Calories vs. Fat

103annie

I have discovered that even though I am at my calorie count or sometimes a bit below I am over my fat grams for the day. Do I need to be concerned if I still am losing weight?

Cristy

103annie

I have discovered that even though I am at my calorie count or sometimes a bit below I am over my fat grams for the day. Do I need to be concerned if I still am losing weight?

Cristy

Helawat

Keep in mind that there's such a thing as good fat. I don't know which you're talking about but I'm often over my fat when I consume foods high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids such as nuts, fish, flax seeds, etc.

According to helpguide.org's article on "Healthy Fats: Choosing the Right Fats" this is what they recommend:

All fats contain different amounts of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. There isn’t one right amount for every diet, but should be based on the amount of calories consumed.

That being said, the usual recommended amount of fat in a diet is 30% of total calories a day, with no more than 5% coming from poly-unsaturated fat. Omega 3 fatty acids should be 2-3% of total calories and omega 6 should be 1-1.5% of total calories. A 2:1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 is best. In a 2000 calorie diet that means:

* 56g (500 calories) of mono-unsaturated and saturated fat
* 3.7g (33 calories) of Omega 3
* 7.3g (66 calories) of Omega 6

The best sources of fats come from raw, unprocessed whole foods. The following table (from the ESHA Food Processor and USDA Handbook 8) provides examples of foods and how much of the different types of fat they contain.

References:

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

103annie

I do try to keep that in mind. I love to snack on Almonds and we eat a good amount of fish. I find that some fat helps keep hunger at bay.

Thanks

Cristy