can you have too little fat?

misty589

based on my daily goals for fat, mine is way less , often not more than half. is that okay? why or why not?
also my protein and fiber ae always higher, the goal that it has set for fibre is only 14g though, I know that *I* need more than that so I tend to ignore that part

SHBoss1673

Yes, too little fat can have pretty dire consequenses. you should have a minimum of 15% of your calories come from fats (80 to 90% of those should be from unsaturated fats!)

misty589

what are the consequences (so I can watch out for them LOL )
I'm not purposely avoiding it, i've been eating a lot of fruit and whole grains and there just isn't much fat there. I had a peanut butter cup today and that added a few g. lol
How can I add some fat without adding a ton of Cal?

ETA today I had 23/44 and that was with the pb cup if i took that out I only had 15 g of fat and it's after supper here

gemiwing

I get a lot of mine from fish. If you're a veggie, you can try flax seed oil.

Hard not to get calories with fat- it's just somehing you need to budget for in the caloric intake for the day. Easier said that done I know

Juliebean_1027

Add in some nuts or maybe an avocado. Something that is high in the 'good' fats.

SHBoss1673

oh man, so much.

so unsaturated fat helps raise HDL (good cholesterol,which helps prevent heart attacks), it's a building block for cell walls (which is important for muscle building). Is vital for some vitamin transportation (think "fat soluble vitamins"), is essential for certain hormone production, important in the immune system. Skin and Hair need fats to help grow, and fats are needed for the eyes (actually nerves behind the eyes) and brain to function correctly. This isn't everything fats do for you. But as you can imagine, it's probably enough.

So, too little fat over a long period can degrade numerous systems in the body. You really do need it. Not eating dietary fats isn't an option, its dangerous.

SHBoss1673

How can I add some fat without adding a ton of Cal?

This is a loaded question, in truth, you can't because Fat contains 9 calories per gram. But that doesn't matter because fat IS essential.

idreamof55

What about when you stay in your calorie range but go over in your protein?

JoyousMaximus

This is copied from dietitian.com:

"Fats perform many vital roles to aid in the body's functions. Triglycerides, the main form of fat in the body and in foods, constitute most of the stored energy in the body. Triglycerides yield over twice as much energy per gram as carbohydrates and protein (fats provide 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and protein provide 4 calories per gram). The free fatty acids, released from triglycerides are the major source for fuel for the body at rest and during light activity.

Triglycerides and other lipids (fat) in foods also carry fat-soluble vitamin A ,D, E and K to the small intestine. In doing so, lipids aid in absorption of these nutrients. Without fat you are at risk for developing deficiencies of these vitamins.

Food fat causes the stomach to empty more slowly than either carbohydrates or protein and it imparts satiety - the satisfied feeling you have after eating. If you reduce your fat intake below 20% of total energy intake, you will get hungry quicker.

The essential fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6, are substances that need to come from the diet. They are necessary building materials for molecules and compounds that perform such vital functions in your body as regulation of blood pressure, blood clotting, immune response and childbirth. Excellent sources of these essential fatty acids are salad dressings containing Canola or soybean oil, salmon, tuna and sardines.

Another thing to be aware of is when fat is removed from a product, something else must be added, usually carbohydrates in order to maintain a desirable taste and texture. For this reason, many fat-reduced and fat-free products are still very energy dense - containing a high amount of calories. Remember that calories count too, no matter if they come from fat, carbohydrates or protein so be sure to moderate your portions if you consume a lot of fat reduced products. Consider the increase in the number of low fat foods while the American public's average weight has gone up. Low fat and fat free foods are not the magic solution for weight loss."


Hope this helps! :flowerforyou:

marm1962

Perhaps these two articles will help you

www.dietbites.com/article1097.html

Fat: Not Too Much, Not Too Little
www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/7228/354780.html

JoyousMaximus

What about when you stay in your calorie range but go over in your protein?

What is your protein set too?MFP automatically sets it to 55%:30%:15%Carb:Fat:Protein which is rather low. Take your weight in lb and divide by 2.2 (converts it to Kilograms). Multiply your weight in kilograms by .7. Then multiply your weight in kilograms by 1.2. If the number of grams of protein you're eating falls into that range, you're fine. If not, adjust how much protein you are eating so it does. Example for clarification: My weight is 171lb so I weight 77.7kg. I should eat between 54 and 93 grams of protein a day. I try to eat 66 grams.

idreamof55

Thanks! Looks lika a job for the calulator I feel I am doing good on the weight loss but was worried about having too much protein. Thanks again!

msarro

oh man, so much.

so unsaturated fat helps raise HDL (good cholesterol,which helps prevent heart attacks), it's a building block for cell walls (which is important for muscle building). Is vital for some vitamin transportation (think "fat soluble vitamins"), is essential for certain hormone production, important in the immune system. Skin and Hair need fats to help grow, and fats are needed for the eyes (actually nerves behind the eyes) and brain to function correctly. This isn't everything fats do for you. But as you can imagine, it's probably enough.

So, too little fat over a long period can degrade numerous systems in the body. You really do need it. Not eating dietary fats isn't an option, its dangerous.

Not to mention that fat is used by glial cells (imagine cells that basically keep your neurons healthy) to create myelin, which is a substance that surrounds your nerve cells both to protect them, and speed up transmission of nerve impulses. No fat means no myelin, no myelin means you have multiple sclerosis.