Does fat really matter?

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PearlAng
PearlAng Posts: 681 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've heard it doesn't, and I'd like to think that. But what about good fat vs. Bad fat?
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Replies

  • climbing_trees
    climbing_trees Posts: 726 Member
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    Like dietary fat? The kind you eat?

    Or are you talking about being fat?
  • mister_universe
    mister_universe Posts: 6,664 Member
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    Good fat is for spanking.
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
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    Fat in foods is good for you. Your body needs fat to distribute nutrients. Your body NEEDS fat. Getting them from high quality sources from nuts, avocados, etc is preferrable of course. There's no harm in eating fat from french fries or pizza though in moderation.
  • EMTFreakGirl
    EMTFreakGirl Posts: 597 Member
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    Good fat is for spanking.
    Best. Answer. Ever!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Does it matter for what?
  • emAZn
    emAZn Posts: 413 Member
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    I've read (and I'm not a certified nutritionist, so take this for what it's worth) generally no. Just like generally calories in and calories out is best for weight loss most fat is proccessed the same in your body but if you're eating tons of fryer oil a day it'll eventually come back to getcha in the form of a heart attack probably.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    There are essential fatty acids that your body requires and cannot manufacture by itself.

    Consequently yes, fat matters.
  • andreahanlon
    andreahanlon Posts: 263 Member
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    Generally, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated is good for you. Saturated is bad for you. The difference is that "good" fats are made of flexible bonds and "bad" fats are not. This is why the "bad" fats cause clogging (ie. heart attack) in our bodies.

    Examples of good fats are avacados, nuts, coconut, dark chocolate, olives and olive oil. These fats are needed the way oil is needed in a car to make the system run smoothly.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    The only fat that you could make an argument for being "bad" is trans fat.

    ETA: Forgot to mention, dietary fat is actually very important. There are many parts of the body that require fat...hormone production, etc.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Generally, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated is good for you. Saturated is bad for you. The difference is that "good" fats are made of flexible bonds and "bad" fats are not. This is why the "bad" fats cause clogging (ie. heart attack) in our bodies.

    Examples of good fats are avacados, nuts, coconut, dark chocolate, olives and olive oil. These fats are needed the way oil is needed in a car to make the system run smoothly.

    There's more and more evidence coming out showing that even saturated fat isn't all that bad for you. I would still focus on the "good" fats mentioned as much as possible, but, as another poster mentioned, there's probably not going to be much harm from consuming a moderate amount of "bad" fats as well. (ETA: Excellent point in the post before mine. Trans fat should definitely still be avoided completely, if possible.)

    You do want to hit a minimum fat target each day. I've seen that target recommended from 0.3 to 0.4 grams per pound of body weight per day (so, if you weigh 150 pounds, regardless of body fat percentage/LBM, you'd want to eat somewhere between 45 and 60 grams of fat per day). That's technically a minimum, but personally I treat my fat macro as more of a solid goal - I want to hit it, but I don't really want to go over it by very much at all - that's just me.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    Generally, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated is good for you. Saturated is bad for you. The difference is that "good" fats are made of flexible bonds and "bad" fats are not. This is why the "bad" fats cause clogging (ie. heart attack) in our bodies.

    Examples of good fats are avacados, nuts, coconut, dark chocolate, olives and olive oil. These fats are needed the way oil is needed in a car to make the system run smoothly.

    this is old school. having said that I am not jumping in and agruing ...because I really don't know who is telling the truth. :huh:
  • PearlAng
    PearlAng Posts: 681 Member
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    It says I should get a minimum of 40 g/day, but I probably eat closer to 80 or 100 :ohwell: not good?
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,983 Member
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    It says I should get a minimum of 40 g/day, but I probably eat closer to 80 or 100 :ohwell: not good?
    If eating that much fat is preventing you from getting an adequate amount of protein and meeting your calorie goal or feeling satiated, then yes, it is bad. Otherwise, no worries. I like to leave more room for carbs to help fuel my workout, but that's a personal choice.
  • emAZn
    emAZn Posts: 413 Member
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    Holy bajeezus how do you get that much fat in per day... I'm struggling to get 32 g per day in.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Holy bajeezus how do you get that much fat in per day... I'm struggling to get 32 g per day in.

    My goal is 72g. Most days I eat an ounce of almonds as an afternoon snack and have a tablespoon of olive oil (plus vinegar) on my big big salad for lunch. That gets me halfway there, and all the bits and pieces from whatever meat, dairy, and other miscellaneous oil/butter/flax/whatever I consume easily make up the rest, or at least get me very close. It's not at all difficult to get enough fats if you're not actively avoiding them by choosing low- or non-fat foods instead of full-fat equivalents.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    Holy bajeezus how do you get that much fat in per day... I'm struggling to get 32 g per day in.

    I add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in my morning coffee and it works the wonder.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Generally, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated is good for you. Saturated is bad for you. The difference is that "good" fats are made of flexible bonds and "bad" fats are not. This is why the "bad" fats cause clogging (ie. heart attack) in our bodies.

    Examples of good fats are avacados, nuts, coconut, dark chocolate, olives and olive oil. These fats are needed the way oil is needed in a car to make the system run smoothly.
    ...and yet the fats in dark chocolate and coconuts are mostly saturated.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    Holy bajeezus how do you get that much fat in per day... I'm struggling to get 32 g per day in.
    Try switching the fat free products you're eating to the full fat alternatives.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Holy bajeezus how do you get that much fat in per day... I'm struggling to get 32 g per day in.

    You should see how much fat I eat a day. I'm also doing keto, so the more fat, the better.

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