Thoughts on fat?

So I have done a lot of research on protein and carb intake. I'm one of those people who due to medical issues, have to keep my carbs around 100 or less. I lift heavy 4x a week. Very little cardio, only fun Zumba classes with my daughter. But I'm not finding a lot of information on fat intake. Some of the wonderful inspirational women I follow have their carbs around 200 and their fats really low. I'm a huge cheese addict, so my fats are probably way too high. I'm interested in hearing what anyone might know on how to calculate your fat on a high protein (140 g per day), moderate carbs (100 g per day)? Thanks.

Replies

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    http://macronutrientcalculator.com/

    Get your fats in, you need them.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    Fats are vital for overall health and hormone control, vitamin absorption etc. So, unless you have a medical condition that requires you to keep them to a certain level, treat your daily goal as a minimum. For me, I prioritize protein, fat, fiber, then fill in the rest with carbs
  • thebillmo
    thebillmo Posts: 11 Member
    The way you have phrased it it's a straightforward math problem. The last piece of information you need to provide is how many calories you need to eat per day to fuel your lifestyle and exercise and achieve your weight goal. MFP estimates that for you. Let's say the number is 2,000 calories per day. If you eat 140 g of protein and 100 g of carbs, that accounts for 960 calories (140 g x 4 cal/g + 100 g x 4 cal/g = 560 cal + 400 cal = 960 cal). That leaves 1,040 cal to come from fat (2000 cal - 960 cal = 1040 cal). That works out to 115 g of fat per day (1040 cal / (9 cal/g) = 115 g).

    Again this all hinges on your total calories per day. If you plan to eat less or more than 2,000 total calories, then you'll eat less or more fat.

    Since we're doing math and math is fun, based on a 2,000 calorie diet, the macro ratios would be:
    Carbs / Protein / Fat = 400 cal / 560 cal / 1040 cal = 20% / 28% / 52%

    That's a relatively high percentage of fat, heading towards paleo territory. If you're just not that into fat, consider increasing protein.
  • Fat requirement rule of thumb is .45%of body weight in grams. If you are significantly overweight this number can be lowered a bit.

    This is a min requirement. As long as there are no medical conditions you can go over. I usually eat 90-110g of fat a day.
  • bainsworth1a
    bainsworth1a Posts: 313 Member
    I go by the info mfp gives me. I don't beat myself up if I am a little over or under in one category
    this was a good day for me under on everything but over on fat
    Totals 1,241 107 72 46 1,711 46
    Your Daily Goal 1,280 160 43 64 2,300 48
    Remaining 39 53 -29 18 589 2
    Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar

    Good luck to you :smile:

    sorry the chart doesn't look like it lines up right in the post
  • madisonamanda
    madisonamanda Posts: 78 Member
    I suppose it depends on what your goals are. When I was initially looking to just lose weight, I was eating VERY little carbs 30-60 grams a day and I didn't really pay mind to fat. Many foods that are low or no carb are also high fat (one of which you mentioned, DELICIOUS cheese).

    After I lost the weight and gained a ton of muscle, my goal was to really lean out. I found that I was plateaued eating the low carb high fat/ protein diet. I used IIFYM and calculated my macronutrients based off of my goals (leaning out) and it knocked my fat way down.

    I'm now 18 days in and I'm MUCH stronger, feel and look less bloated and leaner and have lost two pounds.
    I eat 1,595 calories, 114g Carbs, 60g fat and 148g protein.

    I'm 5'6", 148lbs. Waist 26 in, Hips 38".
  • in_lieu_of
    in_lieu_of Posts: 33 Member
    Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate the input and also knowing that I am not alone :)
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    Calculating your fat intake should be simple, as you already have a baseline for your carbs and your protein should be around .7 - 1g per pound of lean mass! Therefore anything left on your cals should be taken up with fat!

    The fats to focus on would be saturated and monounsaturated. Try and limit your polyunsaturated and definitely avoid man made trans fats and interesterified fats!