Macros - too much fat?

ahilito
ahilito Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I just started using the MyFitnessPal app 10 days ago. I am looking to lose weight (specifically fat). It's been quite a shock seeing the calorie count on some foods I eat. In this period I've managed to stay under the calorie goal each day, sometime even by a fair bit under and I haven't logged any exercise. But yesterday I started looking at my macros and realised that my fat intake was large. I just averaged it and it came to 42.5%, when I should be aiming for 30%.

I'm just curious as to how bad this is actually? I haven't looked at calories in about 15 years, I've follow nutrition from a far in this period and I thought that consuming good fats was really not that bad, and possibly better than carbs as long as I'm staying under the calories. But now I realise I might've just been deluding myself...

Is sticking under that 30% really important for me?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,935 Member
    edited December 2019
    The general recommendations are to keep saturated fats within guidelines, but fats in general can be flexible.

    When I was in weight loss mode my macros percentages were at 40%C - 45%F - 15%P, and I was often over on fats.

    The saturated fats limit for my calories is 21g per day. I try to stay within that, but I'm often over on fats in general. The, "Am I eating too much fat?" question is one for your doctor. As far as weight loss, it's about calories.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,585 Member
    It's also not good to undereat which, in perfect world numbers, you seem like you're doing. When you signed up, you picked a goal to lose weight. MFP gives you that built in deficit so you might want to get closer to that number.

    (That's kind of assuming you're weighing food and not just eyeballing and probably eating more than you think.)

    (Ohhhhhh, you guys know that was going to come up at one point or another :p)
  • ahilito
    ahilito Posts: 2 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    It's also not good to undereat which, in perfect world numbers, you seem like you're doing. When you signed up, you picked a goal to lose weight. MFP gives you that built in deficit so you might want to get closer to that number.

    I probably am under eating right now (no, I'm weighing everything) but after starting to use the calorie counter I feel like I've generally been over eating for a while. I will definitely start to increase the calories in a few weeks.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,449 Member
    ahilito wrote: »
    glassyo wrote: »
    It's also not good to undereat which, in perfect world numbers, you seem like you're doing. When you signed up, you picked a goal to lose weight. MFP gives you that built in deficit so you might want to get closer to that number.

    I probably am under eating right now (no, I'm weighing everything) but after starting to use the calorie counter I feel like I've generally been over eating for a while. I will definitely start to increase the calories in a few weeks.

    Get this right from the start and you will be much happier later. By under eating you are also losing muscle as you lose fat (even if you exercise). Do this long enough and you will end up "skinny fat". You will weigh less but be weaker and soft.

    Good luck.
  • tecat810
    tecat810 Posts: 4,449 Member
    The balance of the macros will help with your satiety in the long run as well. You are overbalanced on your fats which means you are lower on protein and carbs. The protein is important to help you feel full as well. Something to keep in mind.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    tecat810 wrote: »
    The balance of the macros will help with your satiety in the long run as well. You are overbalanced on your fats which means you are lower on protein and carbs. The protein is important to help you feel full as well. Something to keep in mind.

    The OP didn't mention what their protein and carb intake is. Yes, adequate protein is important, particularly when you're losing weight (personally, I think the MFP default is too low). Satiety is very individual, so if the OP finds fats satiating, and is getting adequate protein, lowering carbs a bit to accommodate the additional fat isn't an issue. And 42.5% is far from excessive.

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