Less fat more beneficial?

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dancinggirl81
dancinggirl81 Posts: 63 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Is it beneficial to eat less fat than recommended in daily goal/totals? I know we need the good fats in our diets... and not all fat is bad; but does it do any good (or harm) to limit them even more?

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  • lordofultima
    lordofultima Posts: 293
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    Dietary fat supports cognitive function, hair and skin...so I'd say that fat is one of the more important macro-nutrients. I would not cut fat out completely, or below 20% for that matter.
  • GabrielMaestas
    GabrielMaestas Posts: 88 Member
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    Lowering fat below 20% isn't a good idea.
  • flutterqueen04
    flutterqueen04 Posts: 278
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    That is a good question! I had my gallbladder removed a little over 3 years ago. They told me I needed to significantly reduce my fat intake after my surgery. At first I didn't listen and ate like poo. Since the beginning of the year I have really monitored my fat intake. I always choose low fat/non fat options and avoid fatty foods. I usually come in well under my fat goal. I can honestly say I feel so much better eating less fat. I don't feel so sluggish. I feel like my system is relatively gunk free and I have less abdominal pains. So basically little fat means a better feeling me but I would like to know if you are suppose to hit that mark. Until then though I am sticking to as little as possible.
  • dancinggirl81
    dancinggirl81 Posts: 63 Member
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    Cdennie - I also had my gallbladder removed. I had built-up gallstones due to lack of fat - so I know that NO fat in the diet is a bad thing. I have stayed low-fat since the surgery and have not experienced stomach problems since.
  • Ral263
    Ral263 Posts: 318 Member
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    While NO fat in the diet is a bad thing, I'd say 20% of calories is good. The thing about fat is that one gram has a bit more than DOUBLE the amount of calories than carbs or protein, so keep that in mind. Limit yourself to fats that are either polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated (nuts, avocado, etc) and have as few transfats and saturated fats as possible. Also, avoid any fats from dairy (as these are usually animal = saturated fats).

    Transfats are tricky; since a company can claim there is no transfat even if the product contains less than .5 grams. I know it seems like .5 grams is nothing, but the RDA limit is 2 grams-- that means if you eat 4 portions of whatever has .5 grams, you're already over. This is when it's important to look at ingredients-- anything with "partially hydrogenated" anything = transfat.
  • flutterqueen04
    flutterqueen04 Posts: 278
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    I eat fat, just not a big amount of it. I am usually around 10 grams (give or take) below my goal. I do eat good fats from fish, avocados, and nuts but I have majorly reduced fats from other food sources. Again, I feel soooooo much better compared to what I was feeling when I didn't monitor my fat intake.

    I guess the best thing we can do is ask our own doctor about our specific needs. MFP doesn't take into account medical history, like with diabetes, and such so they could have your goal set to the standard but not taking into account if you need to reduce your carbs, fat, sodium, etc. But choosing low fat/non fat items when able too is always a good bet, especially if they are not in the good fat categories. :)

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