Eating Fats and Body Type

Nicole_gets_a_grip

Hi!

I'm not sure if the 2 things are linked so please bear with me it's advice I need really...

I remember being at school and we all anonymously weighed ourselves and plotted a chart; my weight was significantly higher than any of the other girls in the class despite not actually physically looking the biggest in the class... This is still the case now, my weight is higher than it would appear to just look at me.... Anyone got any ideas why? Is it anything to do with my next question?

The docs that I go to do a "fat test" - you know... how much of my body is made up of fat and mine is pretty freaking high... in fact it's so high I'm quite ashamed!

Soooo... my body fat is 43% :noway: :embarassed:

Now lovely doctor said... not to worry what you need to do it concentrate on lowering your fat intake but then he said at least 25-30% of your diet should be fat... :frown:

Talk about mixed messages!!! I do understand the concept of good fat and bad fat... I'm just not entirely sure how to work this into a calorie controlled daily eating thing (I will not use the term diet!) After a year of eating healthier than ever before I did lose 2 stone (although I've put on some poundage over Christmas) I am pretty good at eating to my daily calorie limit of 1500 calories a day and this works for me but as I now need to change my fat intake I don't know how to do this?

Apologies to those of you who want to check my diary I've recently reset my account and haven't logged over the festive period so that might not help you... but any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you! :flowerforyou:

Nicole

ShannonMpls

Eating less fat will lead to fat loss only insofar as it leads to a reduction of calories. There is nothing magic about eating less fat.

elyelyse

eating dietary fat (fat in foods) doesn't make us fat. eating too much of anything makes us fat. we need dietary fat for a lot of our body's functions. 25-30% is about right.

AmandaLou4319

First- eating fat does not directly lead to body fat.

Everything we eat is processed by the body is different ways. Excess sugar and carbs are converted into body fat and stored because it cannot be used.
Keep the carbs, sugar (aka calories) at a moderate level and you can stop and reverse this.

Good fat is fat from veggies, beans and meat. Eating enough fat makes you feel full and can reduce the amount of calories you eat in a day without you feeling hungry.

Its a balance to find the energy you need for your activity level and the fat/carbs/calories you eat.

My suggestion- keep up the 1500 a day and eat as clean as your can (real food and you will see resutls!

Good luck!

Nicole_gets_a_grip

Thank you... I'm still not entirely sure I'm any the wiser... must be a slow brain day!

wannabpiper

I'm having a hard time relating your avatar picture to a 43% body fat! Not challenging the doc - but that just doesn't compute for me. Anyway, whatever you eat - fats, carbs, etc., is just caloric units. A few years back dieticians told us not to eat fats because each fat calorie contains 9 units of energy, whereas a carb has about 4 or 5 and is therefore easier to break down and less calorie "dense". Check out Susan Powter's advice on "just eat bagels!" Wow, I actually believed her hype and gained 10 lbs on her "diet".

The deal is to watch your macros, get some exercise, and stay within your caloric goals. Best wishes!

elyelyse

Good fat is fat from veggies, beans and meat.

and avocados, nuts & seeds, dairy, olive oil...

mhayman

I've recently set up my MFP account onto custom and you can just specify in there 30% for fat and say 35% for both carbs and protein and how many calories total. Then you can see what you need a day from each nutrient type because MFP works it all out for you.

You could also specify a limit to saturated fat say but that does rely on adding items that have a full fat breakdown to your diary.

HTH
Matt

Phoenix_Warrior

Excess sugar and carbs are converted into body fat and stored because it cannot be used.

1. Sugar is a carb, so unless there's a medical condition, there's no need to be concerned.
2. The only thing that is converted into body fat is excess calories.

Phoenix_Warrior

Good fat is fat from veggies, beans and meat.

and avocados, nuts & seeds, dairy, olive oil...

and peanut butter, ice cream, pizza...

lizless1

IS there a tutorial on the settings and how to change them?

Nicole_gets_a_grip

Thanks everyone. So I'll keep an eye on trans fat content in fats (which I understand is bad), try and look for low fat alternatives which don't substitute fat for sugar, try and eat less processed food and stick with my calories.

Does that sound about right?

Phoenix_Warrior

Thanks everyone. So I'll keep an eye on trans fat content in fats (which I understand is bad), try and look for low fat alternatives which don't substitute fat for sugar, try and eat less processed food and stick with my calories.

Does that sound about right?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants 

I highly recommend reading this. Fats are actually very important for the body.

cwolfman13

Thanks everyone. So I'll keep an eye on trans fat content in fats (which I understand is bad), try and look for low fat alternatives which don't substitute fat for sugar, try and eat less processed food and stick with my calories.

Does that sound about right?

25% - 30% dietary fat is about right...if you're hitting those numbers you do not need to use low fat/no fat alternatives. If you're having a hard time staying within your calorie range and going way over on fats then maybe you would want to sub out some things...but by and large, with a few exceptions, when they remove fat they add a whole bunch of other ****. Better just to go with what is natural.

Trans-fats are bad...don't consume anything that has "partially hydrogenated oil" in the ingredients list. Often this can be some bit of trickery as the nutritional label will say zero trans fats per serving...but they use a ridiculously small portion as a serving and use partially hydrogenated oils...so if you were to have what amounted to a serving that someone would actually eat, it would be more than zero trans-fats.

Hit your calories and hit your protein and fat goals and whatever carbs beyond that. I would also suggest doing resistance work...when you don't do resistance work and diet and do cardio, you lose weight...but a lot of that weight is muscle and not fat which can leave you smaller and lighter, but at a still relatively higher BF% for your weight. Doing resistance work and getting adequate protein will help maintain that muscle mass so that most of your loss is fat.

twixlepennie

eating dietary fat (fat in foods) doesn't make us fat. eating too much of anything makes us fat. we need dietary fat for a lot of our body's functions. 25-30% is about right.

This-its about calories. Period.

Nicole_gets_a_grip

Thanks everyone. So I'll keep an eye on trans fat content in fats (which I understand is bad), try and look for low fat alternatives which don't substitute fat for sugar, try and eat less processed food and stick with my calories.

Does that sound about right?

25% - 30% dietary fat is about right...if you're hitting those numbers you do not need to use low fat/no fat alternatives. If you're having a hard time staying within your calorie range and going way over on fats then maybe you would want to sub out some things...but by and large, with a few exceptions, when they remove fat they add a whole bunch of other ****. Better just to go with what is natural.

Trans-fats are bad...don't consume anything that has "partially hydrogenated oil" in the ingredients list. Often this can be some bit of trickery as the nutritional label will say zero trans fats per serving...but they use a ridiculously small portion as a serving and use partially hydrogenated oils...so if you were to have what amounted to a serving that someone would actually eat, it would be more than zero trans-fats.

Hit your calories and hit your protein and fat goals and whatever carbs beyond that. I would also suggest doing resistance work...when you don't do resistance work and diet and do cardio, you lose weight...but a lot of that weight is muscle and not fat which can leave you smaller and lighter, but at a still relatively higher BF% for your weight. Doing resistance work and getting adequate protein will help maintain that muscle mass so that most of your loss is fat.

Yes that makes sense, no low fat then just normal and within my calories. Last year most of my weight loss was gained through exercise and just being a bit more conscious of eating. Unfortunately I then became quite poorly and was since diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and until they've got my medication sorted I'm side lined! I'm hoping that the last med change will be the last med change and I can restart from March (ish!)

Thanks for your help.

Nicole_gets_a_grip

Thanks everyone. So I'll keep an eye on trans fat content in fats (which I understand is bad), try and look for low fat alternatives which don't substitute fat for sugar, try and eat less processed food and stick with my calories.

Does that sound about right?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants 

I highly recommend reading this. Fats are actually very important for the body.

Thanks that was really helpful, I think I do most of this already, I think the doctor just confused me with his whole "eat fat but don't eat fat" thing!!!!! Blooming medical professionals!!!!!!!

meshashesha2012

Thanks everyone. So I'll keep an eye on trans fat content in fats (which I understand is bad), try and look for low fat alternatives which don't substitute fat for sugar, try and eat less processed food and stick with my calories.

Does that sound about right?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants 

I highly recommend reading this. Fats are actually very important for the body.

Thanks that was really helpful, I think I do most of this already, I think the doctor just confused me with his whole "eat fat but don't eat fat" thing!!!!! Blooming medical professionals!!!!!!!

he probably meant o avoid extremes, which many people who want to lose weight end up doing. it's like for some people there is no middle ground between eating everything for all meals deep fried in butter and eating only boiled chicken breast, steamed brocolii and rice cakes

Nicole_gets_a_grip

Thanks everyone. So I'll keep an eye on trans fat content in fats (which I understand is bad), try and look for low fat alternatives which don't substitute fat for sugar, try and eat less processed food and stick with my calories.

Does that sound about right?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants 

I highly recommend reading this. Fats are actually very important for the body.

Thanks that was really helpful, I think I do most of this already, I think the doctor just confused me with his whole "eat fat but don't eat fat" thing!!!!! Blooming medical professionals!!!!!!!

he probably meant o avoid extremes, which many people who want to lose weight end up doing. it's like for some people there is no middle ground between eating everything for all meals deep fried in butter and eating only boiled chicken breast, steamed brocolii and rice cakes

Hehehehehehehe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think my biggest problems are my husbands cooking... He's African and lots of his food is cooked with oil (but tastes so good!!!!!!!!!!!!) and I really like sweets!!!! Oh and I NEVER get full, I'm missing the "I'm full, stop eating" button!!!
It's a whole heap of a challenge! :laugh: