is low fat dieting that good for you...
cheerchicksie
Posts: 51 Member
for some reason, a lot of my friends go into this craze about "low fat dieting" = "lose weight and be healthier."
but is that really the case? because weight gain is due to CALORIES, not fat...right?
I mean, everyone needs certain fats, like omega 3's, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, etc...stuff you get from nuts, lentils, olive oil, etc. I'm a vegetarian so it's even harder for me to get enough healthy fats; I usually end up eating only like, 25-40 grams a day, even though I'm supposed to be having 55.
On the other hand, low fat dieting is good for heart health and cancer prevention....
Either way, I don't know whether I need to more fat to my diet, and how I'm supposed to do it if I should be.
What are your opinions on low fat dieting?
but is that really the case? because weight gain is due to CALORIES, not fat...right?
I mean, everyone needs certain fats, like omega 3's, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, etc...stuff you get from nuts, lentils, olive oil, etc. I'm a vegetarian so it's even harder for me to get enough healthy fats; I usually end up eating only like, 25-40 grams a day, even though I'm supposed to be having 55.
On the other hand, low fat dieting is good for heart health and cancer prevention....
Either way, I don't know whether I need to more fat to my diet, and how I'm supposed to do it if I should be.
What are your opinions on low fat dieting?
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Replies
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Fat doesn't make you fat and your body needs to good fats to operate properly. One lovely side effect of eating a really low fat diet is constipation.0
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low fat is a fad that won't die.0
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"Fat phobia" is sooo '80s. We're in a new millennium, carbs are now the favorite demon (with plenty of new "junk science" to back the claims).low fat is a fad that won't die.
To the OP: Dietary fat =/= body fat. A caloric excess causes weight gain, regardless of macronutrients.0 -
No, fat is gooooood!
Everyone knows its carbs and/or sugar (or maybe mayonnaise) that is making people fat!!0 -
OP, why does being a vegitarian make it harder to get in adequate amounts of 'good fats'?
Most of mine come from things like nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil. You can eat these things too right?0 -
Dieting is not good @ all. Eat what you want to eat & just eat large portions. This ****ing thing stinks0
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Low fat dieting is not good at all.0
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Dieting is not good @ all. Eat what you want to eat & just eat large portions. This ****ing thing stinks
Solid post!0 -
Fat is good, assuming you do not neglect your protein and micronutrients. It is essential for healthy body functions Try to get it from a variety of sources. Examples: nuts, seeds and nut and seed butters, ice-cream, dairy, avocados, eggs.
I am also not sure why it would be hard to get your fats being a vegetarian - I am one and have no issues getting over 50g a day, often much higher.
ETA: you are correct in that excess calories make you gain weight, not one individual macro.0 -
fat is nice. i don't like the word "fat" because it sounds gross, but I don't shy away from it because it's totally necessary.
I like good "fats" though, I watch my saturated fat and never consume trans fat.0 -
low fat is a fad that won't die.
We've had low-fat fad, low-carbs fad .. quickly I will write the low-protein fad book before someone else does0 -
I'm going to go and hug my avocado
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Dean Ornish is one of the biggest proponents of the low fat diet. He linked a reduction of saturated animal fat combined with stress management to a reversal of atherosclerosis, which was previously thought impossible. He has since promoted fish products in his new Spectrum plan because of the beneficial Omega 3's.
However I am of the view that eating too little fat is a bad thing. Fats help your body to absorb the nutrients in your food. I don't think that saturated fats are detrimental for the average person in normal health. I think it's crazy for Ornish to cut out all meat products because a skinless chicken breast may have a couple grams of fat throughout.
Calories in / out is the only equation that matters. I heard of a professor who went on a Twinkie diet, combined with a protein shake daily. His triglycerides and cholesterol improved from the sheer weight loss. Nothing else was required for basic health; his body reset itself just by shifting excess weight. Of course you would want more nutrients and less processing.
Fat content seems to be irrelevant. The only reasonable criticism is that it is easier to overdo calories because it is so dense.
I am not specifically restricting my fat intake and currently get about 35 grams a day.0 -
Actually, fat can keep you full for longer, which can lead to you eating less over the course of the day. It's not so much the fat that matters but the type of fat. Try to go for fats that are liquid at room temperature over those that are solid.
One thing I've been curious about when it comes to fat is oxidation. Since unsaturated fat contains double bonds, it can be oxidized by free radicals much more easily than saturated fat, which only has single bonds. Not sure how that plays in to oxidation damage, but it's interesting to think about!0 -
My periods have stopped due to lack of fat in diet for many months so yes I can say it is very bad, especially for women, fat is an important part of your diet as it keeps your hormones functioning normally0
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Ssshh let them be, they're trying the new diet craze that won't work.0
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My mum made me scared of avocados because she said "Oh you do realise that they are very high in fat??" silly mummy stuck in the the low fat fad even though while she said that my sisters and herself were sitting down to roasted potatoes (ton of oil) veggies, some chicken and stuffing moistened with a heap of butter and gravy '_' I know that the avocado has good fats and all that jazz but ever since then I'M SCARED TO EAT THEM all because of the silly fads.0
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Hmmm I seem to agree with other posters.
I like a diet that isn't high in saturated fats however I know I still need them for healthy brain function and all that.
A friend of mine has recently had a heart attack and her dr wants her to stick with a low fat diet. However, what I think she is missing is that she needs to change the diet she has to lower fats and stop eating so much brown food. Cleaner and healthier. She also needs to lose weight so cutting fats alone wont help.0 -
Hmmm I seem to agree with other posters.
I like a diet that isn't high in saturated fats however I know I still need them for healthy brain function and all that.
A friend of mine has recently had a heart attack and her dr wants her to stick with a low fat diet. However, what I think she is missing is that she needs to change the diet she has to lower fats and stop eating so much brown food. Cleaner and healthier. She also needs to lose weight so cutting fats alone wont help.
What is brown food?0 -
Fat is good, assuming you do not neglect your protein and micronutrients. It is essential for healthy body functions Try to get it from a variety of sources. Examples: nuts, seeds and nut and seed butters, ice-cream, dairy, avocados, eggs.
I am also not sure why it would be hard to get your fats being a vegetarian - I am one and have no issues getting over 50g a day, often much higher.
ETA: you are correct in that excess calories make you gain weight, not one individual macro.
Lipid type and content is far from irrelevant - research is showing that different types of fat effect health differently. However, what Sarah just wrote takes care of everything - eat essential fat from a variety of sources.
If you are not a vegetarian add fish and lean meats (but minimize cured sources like ham with heavy nitrate contents) to the list above.0 -
OP can I ask where your 55g a day target comes from?0
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Hmmm I seem to agree with other posters.
I like a diet that isn't high in saturated fats however I know I still need them for healthy brain function and all that.
A friend of mine has recently had a heart attack and her dr wants her to stick with a low fat diet. However, what I think she is missing is that she needs to change the diet she has to lower fats and stop eating so much brown food. Cleaner and healthier. She also needs to lose weight so cutting fats alone wont help.
What is brown food?
Chocolate? :noway:0 -
low fat is a fad that won't die.
We've had low-fat fad, low-carbs fad .. quickly I will write the low-protein fad book before someone else does
There are people out there who need to restrict their protein to survive. I am one of those people. I consume 30-35 grams of intact protein per day, consuming more than that is toxic and can cause neurological distress and can render the person mentally incapacitated, it has also resulted in many deaths. incase you're not familiar with it, it's what is known as an inborn error of metabolism. it's nothing to joke about.0 -
Hmmm I seem to agree with other posters.
I like a diet that isn't high in saturated fats however I know I still need them for healthy brain function and all that.
A friend of mine has recently had a heart attack and her dr wants her to stick with a low fat diet. However, what I think she is missing is that she needs to change the diet she has to lower fats and stop eating so much brown food. Cleaner and healthier. She also needs to lose weight so cutting fats alone wont help.
What is brown food?
Chocolate? :noway:
If you were to lay out all your food on a table and it looks mostly brown or beige. Some people call it oven food, where you just shove something in the oven from a packet. It covers most take away, cakes.. ya know anything but fresh fruit, veg and lean meat/fish.0 -
Fat intake is what helps with some major hormone upkeep!
Eat the fats!
And vegetarians.......um....avocados?!
One of the densest and healthiest fats......srs?!0 -
Low fat dieting is excellent.
You will find people here, meaning on this forum, that are on a low carb diet, so they will say fat is good for you.
For the sake of argument, I am going to call them Atkin's type dieter or Paleo (high fat, high protein, low carb), the new Atkin's diet is lower fat, higher protein and still low carb.
low fat dieters (myself and other vegetarians and vegans) will argue that essential fat found in plants are good for you but animal fat is not (saturated, trans, and there is a new man-made fat now which I don't remember the name right now).
No one will argue that there are essential fats and they are needed. Essential because our bodies do not produce them and we need to eat them.
The argument is where are these essential fats found. I have learned that they are found only in plants, some will argue otherwise, but we can agree to disagree.
For me, low-fat dieting is really the way to go, unless you do not mind being in a state of ketosis all the time, then you can eat high fats, high protein.0 -
For me, a (relatively) low-fat diet is much more sustainable than low-carb. Most of the foods I like are - or can be - low-fat. And I love my carbs! Fat is so high in calories that cutting out unnecessary fats means more calories are available for things I'll actually notice that I'm eating, which works for me.
If it's not a short-term diet, but a long-term sustainable lifestyle change, it has to work for you and provide a healthy, balanced diet with all the essential nutrients. It seems to be pretty clear that the actual balance of those nutrients has a fairly flexible range, so there should be scope to find what works for you and your tastes.0 -
I keep fats low strictly so I can eat enough volume of food to be satisfied.0
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Low fat dieting is excellent.
You will find people here, meaning on this forum, that are on a low carb diet, so they will say fat is good for you.
For the sake of argument, I am going to call them Atkin's type dieter or Paleo (high fat, high protein, low carb), the new Atkin's diet is lower fat, higher protein and still low carb.
low fat dieters (myself and other vegetarians and vegans) will argue that essential fat found in plants are good for you but animal fat is not (saturated, trans, and there is a new man-made fat now which I don't remember the name right now).
No one will argue that there are essential fats and they are needed. Essential because our bodies do not produce them and we need to eat them.
The argument is where are these essential fats found. I have learned that they are found only in plants, some will argue otherwise, but we can agree to disagree.
For me, low-fat dieting is really the way to go, unless you do not mind being in a state of ketosis all the time, then you can eat high fats, high protein.
I do moderate fats (60g+) and moderate protein (120g+) and there is not way I am ever in ketosis as I eat between 150g and 250g of carbs a day, so I would say the last sentence has a false logic.0 -
Hmmm I seem to agree with other posters.
I like a diet that isn't high in saturated fats however I know I still need them for healthy brain function and all that.
A friend of mine has recently had a heart attack and her dr wants her to stick with a low fat diet. However, what I think she is missing is that she needs to change the diet she has to lower fats and stop eating so much brown food. Cleaner and healthier. She also needs to lose weight so cutting fats alone wont help.
What is brown food?
Chocolate? :noway:
If you were to lay out all your food on a table and it looks mostly brown or beige. Some people call it oven food, where you just shove something in the oven from a packet. It covers most take away, cakes.. ya know anything but fresh fruit, veg and lean meat/fish.
But isn't meat brown (when cooked)?0
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