to get the job done. It's really a matter of personal preference and making the math work :smile:
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    Too much how? What are your macros currently set at? If you are exceeding your fat macro and that is something concerning to you, use less fat for cooking. If it's for some other reason, can you please explain so that we can answer your question based more on actual specifics instead of just guessing what your issue is?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Maxxitt wrote: »
    For the long-term, maintaining fat at 30-35% of calories is a good thing. If you are eating below 1200 calories, you need to be mindful about eating enough fat. Short periods of low-fat won't hurt but over the long haul, too little fat = constipation, hair loss, skin disorders and lack of essential vitamin absorption.

    Not sure why @Maxxitt is getting woo'ed here. 30-35% of calories from fat as a maximum is within the current GENERAL World Health Organisation dietary recommendations:

    Minimum total fat intakes for adults 15%E to ensure adequate consumption of total energy, essential fatty acids, and fat soluble vitamins for most individuals. 20%E for women of reproductive age. 20%E for adults with BMI <18.5, especially in developing countries in which dietary fat may be important to achieve adequate energy intake in malnourished populations. Maximum total fat intakes for adults 30–35%E for most individuals.
    page 14: http://foris.fao.org/preview/25553-0ece4cb94ac52f9a25af77ca5cfba7a8c.pdf edited for emphasis.

    I would suspect some people are reading that post as saying it's okay to eat less than 1200 calories as long as you get enough fat. Also seems to imply that 30-35% is how much you should aim for, not that it's the max.

    I'm honestly unclear on what that post was trying to say (and I didn't woo it), but I could see folks reading it as woo-ish from a certain angle :wink:
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    edited June 2019
    kimny72 wrote: »
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Maxxitt wrote: »
    For the long-term, maintaining fat at 30-35% of calories is a good thing. If you are eating below 1200 calories, you need to be mindful about eating enough fat. Short periods of low-fat won't hurt but over the long haul, too little fat = constipation, hair loss, skin disorders and lack of essential vitamin absorption.

    Not sure why @Maxxitt is getting woo'ed here. 30-35% of calories from fat as a maximum is within the current GENERAL World Health Organisation dietary recommendations:

    Minimum total fat intakes for adults 15%E to ensure adequate consumption of total energy, essential fatty acids, and fat soluble vitamins for most individuals. 20%E for women of reproductive age. 20%E for adults with BMI <18.5, especially in developing countries in which dietary fat may be important to achieve adequate energy intake in malnourished populations. Maximum total fat intakes for adults 30–35%E for most individuals.
    page 14: http://foris.fao.org/preview/25553-0ece4cb94ac52f9a25af77ca5cfba7a8c.pdf edited for emphasis.

    I would suspect some people are reading that post as saying it's okay to eat less than 1200 calories as long as you get enough fat. Also seems to imply that 30-35% is how much you should aim for, not that it's the max.

    I'm honestly unclear on what that post was trying to say (and I didn't woo it), but I could see folks reading it as woo-ish from a certain angle :wink:

    Not advocating under 1200 calories, I just know that many people eat fewer than 1200 calories whether or not that's advisable, and fail to get enough fat with some negative long term health consequences. And "aiming for" means not going much over, and allows for undershooting. Hope that helps clear your confusion.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,252 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    Maxxitt wrote: »
    For the long-term, maintaining fat at 30-35% of calories is a good thing. If you are eating below 1200 calories, you need to be mindful about eating enough fat. Short periods of low-fat won't hurt but over the long haul, too little fat = constipation, hair loss, skin disorders and lack of essential vitamin absorption.

    Not sure why @Maxxitt is getting woo'ed here. 30-35% of calories from fat as a maximum is within the current GENERAL World Health Organisation dietary recommendations:

    Minimum total fat intakes for adults 15%E to ensure adequate consumption of total energy, essential fatty acids, and fat soluble vitamins for most individuals. 20%E for women of reproductive age. 20%E for adults with BMI <18.5, especially in developing countries in which dietary fat may be important to achieve adequate energy intake in malnourished populations. Maximum total fat intakes for adults 30–35%E for most individuals.
    page 14: http://foris.fao.org/preview/25553-0ece4cb94ac52f9a25af77ca5cfba7a8c.pdf edited for emphasis.

    I would suspect some people are reading that post as saying it's okay to eat less than 1200 calories as long as you get enough fat. Also seems to imply that 30-35% is how much you should aim for, not that it's the max.

    I'm honestly unclear on what that post was trying to say (and I didn't woo it), but I could see folks reading it as woo-ish from a certain angle :wink:

    hmmm.... on re-read it looks like I was reading/comprehending "maintaining fat at" as "maximum fat at".... oopsies!
  • OooohToast
    OooohToast Posts: 257 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    for weight loss, you need to eat at a calorie deficit regularly over a long period of time.

    dietary fat doesn't make you fat. if you are properly weighting and logging in and eating at a calorie deficit then that oil/butter will not hamper your progress. But because it is calorie dense, you do need to ensure you properly weigh and log it all.

    Personally i am a volume eater so i prefer to save those calories for more food (i'd use more like 1 teasppon or less) but that is totally personal. Some find fat filling and do better with a bit more oil and less quantity.

    I'm a volume eater too ! Thing is, that used to include fats which is how I chubbed up in the first place !

    I do love fats and if there is one food group I will be weighing for the rest of my days, its fats.

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