LOW CARB MACRO'S + FAT INTAKE :/

Chlo92x

I'm doing low carb, and when I eat a high protein and high fat meal I am thinking to myself... Surely this isn't healthy,

For example, Iv just had 2 Angus beef burgers with bacon and cheese, it was dripping in fat and it makes me question whether this is good for you? How can you loose weight in these circumstances... It seems to be working thou! But surely a banana is healthier than eating a lump of cheese/some peanut butter for a snack?

Which leads onto my next question... Those of you doing low carb what is your calorie goal per day and Macros?

**Especially how many grams of fat is a good amount?**

CONFUSED!

lasmit4477

Most people generally aim for about .35g of fat per lb of body weight. Also, dietary fat =/= body fat.

I think that this "diet" that you are following is becoming quite difficult or stressful. I would personally pick something that would be a lifestyle change that works best for you and I doubt that limiting carbs completely is something that you want to do forever!

Chief_Rocka

If some of your meals are "dripping in fat" and you maintain a caloric deficit, you will lose weight.

drmerc

If some of your meals are "dripping in fat" and you maintain a caloric deficit, you will lose weight.

But not if they are dripping in bananas

Chlo92x

Can you take a look at my dairy and see what you think of my daily fat intake, its worrying me... im on low carb so high fat is meant to be good... But surely higher carb and lower fat is better? as a balance.... Im unsure what is best?

marathon_mama

I have type 1 diabetes and Celiac disease. I eat a very low carb diet. I stay around 1600 calories. I do try to stick with lean cuts of meat and chicken, fish, etc. I also do not eat processed food and rarely eat in restaurants because i seem to always get glutened.

DragomirGirl

carbs are what your body needs for energy. you need comlex carbs. mcdonalds is not healthy, any of it. home cooked meals involving whole wheat and fish(fish has high protein,complex carbs, and it has ONLY unsatuated fat which you need) are best. saturated fat and trans fat are things to stay away from. these can clog your arteries. NO saturated fat or trans fat. trans fat is worse. it automatically clings to the inside of your arteries

meredith1123

eat HEALTHY Proteins such as tuna fish, extra lean ground turkey breast, chicken, fish, and even pork. Ground beef or beef in general is high fat and your arteries dont care much for that! If you are eating lean meats and veggies - youll surely be healthy in all ways!

lasmit4477

Can you take a look at my dairy and see what you think of my daily fat intake, its worrying me... im on low carb so high fat is meant to be good... But surely higher carb and lower fat is better? as a balance.... Im unsure what is best?

I don't see an issue with the fat intake one bit. However, your calorie intake should be higher in my opinion. Honestly, I think that you should set your goals to 1/2 lb of weight loss per week. 35% carbs, 40% protein and 25% fat.

firstsip

Lol, well, you're kind of doing the ol' Atkins controversy there, aren't you? The people who went, "I'll lose weight on low carb!" and exclusively started eating cheese and bacon.

If you don't do that normally, then no sweat--you're taking something that's not necessarily the mooost healthy, and making it work better for your macro plan.

However, lots of the "omg fat is bad for you" stuff has been way overblown--even fat from fattier meats isn't going to pack the same artery blocking punch as the oils they're often cooked in, or other things are cooked in.

But yeah, as others said: calories in vs. calories out. The ol' IIFYM/twinkie diet worked/etc. But, you don't need to eat like, a burger to hit your macro...You could invest in more LEAN meats

I'm eating at around 1400-1500 calories, doing low carb (doctor's recommendation; I have no thyroid), and he recommends 180g or lower... but my goal is generally 120g or lower, and I consider it alright if I'm 150g or lower (which is the conventional "low carb" plan: 150g or lower). Protein macro goal is 100g+, which is hard for me because I rarely eat meat, and have really only been eating it more often to up the protein :P As for fat, I have it generally around 50-60g. My cholesterol, BP, etc. is all fine... but then there's research on more fat being beneficial for people with thyroid/adrenal issues (which I do), so there you go.

EDIT: Plus, it's pretty arbitrary to say a banana is healthier than a scoop of peanut butter is healthier than a burger. They all have theirs pros for people, they all have their cons.

DragomirGirl

high carb and low SATURATED fat is better. your body needs to intake more carbs and less fat. you are still doing good though.don't worry.

californiagirl2012

I'm doing low carb, and when I eat a high protein and high fat meal I am thinking to myself... Surely this isn't healthy,

For example, Iv just had 2 Angus beef burgers with bacon and cheese, it was dripping in fat and it makes me question whether this is good for you? How can you loose weight in these circumstances... It seems to be working thou! But surely a banana is healthier than eating a lump of cheese/some peanut butter for a snack?

Which leads onto my next question... Those of you doing low carb what is your calorie goal per day and Macros?

**Especially how many grams of fat is a good amount?**

CONFUSED!

Oh my gosh makes me so sad. I know I can't change your mind but I've been there and done that.

I've found that if I eat plain old good fashioned protein; meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and eggs and just enough carbs to give me energy then the fat mostly falls into place and my diet ends up fairly balanced without much planning. Then just add in some fruits and veggies. It does not have to be perfect, just somewhat balanced. Focusing too hard on macros will not help you lose weight.

Most of the time what you are embarking on will yield you some short term weight loss results, making you temporarily happy, and then it rebounds because it is not sustainable.

You want to eat as healthy as you can because it makes you feel better and perform better, and makes you healthier. There are a bunch of tricks and clean eating; reducing sugar (especially HFCS), fiber, white flour vs whole grain, low carb, low fat, on and on. All that matters is calories for weight loss. If you need to eat a certain way for health reasons or to feel better do it, but extensive good food and bad food lists will drive you insane at some point, it’s a constantly moving target. Just eat what you like, mostly healthy, mostly balanced, within a calorie budget.



These were the diets I tried and failed and did the diet yo-yo with for 15 years:

Low fat high carb, Slim-Fast, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Organic, Weston Price Diet, The Schwarzbein Principle, Eat Fat Lose Fat, The Ultimate PH Solution, The Makers Diet, A friends diet from a personal trainer/dietician

I finally just got sick of it all and made up my own diet with healthy foods I enjoy and smaller portions. I ate my meals from small desert plates and bowls. I stopped eating in the evenings (not that when you eat matters.) I started calling what I did mini-meals and mini-fasts and I lost 40 lbs. Then I found Eat Stop Eat and learned why it worked and everything took off for me at that point.

Eat what you want, eat what you like, mostly healthy. Don’t deprive yourself of foods you love unless there is a serious health risk. Depriving yourself of food you love and creating extensive good food and bad food lists at some point borders on a mental disorder. It will drive you insane.

lasmit4477

high carb and low SATURATED fat is better. your body needs to intake more carbs and less fat. you are still doing good though.don't worry.

Untrue!

Edit: Trans and saturated fats are what should be watched. The only true part of your statement is "low saturated fat".

DebbieLyn63

Moderation is best. Lean proteins, good healthy fats, and high fiber carbs.

My macros are around 30% carb/30Protein/40 fat

My fats are made up of mostly almonds, avocados, eggs,
My proteins are mostly eggs, chicken, fish, lean pork and lean beef maybe once a week.
My carbs come from non starch veggies, and maybe one high fiber grain every few days. 1 or 2 servings of whole fruit.
I do like cheese, but don't go overboard on it.

I don't buy into the whole greasy dripping with animal fat concept. I have seen too many people eat like this that are extremely unhealthy. But I am sure that there are many who say that it is perfectly fine.

Again, moderation is key.

vytamindi

Check out my diary. I'm doing a ketogenic diet (65% fat, 30% protein, 5% carbohydrate) and it is a huge mental shift from "low fat" way of thinking.

With that being said, I have no problem with carbs, I just try to make the ones I do eat as fresh and as green as I can get them. (please ignore yesterday's diary entry... it was a special occasion lol).

The best part, for me, about these changes: I'm not hungry anymore. Well, I do get hungry, but it's a real hunger, not the "feeling peckish, so I'll graze on some chips" kind of hunger. I feel more energetic, awake, and less brain foggy.

As far as your body needing carbs? Your body can run on fat just fine, too. It's very adaptable and flexible about which fuel source it uses.

All in all, I prefer how I feel when I stick to my macros compared to how I felt before keto.

cloe31

Why aren't you eating any fruits of veggies? You can't just eat meat all the time and cheese. Just concentrate on eating healthy foods and don't worry about low carb.

ibach08

I looked through your diary and eating 700-1100 calories a day is just way to little! Also it doesn't seem you get enough fiber. I would really recommend upping cal and eating way more veggies to get some more fiber. It is okay to eat calories if they come from a good source!

Jay_Jay_

My fats are made up of mostly almonds, avocados, eggs,
My proteins are mostly eggs, chicken, fish, lean pork and lean beef maybe once a week.
My carbs come from non starch veggies, and maybe one high fiber grain every few days. 1 or 2 servings of whole fruit.
I do like cheese, but don't go overboard on it.

^ I am glad to find a moderately low carb diet and someone that actually has an understanding of good carbs vs. bad carbs.

I am more strict (60f,30p,5c), so I do often have steak, burgers, ribs, bacon, or veggies often dripping with animal fat and cheese. But I treat carbs very much the same, minus the occasional wheat.

I am forever laughing at anyone claiming that your body requires carbs for fuel, or that HIGH CARB low fat diets are contributing to anything but furthering obesity and hunger cravings. I eat 20g carb or less since March 2012 and I am still alive and kicking! Albeit another 100lbs lighter.

OP, eat more veggies. (Not fruit, fruit should be eaten VERY sparingly.) Anything green is probably great for you. Keep up your fat intake, they keep you satiated throughout the day and will keep your calories restricted more naturally. Don't worry what others say (unless its a medical professional based on actual lab results), and just go by how you feel.

lisamarie2181

Hey hun! As you know I am also doing the really low carb, if it bothers you seeing all the grease, try and go for leaner cuts of meat. If you do ground beef, go for the 96% lean sirloin opposed to ground beef or ground chuck. It doesn't have as much fat and still has no carbs. Also, melting cheese is going to be greasy, with maybe the exception of some cheeses.

Your body needs the fat because it isn't getting the carbs like you were, but you definitely need to fit in some veggies, obviously fruit will bring above your carb target, but when you take the fiber out of veggies, they are pretty low carb. Even when I get in 7 servings of veggies I have been well under my carb target

Even try eating some raw veggies with some dip or salad dressing, there are a lot of simple recipes to make dressing and it's so much better than the store bought stuff

If you need any ideas take a look at my diary, I know my calorie goal is way higher then yours, but maybe you can get some ideas to switch things up a bit. I am trying to make sure I get in all meats, I am a red meat lover and have gone a bit overboard with it lately, been good with chicken, so going to work on incorporating some fish and light pork in also

Go for leaner cuts of meat if the sat fat bothers you, and try and aim to get your fats from healthy sources. I try to do that, but I also use some full fat dairy and the occasional fatty cuts of meat.

Let me know if you have any other questions

HealthyBodySickMind

Half of my caloric intake is fat. I actually add fat (butter or lard) to recipes or replace veggie oils with saturated fats. My bf% is about as low as it can safely be and my cholesterol numbers are fantastic. I will probably get **** for this post, but if you're going to do low carb, just do it. If you can't do it, then don't.

cthon98

Why aren't you eating any fruits of veggies? You can't just eat meat all the time and cheese. Just concentrate on eating healthy foods and don't worry about low carb.

You should've told me that back in June, when I started pretty much exclusively eating meats and cheese, that would've saved me the trouble of... losing 33 pounds... and getting considerably healthier... and ... wait.

mgmlap

took a peek into your diary. I do think that you need to up your carbs. There are no fruits and veggies there..which are good carbs. I thnk you need to educate yourself as far as what are refined carbs as opposed to complex carbs.

There are many caloricly dense foods that are high in fat..but the good kind...avocados, nuts, ect..

cthon98

took a peek into your diary. I do think that you need to up your carbs. There are no fruits and veggies there..which are good carbs. I thnk you need to educate yourself as far as what are refined carbs as opposed to complex carbs.

There are many caloricly dense foods that are high in fat..but the good kind...avocados, nuts, ect..

Good advice, telling someone who is doing a <20g carb diet (which works and is easy to maintain) to up their carbs.

wackyfunster

Net caloric intake is what matters, even on a low carb diet. If you eat 4000 calories of fat and protein, you will still get fat (most of the low-carb taliban denies this, but they are blissfully unaware of the body's most important metabolic pathway for fat, the acylation stimulation protein pathway, focusing exclusively on the secondary pathway of insulinogenic lipogenesis).

OTOH, if you are eating at a caloric deficit, you can eat more or less whatever you want without negative health consequences.

Also, I'd recommend shooting for ~50g carbs/day as a minimum to prevent muscle breakdown due to glucogenesis (your body needs glucose for your brain, and will break down muscle to get it if you don't have significant carb intake in your diet).

I'm sure I'll get 20 people who have been unsuccessful at losing weight telling me that I am wrong about all of this, but whatever.

As a side note, for 99% of people, low-carb dieting does not provide any weight loss benefit vs. just increasing the proportion of caloric intake that comes from protein. It starts being relevant at very low body fat percentages, but for most people the real benefits are that it makes it easier to increase protein intake, and as a result provides better satiety.

Verity1111

Can you take a look at my dairy and see what you think of my daily fat intake, its worrying me... im on low carb so high fat is meant to be good... But surely higher carb and lower fat is better? as a balance.... Im unsure what is best?

I would say your carbs are too low because the body needs some carbs to function well and I read that a more balanced diet works best for weight loss when it comes to also maximizing health benefits. For example: 40% carb 30% fat 30% protein or 50% carb 25% fat 25% protein. It can work any way of course, so if you want to do low carbs that's okay and you will lose still. I just personally have read that it has less positive health effects than other diets. I also think too high of fats can be not the best way to diet. I am writing a paper on this tonight, so if you want I can let you know what the research/medical journals I read say. xo

Verity1111

Net caloric intake is what matters, even on a low carb diet. If you eat 4000 calories of fat and protein, you will still get fat (most of the low-carb taliban denies this, but they are blissfully unaware of the body's most important metabolic pathway for fat, the acylation stimulation protein pathway, focusing exclusively on the secondary pathway of insulinogenic lipogenesis).

OTOH, if you are eating at a caloric deficit, you can eat more or less whatever you want without negative health consequences.

Also, I'd recommend shooting for ~50g carbs/day as a minimum to prevent muscle breakdown due to glucogenesis (your body needs glucose for your brain, and will break down muscle to get it if you don't have significant carb intake in your diet).

I'm sure I'll get 20 people who have been unsuccessful at losing weight telling me that I am wrong about all of this, but whatever.

As a side note, for 99% of people, low-carb dieting does not provide any weight loss benefit vs. just increasing the proportion of caloric intake that comes from protein. It starts being relevant at very low body fat percentages, but for most people the real benefits are that it makes it easier to increase protein intake, and as a result provides better satiety.

This is true. It can similarly cause ketosis. I tried to lower my carbs while pregnant because a friend of mine did this and said it was okay and healthy, but my dr ended up telling me I was experiencing a release and increase of ketones in my system and ketosis. It depends, but for some people it doesn't work out.

Verity1111

I'm doing low carb, and when I eat a high protein and high fat meal I am thinking to myself... Surely this isn't healthy,

For example, Iv just had 2 Angus beef burgers with bacon and cheese, it was dripping in fat and it makes me question whether this is good for you? How can you loose weight in these circumstances... It seems to be working thou! But surely a banana is healthier than eating a lump of cheese/some peanut butter for a snack?

Which leads onto my next question... Those of you doing low carb what is your calorie goal per day and Macros?

**Especially how many grams of fat is a good amount?**

CONFUSED!

Oh my gosh makes me so sad. I know I can't change your mind but I've been there and done that.

I've found that if I eat plain old good fashioned protein; meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, and eggs and just enough carbs to give me energy then the fat mostly falls into place and my diet ends up fairly balanced without much planning. Then just add in some fruits and veggies. It does not have to be perfect, just somewhat balanced. Focusing too hard on macros will not help you lose weight.

Most of the time what you are embarking on will yield you some short term weight loss results, making you temporarily happy, and then it rebounds because it is not sustainable.

You want to eat as healthy as you can because it makes you feel better and perform better, and makes you healthier. There are a bunch of tricks and clean eating; reducing sugar (especially HFCS), fiber, white flour vs whole grain, low carb, low fat, on and on. All that matters is calories for weight loss. If you need to eat a certain way for health reasons or to feel better do it, but extensive good food and bad food lists will drive you insane at some point, it’s a constantly moving target. Just eat what you like, mostly healthy, mostly balanced, within a calorie budget.



These were the diets I tried and failed and did the diet yo-yo with for 15 years:

Low fat high carb, Slim-Fast, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Organic, Weston Price Diet, The Schwarzbein Principle, Eat Fat Lose Fat, The Ultimate PH Solution, The Makers Diet, A friends diet from a personal trainer/dietician

I finally just got sick of it all and made up my own diet with healthy foods I enjoy and smaller portions. I ate my meals from small desert plates and bowls. I stopped eating in the evenings (not that when you eat matters.) I started calling what I did mini-meals and mini-fasts and I lost 40 lbs. Then I found Eat Stop Eat and learned why it worked and everything took off for me at that point.

Eat what you want, eat what you like, mostly healthy. Don’t deprive yourself of foods you love unless there is a serious health risk. Depriving yourself of food you love and creating extensive good food and bad food lists at some point borders on a mental disorder. It will drive you insane.

I wanted to try Eat Stop Eat!

wackyfunster

This is true. It can similarly cause ketosis. I tried to lower my carbs while pregnant because a friend of mine did this and said it was okay and healthy, but my dr ended up telling me I was experiencing a release and increase of ketones in my system and ketosis. It depends, but for some people it doesn't work out.

Ketosis is actually very helpful for losing body fat once free fatty acids are no longer available for metabolism (around 10% body fat for men and 18% for women). For people above that level, I have not seen any evidence that it produces faster fat loss than simple caloric restriction.

SideSteel

Net caloric intake is what matters, even on a low carb diet. If you eat 4000 calories of fat and protein, you will still get fat (most of the low-carb taliban denies this, but they are blissfully unaware of the body's most important metabolic pathway for fat, the acylation stimulation protein pathway, focusing exclusively on the secondary pathway of insulinogenic lipogenesis).

OTOH, if you are eating at a caloric deficit, you can eat more or less whatever you want without negative health consequences.

Also, I'd recommend shooting for ~50g carbs/day as a minimum to prevent muscle breakdown due to glucogenesis (your body needs glucose for your brain, and will break down muscle to get it if you don't have significant carb intake in your diet).

I'm sure I'll get 20 people who have been unsuccessful at losing weight telling me that I am wrong about all of this, but whatever.

As a side note, for 99% of people, low-carb dieting does not provide any weight loss benefit vs. just increasing the proportion of caloric intake that comes from protein. It starts being relevant at very low body fat percentages, but for most people the real benefits are that it makes it easier to increase protein intake, and as a result provides better satiety.

Please advise if your angus is peppered.

Soula7475

I am registered dietitan and I'm not going to get into the whole discussion about low carb diets (they can be pretty controversial)...I would say that if you choose to follow a low carb diet, don't forget your non starchy vegetables! It is very important to still have plenty of spinach, broccoli, kale, celery, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers etc. to help provide essential nutrients. These are practically calorie and carb free and will help your body healthy by contributing vitamins and fiber to your diet. You will feel better, trust me. Good luck!

wackyfunster

Please advise if your angus is peppered.

Indubitably