Is it ok to exceed my fat limit?

I set my fat limit to 85% but I've been exceeding my fat limit per day. My carbs and protein limit are ok. Is it ok to exceed my fat goal limit per day or will it make me gain some weight?

Replies

  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    If you're not going over your total calorie limit, and you're meeting the minimum daily protein you need, I don't see why it would be a problem. You're not going to automatically gain weight just because you are a higher percentage of your calories from fat than from something else.
  • Thanks for responding.
  • sillyli234
    sillyli234 Posts: 124 Member
    Wow, that takes work to go over such a high limit. Do try to make a point of keeping your fat at your 85% limit twice a week though.
  • If I may ask, why? As long as they remain within their calorie allowance, they should continue to lose. As long as they fulfill their minimum protein requirements, they shouldn't lose muscle and slow their metabolism. The body can perform gluconeogenesis on protein to produce the tiny but of sugar that the brain needs.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    Here's the thing - you can't hit your protein and carb macro and go over your fat macro without exceeding your daily calories. Your daily calorie target is simply your macros multiplied out by 9-4-4. If by going over on your fat macro that means you're not hitting your recommended protein allowance and/or eating too many calories/day, I would say you should eat less fat.

    Personally, I would focus more on your protein macro (ensuring you calculated it correctly) and make sure you hit that each day. Fat is simply there to provide energy but protein will help you retain lean body mass. As such, it's never worth skimping on your protein intake just to consume more fat on a LCHF diet. Put another way, fat is only important to ensure you're consuming adequate calories per day.
  • butterbear1980
    butterbear1980 Posts: 234 Member
    When I'm hungry at the end of the day and over on calories I eat coconut manna until I feel full I've been loosing weight slow and steady.
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    Here's the thing - you can't hit your protein and carb macro and go over your fat macro without exceeding your daily calories.

    Well, yeah. That's basic math. But, some people have wiggle room built into their macros. I currently set my protein on the high side (115g) but know that any amount over 80g meets my daily minimum. Some days, I end up being lower on the protein than others.

    My carb macro is also set as an upper-bound. So, I am aiming to come in under that.

    If I am 10g under my carb limit and 35g under my protein limit, I can go 20g over my fat limit before exceeding my calories. I find this works for me. I consider my protein and carbs to be upper limits (with protein having a lower limit of at least 80g). I stay under those and fill the rest with fat. Other people may try and hit their exact grams in each category each day, I find I do better with some wiggle room.
  • Here's the thing - you can't hit your protein and carb macro and go over your fat macro without exceeding your daily calories. Your daily calorie target is simply your macros multiplied out by 9-4-4. If by going over on your fat macro that means you're not hitting your recommended protein allowance and/or eating too many calories/day, I would say you should eat less fat.

    Personally, I would focus more on your protein macro (ensuring you calculated it correctly) and make sure you hit that each day. Fat is simply there to provide energy but protein will help you retain lean body mass. As such, it's never worth skimping on your protein intake just to consume more fat on a LCHF diet. Put another way, fat is only important to ensure you're consuming adequate calories per day.

    I focus more on fat and very little carbs because I find that eating more protein increase my blood glucose.
  • I set my fat limit to 85% but I've been exceeding my fat limit per day. My carbs and protein limit are ok. Is it ok to exceed my fat goal limit per day or will it make me gain some weight?

    Woopsie, I mean 80 percent fat
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    I set my fat limit to 85% but I've been exceeding my fat limit per day. My carbs and protein limit are ok. Is it ok to exceed my fat goal limit per day or will it make me gain some weight?

    Woopsie, I mean 80 percent fat

    80+% fat seems very high unless you have a pretty high caloric target for the day. You should calculate your protein macro as 0.65-.8g / lb of lean body mass - the percentage really doesn't matter, as that's dependent on your calorie target.

    Personally, I think that focusing on your fat percentage and overall fat intake is putting your focus in the wrong place. Fat intake really isn't what's important on a ketogenic diet. Rather, your time is better spent focusing on protein and calories. It's really as simple as hitting your protein macro in raw grams (don't worry about the percentage), keeping carbs low, and then eating fat until you hit your calorie target. Fat only serves to provide energy (calories) on a ketogenic diet and otherwise is unimportant, whereas hitting your protein macro has other advantages such as helping to retain lean body mass. Of course, deviating slightly on your macros from day to day is bound to happen, but if you keep your focus on your total calories you won't have a problem. It's the caloric deficit that leads to weight loss.
  • Wow I find getting my fat to 70% a challenge - how are you doing 85% without just guzzling cream and eating butter????
    I'd love to see your diary.
  • EllieB_5
    EllieB_5 Posts: 247 Member
    My macros are 80%, 15%, 5% (fat, protein, carb); I can easily go over my fat goal with bacon, cream, and fatty dressings. Most of the time, but not every time, this would also take me over my caloric goal.

    The advice I was given again and again is that if you're craving carbs eat fat without worrying about exceeding your fat goal; as long as your carbs and protein are managed, and your calories aren't insanely high, eating that much fat is still better than eating carbs. I was also advised to eat more fiber-rich veggies to fill up on; that was probably the best out of all the great advice I was given. By incorporating more of these veggies not only did I fill up more but it seems to satiate my body's need for carbs. I stick to cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, and yucky brussel sprouts (sauteed in bacon fat, yum!). Exceeding my fat goal didn't seem too conducive to losing weight, yet some ppl say they still lose weight when exceeding the fat goals.