Craving fats

shining_light
shining_light Posts: 384 Member
edited October 25 in Food and Nutrition
Now, I know for lots of people, craving sugar is a huge problem. Not so for me. It can be readily available and I won't want it in the slightest. That said, for me, my craving is always fats. And not like chocolate or french fries... I want healthy fats. Good in moderation, HUGE problem as a craving. I cannot keep natural peanut butter in my apartment; it's like crack to me. I can sit down and have a good ol' carrots-and-hummus binge... and don't even get me started on the unholy things I could do with almonds(I ate 2 ounces of them today in my plan though, so I should be fine on those). I suppose the logical answer to this is, "Well, your body is obviously craving more healthy fats because it needs them". That would be a fair assumption, except it's hard to find ways/places to incorporate them without calorie guilt.

And as a little background, I am seriously eating-disordered and so healthy or not, calories = guilt(am currently recovering). What can/should I do? I try to maintain the 55% carb/15% protein/30% fat ratio(though more protein now that I'm throwing weights around regularly). Should I adjust my macros or just spend my fat calories more wisely on mono-and-polyunsaturated fats? Fat is usually the macro that's the hardest for me to get up to that 30% mark anyway.

Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? I can open my food diary if anyone wants to take a looksie at that.

Replies

  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
    if you are craving healthy fats for a couple of days, I say indulge yourself and have some extra fat in your diet while trying to meet your daily caloric intake. I have the mentality that if I have a craving, I give it 48 hours. If I still want it, then I work it into my day rather than having it wreck my day. I'm much like you. Peanut butter is one of the greatest foods ever IMO, I love smashed avocado on sandwiches instead of mayo and any type of nut can be dangerous. My macros are 40/40/20, protein/carbs/fat and is pretty easy to moderate.

    At the end of the day, calories are calories and MFP gives you the ability to keep track of them to stay within your calorie goals. As long as you are in your daily calorie goal, you should be good to go. Good luck.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Thanks. I appreciate the advice. :)
  • Starfish1125
    Starfish1125 Posts: 169 Member
    I read this as "craving farts" :bigsmile:

    I need a nap!
  • BigH89
    BigH89 Posts: 44
    Why would there be any issue with consuming fats as long as you're within your caloric goal? In fact, a high fat/low carb diet may even be more effective..
  • SunshineDecember
    SunshineDecember Posts: 70 Member
    I take oil supplements, because, like you, I have very hard time eating high fat foods, knowing how many calories are in them. But I notice right away if my body isn't getting enough fat - I get insane, insatiable cravings and usually end up binging on everything in sight...especially PB and cheese >.< So I take 1-2 capsules of omega 3 each day, and try to eat a couple of handfuls of nuts, and at least one tbls of oil on a salad throughout the day :)
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
    I've been able to binge on avocado ever since I had my first taste of it, and love PB to death too. I moderate, but totally understand the cravings!
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    Why would there be any issue with consuming fats as long as you're within your caloric goal? In fact, a high fat/low carb diet may even be more effective..

    I would tend to agree with this. Unless of course your marathon training or doing some other activity where carbs are necessary.

    If you have an urge to eat healthy fats I would say go for it and just maybe reduce your carbs in order to stay within your calorie goal.
  • girlykate143
    girlykate143 Posts: 220 Member
    I would switch your carb and protein ratios so that your proteins are 40%, carbs 20 and healthy fats 40.I don't know your blood or cholesterol levels, but I'd get those checked first before you do anything. Or maybe go 45% P, 35F, and 20 carbs.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I eat 50% fat and lose weight and feel awesome.
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    Yeah I would play around with your macros. I like my fats and can do moderate carbs, so my numbers are 30%C, 30%P, 40%F.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,393 Member
    Yep. 45% fats here. Life is good, weight stable. The carbs are more of a problem for me, so I'd rather have more fat, less carbs.
  • wendyapple
    wendyapple Posts: 323 Member
    i'm a fat craver too, and an almond junky like you. i keep packets of almond butter around sometimes. i have my macros at 30% for fats but i'm usually over and it doesn't cause me to gain. i think adjusting yours, especially since you're lifting weights isn't a bad idea at all.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I would adjust your macros to give you the highest possible satiation. Satiation is *THE KEY* to sticking to your calorie limits. I also like fat and have it at 35%. You can do the research on your own and make your own decisions about it, but I don't believe that there's anything wrong with natural saturated fats, unless you have some medical condition that makes it necessary to limit them. I have thyroid disease, and one of the things I found in my research on thyroid conditions is that saturated fat is good for thyroid funtion- so I drink whole milk, eat whole eggs, cheese, cook with coconut oil, etc. I'm not saying take my word for it, but look in to it if you want to include those things.
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    One word fixes this....



    BACON
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJctBJ6E9YBRHsx4IhdveMeRrWnGrosQ5DxqLK1Nnx85Pb0BqUPw
  • maryjay52
    maryjay52 Posts: 557 Member
    if i need extra fat i throw in a serving of flax seed oil in my shake ,or use coconut oil to stir fry my veggies and or meat in , and sometimes i add a tbl of olive oil with herbs on something . but i do understand ..i crave gobs of real butter on bread and it kills me sometimes . i try so hard not to go near that stuff .it is just plain ol' deadly for me
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    Now, I know for lots of people, craving sugar is a huge problem. Not so for me. It can be readily available and I won't want it in the slightest. That said, for me, my craving is always fats. And not like chocolate or french fries... I want healthy fats. Good in moderation, HUGE problem as a craving. I cannot keep natural peanut butter in my apartment; it's like crack to me. I can sit down and have a good ol' carrots-and-hummus binge... and don't even get me started on the unholy things I could do with almonds(I ate 2 ounces of them today in my plan though, so I should be fine on those). I suppose the logical answer to this is, "Well, your body is obviously craving more healthy fats because it needs them". That would be a fair assumption, except it's hard to find ways/places to incorporate them without calorie guilt.

    And as a little background, I am seriously eating-disordered and so healthy or not, calories = guilt(am currently recovering). What can/should I do? I try to maintain the 55% carb/15% protein/30% fat ratio(though more protein now that I'm throwing weights around regularly). Should I adjust my macros or just spend my fat calories more wisely on mono-and-polyunsaturated fats? Fat is usually the macro that's the hardest for me to get up to that 30% mark anyway.

    Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? I can open my food diary if anyone wants to take a looksie at that.

    your fat macro is actually a minimum. from an energy perspective, calories from fat are no different than calories from anything else. the worry about fats has to do with too many unhealthy fats perhaps leading to higher incidences of cardiovascular disease. the conventional wisdom from 20 years ago about eating low fat foods so that you don't get fat has largely been replaced with a better understanding of the roles the various nutrients play in overall nutritional health.

    you need fats in your diet (good fats preferred of course). it's ok to go over your macro setting!
  • girlykate143
    girlykate143 Posts: 220 Member
    I would switch your carb and protein ratios so that your proteins are 40%, carbs 20 and healthy fats 40.I don't know your blood or cholesterol levels, but I'd get those checked first before you do anything. Or maybe go 45% P, 35F, and 20 carbs.
  • BigH89
    BigH89 Posts: 44
    your fat macro is actually a minimum. from an energy perspective, calories from fat are no different than calories from anything else. the worry about fats has to do with too many unhealthy fats perhaps leading to higher incidences of cardiovascular disease. the conventional wisdom from 20 years ago about eating low fat foods so that you don't get fat has largely been replaced with a better understanding of the roles the various nutrients play in overall nutritional health.

    you need fats in your diet (good fats preferred of course). it's ok to go over your macro setting!

    Strong this.

    However, the work of Keyes who established a link between sat fats and coronary disease has been largely discredited. That said, it's all about balance; I eat about 150+ grams of fat per day, a combination of sat fats and "healthy fats".
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I can totally relate to this. I decided a long time ago that I don't have a sweet tooth; I have a fat tooth. Nuts are especially hard to turn my back on. I could eat several pounds per day!
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    Eat a surplus of healthy fat for a few days.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    I would switch your carb and protein ratios so that your proteins are 40%, carbs 20 and healthy fats 40.I don't know your blood or cholesterol levels, but I'd get those checked first before you do anything. Or maybe go 45% P, 35F, and 20 carbs.

    Cholesterol levels are normal for sure, blood pressure is on the low end of normal. We actually tested blood pressure in my medical terminology class and I had the lowest blood pressure as well as one of the lowest heart rates. So, I'm not too concerned about fiddling with my macros. I'll definitely try it out. Thanks, everybody. :)
  • corneredbycorn
    corneredbycorn Posts: 267 Member
    Definitely try a higher fat ratio in your macro breakdown. I have my ratios set to 50/25/25 f/p/c and it works fantastically for me. You can always adjust again later, but if you're craving fat, you might just give it a shot.
  • freddykid
    freddykid Posts: 265 Member
    Just something that works for me when I crave fatty food. I get something really spicy. I keep Tabasco, red peppers, and jalapenos in stock. I eat a bite of the spice and then drink water. Since it shocks my system I can usually avoid large portions of fats.
    anyway good luck on your journey.
  • shining_light
    shining_light Posts: 384 Member
    Heavens to betsy(sorry, felt like saying something weird. :P ), I ate whole eggs for the first time in months. Whole eggs with veggies... and it's actually satiating. Lol. Whoever told me that my body type functions best on a low-fat diet clearly was not taking other things into account...
  • KudraM
    KudraM Posts: 73 Member
    maryjay52 wrote: »
    if i need extra fat i throw in a serving of flax seed oil in my shake ,or use coconut oil to stir fry my veggies and or meat in , and sometimes i add a tbl of olive oil with herbs on something . but i do understand ..i crave gobs of real butter on bread and it kills me sometimes . i try so hard not to go near that stuff .it is just plain ol' deadly for me

    This is the smartest move. Unfortunately there are some days (like today, for me) when you just have to have 1 scoop at Baskin Robbins.
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