Low fat diets? I don't get it...

jg627

Maybe I'm just a noob, but I don't understand how you can stimulate protein folding into muscle tissue without amino acids from dietary fats. How do you get growth hormone into your bloodstream while on a low fat diet? So many people try to give me advice as soon as they notice I'm losing weight and recommend low fat diet. What's the missing element that I'm not getting here?

tigersword

I don't eat low fat at all. I eat a generally equal balance of carbs, protein and fats. Slightly higher in carbs, usually about a 40/30/30 ratio. Fats are definitely very important for overall health.

I think the issue stems from people who don't know any better assuming that body fat must come from eating fat, so to get rid of body fat, you have to stop eating fat. Sounds silly, but I've heard people say some incredibly silly and goofy things when it comes to how they think nutrition works. :laugh:

melizerd

I don't eat low fat, I do a 40/30/30 split (carbs, protein and fat) Fat is a good thing for us, just the right kinds of fat and in the proper amount. I don't buy or eat "diet" food either.

71 lbs in 1 year lost and I'm losing weight, toning up and feeling so much better than I ever have.

LATeagno

I think it depends on the person. I eat 10% or less carbs and 45% each of fat and protein. Works for me and my bloodwork is nearly perfect. Study after study shows that low carbohydrate diets consistently better blood lipid levels, blood pressure and uric acid levels better than low fat diets. I think fat is demonized because it's 9 cals per gram as opposed to 4, but there is something to be said for blood sugar control. I strive for 1500 calories a day and am rarely hungry because I eat practically no sweets but load up on lots of filling protein, fat and fiber (usually from supplements or green leafy veggies).

Again though, this works for me. Not for everyone!

anubis609

The layman's misconception of fat = bad. Seems like you're not a noob if you understand that essential fats are necessary. Do what you do as you see fit.

freerange

the missing element is you haven’t been brained washed into believing the fat=the devil.

jg627

I don't eat low fat at all. I eat a generally equal balance of carbs, protein and fats. Slightly higher in carbs, usually about a 40/30/30 ratio. Fats are definitely very important for overall health.

I think the issue stems from people who don't know any better assuming that body fat must come from eating fat, so to get rid of body fat, you have to stop eating fat. Sounds silly, but I've heard people say some incredibly silly and goofy things when it comes to how they think nutrition works. :laugh:

A friend of mine just lost weight and now he's extremely skinny. He's no longer chunky, but he looks like he would have trouble lifting a milk carton. He keeps trying to tell me to eat low fat and to not use freeweights. I'm about to go on an all caps rage on him.

TropicalKitty

Amino acids don't come from fats. Amino acids are what protein is made up of. You stick a bunch of amino acids in a chain and you get "protein."

Anyway, yeah low fat diets aren't where the infos at. But I'm not getting into the "which diet is better" debate right now. Just wanted to correct the OP's notion of amino acids.

Jorra

People suggest low-fat diets because they think fat makes you fat. A very common misconception.

I've read that a lower carb diet is more effective than a low fat diet. You sound like you know what you're talking about.

jg627

Amino acids don't come from fats. Amino acids are what protein is made up of. You stick a bunch of amino acids in a chain and you get "protein."

Anyway, yeah low fat diets aren't where the infos at. But I'm not getting into the "which diet is better" debate right now. Just wanted to correct the OP's notion of amino acids.

Sorry, I meant fatty acids.

marie_2454

I don't like the low fat or low carb diet. IMO you need both and I personally look forward to at least one serving of full fat peanut butter a day! Not sure I could live without that!

jg627

I don't like the low fat or low carb diet. IMO you need both and I personally look forward to at least one serving of full fat peanut butter a day! Not sure I could live without that!

If I don't have real peanuts readily available, I'll go for the peanut butter. Peanut butter is pretty good though. Especially the old fashioned style that you have to mix because the oil always floats to the top.

mcgeemm

Doctors will generally recommend a low-fat diet if you have circulatory or lymphatic issues. Saturated fats lead to increased production of chylous fluids (lymph), which wreak havoc on your body if you have any type of edema. If you are healthy, your best option would be to limit your calories and to get plenty of exercise.

ImperfektAngel

It's not about low fat but about choosing the right fats and how much fat your body needs

Nuts4play

This topic is so incredibly frustrating for me. Because all this debate is not necessary. Just use your own common sense, and if you're not sure then do some research from those really knowleable, not those just spreading their own opinions and gossip.

Actually, I feel (my opinion here, take it or leave it) that diet foods+fake sugars+low-fat diets+low carb diets+high-protein diets, etc ... it's all bullsh*t! It's all about big companies trying to make us spend our money to buy their books and their fake chemical foods. And I'm not a die-hard fanatic vegan either! I just believe in making healthier choices more often than not. I eat meat pretty much every single day, enjoy a wide variety of veggies & fruits, have an occasional burger and drink an occasional coke and enjoy the occasional Rocky Road ice cream. Common sense and experience tells me that I can't do that every night because of the chemical and nutritional make-up of those foods. My body was not designed to live off of chemicals. It was designed to live off the land, sea and air.

You are your childs guide about healthy living. My dad would cut up a head of lettuce into quarters... hold it in his hand and start chomping from one end to the other, sometimes with A LITTLE salad dressing (miracle whip or blue cheese, etc) smeared/drizzled on top. Imagine my shock/disbelief when as an adult I heard about and saw the new "salad" being offered in fine dining restaurants... a wedge of lettuce on a plate, that people were paying a fortune for!
On the way back from the beach (which was often) we would stop at a fruit/veggie stand. Mom would come out to the car with a bucket or bag of great big juicy tomato's and hand one to each one of us 3 girls. Yes, raw! And yes, without getting it home to rinse first and without sprinking salt on each bite!
And from my mom I learned the taste-bud pleasing technique of using Lays potato chips as a dipper for soft-serve vanilla ice cream. The salty crunchy tast and texture of the chips contrasted delightfully with the cool sweet/creamy taste/texture of the ice cream. It's still a rare, very rare treat!
One time my mom grew eggplant, and served it to us, fried in thin slices. It looked mushy and completely unappealing. We had to at least try it (if we wanted dessert). It made me gag, but I tasted it, but was completely grossed out by the soggy sight and mushy texture of it.
Fried green tomato's tastes awesome! Tomato gravy is awesome! And I love eggplant mannicotti and eggplant lasagna.
As a small child I witnessed my dad drinking/savoring a thick, rotten-milk looking stuff. He encouraged me to taste it. With great hesitation I tasted it. Chills stood the hairs on my arms as I ran to wash the horrible-sickly-sweet taste out of my mouth. He assured me when I grow up I will love the the taste of buttermilk. So about every 5 years I would taste buttermilk to see if I'd grown up yet. Then finally... in my 40's... I tasted it... and LOVED IT!!! I'd finally grown up.

Honestly, if it takes a degree in chemistry to read, much less figure out the ingredients... then it's not real food... it's chemicals.

You don't have to starve yourself to be fit. But you DO have to make healthier choices more often than not in both your dietary choices and physical activities! Common sense tells you that if you eat chemicals and junk all day and don't get off the couch... then your body will literally spread out into a blob of fat that CAN'T hardly get off the couch. You're body is a living machine and what you put into it is exactly what it will become.

You can enjoy a wide variety of wonderful tasting meats, fruits, veggies and dairy and still be slender and as healthy as anyone needs to be! You do NOT have to starve yourself and you do NOT have to take pills or put drops under your tongue. There is no magic pill or fat-sucking, body disfiguring operation that will suddenly make you slender, happy and healthy! Dammit! Food tastes good... real food tastes very good. If you have emotional issues that need dealing with... find the cause, deal with it, vent it out of your system through some kind of activity...re-arrange your house or garden plants, chop down a tree, express your feelings into a hobby such as painting or crafting... and learn to love yourself for the wonderful individual you were meant to be!

Ok... so that's my soapbox.

TropicalKitty

This topic is so incredibly frustrating for me. Because all this debate is not necessary. Just use your own common sense, and if you're not sure then do some research from those really knowleable, not those just spreading their own opinions and gossip.

Remember not everyone on here is just doing gossip. There are a number of us who are scientists, nutritionists, physicians, etc and understand the science. So some of our "opinions and gossip" are from real hard science published in peer reviewed scientific journals. If you ever doubt something I've said, feel free to kindly ask for a source and I will get you a research paper.

And if anything, a lot of the "common sense" that people have is influenced by bad information propagated by the companies you mentioned lower in your post. Or from cultures that are notoriously unhealthy.

Nuts4play

This topic is so incredibly frustrating for me. Because all this debate is not necessary. Just use your own common sense, and if you're not sure then do some research from those really knowleable, not those just spreading their own opinions and gossip.

Remember not everyone on here is just doing gossip. There are a number of us who are scientists, nutritionists, physicians, etc and understand the science. So some of our "opinions and gossip" are from real hard science published in peer reviewed scientific journals. If you ever doubt something I've said, feel free to kindly ask for a source and I will get you a research paper.

And if anything, a lot of the "common sense" that people have is influenced by bad information propagated by the companies you mentioned lower in your post. Or from cultures that are notoriously unhealthy.

Thank you It's nice to know there are such truly knowleable people on here. So... how is anyone supposed to know which members are worth learning from? Do they say in their profiles or something that they are nutritionists or doctors or something?

jg627

This topic is so incredibly frustrating for me. Because all this debate is not necessary. Just use your own common sense, and if you're not sure then do some research from those really knowleable, not those just spreading their own opinions and gossip.

Remember not everyone on here is just doing gossip. There are a number of us who are scientists, nutritionists, physicians, etc and understand the science. So some of our "opinions and gossip" are from real hard science published in peer reviewed scientific journals. If you ever doubt something I've said, feel free to kindly ask for a source and I will get you a research paper.

And if anything, a lot of the "common sense" that people have is influenced by bad information propagated by the companies you mentioned lower in your post. Or from cultures that are notoriously unhealthy.

The main question is, can I go all caps rage on my friend who wants me to stop lifting weights and eat no fat?

TropicalKitty

This topic is so incredibly frustrating for me. Because all this debate is not necessary. Just use your own common sense, and if you're not sure then do some research from those really knowleable, not those just spreading their own opinions and gossip.

Remember not everyone on here is just doing gossip. There are a number of us who are scientists, nutritionists, physicians, etc and understand the science. So some of our "opinions and gossip" are from real hard science published in peer reviewed scientific journals. If you ever doubt something I've said, feel free to kindly ask for a source and I will get you a research paper.

And if anything, a lot of the "common sense" that people have is influenced by bad information propagated by the companies you mentioned lower in your post. Or from cultures that are notoriously unhealthy.

Thank you It's nice to know there are such truly knowleable people on here. So... how is anyone supposed to know which members are worth learning from? Do they say in their profiles or something that they are nutritionists or doctors or something?

The longer you are here, the more you'll learn who knows what kind of thing. Some people will expressly say how they know what they know or will cite their sources in the post. You can also tell just how people speak about the topics. I think I mentioned my science stuff on my profile, some have info in their signature. It varies across people.