Thoughts on diet high in fat??
conoramck
Posts: 49 Member
Afternoon All,
I was thinking about trying out a diet thats higher in fats (mostly healthy fats but I've heard recently that saturated fats aren't as bad as what people think??). The ratio's I was thinking of going for are as follow: 55% fat - 25% protein - 20% carbs for about 2500 calories. Anybody on a diet like this and have success with it?? any feedback is welcome.
My goal isn't too lose weight or gain weight as such (I'm 6ft 1 and about 12 stone). I'm mostly thinking about doing it to feel better, have more energy and see how it effects how I feel during training as sometimes I feel sluggish. I've noticed at times that I feel quite lethargic and lack energy during the day which I think may have something to do with my diet and I've heard a higher fat diet can be good for raising energy levels among other things.
Many thanks in advance,
Conor.
I was thinking about trying out a diet thats higher in fats (mostly healthy fats but I've heard recently that saturated fats aren't as bad as what people think??). The ratio's I was thinking of going for are as follow: 55% fat - 25% protein - 20% carbs for about 2500 calories. Anybody on a diet like this and have success with it?? any feedback is welcome.
My goal isn't too lose weight or gain weight as such (I'm 6ft 1 and about 12 stone). I'm mostly thinking about doing it to feel better, have more energy and see how it effects how I feel during training as sometimes I feel sluggish. I've noticed at times that I feel quite lethargic and lack energy during the day which I think may have something to do with my diet and I've heard a higher fat diet can be good for raising energy levels among other things.
Many thanks in advance,
Conor.
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Replies
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It's not unhealthy - it is something only you can decide on though, some people feel great with lower carbs and using fat for fuel, others don't.
I eat lower carbs until around training times.... Higher fat and protein in the am - i think I feel better, more even energy and better focus.0 -
Yeah what you explained if pretty much what I'm after, at times my energy seems to dip really low to the point im almost unable to concentrate on my work and stuff.
More even energy and better focus sounds good to me!0 -
Given your fitness, it sounds like you have good reason to give it a try. But, needless to say, keep an eye on your cholesterol and blood pressure (maybe check it every 2-3 months or so while on the diet and if it remains stable, every 6 months after that). You don't want to become at risk for a cardiac event.0
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I raised healthy fat and it has been really amazing for my skin and mental state. I am losing weight at a steady clip with 24:30:46 c:p:f. Need to check blood work soon, but I don't believe dietary fat and cholesterol are the main culprits in heart disease.0
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There is a plethora of good research in support of high fat diets.
Nevertheless, some people prefer moderate protein, moderate fat, high carb diets. Some prefer high fat, moderate protein and very low carb diets. Some prefer high protein, moderate fat and moderate carb diets. Some folks prefer a yet different combination of macronutrients. It's highly individual.0 -
I kind of naturally increased my fat without really thinking about it much. I gravitated that way because I felt a lot better in myself and I just preferred eating that kind of food.
I didn't watch the saturated fat, and I found my "bad" cholesterol went sky-high (even after losing 65 lbs, go figure!), so I've since cut saturated fat right down (cholesterol went right down with it and then some), BUT I still eat quite high fat (around 40-45%).
My limited understanding is that the saturated fat-cholesterol response is an individual thing affecting an unknown proportion of the population (I've seen 1/4 to 1/3 thrown around). Also, the effect on heart disease is being argued about constantly. But the chances are you won't know until you try it so you might want to just keep it in the back of your mind.0 -
I find it really, really hard to modify the proportions. One must be creative. Give it a try and I suggest you diarize your energy swings (say, from a scale from 0-5, 0 being your lowest). Then you will be able to see if a different diet made a significant difference in your energy levels. I find nuts to be great for leveling off my energy reserves.0
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Thanks to all who replied so far. This is probably a stupid questions but I take you can't test your cholestrol yourself and it would take a visit to the doctor??
Ive heard a lot of good stuff about higher fat diets recently myself and I think there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding it and heart disease, other heath issues etc but its kind of hard to know what to believe.
Excellent idea about keeping a diary, I'll definitely be doing that.0 -
Lots of people do it, and I think it's worth experimenting with.
I don't enjoy doing something as high in fat as 55% personally, but that doesn't mean you won't.0 -
I love my high fat diet. Got a lot more energy and keep losing weight. Another plus... I feel full fast and stopped craving for snacks in between meals.0
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You can keep notes in your MFP food diary.Thanks to all who replied so far. This is probably a stupid questions but I take you can't test your cholestrol yourself and it would take a visit to the doctor??
Ive heard a lot of good stuff about higher fat diets recently myself and I think there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding it and heart disease, other heath issues etc but its kind of hard to know what to believe.
Excellent idea about keeping a diary, I'll definitely be doing that.
The misinformation comes from the 1970s/1980s.0 -
I've heard that if you are careful about carbs and processed food, you can eat more fats.0
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Thanks to all who replied so far. This is probably a stupid questions but I take you can't test your cholestrol yourself and it would take a visit to the doctor??
Ive heard a lot of good stuff about higher fat diets recently myself and I think there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding it and heart disease, other heath issues etc but its kind of hard to know what to believe.
Excellent idea about keeping a diary, I'll definitely be doing that.
You need a doctor to test. Also be aware that cholesterol changes most likely aren't food related at all, unless you're one of a minority people with a genetic factor that makes them sensitive to it. Weight loss alone will cause improvements, but for some people, that includes one of those numbers getting worse short term, then improving along the way.
My fat% is generally between 60 and 70, on paper. In practice, fat is not a goal, it's just what you use to fill in when you're hungry after you've gotten enough protein. If you're not hungry and you still have 30g of fat left, don't force feed them just to make the numbers balance out.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Lots of people do it, and I think it's worth experimenting with.
I don't enjoy doing something as high in fat as 55% personally, but that doesn't mean you won't.
Yeah 55% is quite high in fairness,
It's just something I've been thinking about and not a definite percentage yet, but I think I might try that to start off.biggsterjackster wrote: »I love my high fat diet. Got a lot more energy and keep losing weight. Another plus... I feel full fast and stopped craving for snacks in between meals.
That's encouraging, do you concentrate mostly on healthy fats or do you throw saturates fats in there as wellThanks to all who replied so far. This is probably a stupid questions but I take you can't test your cholestrol yourself and it would take a visit to the doctor??
Ive heard a lot of good stuff about higher fat diets recently myself and I think there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding it and heart disease, other heath issues etc but its kind of hard to know what to believe.
Excellent idea about keeping a diary, I'll definitely be doing that.
You need a doctor to test. Also be aware that cholesterol changes most likely aren't food related at all, unless you're one of a minority people with a genetic factor that makes them sensitive to it. Weight loss alone will cause improvements, but for some people, that includes one of those numbers getting worse short term, then improving along the way.
My fat% is generally between 60 and 70, on paper. In practice, fat is not a goal, it's just what you use to fill in when you're hungry after you've gotten enough protein. If you're not hungry and you still have 30g of fat left, don't force feed them just to make the numbers balance out.
60 - 70% that's quite high! Thanks for this ill keep it in mind!
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I've always had a tendency toward a higher fat diet due to kidney issues (need to keep my protein moderate), and my gallbladder has become increasingly angry abut it. If you experience radiating upper belly pain, see a GI specialist. I'm a little sad about having to break up with ice cream (we still see each other for very special occasions) because it's such a satisfying way to eat. I wish you luck!0
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I've been at about 70% fat for 4 months. I find my energy level has risen and is more consistent. I used to hit a rough spot most afternoons. I've lost about 25lbs. Just had a full panel of blood work and the numbers are all better than last years. I try to get much of the fat from nuts, eggs and coconut or olive oil. A good steak is also welcome now and then. I eat a lot of fish and poultry though.
I feel great. Noticeably more energy during and after workouts. I hope this gives you good results as well.0 -
I've been at about 70% fat for 4 months. I find my energy level has risen and is more consistent. I used to hit a rough spot most afternoons. I've lost about 25lbs. Just had a full panel of blood work and the numbers are all better than last years. I try to get much of the fat from nuts, eggs and coconut or olive oil. A good steak is also welcome now and then. I eat a lot of fish and poultry though.
I feel great. Noticeably more energy during and after workouts. I hope this gives you good results as well.
Thank mate that's really encouraging. The afternoons are my problem as well, just hit a complete slump where I have no energy on most days which leads to lack of motivation for training and anything else really!
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Saturated fats are healthy..... Trans fats are what you should try to avoid.
My fat comes predominantly from coconut oil and butter, but I also have avocado, nuts and oily fish every day, along with fish oil tablets.0 -
I eat both equally. Unsaturated and saturated. My favorites are salmon, nuts, nut butters, cheese (like Brie), avocado and of course meat. My LDL levels are better than ever. So I am not worried about high cholesterol.0
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Saturated fats are healthy..... Trans fats are what you should try to avoid.
My fat comes predominantly from coconut oil and butter, but I also have avocado, nuts and oily fish every day, along with fish oil tablets.
Saturated fat is healthy and not realted to increased risk of health issues, only on MFP and nowhere else:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Saturated-Fats_UCM_301110_Article.jsp
"Eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the level of cholesterol in your blood. High levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood increase your risk of heart disease and stroke."
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Eat-less-saturated-fat.aspx
"Eating a diet that is high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in the blood. Having high cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease. "
And here, since someone will bring up, this paper "Association of Dietary, Circulating, and Supplement Fatty Acids With Coronary Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2014/03/19/dietary-fat-and-heart-disease-study-is-seriously-misleading/
"This paper is bound to cause confusion. A central issue is what replaces saturated fat if someone reduces the amount of saturated fat in their diet. If it is replaced with refined starch or sugar, which are the largest sources of calories in the U.S. diet, then the risk of heart disease remains the same. However, if saturated fat is replaced with polyunsaturated fat or monounsaturated fat in the form of olive oil, nuts and probably other plant oils, we have much evidence that risk will be reduced."
and
"the conclusions of Chowdhury et al. regarding the type of fat being unimportant are seriously misleading and should be disregarded."0 -
My nutritional happy place is about 50-60% of calories from fat. I don't distinguish between saturated and unsaturated, but I avoid man-made fats completely (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, for example). After about a year of eating that way I was at my lowest adult weight and my blood work was great--slightly high "good" cholesterol and very low "bad" cholesterol.
I think that if your body likes it, a high-fat diet can be a wonderful thing. I'm trying to get back to mine right now--I veered off into the carb-heavy wasteland for a while, there.
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Saturated fat is healthy and not realted to increased risk of health issues, only on MFP and nowhere else
Two website pieces from temples of conventional wisdom and one opinion from Walter Walrus Willett, so deep in the Lipid Hypothesis you can't see him anymore, trying to slag off a study. That all you got ? LOL.
Willett should produce a peer reviewed analysis that supports his position, not try to scare people off evidence that counters it.
Key issue for me is that the saturated fat level in the bloodstream is not a function of that in the diet.
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Thanks to all who replied so far. This is probably a stupid questions but I take you can't test your cholestrol yourself and it would take a visit to the doctor??
Ive heard a lot of good stuff about higher fat diets recently myself and I think there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding it and heart disease, other heath issues etc but its kind of hard to know what to believe.
Excellent idea about keeping a diary, I'll definitely be doing that.
There's a place near where I live called "Any Lab Test Now" where you can go in and have them test your blood for lipids. The website states that it's $49 for a lipid panel which will give you your cholesterol. There may be similar type places in your area.
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Thanks folks, just started working on my diet. Ordered some Coconut Oil from MyProtein, looking forward to trying the stuff out. I've heard a lot of good things!0
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Check out dietdoctor.com. I've had great success and I feel much better. Mood, joint pain, weight, skin, hair, health (readings from bloodwork), all improved. I still have a good bit of weight to lose too.0
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biggsterjackster wrote: »I eat both equally. Unsaturated and saturated. My favorites are salmon, nuts, nut butters, cheese (like Brie), avocado and of course meat. My LDL levels are better than ever. So I am not worried about high cholesterol.
My LDL, total, and Tri levels are spectacular. I eat a diet pretty high in fat as well. (I avoid the industrial transfats).. I've been increasing my fat, and lowering my carbs to see if it affects menopause. For me, it does.0 -
Saturated fat is healthy and not realted to increased risk of health issues, only on MFP and nowhere else
Two website pieces from temples of conventional wisdom and one opinion from Walter Walrus Willett, so deep in the Lipid Hypothesis you can't see him anymore, trying to slag off a study. That all you got ? LOL.
Willett should produce a peer reviewed analysis that supports his position, not try to scare people off evidence that counters it.
Key issue for me is that the saturated fat level in the bloodstream is not a function of that in the diet.
Last time I checked, Willett was the head of Nutrition department in one of the most high ranking schools on Health, not the banana girl or some random blogger. I understand that people like complicated and exotic, or at least unconventional diets. We all want to be special snowflakes, and just following some boring calorie counting balanced nutrients "normal" eating plan does not sound that exciting. Eating at 80% fat or eating bacon only or bananas only or other similar things does sound more exciting, and might even work for some, but from there to dismissing health concerns from reputable medical sites and reputable health professionals, because they are "conventional"... what can I say? I hope the average person has the common sense to evaluate the advice of boring health professionals over the advice of random people on the internet, although I must admit the number of fruitaritarians, paleo eaters, cleanse fanatics etc make me doubt this. In the end, we are all responsible for own lifestyle choices, the risks we are willing to take and the long term impact on our health.0 -
Saturated fat is healthy and not realted to increased risk of health issues, only on MFP and nowhere else
Two website pieces from temples of conventional wisdom and one opinion from Walter Walrus Willett, so deep in the Lipid Hypothesis you can't see him anymore, trying to slag off a study. That all you got ? LOL.
Willett should produce a peer reviewed analysis that supports his position, not try to scare people off evidence that counters it.
Key issue for me is that the saturated fat level in the bloodstream is not a function of that in the diet.
Last time I checked, Willett was the head of Nutrition department in one of the most high ranking schools on Health, not the banana girl or some random blogger. I understand that people like complicated and exotic, or at least unconventional diets. We all want to be special snowflakes, and just following some boring calorie counting balanced nutrients "normal" eating plan does not sound that exciting. Eating at 80% fat or eating bacon only or bananas only or other similar things does sound more exciting, and might even work for some, but from there to dismissing health concerns from reputable medical sites and reputable health professionals, because they are "conventional"... what can I say? I hope the average person has the common sense to evaluate the advice of boring health professionals over the advice of random people on the internet, although I must admit the number of fruitaritarians, paleo eaters, cleanse fanatics etc make me doubt this. In the end, we are all responsible for own lifestyle choices, the risks we are willing to take and the long term impact on our health.
Out of curiosity: how much do you know about the diet and lifestyle Dr. Willett advocates? "normal" (meaning mainstream here) isn't how I'd describe it.
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Saturated fat is healthy and not realted to increased risk of health issues, only on MFP and nowhere else
Two website pieces from temples of conventional wisdom and one opinion from Walter Walrus Willett, so deep in the Lipid Hypothesis you can't see him anymore, trying to slag off a study. That all you got ? LOL.
Willett should produce a peer reviewed analysis that supports his position, not try to scare people off evidence that counters it.
Key issue for me is that the saturated fat level in the bloodstream is not a function of that in the diet.
Last time I checked, Willett was the head of Nutrition department in one of the most high ranking schools on Health, not the banana girl or some random blogger. I understand that people like complicated and exotic, or at least unconventional diets. We all want to be special snowflakes, and just following some boring calorie counting balanced nutrients "normal" eating plan does not sound that exciting. Eating at 80% fat or eating bacon only or bananas only or other similar things does sound more exciting, and might even work for some, but from there to dismissing health concerns from reputable medical sites and reputable health professionals, because they are "conventional"... what can I say? I hope the average person has the common sense to evaluate the advice of boring health professionals over the advice of random people on the internet, although I must admit the number of fruitaritarians, paleo eaters, cleanse fanatics etc make me doubt this. In the end, we are all responsible for own lifestyle choices, the risks we are willing to take and the long term impact on our health.
Out of curiosity: how much do you know about the diet and lifestyle Dr. Willett advocates? "normal" (meaning mainstream here) isn't how I'd describe it.
I am not American. If what you say is true, perhaps my mainstream is not the American mainstream, which I have no reason to doubt. So for me, what he advocates is pretty much "normal". I suspect for most of the world it is not that far from mainstream, but this is based on my very limited personal experience, not on any research.
The Harvard pyramid is not that exotic to me, it is actually very close to traditional for me
https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2012/10/healthy-eating-pyramid-700-link.jpg
And even if he was advocating something really unusual, he still is the head of a very reputable medical school, I think he is the most referenced scientist in his field, so dismissing (not you) his work as if he were just one more clueless person, it makes me roll my eyes.0 -
And even if he was advocating something really unusual, he still is the head of a very reputable medical school, I think he is the most referenced scientist in his field, so dismissing (not you) his work as if he were just one more clueless person, it makes me roll my eyes.
I didn't suggest he was clueless, just that he is so invested in one approach that he'll take it to the grave.
I can't think of a better illustration of his eminence based approach attacking the meta-study that failed to find a problem with saturated fat - purely because it conflicts with his cast in stone view. The outcome was unacceptable to him, regardless of the quality of the analysis and the investigators - "From the University of Cambridge and Medical Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts; University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom; and Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands."
If Willett has a stronger case than http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1846638 then let's see it published.0
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