HIgh fat v Low fat products - confused!
hortsy1979
Posts: 2 Member
Hi all,
I am managing to eat within my calorie range each day however, I have been trying to reduce carbs (not eliminate, more aiming for low to moderate carbs) and of course I am seeing a substantial hike in my fats and protein numbers instead each day, the fats are good i.e. avocado, olive oil etc, I try to include an amount of good fat with each meal.
Just a bit concerned as i am trying to steer clear of low fat products due to sweeteners/additives but then of course when eating good fats the level of saturated fat does increase and there seems to be an opinion now that saturated fat is not harmful whereas sweeteners/sugars/additives are, but I am not sure either way.....
How do other members address this? Are you high fat or low fat gurus?
I am managing to eat within my calorie range each day however, I have been trying to reduce carbs (not eliminate, more aiming for low to moderate carbs) and of course I am seeing a substantial hike in my fats and protein numbers instead each day, the fats are good i.e. avocado, olive oil etc, I try to include an amount of good fat with each meal.
Just a bit concerned as i am trying to steer clear of low fat products due to sweeteners/additives but then of course when eating good fats the level of saturated fat does increase and there seems to be an opinion now that saturated fat is not harmful whereas sweeteners/sugars/additives are, but I am not sure either way.....
How do other members address this? Are you high fat or low fat gurus?
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Replies
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I gave up anything sweetened (well that i know is sweetened) and switched all my "low fat" "low calorie" etc yoghurts and things for the full fat options (only exception is milk where i stick to semi skimmed as obviously this isn't sweetened anyway!)..since doing this I've felt so much more full, lost more weight and stuck to my calories for longer. So I'm pro normal fat! Also getting rid of the sweetened rubbish has definitely curbed my sugar cravings.0
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I watch fats somewhat, insofar as I'm not careless with mayo, butter, and oils. But my eye is on fats only because I know 1 gram of fat has more than twice the number of calories than 1 gram of protein or carbohydrate, so fats can eat up a calorie budget quickly if you're not careful.
I don't pay attention to saturated, trans, etc.
I also try to aim for my protein macro, and eat lower (not low) carb, for satiety. This usually translates (for me) into having higher fat intake than I might have otherwise. Fat is where the taste is, esp for protein.0 -
If you lower carbs you are going to have to increase fats some (and also make sure you keep your protein up), and that's okay. People are often too scared of fat, which is high calorie, but also very satiating.
I like the 40-30-30 ratio, with carbs at 40%--which means in actuality about 100-150 g when I'm having a less active day, and more when I'm doing lots of exercise, which works for me. Mostly I try to get at least 105 g protein and if my fat is over some and my carbs are under some, it doesn't bother me at all.
So to answer your question, I guess I'm moderate fat?0 -
Personally, I steer clear of anything labelled as low-fat, half the fat, x%fat free, healthy or whatever. My fat is set at 56g which I consider a minimum (good job, as it am invariably over
). 0 -
My diet is lower (not low I just tend not to have pasta and potatoes with dinner) carb and higher fat I need to up my protein but that's not the question here.
Women's health had an interesting article about low fat vs low carb diets and the low carb (high fat) won on nearly all all points so as long as you are under your cals goals I wouldn't worry too much about having more fat.0 -
I eat a high fat diet (100g+ of fat a day) and I've never been healthier. The added fats I use are butter, coconut oil, olive oil and any animal fats I've rendered myself. I try and keep fats from industrial seeds oils and man made transfats to a minimum.0
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I've dieted on and off since the late 80's - almost always ultra-low fat (cf. 1980's...), which put me at over 85% carb. This didn't suit me at all - that level of carbs in my diet meant I was never really full and would get serious sugar crashes. Combined with a very low calorie diet (1,000kcal a day - again, 1980's dietary advice), those diets really, really didn't work and probably did me quite a bit of harm.
Since ditching the ultra-low fat ethos and dropping to what is a more sensible macro ratio of 40%/30%/30% (C/P/F) plus setting a reasonable calorie goal, I feel much better, I hardly ever keel over with sugar crashes (unless I eat something sugary and then go for a walk) and I actually feel satiated after eating.
So, my advice: don't deliberately cut the fat out of your diet. Watch your calories (fat having over twice as many kcals per gram), but get a reasonable amount of fat per day as your body needs it.0 -
I too have heard about many studies suggesting that saturated fat is not as bad as it used to be, and that sugar is our real enemy here.
I don't worry at all about my fat counts, but do watch my fat intake somewhat since I am on a pretty low calorie budget (1200 ish) and fat is so high in cals I want to make sure there is room for other foods. For me, using low fat products totally depends on the product. It all comes down to taste for me.
Low fat/light cheese - NEVER
Low fat/light cream cheese - always
Low fat/light cottage cheese - usually
Low fat/light peanut butter - no
Low fat/light bacon (turkey or veggie bacon) - never
Canadian bacon (naturally low fat) - yes please0 -
I use half fat cheese and light butter. I love the taste of butter but find that it gives me a stomach ache but the lighter (watered down) versions I'm ok with in small amounts. Half fat cheese is still tasty to me so I eat it to save on calories really. I think fat free cheese is vile.
Otherwise I get fat from nuts, nut butters (always full fat, natural varieties), avocados (probably only once a week), and a tsp of so of sunflower oil in recipes. Oh yea, and eggs.
My diet is generally lowish fat though, to be honest I don't pay much attention to the fat macro. I've been more conscious lately of my protein intake since I've started strength training.0 -
i stay away from low-fat and fat-free versions of foods because those are going to be the most chemically monkeyed with, and have much higher carb (sugar) counts than anything else. i have my macros set to put a closer balance between protein and fat than most low carbers do, but that's because i'm also trying to build (or at least preserve) lean body mass. i do daily circuit/weight training at the gym, and i know i need protein for that, even though a lot of times it's really hard for me to hit that macro.
but as far as fat goes, i'm all for it. i use olive oil for cooking, heavy cream in my coffee and for late-night treats (or coconut oil). i'm temporarily cutting out butter and as much as i can from other animal sources (heavy cream is my exeption to that rule) per doctor's orders because i have genetically high cholesterol but my ratios are stellar.0 -
Depends............
If your talking 1% milk vs. full fat....always 1%. 2% cheese.....fine. Something that you can just remove the fat from is ok by me.
However, I draw the line when something has added fake stuff. Fat-free ice cream, what is that? Ice milk I get (Dairy Queen)....but fat-free ice cream has to have some kind of crap added. Same goes with fat free cheese...blech.0 -
Do whatever you like, really. For me some things are worth the extra calories, others not. For example, I haven't seen any difference in satiety or taste between fat free and 2% yogurt, so I will just take fat free (except when the flavor I want only comes in 2%). For cheese, if it's just to use in salads or omelets where it won't be tasted that much anyway, I will often use low fat (but only cheddar, other cheeses are maybe 10 less calories for low fat, so there's no point). For things like mayo, well oil isn't really going to fill me up anyway, so I go for light. For butter, well, I use either whipped or real butter. For ice cream, it depends on the brand, but some of the Edy's slow churned stuff is really decent for 110 calories, but I'll still splurge on Talenti when I have more calories.0
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I gave up anything sweetened (well that i know is sweetened) and switched all my "low fat" "low calorie" etc yoghurts and things for the full fat options (only exception is milk where i stick to semi skimmed as obviously this isn't sweetened anyway!)..since doing this I've felt so much more full, lost more weight and stuck to my calories for longer. So I'm pro normal fat! Also getting rid of the sweetened rubbish has definitely curbed my sugar cravings.I gave up anything sweetened (well that i know is sweetened) and switched all my "low fat" "low calorie" etc yoghurts and things for the full fat options (only exception is milk where i stick to semi skimmed as obviously this isn't sweetened anyway!)..since doing this I've felt so much more full, lost more weight and stuck to my calories for longer. So I'm pro normal fat! Also getting rid of the sweetened rubbish0
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Sorry ignore last message, on my phone and still not really got the hang of touch screen!! Was trying to read thread not quote anyone. Sorry x0
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It's really the type of fats. Avocado, almond, coconut, walnut, olive, Palm oil, ghee (nomnom!!)... These are great fats / oils. Vegetable oil, corn, etc not so good.
Omega 6 fats bad.
Omega 3 fats good.
http://paleoleap.com/paleo-fats/
I follow this close0 -
Do whatever you like, really. For me some things are worth the extra calories, others not. For example, I haven't seen any difference in satiety or taste between fat free and 2% yogurt, so I will just take fat free (except when the flavor I want only comes in 2%). For cheese, if it's just to use in salads or omelets where it won't be tasted that much anyway, I will often use low fat (but only cheddar, other cheeses are maybe 10 less calories for low fat, so there's no point). For things like mayo, well oil isn't really going to fill me up anyway, so I go for light. For butter, well, I use either whipped or real butter. For ice cream, it depends on the brand, but some of the Edy's slow churned stuff is really decent for 110 calories, but I'll still splurge on Talenti when I have more calories.
This is pretty much how I am. I always use full fat cream cheese, butter, etc. If it needs to melt I use full fat cheese. I use fat free greek yogurt because of the low calories and it's generally just filler that won't be tasted much. But I don't choose low fat because of the fat, exactly, just because lower fat = lower calories.
There's nothing to fear from either fat or sweeteners, as long as your diet is balanced overall.0 -
This is about what I do but I eat low fat cheddar. I watch the fats but don't eliminate them. A small amount goes a long way.I too have heard about many studies suggesting that saturated fat is not as bad as it used to be, and that sugar is our real enemy here.
I don't worry at all about my fat counts, but do watch my fat intake somewhat since I am on a pretty low calorie budget (1200 ish) and fat is so high in cals I want to make sure there is room for other foods. For me, using low fat products totally depends on the product. It all comes down to taste for me.
Low fat/light cheese - NEVER
Low fat/light cream cheese - always
Low fat/light cottage cheese - usually
Low fat/light peanut butter - no
Low fat/light bacon (turkey or veggie bacon) - never
Canadian bacon (naturally low fat) - yes please
I don't like advertised products where the fat is reduced and replaced with sugar. Why????
Things get stupid when an entire macro is demonised. Enjoy all of them in proportion.
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I'm on a low calorie allowance since I'm older and short, so I watch my fats too, but don't eliminate them. I'm just picky about which ones I'll eat.
I'll eat:
Non-fat Greek yogurt
1% Fat Cottage Cheese
Low-fat Half and Half
I eat these almost every day. I like Pb2 stirred into yogurt because I can fit it into my day more often than I could fit the calories of regular peanut butter in. I do fit a snack of a tablespoon of regular almond butter into my day here and there. I don't eat much cheese, except for Parmesan (I buy really good stuff). I've lost my taste for it somewhere along the way. I do like half-fat cheddar though. It seems like it clings less to my palate or something. I buy good olive oil. I like avocados but haven't had one in a while.0 -
fats dont bother me. calories do LOL
as long as im within my calorie allowance, i dont care if my fats go in the red (and for the most part they are all 'good fats', i dont generally eat many processed or junk foods. we wont talk about the valentines candy im making my way through, though. its almost gone.... LOLOLOL0
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