Is it okay to be way under on your fat calories?

erniemj

My calories are set to about 1500 daily, I am usually over on my protein and fiber, and come right around the goal mark on carbs, sugar, and sodium. My fat is waaaaay under most days - I can't imagine this is a bad thing - I have about 40lbs to lose - any thoughts?

HeidiMightyRawr

I wouldn't see this as a problem personally, you can set your fat/carbs/protein requirements to different percentages even. MFP sets them automatically to 55% carbs, 30% fat and 15% protein but I've changed mine to 30/30 and 40% for carbs, as I want more protein and less carbs.
I'd suggest have a look at that and see what works for you, varying amounts work differently for everyone and the only thing that's really going to matter when it comes to weight loss is your total calories, if you're under on those you should be fine

houlee

It can be depending on the amount of fat you are eating. Some nutrients are only fat soluble, so you may not be absorbing as much as you should.

Barelmy

Keep an eye on your skin and hair. When I first went vegan, I didn't realise the sudden loss of fat from dairy products would be a problem, but my skin and hair became very dry.

sklinger83

You may want to be careful because the body uses fat to absorb vitamin d, which is also necessary to process Calcium. Also, some fats are good for heart health (think Omega 3 fatty acids, olive oil). A couple programs I have done suggest more protein than this site recommends, but they also advocate resistance training which requires more protein to build muscle. Some people also feel a diet higher on protein helps maintain a more level blood sugar and subdues feelings of hunger longer. This being noted, the government is starting to steer people away from eating as much meat suggesting that instead of eating a steak or chicken breast, we should be eating carbohydrates dressed with proteins. So it is hard to tell on protein, but make sure you're getting enough good fats!