tracking fat vs sat fat

Schnuddelbuddel
Schnuddelbuddel Posts: 402 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Is there anyone on here who tracks only saturated fat instead of plain 'fat' in their diary? I'm thinking fat does not = fat. Is it worth throwing a different thing out and tracking both 'fat' and 'sat fat'? Or is it not worth it (seeing how unreliable the DB can be with entries)

Replies

  • Schnuddelbuddel
    Schnuddelbuddel Posts: 402 Member
    Nobody?
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Nothing wrong with eating fat, nothing wrong with eating saturated fat (from natural sources).

    Saturated fat has got a bad rap due to the whole 'artery clogging saturated fat' thing ... Turns out this is false.

    I eat fat, if it comes from nature it's fine by me, I don't need to complicate my life by tracking whether it is saturated or not ...
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    I don't literally write down my saturated vs healthy fat intake, but I am well aware of the markers and what to look for. I.E. if the fat on the label is saturated (or a large percentage is) and/or hydrogenated oils are listed on the packaging, I usually steer clear of the product.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Saturated fat has got a bad rap due to the whole 'artery clogging saturated fat' thing ... Turns out this is false.

    Yeah I'm going to need a source for this.
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
    Sure fat does not equal fat but neither does sat fat. A calorie surplus = fat gain
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    Saturated fat has got a bad rap due to the whole 'artery clogging saturated fat' thing ... Turns out this is false.

    Yeah I'm going to need a source for this.

    Well, that's the beauty (and curse) of the internet, so much research available at your fingertips, no need to just believe the conventional wisdom that's parroted anymore.

    Marvellous.
  • fizzletto
    fizzletto Posts: 252 Member
    Well, that's the beauty (and curse) of the internet, so much research available at your fingertips, no need to just believe the conventional wisdom that's parroted anymore.

    I've no need to 'just believe' you either! You say this and yet you're the one going around spreading information that you have not backed up with a scientific source.

    I could find hundreds of articles on the negative effects of saturated fat. It is common knowledge that overconsumption leads to weight gain, heart problems and other complications. You are the one stating something controversial here, so you should be the one backing it up with respectable scientific sources.
  • greeneyedKat
    greeneyedKat Posts: 88
    Yeah saturated fats have gotten a bad rap, which is false, from all the things I have read about it. Avacados and coconut oil are a good example, of a healthy fat. I try to stay away from anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Those are the bad ones!!
  • Farburnfred
    Farburnfred Posts: 333 Member
    I only track saturated fat because I eat plenty of nuts and going over repeatedly on fat annoys me. The one thing that gets me is coconut milk, excellent source of good fats and yet it sends me waay over.

    However as long as I am fairly much in line with my macros and keep in my calorie goals I am happy.
  • myfitnessisavirtue
    myfitnessisavirtue Posts: 673 Member
    I was wondering the same thing. I switched to tracking sat fat about a month ago. I wasn't going over often on fat but I often do on the sat fat. I am just using it as a guideline for a healthier lifestyle. Something I can improve on and be knowledgeable about my intake :-)

    Personally I do believe too much sat fat is unhealthy for your heart. Heart disease is a leading killer of women.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Yeah saturated fats have gotten a bad rap, which is false, from all the things I have read about it. Avacados and coconut oil are a good example, of a healthy fat. I try to stay away from anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Those are the bad ones!!

    avocados aren't high in saturated fats, they are high in UN-saturated fats, which are good fats. Coconuts are a special case where a high percentage of the fat is technically saturated, but it's a special kind of saturated fat called lauric acid which is high in HDL cholesterol (the good kind) which is helpful in the prevention of coronary conditions, it also is beneficial to the immune system and helps to fight infection. Most plant based oils contain little or no lauric acid which is why coconut oil is special in this case. Study is still being done on coconut oil, so the jury's still out on it, but most reports point to it being healthy to consume.

    I say this to make sure people don't confuse special cases such as coconut oil with things like a twinkie, yes they both contain saturated fats, but it's not the same thing.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    I don't literally write down my saturated vs healthy fat intake, but I am well aware of the markers and what to look for. I.E. if the fat on the label is saturated (or a large percentage is) and/or hydrogenated oils are listed on the packaging, I usually steer clear of the product.

    Saturated fats are not anything close to the same as hydrogenated oils. Saturated fats are the fats that exist in bacon and coconuts and ribeyes and there is nothing wrong with them. Hydrogented oils are trans-fats that are created in a lab and are not really good for you.

    High dietary cholesterol does not necessarily lead to high serum cholesterol. High dietary fat (saturated or otherwise) does not necessarily lead to high body fat.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Part of the confusion over sat fat is that there are over 20 different compounds that are labeled as "saturated fat," and they don't all have the same effect on the body.

    Anyway, even if it were dangerous, focusing on sat fat specifically tends to miss the forest for the trees. If you're doing the main things right, your sat fat intake won't be high enough to worry about.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Well, that's the beauty (and curse) of the internet, so much research available at your fingertips, no need to just believe the conventional wisdom that's parroted anymore.

    I've no need to 'just believe' you either! You say this and yet you're the one going around spreading information that you have not backed up with a scientific source.

    I could find hundreds of articles on the negative effects of saturated fat. It is common knowledge that overconsumption leads to weight gain, heart problems and other complications. You are the one stating something controversial here, so you should be the one backing it up with respectable scientific sources.

    Google the Lipid Hypothesis Debunked. Also, look for information on The Framingham Heart Study. It is the longest ongoing study comminsioned by the American Heart Association. It began in 1947. Despite a bias that it should exist on the research team'ss part, they have not been able to establish a link between saturated fat and coronary disease exce'tpt in subjects that were obese and had a higher than normal intake of CHO. Don't take my word for it. Do the research.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Yeah saturated fats have gotten a bad rap, which is false, from all the things I have read about it. Avacados and coconut oil are a good example, of a healthy fat. I try to stay away from anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Those are the bad ones!!

    avocados aren't high in saturated fats, they are high in UN-saturated fats, which are good fats. Coconuts are a special case where a high percentage of the fat is technically saturated, but it's a special kind of saturated fat called lauric acid which is high in HDL cholesterol (the good kind) which is helpful in the prevention of coronary conditions, it also is beneficial to the immune system and helps to fight infection. Most plant based oils contain little or no lauric acid which is why coconut oil is special in this case. Study is still being done on coconut oil, so the jury's still out on it, but most reports point to it being healthy to consume.

    I say this to make sure people don't confuse special cases such as coconut oil with things like a twinkie, yes they both contain saturated fats, but it's not the same thing.

    If someone would confuse a fat like coconut oil with eating a twinkie they likely have bigger issues with understanding nutrition than what can be addressed here.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    Nothing wrong with eating fat, nothing wrong with eating saturated fat (from natural sources).

    Saturated fat has got a bad rap due to the whole 'artery clogging saturated fat' thing ... Turns out this is false.

    I eat fat, if it comes from nature it's fine by me, I don't need to complicate my life by tracking whether it is saturated or not ...

    interesting. i hadn't been tracking saturated fat until yesterday when i decided to add it and saw that i was going over in it. good to know that it might not actually be that bad.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    Yeah saturated fats have gotten a bad rap, which is false, from all the things I have read about it. Avacados and coconut oil are a good example, of a healthy fat. I try to stay away from anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Those are the bad ones!!

    What about cheese? When I am running low on calories for the day, I'll just eat some cheese. It's pretty high in saturated fat though. I thought I was doing myself good because it's also high in calcium and has some protein.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Yeah saturated fats have gotten a bad rap, which is false, from all the things I have read about it. Avacados and coconut oil are a good example, of a healthy fat. I try to stay away from anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Those are the bad ones!!

    What about cheese? When I am running low on calories for the day, I'll just eat some cheese. It's pretty high in saturated fat though. I thought I was doing myself good because it's also high in calcium and has some protein.

    There are about 2 dozen (I think) types of saturated fats. Not all are 'bad' and some are actually benefical. Stearic acid is one of them which is a large part of the saturated fats in milk, bacon and chicken. This type of saturated fat has no negative impact on cholesterol and can actually be beneficial.

    So, I would say cheese, as it is made from milk, is perfectly fine.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    Well, that's the beauty (and curse) of the internet, so much research available at your fingertips, no need to just believe the conventional wisdom that's parroted anymore.

    I've no need to 'just believe' you either! You say this and yet you're the one going around spreading information that you have not backed up with a scientific source.

    I could find hundreds of articles on the negative effects of saturated fat. It is common knowledge that overconsumption leads to weight gain, heart problems and other complications. You are the one stating something controversial here, so you should be the one backing it up with respectable scientific sources.

    This should help to get you going...........

    You can look up the individual studies from there.

    http://drbganimalpharm.blogspot.com/2009/06/benefits-of-high-saturated-fat-diets-in.html
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    Yeah saturated fats have gotten a bad rap, which is false, from all the things I have read about it. Avacados and coconut oil are a good example, of a healthy fat. I try to stay away from anything that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Those are the bad ones!!

    What about cheese? When I am running low on calories for the day, I'll just eat some cheese. It's pretty high in saturated fat though. I thought I was doing myself good because it's also high in calcium and has some protein.

    There are about 2 dozen (I think) types of saturated fats. Not all are 'bad' and some are actually benefical. Stearic acid is one of them which is a large part of the saturated fats in milk, bacon and chicken. This type of saturated fat has no negative impact on cholesterol and can actually be beneficial.

    So, I would say cheese, as it is made from milk, is perfectly fine.

    awesome :smile:
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    Yes to cheese. Eat ALL THE CHEESE!!!!! But save some for me. I have to be careful going to the stores that have lots of cheese and craft beers. I could blow a grand easy in those places.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    One more vote for most saturated fat being not only OK, but beneficial.

    And @ whoever posted that lauric acid is high in HDL cholesterol- that's not really true. Fat =/= cholesterol. Fat actually acts as a sort of intracellular shuttle for cholesterol, and certain types of fats can be beneficial for shuttling in HDL and shuttling out LDL, but they are not of their own merit cholesterol. Just to clarify.

    OK, I think I've probably made the confusion even worse, Cholesterol is technically a lipid, but it is a sterol of a fat. Cholesterol and fats are both lipids, but they're not the same thing as each other. I should probably erase this post, as it's sounding worse and worse as I try to "clarify"
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    Here's one article about it: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/06/06/saturated-fat/

    There are probably a million more.

    Let's not forget butter. It's okay to eat butter. Not the entire stick, but I eat up to a tablespoon a day, and I keep losing weight.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I track fat and saturated fat because I believe the difference is important. I eat way too much fat in general by the RDA but I rarely meet the saturated fat limit.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Well, that's the beauty (and curse) of the internet, so much research available at your fingertips, no need to just believe the conventional wisdom that's parroted anymore.

    I've no need to 'just believe' you either! You say this and yet you're the one going around spreading information that you have not backed up with a scientific source.

    I could find hundreds of articles on the negative effects of saturated fat. It is common knowledge that overconsumption leads to weight gain, heart problems and other complications. You are the one stating something controversial here, so you should be the one backing it up with respectable scientific sources.

    I don't think the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat has anything to do with weight loss/gain. All fat has the same calories.

    But, depending on the source, eating too much saturated fat does increase the likelihood that may develop disease or risk factors for disease. Despite what some are saying here, saturated fat from red meat and dairy is most often linked with increased incidence of disease.
  • Schnuddelbuddel
    Schnuddelbuddel Posts: 402 Member
    Thanks for all the replies guys :)

    (and apologies for opening a can of worms :huh: )
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Well, that's the beauty (and curse) of the internet, so much research available at your fingertips, no need to just believe the conventional wisdom that's parroted anymore.

    I've no need to 'just believe' you either! You say this and yet you're the one going around spreading information that you have not backed up with a scientific source.

    I could find hundreds of articles on the negative effects of saturated fat. It is common knowledge that overconsumption leads to weight gain, heart problems and other complications. You are the one stating something controversial here, so you should be the one backing it up with respectable scientific sources.

    I don't think the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat has anything to do with weight loss/gain. All fat has the same calories.

    But, depending on the source, eating too much saturated fat does increase the likelihood that may develop disease or risk factors for disease. Despite what some are saying here, saturated fat from red meat and dairy is most often linked with increased incidence of disease.

    Can you cite the sources as what I have read, there has not been a study done recently that actually concludes that, but I could well have missed it,

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