Regularly over on fat...

Okapi42

I'm usually well under my cals, but tend to be closest to or very slightly over on my fat. Trying not to eat too many carbs because of what my doctor thinks is PCOS (to be confirmed) and as a vegetarian, I find it challenging to get protein without adding either carbs or fat...

So, is this harmful, or can I keep going as I am?

I use lowfat dairy, but tend to use a lot of eggs and nuts/seeds, and sunflower or olive oil for food prep. Butter is only for special occasions, but I must admit that I sneak in a bit of chocolate somewhere every day.

neanderthin

Well if your usually under on your calories you can eat more fat, it really doesn't matter very much which macro your consuming sans getting enough protein.

xDawnsgrace

i have EAS soy protein powder-it has absolutely no animal product, and at 180 cals, and 20 grams of protein per scoop.. i think it's a good buy.

bumblebums

How are your macros currently set? Are you aiming for percentages or total gram intake for each of them?

That aside, I don't worry about going over my fat cals because my usual sources of fat are avocado, olive oil, and nuts. Some animal fats (I am an enthusiastic meat and dairy eater) but most of the sources are "healthy".

redraidergirl2009

Do you eat dairy? You said you are vegetarian so I assume you might still eat dairy, it's pretty high in fat so try scaling back on it. Get your protein from an extra side of veggies or snack on an fruit a couple more times a day since you say yous till have calories left.

bumblebums

Also, when I was a vegetarian, I ate lots of beans and lentils--the protein is not as good quality as meat or dairy protein, but you can't argue with the health benefits of eating less meat and more fiber.

magerum

Fat is not only essential...it is absolutely delicious.

redraidergirl2009

Fat is not only essential...it is absolutely delicious.

Not all fats.

Okapi42

i have EAS soy protein powder-it has absolutely no animal product, and at 180 cals, and 20 grams of protein per scoop.. i think it's a good buy.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't think I'll go the protein powder route - it seems far too artificial and processed.

Do you eat dairy? You said you are vegetarian so I assume you might still eat dairy, it's pretty high in fat so try scaling back on it. Get your protein from an extra side of veggies or snack on an fruit a couple more times a day since you say yous till have calories left.

I do eat (low-fat) dairy - usually yoghurt for lunch. Not sure how I should go about getting protein from fruit. Do you have any suggestions? It seems to me that fruit has little to no protein, especially in relation to carbs...

How are your macros currently set? Are you aiming for percentages or total gram intake for each of them?

(...)

Also, when I was a vegetarian, I ate lots of beans and lentils--the protein is not as good quality as meat or dairy protein, but you can't argue with the health benefits of eating less meat and more fiber.

I just use the MFP macros at the moment. Beans and lentils are good, but also tend to be quite carb-heavy. Which ones would you recommend for the most protein per carb? Can't get the more exotic ones here, but certainly your standard kidney beans, chickpeas, etc.

redraidergirl2009

Carbs are not bad.

Second, fruit is generally low in calories, so the protein can add up.

Since your diary is closed its hard to help you in regards to going over fat if we cant see where its coming from.

magerum

Fat is not only essential...it is absolutely delicious.

Not all fats.

Transfat being the only exception, sure.

magerum

Carbs are not bad.

Second, fruit is generally low in calories, so the protein can add up.

Since your diary is closed its hard to help you in regards to going over fat if we cant see where its coming from.

Fruits are hardly low in calorie & are not a good source of protein by any standard.

8 oz chicken breast = 50g of protein @ 220 cals

One of the highest protein fruit:

Figs 150g = 5 g protein @ 370 cals

You'd be better off with nuts. Albeit they're not a good source of protein either, just a lot better than fruit.

redraidergirl2009

Carbs are not bad.

Second, fruit is generally low in calories, so the protein can add up.

Since your diary is closed its hard to help you in regards to going over fat if we cant see where its coming from.

Fruits are hardly low in calorie & are not a good source of protein by any standard.

8 oz chicken breast = 50g of protein @ 220 cals

One of the highest protein fruit:

Figs 150g = 5 g protein @ 370 cals

You'd be better off with nuts. Albeit they're not a good source of protein either, just a lot better than fruit.

Check out the OP's post, she's vegetarian so she's probably not going to eat 8oz of chicken.

Okapi42

Carbs are not bad.

Second, fruit is generally low in calories, so the protein can add up.

Since your diary is closed its hard to help you in regards to going over fat if we cant see where its coming from.

Fruits are hardly low in calorie & are not a good source of protein by any standard.

8 oz chicken breast = 50g of protein @ 220 cals

One of the highest protein fruit:

Figs 150g = 5 g protein @ 370 cals

You'd be better off with nuts. Albeit they're not a good source of protein either, just a lot better than fruit.

Check out the OP's post, she's vegetarian so she's probably not going to eat 8oz of chicken.

Yes, but if you check my original post, you'll also see that I have a medical reason for trying to keep my carbs down... That said, I'm actually allergic to chicken - one of the reasons I went veggie!

magerum

Carbs are not bad.

Second, fruit is generally low in calories, so the protein can add up.

Since your diary is closed its hard to help you in regards to going over fat if we cant see where its coming from.

Fruits are hardly low in calorie & are not a good source of protein by any standard.

8 oz chicken breast = 50g of protein @ 220 cals

One of the highest protein fruit:

Figs 150g = 5 g protein @ 370 cals

You'd be better off with nuts. Albeit they're not a good source of protein either, just a lot better than fruit.

Check out the OP's post, she's vegetarian so she's probably not going to eat 8oz of chicken.

Yeah, that's why I said you're better off with nuts, the chicken was an example of a good source of protein. Way to pick-n-choose what to point out.

magerum

Carbs are not bad.

Second, fruit is generally low in calories, so the protein can add up.

Since your diary is closed its hard to help you in regards to going over fat if we cant see where its coming from.

Fruits are hardly low in calorie & are not a good source of protein by any standard.

8 oz chicken breast = 50g of protein @ 220 cals

One of the highest protein fruit:

Figs 150g = 5 g protein @ 370 cals

You'd be better off with nuts. Albeit they're not a good source of protein either, just a lot better than fruit.

Check out the OP's post, she's vegetarian so she's probably not going to eat 8oz of chicken.

Yes, but if you check my original post, you'll also see that I have a medical reason for trying to keep my carbs down... That said, I'm actually allergic to chicken - one of the reasons I went veggie!

Again, that's why I said you're better off with nuts / legumes. Fruits are all carbs.

cwolfman13

OP...have you customized your macro goals? If you haven't customized them, and you're trying to restrict one of your macro nutrients, then it's going to throw the others off. I.E. if you restrict carbs, you're naturally going to get higher protein/fat if you're meeting your calorie goals, as your calories can only come from one of those three macros.

When you say limiting carbs....do you know what % of your diet you should limit them too for your medical condition? If you know that, you can manually change your macros in MFP and be much more precise in tracking your nutrients. MFP's defaults I believe are 55c/15p/30f.

Also, being a vegetarian and trying to limit your carbs, it is going to be hard to also limit fat content, as your go to is going to be nuts and legumes...nuts are pretty fatty (but good heart healthy fat) and most legumes are pretty high carb, though most of those carbs come from fiber...don't know if that makes a difference in RE to your medical condition...I'd certainly consult with your physician there as well. Basically, you don't have a lot of lean protein options available to you...but here are a couple...

- Non-fat greek yogurt (I eat Voskos plain NF greek yogurt and it gives me 24g protein per serving...no fat)

- Whey powder protein...I know you said you didn't like the idea of that due to the processing, but I just had to throw that out there again, as you don't have a lot of other lean protein options that also aren't carb heavy.

ndearing0501

Generally for a female you want to stay under 50g of fat. You NEED to eat fat to stay healthy but need to make sure you're eating the good kind of fat. Like salmon turkey chicken or other fish. Those all have heart healthy fat in them. Just do your best to keep it under 50g and you should be good! A lot of people think just because they are under their calories they should be good. Not the case. You need to look at the big picture. A balanced diet of carbs protein and fats. It's all trial and error, you'll get it!

WendyTerry420

Generally for a female you want to stay under 50g of fat. You NEED to eat fat to stay healthy but need to make sure you're eating the good kind of fat. Like salmon turkey chicken or other fish. Those all have heart healthy fat in them. Just do your best to keep it under 50g and you should be good! A lot of people think just because they are under their calories they should be good. Not the case. You need to look at the big picture. A balanced diet of carbs protein and fats. It's all trial and error, you'll get it!

No, you should be eating about .35 grams of fat per pound of body weight as a MINIMUM. Females need more fat to help keep our hormone levels where they should be.

Akimajuktuq

Also, when I was a vegetarian, I ate lots of beans and lentils--the protein is not as good quality as meat or dairy protein, but you can't argue with the health benefits of eating less meat and more fiber.

I had no intention of posting here after seeing what is really being disussed... I came because of the comment on fat, which I eat LOTS of and has made me VERY healthy and lose substantial weight. I have my macros set for 70% fat, but try for more.

However, when I see "the science is settled" attitude, as above, it drives me crazy. Yes, one CAN very logically argue whether there are health benefits with eating less meat and more fibre (it has NEVER been proven that fibre prevents cancer, though exactly that has been claimed publicly). I'm very informed on nutritional research AND politics, and a whole whack of other related topics, but more importantly, I have a lot of first hand experience with different lifestyles and human societies. I can tell you that most dietary recommendations are not based on science (and the science they are based on are inconclusive at best, and intentionally manipulated and exaggerated at worst, with much research ignored if it disproves the hypotheses-NOT how science is supposed to work) but on political/corporate agendas.

Why are you no longer a vegetarian, if it is an inarguable that it is healthier to eat "less meat and more fibre"?

carrieous

fat is an essential nutriet. Fat is not bad. Keep on keeping on, just watch your calories.

ndearing0501

Generally for a female you want to stay under 50g of fat. You NEED to eat fat to stay healthy but need to make sure you're eating the good kind of fat. Like salmon turkey chicken or other fish. Those all have heart healthy fat in them. Just do your best to keep it under 50g and you should be good! A lot of people think just because they are under their calories they should be good. Not the case. You need to look at the big picture. A balanced diet of carbs protein and fats. It's all trial and error, you'll get it!

No, you should be eating about .35 grams of fat per pound of body weight as a MINIMUM. Females need more fat to help keep our hormone levels where they should be.

Dietitians and health experts say women should eat 20 to 30% of their calorie allotment in fat grams. If you eat 1500 calories a day that would be 30 to 40g of good fat for optimal weight loss.
Studies show that women should eat LESS fat due to hormones actually. Womens hormones cause women to store fat more.

Are there ways to control our "hunger hormones," and thus rein in our appetites? Possibly -- by avoiding high-fat foods.

When we eat, messages go out to various parts of our bodies to tell us we've had enough. But when we eat fatty meals, this system doesn't work as well, says Dallman. Eating fat tends to lead to eating more calories, gaining weight, and storing fat, Dallman says. Researchers have seen some of these effects after only three days of a high-fat diet.

But researchers have shown that either a diet rich in either "good" carbohydrates (like whole grains) or a diet high in protein suppresses ghrelin more effectively than a diet high in fat.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/24026-many-grams-fat-should-women/

http://www.ehow.com/about_5149778_many-eat-day-lose-weight_.html

http://www.drgourmet.com/askdrgourmet/women-fatindiet.shtml#.UTZJGvq9LCQ

Francl27

Depends of the fat. A lot of vegetarian meals have questionable fats in them, IMO.

Okapi42

OP...have you customized your macro goals? If you haven't customized them, and you're trying to restrict one of your macro nutrients, then it's going to throw the others off. I.E. if you restrict carbs, you're naturally going to get higher protein/fat if you're meeting your calorie goals, as your calories can only come from one of those three macros.

That's a good point - I suppose I should re-balance them to set the carbs to something lower. My doctor says to limit carbs but the dietitian seems to favour them above all else, so it's a big confusing...

bumblebums

OP, I would talk to your doctor about the types of carbs you are supposed to restrict. Carbs are the dietary villain du jour, and have been for some time. Fat was the villan du jour before that. People in this thread are echoing opinions from various stages of this debate. To decide what you want to do, either read up on your own or talk to your doctor--especially since you have medical issues, I would suggest doing both, and be critical.

I set my own macros to 40% carbs, and 30% each of protein and fat. I actually aim to hit a protein target in grams, not in percentages, and the reasons for that are usually justified in weight lifting/bodybuilding circles as follows: you need to have a certain intake to sustain your lean body mass. I calculate mine as a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for each pound of body weight. Many people want to eat even more. For weight loss, protein is important because it helps you maintain a lean body mass while you lose fat and because it fills you up and satisfies you, allowing you to maintain sustainable fat loss.

I like Lyle McDonald's writing on the topic of fat loss--he is clear and he bases his recommendations on research, and when he goes by hunches, he says so:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-1.html
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-fundamentals-of-fat-loss-diets-part-2.html

He talks about protein elsewhere on his site.

As for legumes and carbs: legumes contain mostly complex carbs. If you are going to eat carbs at all, this is the good kind. Nuts are similar--mostly complex carbs. I think lentils are some of the best legumes for ease of digestibility and protein levels, though they are all not as good as dairy protein digestion-wise. Oh, and by the way, nuts are high in fat, protein *and* carbs. They are what people call "nutrient-dense".

As for good discussions of vegetarian food in general, I would suggest this site:

http://whfoods.com

Again, well-researched and balanced, and you'll find nutritional info and all sorts of other useful stuff there.

cwolfman13

OP, I would talk to your doctor about the types of carbs you are supposed to restrict. Carbs are the dietary villain du jour, and have been for some time. Fat was the villan du jour before that. People in this thread are echoing opinions from various stages of this debate. To decide what you want to do, either read up on your own or talk to your doctor--especially since you have medical issues, I would suggest doing both, and be critical.

Concur....

I've also set my macros to 40c/30p/30hf and my blood work has improved considerably (just as my nutritionist thought it should). My triglycerides were the big change....463 down to 135 a couple of weeks ago after about 5-6 months of doing this. My LDL is also down and my HDL is up...not perfect yet, but vastly improved from where I was 5-6 months ago. My fitness performance at this macro level is just gravy.

Also, I think there's a PCOS group here at MFP you may want to look into.

redraidergirl2009

Generally for a female you want to stay under 50g of fat. You NEED to eat fat to stay healthy but need to make sure you're eating the good kind of fat. Like salmon turkey chicken or other fish. Those all have heart healthy fat in them. Just do your best to keep it under 50g and you should be good! A lot of people think just because they are under their calories they should be good. Not the case. You need to look at the big picture. A balanced diet of carbs protein and fats. It's all trial and error, you'll get it!

No, you should be eating about .35 grams of fat per pound of body weight as a MINIMUM. Females need more fat to help keep our hormone levels where they should be.

Gross that would mean I'd need nearly 60g of fat a day. Glad I have bc pills to take care of my hormones.

mmapags

Generally for a female you want to stay under 50g of fat. You NEED to eat fat to stay healthy but need to make sure you're eating the good kind of fat. Like salmon turkey chicken or other fish. Those all have heart healthy fat in them. Just do your best to keep it under 50g and you should be good! A lot of people think just because they are under their calories they should be good. Not the case. You need to look at the big picture. A balanced diet of carbs protein and fats. It's all trial and error, you'll get it!

No, you should be eating about .35 grams of fat per pound of body weight as a MINIMUM. Females need more fat to help keep our hormone levels where they should be.

Gross that would mean I'd need nearly 60g of fat a day. Glad I have bc pills to take care of my hormones.

Actually your bc pills make the situaton worse not better. If you are not getting enough fat and on bc pills that is reason for concern. They don't call fat an "essential" nutrient because it's optional. Just sayin'.

WendyTerry420

Generally for a female you want to stay under 50g of fat. You NEED to eat fat to stay healthy but need to make sure you're eating the good kind of fat. Like salmon turkey chicken or other fish. Those all have heart healthy fat in them. Just do your best to keep it under 50g and you should be good! A lot of people think just because they are under their calories they should be good. Not the case. You need to look at the big picture. A balanced diet of carbs protein and fats. It's all trial and error, you'll get it!

No, you should be eating about .35 grams of fat per pound of body weight as a MINIMUM. Females need more fat to help keep our hormone levels where they should be.

Gross that would mean I'd need nearly 60g of fat a day. Glad I have bc pills to take care of my hormones.

Actually your bc pills make the situaton worse not better. If you are not getting enough fat and on bc pills that is reason for concern. They don't call fat an "essential" nutrient because it's optional. Just sayin'.

True. We can only get them from foods. Our bodies can't use protein or micronutrients as efficiently without adequate fat intake. Essential indeed.

redraidergirl2009

Generally for a female you want to stay under 50g of fat. You NEED to eat fat to stay healthy but need to make sure you're eating the good kind of fat. Like salmon turkey chicken or other fish. Those all have heart healthy fat in them. Just do your best to keep it under 50g and you should be good! A lot of people think just because they are under their calories they should be good. Not the case. You need to look at the big picture. A balanced diet of carbs protein and fats. It's all trial and error, you'll get it!

No, you should be eating about .35 grams of fat per pound of body weight as a MINIMUM. Females need more fat to help keep our hormone levels where they should be.

Gross that would mean I'd need nearly 60g of fat a day. Glad I have bc pills to take care of my hormones.

Actually your bc pills make the situaton worse not better. If you are not getting enough fat and on bc pills that is reason for concern. They don't call fat an "essential" nutrient because it's optional. Just sayin'.

No one said don't have any fat. lol mfp says I should be having like 100g, I get about 40, no issues yet.

Okapi42

Hmmm, something tells me you haven't actually researched this much, redraidergirl, so I think I'll stick with what the others are saying.