On low fat eating...

Jamee_J

Now I am curious as to how many fat grams you like to stay at? And do you use reg. Yogurt, reg. Sour cream, reg. Mayo. Educate me please. Feel free to message me if you have good info.

seamaiden1000

Yes, even 'good' fats if in excess of your calorie expenditure, along with excess protein and carbs, get stored by your body as solidified fat ie. bad saturated fat and cholesterol. And yes also, consuming saturated fats in very small amounts are not going to kill you either. The idea behind a diet weight loss plan is to get rid of the excess stored, or saturated fats in our body and to provide and maintain the 'liquid gold' fats necessary to transport nutrients and keep everything 'well oiled' in a sense. Like a lean mean muscle machine!

ka97

Now I am curious as to how many fat grams you like to stay at?

I had the same question. What do most of you consider a good amount per day?

seamaiden1000

I'm a bit loose but I aim for 30% of my diet to be fat, and I average about 60g based on MFP. Generally I go over my fat % quota and less on my carb quota ( set at 40%). However I watch the calories and exercise far more closely.

epmck11

Low fat is not good.
Case and point: When eating salad, you need fat in order to absorb the nutrients. If you're eating a lot of salads with no or low fat dressings, you're not coming close to receiving the full benefits nutritionally.

I am just sad from seeing all the low fat items in diarys. Our bodies NEED good fats! And when you see something labeled as a "low fat" version of the original, it usually has more sugar and is packed with foreign ingredients to make the item palatable.

After reading through this thread, I still can't believe how many people are praising this guy's troll logic and not calling him out on it.

His reasoning follows:
Low fat is not good because you need fat, so therefore, if you eat low fat ANYTHING, you're not getting enough fat, so it's unhealthy. HUH?!? Are you guys really that stupid that you're buying this troll logic? Re-read what he said -- that's the exact logic that he used. There are a lot of things you need in your diet for proper nutrition, but it doesn't mean that you shouldn't also try to find ways to cut out excess amounts of it.

Yes, of course you need fat, but simply because you eat low fat or non-fat foods does not mean you're not getting any or enough fat in your diet. There are plenty of ways to get fat in your diet, just because you choose one food option that has a reduced fat option so you're consuming less calories (and therefore, getting less fat yourself) does not mean you're not getting enough fat and you're not absorbing nutrients.

Let's hope the OP is drinking whole buttermilk instead of any type of reduced fat milk (hell, even 2% milk would be "low fat" in comparison) because he wouldn't want any of that precious fat go to waste. Because obviously if he cuts out ANY fat in his diet, he "isn't coming close to receiving the full benefits nutritionally."

Nice bro-science, dude.

Tyler477

Low fat is not good.
Case and point: When eating salad, you need fat in order to absorb the nutrients. If you're eating a lot of salads with no or low fat dressings, you're not coming close to receiving the full benefits nutritionally.

I am just sad from seeing all the low fat items in diarys. Our bodies NEED good fats! And when you see something labeled as a "low fat" version of the original, it usually has more sugar and is packed with foreign ingredients to make the item palatable.

After reading through this thread, I still can't believe how many people are praising this guy's troll logic and not calling him out on it.

His reasoning follows:
Low fat is not good because you need fat, so therefore, if you eat low fat ANYTHING, you're not getting enough fat, so it's unhealthy. HUH?!? Are you guys really that stupid that you're buying this troll logic? Re-read what he said -- that's the exact logic that he used. There are a lot of things you need in your diet for proper nutrition, but it doesn't mean that you shouldn't also try to find ways to cut out excess amounts of it.

Yes, of course you need fat, but simply because you eat low fat or non-fat foods does not mean you're not getting any or enough fat in your diet. There are plenty of ways to get fat in your diet, just because you choose one food option that has a reduced fat option so you're consuming less calories (and therefore, getting less fat yourself) does not mean you're not getting enough fat and you're not absorbing nutrients.

Let's hope the OP is drinking whole buttermilk instead of any type of reduced fat milk (hell, even 2% milk would be "low fat" in comparison) because he wouldn't want any of that precious fat go to waste. Because obviously if he cuts out ANY fat in his diet, he "isn't coming close to receiving the full benefits nutritionally."

Nice bro-science, dude.

Thanks for adding a bit of rational thinking to this thread, I was wondering why people are praising this guy also.
Sure, you need some fats... personally I make sure to eat a half an avocado every day, and add flax to my green smoothies ( 1/2 tbspn) but to say low- fat foods is bad is ignorant. You guys honestly believe that 1oz of cheese is going to fill you up more than 6 oz of steamed spinach?

personally I am in the process of cutting and lifting heavy for the next month, and have a total of 1370 cals a day to eat. Without a low fat diet I would be hungry as hell. The key word here is LOW fat not NO fat which I think the OP is getting it confused with.

Stop encouraging this guy, you are helping promote faulty logic here.

KPaden1221

low carb and higher fat than i'm used to has really kicked the lbs *kitten* for me! it works.. i couldn't agree more! i'm not scared of "fat" anymore!!

msmindylee

For me, it's less about "low" or "high" fat, sugar, whatever.

It's about eating REAL FOOD, people. If a "low fat" or "fat free" product has a bunch of ingredients on the label that I can't pronounce, it's probably not going to be all that healthy for me to have it as a steady part of my everyday diet.

It also doesn't mean that I'd substitute an equal amount of the fully-leaded version for the chemical poopstorm food. If I would have had two ounces of the half-synthetic cheese, I'll have one ounce of the real cheese. And, amazingly enough, I'll be just as satisfied.

I didn't always think this way, but the more I dwelt on it, the more I realized how ingesting foods that are closer to the earth, closer to the seed, closer to the farm (and as far away from the laboratory as possible) is so much better for us healthwise.

I don't really know the science of it, but it just makes sense to me. I mean, why is it that, with as much as we supposedly know about nutrition in this country, more of us are obese than ever before in history, and the incidence of Type 2 diabetes is skyrocketing?

This is my soapbox issue, and I'm getting riled up, so I'll just quit for now. Heh.

carld256

Well, we probably aren't getting obese from eating low-fat milk or fat free cheese.

melsinct

In my opinion, which is based on common sense and I will not be citing scientific papers, low fat diets are bad when your food isn't real. For instance, if you are routinely using fat free salad dressings, fat free cheeses, spray butter, etc. That's not real food, not even close. If you eat a balanced diet of real food and watch the fat grams in order to reduce calories, I don't see the big deal as long as you are getting some healthy fats.

I do not watch fat grams and routinely go over MFP's allotment. When i do go over it is from eating fats from nuts, healthy oil (olive, walnut), avocados and the like. Not from eating SnackWell cookies and Fiber One bars. I have lost 30 pounds and maintained the loss for 4+ months. Fat is good and nothing to fear, but I think that statement needs a footnote.

tigersword

You need good fat to rid bad fat in a weight loss diet How so? Good fats like lecithin for example are emulsifiers which means that they keep fats in your body as liquid, stops them from solidifying, clogging your arteries and helps your metabolism process bas cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty acids, same deal. Mono saturated and polyunsaturated fats, ie, olive oil, avocado, walnuts, almonds... all nuts and seeds in fact are excellent in maintaining good nutrition and satiety.

Without fat you cannot absorb all the nutrients in your food as a lot of vitamins are fat soluble, not water soluble. Furthermore fats are necessary for skin health, the largest body organ and what protects us from pollutants and doubles as our body's second kidney. Good fat is necessary for maintaining eye health as all the little vessels of our eyes need to be kept as clean as possible (omega 3). Our brain requires good fat to keep it supple and stop us from falling prey to depression.

Bad fats such as trans fats and saturated fats clog our arteries, raise our bad cholesterol and lead to disease eg heart disease. Too much sugar gets convert ed to bad fat.

The only thing you need to watch about good fat is the calories! 1 gram of fat is approximately 9 calories where as 1 gram of protein or carb has 4 calories. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram. So cut out the alcohol, and do your liver a favour, and up your good fat intake instead.

Saturated fats are not all bad, and unsaturated fats aren't all good. Also, alcohol has health benefits, when it comes to insulin sensitivity and cholesterol regulation.

AlabasterVerve

This video is pretty dry and is largely just a re-hash of all the other, frankly, more entertaining videos out there stating that fats including saturated fats are good for you. One thing he says that I hadn't heard before is that breast milk is 54% saturated fat and at 29:13 there's also a slide showing what your body uses saturated fat for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRe9z32NZHY&feature=related

SpydrMnky27

I eat a high fat diet and I've never felt better.

pinthin87

I agree. I have lost more weight consuming quality fats like olive oil, raw almonds, avocado, sun flower seeds, and fish like salmon then I ever did eating "bad foods" labeled low fat. I still have something on occassion (been pretty bad this week as a matter of fact), but I try to stay away from crap like 100 calorie pack cookies that are loaded with foreign crap!

bcattoes

Can you give some examples of what "good fat" we should be eating? I need help with knowing what to eat:)

From the Harvard School of Public Health

SOURCE http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/index.html

It’s time to end the low-fat myth. That’s because the percentage of calories from fat that you eat, whether high or low, isn't really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat you eat.

"Good" fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—lower disease risk. "Bad" fats—saturated and, especially, trans fats—increase disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish. Foods high in bad fats include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, as well as processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil. The key to a healthy diet is to choose foods that have more good fats than bad fats—vegetable oils instead of butter, salmon instead of steak—and that don’t contain any trans fat.

“Low-fat,” “reduced fat,” or “fat-free” processed foods are not necessarily “healthy,” nor is it automatically healthier to follow a low-fat diet. One problem with a generic lower-fat diet is that it prompts most people to stop eating fats that are good for the heart along with those that are bad for it. And low-fat diets are often higher in refined carbohydrates and starches from foods like white rice, white bread, potatoes, and sugary drinks. Similarly, when food manufacturers take out fat, they often replace it with carbohydrates from sugar, refined grains, or starch. Our bodies digest these refined carbohydrates and starches very quickly, causing blood sugar and insulin levels to spike and then dip, which in turn leads to hunger, overeating, and weight gain. Over time, eating lots of “fast carbs” can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes as much as—or more than—eating too much saturated fat.

So when you cut back on foods like red meat and butter, replace them with fish, beans, nuts, and healthy oils—not with white bread, white rice, potatoes, sugary drinks, or other refined carbohydrates.

pinthin87

Low fat is not good.
Case and point: When eating salad, you need fat in order to absorb the nutrients. If you're eating a lot of salads with no or low fat dressings, you're not coming close to receiving the full benefits nutritionally.

I am just sad from seeing all the low fat items in diarys. Our bodies NEED good fats! And when you see something labeled as a "low fat" version of the original, it usually has more sugar and is packed with foreign ingredients to make the item palatable.

After reading through this thread, I still can't believe how many people are praising this guy's troll logic and not calling him out on it.

His reasoning follows:
Low fat is not good because you need fat, so therefore, if you eat low fat ANYTHING, you're not getting enough fat, so it's unhealthy. HUH?!? Are you guys really that stupid that you're buying this troll logic? Re-read what he said -- that's the exact logic that he used. There are a lot of things you need in your diet for proper nutrition, but it doesn't mean that you shouldn't also try to find ways to cut out excess amounts of it.

Yes, of course you need fat, but simply because you eat low fat or non-fat foods does not mean you're not getting any or enough fat in your diet. There are plenty of ways to get fat in your diet, just because you choose one food option that has a reduced fat option so you're consuming less calories (and therefore, getting less fat yourself) does not mean you're not getting enough fat and you're not absorbing nutrients.

Let's hope the OP is drinking whole buttermilk instead of any type of reduced fat milk (hell, even 2% milk would be "low fat" in comparison) because he wouldn't want any of that precious fat go to waste. Because obviously if he cuts out ANY fat in his diet, he "isn't coming close to receiving the full benefits nutritionally."

Nice bro-science, dude.

Thanks for adding a bit of rational thinking to this thread, I was wondering why people are praising this guy also.
Sure, you need some fats... personally I make sure to eat a half an avocado every day, and add flax to my green smoothies ( 1/2 tbspn) but to say low- fat foods is bad is ignorant. You guys honestly believe that 1oz of cheese is going to fill you up more than 6 oz of steamed spinach?

personally I am in the process of cutting and lifting heavy for the next month, and have a total of 1370 cals a day to eat. Without a low fat diet I would be hungry as hell. The key word here is LOW fat not NO fat which I think the OP is getting it confused with.

Stop encouraging this guy, you are helping promote faulty logic here.

I think the OP was just getting at eating too much FAKE food people. He wasn't saying go crazy with fat!

Acg67

Can you give some examples of what "good fat" we should be eating? I need help with knowing what to eat:)

From the Harvard School of Public Health

SOURCE http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/index.html

It’s time to end the low-fat myth. That’s because the percentage of calories from fat that you eat, whether high or low, isn't really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat you eat.

"Good" fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—lower disease risk. "Bad" fats—saturated and, especially, trans fats—increase disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish. Foods high in bad fats include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, as well as processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil. The key to a healthy diet is to choose foods that have more good fats than bad fats—vegetable oils instead of butter, salmon instead of steak—and that don’t contain any trans fat.

“Low-fat,” “reduced fat,” or “fat-free” processed foods are not necessarily “healthy,” nor is it automatically healthier to follow a low-fat diet. One problem with a generic lower-fat diet is that it prompts most people to stop eating fats that are good for the heart along with those that are bad for it. And low-fat diets are often higher in refined carbohydrates and starches from foods like white rice, white bread, potatoes, and sugary drinks. Similarly, when food manufacturers take out fat, they often replace it with carbohydrates from sugar, refined grains, or starch. Our bodies digest these refined carbohydrates and starches very quickly, causing blood sugar and insulin levels to spike and then dip, which in turn leads to hunger, overeating, and weight gain. Over time, eating lots of “fast carbs” can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes as much as—or more than—eating too much saturated fat.

So when you cut back on foods like red meat and butter, replace them with fish, beans, nuts, and healthy oils—not with white bread, white rice, potatoes, sugary drinks, or other refined carbohydrates.

oh red meat, cheese, butter and ice cream are in the bad fats category?

epmck11

I think the OP was just getting at eating too much FAKE food people. He wasn't saying go crazy with fat!

Perhaps, but he worded it in a way that said "low fat foods are bad because you need fat." And then when someone said a low fat diet helped him or her, he criticized him / her by saying this person was ignoring science, so I think his bro-science post is open for ridicule.

Simply put, just because you need fat for proper does not make all low fat foods bad. There are plenty of ways to get fats in your diet, so eating some low fat foods does not mean you're completely eliminating fat from your diet.

Nikiki

I agree(ish). I have upped my fat intake because I wasn't getting nearly enough and I'm feeling much better, fuller, and the pounds are dropping again. BUT I still use a lot of low and no fat things because full fat =more calories and I can't lose weight if I'm loading up on calories just to get my fat in!

I add coconut oil & flax oil to my coffee in the morning, cook with olive oil & eat avocado & nut butters a lot. I use 0% greek yogurt in pretty much everything because its an excellent low cal base for a lot of things and the 2% is way too rich for me. I also eat gummy bears and they're fat free :happy:

bcattoes

Can you give some examples of what "good fat" we should be eating? I need help with knowing what to eat:)

From the Harvard School of Public Health

SOURCE http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/index.html

It’s time to end the low-fat myth. That’s because the percentage of calories from fat that you eat, whether high or low, isn't really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat you eat.

"Good" fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—lower disease risk. "Bad" fats—saturated and, especially, trans fats—increase disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish. Foods high in bad fats include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, as well as processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil. The key to a healthy diet is to choose foods that have more good fats than bad fats—vegetable oils instead of butter, salmon instead of steak—and that don’t contain any trans fat.

“Low-fat,” “reduced fat,” or “fat-free” processed foods are not necessarily “healthy,” nor is it automatically healthier to follow a low-fat diet. One problem with a generic lower-fat diet is that it prompts most people to stop eating fats that are good for the heart along with those that are bad for it. And low-fat diets are often higher in refined carbohydrates and starches from foods like white rice, white bread, potatoes, and sugary drinks. Similarly, when food manufacturers take out fat, they often replace it with carbohydrates from sugar, refined grains, or starch. Our bodies digest these refined carbohydrates and starches very quickly, causing blood sugar and insulin levels to spike and then dip, which in turn leads to hunger, overeating, and weight gain. Over time, eating lots of “fast carbs” can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes as much as—or more than—eating too much saturated fat.

So when you cut back on foods like red meat and butter, replace them with fish, beans, nuts, and healthy oils—not with white bread, white rice, potatoes, sugary drinks, or other refined carbohydrates.

oh red meat, cheese, butter and ice cream are in the bad fats category?

There is a link on that page where you can submit questions if you'd like the good folks at HSPH to explain.

shanice_22

I don't eat dressings with my salads out of personal preference as I'm not a fan of sauces/dressings. I am going to try and start adding olive oil to salads though to increase my intake of good fats. I've been thinking olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and chilli flakes.

I'm also going to try and snack on nuts and add nuts to salads to up my intake of healthy fats.

As for low fat versions, I do prefer to buy them for the lower calorie content, but I do compare the labels on low fat to the fuller fat versions when buying. I very rarely eat low fat anymore though, apart from the low fat yoghurts currently in my fridge.

I'll stick with my low-fat diet, thanks. It works for me.

People use different methods to lose weight and what works for one may not work for another, so fair enough. If what you're doing works for you then great, keep it up!

Acg67

Can you give some examples of what "good fat" we should be eating? I need help with knowing what to eat:)

From the Harvard School of Public Health

SOURCE http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/index.html

It’s time to end the low-fat myth. That’s because the percentage of calories from fat that you eat, whether high or low, isn't really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat you eat.

"Good" fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—lower disease risk. "Bad" fats—saturated and, especially, trans fats—increase disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish. Foods high in bad fats include red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, as well as processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil. The key to a healthy diet is to choose foods that have more good fats than bad fats—vegetable oils instead of butter, salmon instead of steak—and that don’t contain any trans fat.

“Low-fat,” “reduced fat,” or “fat-free” processed foods are not necessarily “healthy,” nor is it automatically healthier to follow a low-fat diet. One problem with a generic lower-fat diet is that it prompts most people to stop eating fats that are good for the heart along with those that are bad for it. And low-fat diets are often higher in refined carbohydrates and starches from foods like white rice, white bread, potatoes, and sugary drinks. Similarly, when food manufacturers take out fat, they often replace it with carbohydrates from sugar, refined grains, or starch. Our bodies digest these refined carbohydrates and starches very quickly, causing blood sugar and insulin levels to spike and then dip, which in turn leads to hunger, overeating, and weight gain. Over time, eating lots of “fast carbs” can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes as much as—or more than—eating too much saturated fat.

So when you cut back on foods like red meat and butter, replace them with fish, beans, nuts, and healthy oils—not with white bread, white rice, potatoes, sugary drinks, or other refined carbohydrates.

oh red meat, cheese, butter and ice cream are in the bad fats category?

There is a link on that page where you can submit questions if you'd like the good folks at HSPH to explain.

Think maybe Willett himself will answer or maybe his buddies at the CSPI can answer

carld256

And low-fat diets are often higher in refined carbohydrates and starches from foods like white rice, white bread, potatoes, and sugary drinks.

That looks like baseless fear mongering to me. Who in their right mind would reduce their fat consumption only to replace it with white bread and sugary drinks?

cheshirechic

Amen, brother!

3laine75

Can you give some examples of what "good fat" we should be eating? I need help with knowing what to eat:)

Oils: Avocado Oil, Macadamia Oil, Unprocessed Palm Oil, Butter/Ghee, Olive Oil, Walnut Oil, Coconut Oil/Milk, Sesame Oil, Lard, Tallow

Nuts and seeds: Almonds, Pecans,Sunflower Seeds, Brazil Nuts, Pine Nuts, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Pistachios, Nut Butters, Hempseeds, Pumpkin seeds, Macadamias, Sesame Seeds (NOT PEANUTS)

Grass fed bird eggs
Grass fed butter
Grass fed meats
Grass fed fish... just kidding. Fish.

Not a complete list.

you forgot bacon ....ok grass fed bacon

picimadar

And low-fat diets are often higher in refined carbohydrates and starches from foods like white rice, white bread, potatoes, and sugary drinks.

That looks like baseless fear mongering to me. Who in their right mind would reduce their fat consumption only to replace it with white bread and sugary drinks?

Just wanted to say I agree. I eat low(ish) fat and eat whole grains, fruits and tonnes of vegetables along with low fat dairy and lean meats. I eat 'low fat' foods on occasion, and yet my dietician said I'm the cleanest eater she's ever seen. Chemical ****storm? I think not.