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traceracer
traceracer Posts: 303 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Is it more important to keep under your calorie goal than your fat goal?
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  • RWeaver08
    RWeaver08 Posts: 44 Member
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    I would like to know the answer to that as well! I've wondered that for the longest time. lol.
  • CindiBryce
    CindiBryce Posts: 438
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    Yes. You can only lose weight at a caloric deficit. But you should not be severely under your calorie goal (I'm assuming it's 1200).
  • angelbeville
    angelbeville Posts: 61
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    Calories I think, but I'd like to know what the nutritionists think. We've been conditioned in our society for so long to think "Fat is Bad," but I'm more inclined to think "Sugar (and other refined carbs) is bad." I don't worry too much about fat, unless it's animal fat. Avocados, nuts, and olive oil are full of the kind of fat we need.
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
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    Being too over on fat isn't a good thing, but yes, to lose weight you only truly need to look at your calories.
  • MissArielLauren
    MissArielLauren Posts: 27
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    Honestly, I don't count calories. What works for me is just eating rational meals and always having a healthy snack on hand. I usually keep organic meal bars in my purse, as well as a banana or something. It's all about snacking (for me at least). I also ALWAYS have a protein shake and hard boil egg after I workout [=

    I Hope that helps!
  • Fitgirlrocks
    Fitgirlrocks Posts: 21 Member
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    Your body, specifically your heart and brain, need fat to function. Having said that, it needs to be the right kind of fat, Essential Fatty Acids. I am never concerned about the fat intake for my diet as I eat nutritious fats (especially Omega 3s). The calorie deficit is far more important than the fat deficit. In fact, if you look at my diary, I am almost always over my fat allowance - And I don't care about that. :)
  • kpwb
    kpwb Posts: 14 Member
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    The biggest reason "fat" is a problem is that it's a dense form of calories. I suggest that you pay attention the balance of your source of calories among fat, protein and carbs. All are important but I think calories are king in terms of weight loss...
  • hooah_mj
    hooah_mj Posts: 1,004 Member
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    I've focus on less than 30 PERCENT (sorry) of fat a day...trying to get it closer to 20%. anything over that is not healthy and counter productive for healthly weightloss.
  • eddyca
    eddyca Posts: 153 Member
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    It's more important to stay under your calorie goal for sure.

    Check out this story about a nutrition professor who lost weight eating chips and Twinkie's:
    http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/

    By no means should anyone try that ridiculous diet, it just proves the simple fact that in order to lose weight you have to consume less calories than you burn.
  • chubiD
    chubiD Posts: 260
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    I'd say that being under any of your goals is not necessarily good. That said, I'd be more strict about not going over my calories than going over any of the macronutrients (I'm usually over my carbs, can't help it :ohwell: ). Try to keep a balance between all your goals and you will not only lose weight, but stay healthy as well!
  • 3DFitness
    3DFitness Posts: 12 Member
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    Calories in vs Calories out is the only thing that matters for weight loss....
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    personally, i focus mostly on calories, and do my best to stay under sodium and carbs. i monitor protein and fiber, just to make sure i'm getting enough.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    double post
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    Calories in vs Calories out is the only thing that matters for weight loss....

    This
  • QueenJill
    QueenJill Posts: 2
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    The answer depends on your goal. If all you're looking for is weight loss, calories are the main thing. But if (like most people), you are hoping the true goal is a leaner body composition, healthier body, and better lifestyle, then the components of the food matter huge. If all a person ever wanted to do was lose weight, exercise wouldn't be as important as is is. (that is, you have to exercise a helluva lot more minutes to get the same calorie deficit as just skipping the snack at Starbucks or sharing that cinnamon bun and forgoing the extra icing). But because we want a good working heart, strong bones, lean muscles, healthy cholesterol, and all the other fixings of a long, healthy life, we focus on good food proportions as well. Not only fat and calories, but also what kind of fat, the sugar and fiber contents of the carbohydrates, and the sodium.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,453 Member
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    The important thing is to stay under in calories. I don't mind being over in fat at all, as long as I am under on calories. I concentrate on getting enough protein and fat and if I go over on these, so be it.
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
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    It's more important to stay under your calorie goal for sure.

    Check out this story about a nutrition professor who lost weight eating chips and Twinkie's:
    http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/

    By no means should anyone try that ridiculous diet, it just proves the simple fact that in order to lose weight you have to consume less calories than you burn.

    wow that article was really interesting!!
  • auctoritas
    auctoritas Posts: 204
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    I've focus on less than 30 grams of fat a day...trying to get it closer to 20g. anything over that is not healthy and counter productive for healthly weightloss.

    Oh, I wonder why I'm still losing weight eating between 70-120 grams of fat per day. :)

    Really though it's all about caloric deficit. You need *some* fat to function properly, but as long as your calories are under and you're losing weight, don't worry about being over at all.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    In theory you can eat nothing but lard, and lose weight.

    You can eat nothing but fruit and veg, and put on weight.
  • hooah_mj
    hooah_mj Posts: 1,004 Member
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    I've focus on less than 30 grams of fat a day...trying to get it closer to 20g. anything over that is not healthy and counter productive for healthly weightloss.

    Oh, I wonder why I'm still losing weight eating between 70-120 grams of fat per day. :)

    Really though it's all about caloric deficit. You need *some* fat to function properly, but as long as your calories are under and you're losing weight, don't worry about being over at all.

    SORRY...that should have read:

    I've focus on less than 30 PERCENT (sorry) of fat a day...trying to get it closer to 20%. anything over that is not healthy and counter productive for healthly weightloss.
    Edited by hooah_mj on Sun 11/20/11 06:56 PM

    Thx for catching that...I'm right there with you

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