going over on fat every day

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NoAdditives
NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My daily fat intake goal is 49 grams. Every day I go over. I've reduced the amount of cheese I eat, I only 1 egg at breakfast, I've stopped eating microwave popcorn. I'm already 5 grams over today and I just finished lunch. I admit, the chicken nuggets weren't the best choice but we haven't gone grocery shopping yet and there isn't a whole lot to eat that isn't mostly carbs. Most days it's not too bad but I still find I'm taking in about 10 grams too many. With the exception of the last few days I mostly eat at home and don't use many processed foods. There isn't a low-fat substitute for most of what I eat since it's mostly natural foods. So i'm wondering how bad it is if I go over on fat and what I can do to reduce my fat intake.

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  • Neliel
    Neliel Posts: 507 Member
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    Fat isn't TOO bad to go over on as it is instant fuel for the body, it burns straight away. Whereas if you have too many carbs you'll find it much more difficult to burn. It's sugar I always go over on. Hard to know what to do there. Maybe take a look at the sorts of things you're eating and the fat content?
  • ahkunkel
    ahkunkel Posts: 68
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    In my opinion, it's all about what kinds of fat you take in. If your fat is healthy fat (from almonds (nuts in general), flax seed, olive oil, fish, etc) then I would say that going over isnt a big deal. But if all your fat intake is from cookies, icecream, fried foods (i'm so guilty of these things!) then I would try to eat less of those items. For instance, if you are full by eating 3 scrambled eggs for breakfast you can reduce the fat content by substituting 2 of those eggs for egg whites. Maybe also try to limit packaged foods. IMO, the foods with the most fat are packaged foods with tons of preservatives. As Dr. Oz says, if you can't pronounce the ingredient you probably shouldn't be eating it!
  • hopeC12
    hopeC12 Posts: 38
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    Best method: Eat more veggies :)

    You can also cut down on oil or butter, because those fats add up fast without you even realizing they are there. Fried things are not your friend. Also watch out for things like sauces and dressings that contain a lot of oils. If you are cooking things at home a lot, then you can try using less or no oil/fat in the pan, and make use of other liquids and spices for flavor. I mostly cook with a little bit of wine now instead of oil.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Thanks for all your suggestions.

    Unfortunately, I'm having such a hard time because because I'm doing everything you've suggested. I rarely eat processed foods (today was an exception), I've drastically cut back the amount of high fat foods/ingredients I use (less then 1 Tbsp. of butter to cook hash browns and egg, only 1-2 servings of cheese per day), I eat a lot of vegetables (fresh or steamed) and fruits, I don't eat high fat meats or fried foods, and I don't normally cook with oil or butter (except for breakfast).

    I pay attention to serving sizes and only do 1 serving for things like salad dressing or pasta sauce. I know I'm getting good fats from things like avocados. On average days when I'm eating at home I know I don't get a lot of added fats from dressings or oils. It feels like the only way to stick to the fat intake goal would to eliminate cheese entirely, my 1 serving of ranch dressing on a salad, and the butter that cooks my breakfast.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    Fat isn't TOO bad to go over on as it is instant fuel for the body, it burns straight away. Whereas if you have too many carbs you'll find it much more difficult to burn. It's sugar I always go over on. Hard to know what to do there. Maybe take a look at the sorts of things you're eating and the fat content?

    You might find this interesting. The author disagrees with your first sentence.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/nutrient-intake-nutrient-storage-and-nutrient-oxidation.html
  • abeidt2
    abeidt2 Posts: 3
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    Here are some tips:
    -WHen you have 2 eggs, do 2 whites and 1 yolk. Fat is in the yolk, the whites are pure protein. If you want to eliminate the fat completely, then go with only the whites.
    -Switch to fat free milk - you still get the same amount of calcium and protein, but eliminate cholesterol and fat.
    -When baking, you can sometimes substitute fat for apple sauce. Google some recipes online and you will save some precious grams there!
    -Choose low fat protein choices, such as lean chicken and fish - do pay the extra money for lean beef!!!
    -Fat free dairy in general is a great way to reduce - try fat free yogurt for the protein, and cacium benefits!
    -Cooking methods will also save you some fat here and there. Choose to boil, barbecue, etc

    Fat is not readily used by your body as someone mentioned. Carbs are. The problem is that when we eat carbs in excess, your body metabolizes the card into fat for storage since we can only store a very limited amunt of carbohydrate in the muscle and liver. Also keep in mind that not all fats are the same and some are actually helpful for the heart, etc. Mono and polyunsaturated fats are the so called "heart healthy". Saturated, trans and cholesterol are the bad guys. A diet free of fat completely is actually dangerous... fat is needed to carry fat soluble vitamins through the body so without them you end up deficient... Fat is also needed for hormones, so women who cut fat completely (if that is possible at all), end up having problems with estrogen and menstrual cycles.

    Although staying as close to your target as possible is the best bet, don;t feel too bad if you are a bit above. If most of your fats are the good fats, then I would say reduce your carbs to make up on the overal calorie intake and you will loose weight the same.

    Tina A.
    Nutritionist
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    Fat isn't TOO bad to go over on as it is instant fuel for the body, it burns straight away. Whereas if you have too many carbs you'll find it much more difficult to burn. It's sugar I always go over on. Hard to know what to do there. Maybe take a look at the sorts of things you're eating and the fat content?

    Um, no. The first fuel that our bodies use is carbohydrates.

    I would suggest eating low fat cheeses and non-fat yogurts.
  • SouthernBell86
    SouthernBell86 Posts: 275 Member
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    What I am most interested in is, what is your daily fat percentage goal. The thing is that in my opinion the 15% that MFP has on default is too low.

    Here is a very good article from a nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic recommends 20-35% of your daily calories, as coming from fat. Now obviously you may have already decided what percentage you are shooting for, but you didn't say it, so I was just wondering if you were using MFP's default. I love MFP, but not all of its nutrition defaults are for everyone. I mean the RDA values are widely accepted, but how much fat you should eat is a highly contentious topic.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat-grams/HQ00671

    I think you should read this article, and then look at your food diary. If you feel like you are eating a balanced amount of fats, carbs and proteins as it is, you may want to change the percentage of daily fat your diary displays.

    Fat is very useful to the body, as it is needed in the membranes of every cell in your body, as well as in your brain, and assisting in metabolizing fat soluble vitamins. That's why it is important to eat a healthy olive oil with your salad so that your body can actually absorb the nutrients you are putting into it. So much research is being done that is recognized by reputable places like the Mayo Clinic, which indicates that fat in general is not the enemy, and it isn't necessary or even healthy to try and eat as little fat as possible. It's best to strike a healthy balance, and you may be doing that already.

    Good luck!
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    What I am most interested in is, what is your daily fat percentage goal. The thing is that in my opinion the 15% that MFP has on default is too low.

    Maybe it's different for different people here on MFP, but the goal that they gave me was 15% protein, 30% fat, and 55% carbs. I had to manually change the goals, because for me to eat only 15% protein would eliminate most of my food choices for dinner since I love me some meat, lol.

    I actually reversed to protein and fat goals that they gave me...oftentimes I have noticed that I seem to be more like 45% carbs, 32% protein, and 23% fat. Sounds like weird numbers, but I seem to average that a lot, lol.
  • SouthernBell86
    SouthernBell86 Posts: 275 Member
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    Hmm, yeah that is interesting. Anyway after I did some consulting with different resources, and a cousin who is a nurse practitioner, I decided to put my settings at 45% carbs, 30% fat and 25% protein. Considering a gram of fat is 9 calories, vs carbs and protein are 4 calories per gram, you're right, in my opinion it doesn't take a lot to get to that 30% fat goal.

    Because most of the resources had a sliding scale, like the Mayo Clinic, I don't beat myself up for going a little over on any of these three, say within 5% on a particular day.
    So to me it sounds like you're fine at 23%. You could probably just adjust your percentages again, so your goal is 25% fat. I lose more weight and feel all around better when I'm eating enough fat and protein. The week I adjusted to 30% fat in my diet I had a huge spike in weight loss, like my body was saying "Yes, we like this."

    I completely understand what you mean about protein, I love meat, especially beef, and really need to have it in almost every meal. I go for greek yogurt and nuts as snacks as well for good protein there as well!

    Good Luck!

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