Advice on Fat (Over)Consumption and Calorie Deficits

lgfrie

Pretty much everything useful that could be said has been said, but I just wanted to add (or support) two points:

It is very common at the beginning of a diet to not feel hungry on very few calories, in fact even to feel full on what amounts to a near-starvation diet. There've been plenty of people on these boards who've complained, in the first month or so of dieting, that they felt stuffed on 1000 calories and couldn't imagine how they could possibly fit one more morsel of food into their mouths. The thing is, this changes. Big time. It happened to me. My "I'm not hungry at all" phase lasted a good 8 or 10 weeks, during which losing weight seemed incredibly easy and almost every morning brought a joyous experience of getting on the scale to collect my rewards. Then one day, all of a sudden, out of the blue, I was hungry again. I mean really, really hungry. And I've been hungry ever since. That was 6 or 7 months ago. I'm still losing weight, but it's slowed and it's hard work now. I wish I could go back to the "not the least bit hungry or interested in food" phase, but it appears to be gone with the wind.

There are lotsa theories out there as to why this phenomenon occurs. I think perhaps it has something to do with the initial excitement and adrenaline surge of taking on a big new project, namely, dieting, in which adrenaline and motivation and enthusiasm can blunt appetite for a while. Others have said it's related to the fact that changing your diet plays games with grehlin and other hormones that signal hunger and saiety, but that kind of science-y stuff is way beyond my pay grade. Whatever the explanation, here's what you need to know. One of these days, you are not just going to be hungry, you are going to be HUNGRY. The best thing you can do to ward off the damage when that happens (i.e. binging and regaining the weight) is to develop good habits NOW. And the best habit you can develop right now is to set up a proper calorie target and learn to hit it day after day, rain or shine, happy or sad, hungry or full. TDEEcalculator.net says your maintenance (break-even) calorie level for your weight/height/gender is around 1900 calories per day. A 1 lb per week goal would entail eating 1400 cals per day and if it were me, that would be the minimum I would even consider. Then just eat those 1400 calories every day, never less. That will be a huge favor you'd be doing yourself for down the road, when one day you wake up famished. It's gonna happen and at that point you will want to be well-adjusted to your calorie target and in the habit of structuring your day and meals to hit it without having to excessively think about and plan for it. Train yourself now for life at 1400 calories (or whatever number you pick) and make it such a consistent, normal part of your routine that it outlasts hitting the hunger phase.

Secondly, there is nothing wrong with olive oil. Olive oil is healthy. There is no reason to minimize usage of olive oil if it fits into your calories and you are getting the other stuff you need, namely, the right amount of protein and micronutrients. The only reason fat has made up 50 % of your calories is because you're not eating enough other stuff. If you're eating 1000 cals and fat makes up 50 % of it, that means you're getting 500 calories from fat. Nothing wrong with that. What's missing is the other 500 or thereabouts calories of proteins or carbs to round things out on top of the 500 you're currently getting, and then your fat intake would be 33 %, which would be entirely normal and unremarkable. So enjoy your olive oil and healthy fats, just be sure to supplement them with enough other stuff so you're eating a balanced diet.