Keto diet and fat intake

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betsy0426
betsy0426 Posts: 14 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I started the keto diet a little over a week ago. So far I am really liking it, it’s getting easier every day. But I am strugging to eat enough fat. How important is the fat intake? I am using one scoop of MCT oil powder in my coffee. I would use more MCT oil but I was not sure how much is safe to use in a day. Also I am on average eating less than 900 calories a day. I did know if that is a problem or not. I would like to lose 50-60lbs. Thank you.

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  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    Fat is important when it comes to keto, I believe it should be set to around 60% of your macro goals. And you should definitely aim to reach your minimum calorie goal every day - generally no lower than 1200 cals a day for women. Regularly eating below that can have negative health effects like muscle loss, exhaustion, fainting, losing hair, brittle nails, sallow skin, etc.

    To get more fat you could eat more: peanut butter, almonds, avocados, fatty cuts of meat, chicken wings/thighs with skin... even just use a bit more oil or butter in your cooking.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    betsy0426 wrote: »
    Hi, I started the keto diet a little over a week ago. So far I am really liking it, it’s getting easier every day. But I am strugging to eat enough fat. How important is the fat intake? I am using one scoop of MCT oil powder in my coffee. I would use more MCT oil but I was not sure how much is safe to use in a day. Also I am on average eating less than 900 calories a day. I did know if that is a problem or not. I would like to lose 50-60lbs. Thank you.

    This is why the fat intake is important......not because it's fat, but because it's calories.

    A severe calorie deficit leads to faster "weight" loss, but you are going to sacrifice a larger % of lean muscle mass in the process. Your body needs calories for fuel.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    From a weight loss perspective, calories are the driven. If you want to maintain muscle mass (which leads to greater fat loss) and metabolic functions, protein is the most important macronutrient (1.5-2.2g/kg of weight should be the goal). And than just add in oils, butters, cheeses and aim for fattier cuts of meats.
  • betsy0426
    betsy0426 Posts: 14 Member
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    Thank you I will work harder at getting my calories up. Do any of you know how much MCT oil I can have in a day? It doesn’t say on the Jar and I have been able to find the info anywhere.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
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    betsy0426 wrote: »
    Thank you I will work harder at getting my calories up. Do any of you know how much MCT oil I can have in a day? It doesn’t say on the Jar and I have been able to find the info anywhere.

    I have no idea if there's an upper limit for MTC oil but the common sense rule of thumb for low nutrient foods - like MCT oil - is when they crowd out nutritious foods you need it's too much.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    betsy0426 wrote: »
    Thank you I will work harder at getting my calories up. Do any of you know how much MCT oil I can have in a day? It doesn’t say on the Jar and I have been able to find the info anywhere.

    At a guess, I'd say no more than a couple Tablespoons, just surmising though. I would try really hard to get your fat from actual nutritious food sources, not copious amounts of oils/powders.
  • dboyer30
    dboyer30 Posts: 14 Member
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    betsy0426 wrote: »
    Hi, I started the keto diet a little over a week ago. So far I am really liking it, it’s getting easier every day. But I am strugging to eat enough fat. How important is the fat intake? I am using one scoop of MCT oil powder in my coffee. I would use more MCT oil but I was not sure how much is safe to use in a day. Also I am on average eating less than 900 calories a day. I did know if that is a problem or not. I would like to lose 50-60lbs. Thank you.

    Try Bulletproof Coffee. I use 16 oz of coffee (recipe I found was for 8 oz), 1 tsp of Coconut Oil, 1 TBSP of Kerrygold butter, some cinnamon and truvia sweetner (if you like your coffee sweeter). Sometimes I'll add a TBSP of Heavy Cream to make it creamier. I blend this all in my nutrabullet. It's yummy and a good dose of fats to get you going in the morning.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    betsy0426 wrote: »
    Hi, I started the keto diet a little over a week ago. So far I am really liking it, it’s getting easier every day. But I am strugging to eat enough fat. How important is the fat intake? I am using one scoop of MCT oil powder in my coffee. I would use more MCT oil but I was not sure how much is safe to use in a day. Also I am on average eating less than 900 calories a day. I did know if that is a problem or not. I would like to lose 50-60lbs. Thank you.

    This is why the fat intake is important......not because it's fat, but because it's calories.

    A severe calorie deficit leads to faster "weight" loss, but you are going to sacrifice a larger % of lean muscle mass in the process. Your body needs calories for fuel.

    That's it. Fat is the filler after you've had enough protein.

    That drop in appetite often wanes after a few weeks or months low carb. If it lasts more than a week, I would definitely try to add a few hundred more calories. Maybe butter your veggies more or use more salad dressing, ad mayo or cheese liberally to meats, or cook an extra egg or two.

    As for MCT oil, it is good but too much can cause the runs - coconut oil can do that too. Be open to other oils. MCT oil is good, but so is butter, or olive oil or avocado oil... or cheese. ;) KWIM?
  • betsy0426
    betsy0426 Posts: 14 Member
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    Thank you so much for your help! I tried today to eat more and accidentally went over on my carbs because I ate celery
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    What's your carb goal? Your business, but celery is really low net carbs, I can't see it being an issue even on keto.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    betsy0426 wrote: »
    Thank you so much for your help! I tried today to eat more and accidentally went over on my carbs because I ate celery

    Make sure you're tracking NET carbs (total carbs minus fiber).
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    toxikon wrote: »
    betsy0426 wrote: »
    Thank you so much for your help! I tried today to eat more and accidentally went over on my carbs because I ate celery

    Make sure you're tracking NET carbs (total carbs minus fiber).

    I think net carbs is just a preference. If you choose total carbs (including fibre) you can just set a slightly higher carb goal if you wish. KWIM?
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
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    nvmomketo wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    betsy0426 wrote: »
    Thank you so much for your help! I tried today to eat more and accidentally went over on my carbs because I ate celery

    Make sure you're tracking NET carbs (total carbs minus fiber).

    I think net carbs is just a preference. If you choose total carbs (including fibre) you can just set a slightly higher carb goal if you wish. KWIM?

    True!

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