Confused about fat...

tinawharrison
tinawharrison Posts: 123
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
How much to eat? Which types to eat? How much saturated fat? Arghhhhh, all too confusing!

I didn't used to eat hardly any fat, 20grams a day at the most, all my meals were virtually fat free except dinner! Now i'm lower carbs and good carbs (from fruit and veg) because my metabolism is rubbish. I've been told I need more fat. I've been eating more but I have a real battle with myself!

Help, please?

:ohwell:

Replies

  • Jordant107
    Jordant107 Posts: 218 Member
    Avoid the saturated fats. Fats from nuts, avocado, fish etc (just google 'good fats') are good in relatively small doses.
  • texastango
    texastango Posts: 309
    Check this out...it may help

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYCPQz9nhQs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

    Bottom line is less seems to be better from several standpoints. Less than the 30 percent recommended. If you take in good fats (omega 3) that's okay! This video is deep..and has lots of medical terms..but if you listen (perhaps a few times) it will give you an overall view and rational for cutting fat!

    8443442.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    My macros are set at 30% protein, 20% carbs & 50% fat - in the beginning it felt really strange to go from low fat, high carbs to the other way.....

    Personally I am a huge fan of coconut oil, I also use some EVOO, occasionally some butter, nuts, nut butters, salmon, sardines, avocado, olives, and I have started using full fat dairy instead of the low fat "crap" again....

    I cook with the coconut oil, but also add half a teaspoon to my black coffee or green tea if I need extra fat to make up my macro's.

    I am not too fussed about saturated vs unsaturated - but stay far away from anything with transfats...
  • CeeRawr89
    CeeRawr89 Posts: 328 Member
    Yes, avoid bad fats, especially saturated, go back to how you were "virtually fat free" and then add avocado, eggs enriched with omegas, fish... etc...
    I pulled this from google :)

    http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm
  • stayxtrue
    stayxtrue Posts: 1,186 Member
    good advice already... Too many people fear fats... Embrace it the healthier fats and eat upto 30% and you will be thanking yourself that you did
  • tinawharrison
    tinawharrison Posts: 123
    Yes, avoid bad fats, especially saturated, go back to how you were "virtually fat free" and then add avocado, eggs enriched with omegas, fish... etc...
    I pulled this from google :)

    http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

    This is great, thanks!
  • militarydreams
    militarydreams Posts: 198 Member
    good advice already... Too many people fear fats... Embrace it the healthier fats and eat upto 30% and you will be thanking yourself that you did

    Started eating 30% a week ago and I've never felt better in my life. Who knew that nuts could change my life? :laugh:
  • tinawharrison
    tinawharrison Posts: 123
    Check this out...it may help

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYCPQz9nhQs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

    Bottom line is less seems to be better from several standpoints. Less than the 30 percent recommended. If you take in good fats (omega 3) that's okay! This video is deep..and has lots of medical terms..but if you listen (perhaps a few times) it will give you an overall view and rational for cutting fat!

    8443442.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

    Thanks...
    Mine are set at 30% but `i usually have some left over! I guess I can eat my peanut butter without feeling guilty :wink:
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    a 50 / 50 blend of olive oil and butter has about the same composition as the fats in your fatty tissues. Low carbohydrate people using a lot of fats as energy source eat a lot of saturated fat and have good blood figures.
  • jj3120
    jj3120 Posts: 358
    My macros are set at 30% protein, 20% carbs & 50% fat - in the beginning it felt really strange to go from low fat, high carbs to the other way.....

    Personally I am a huge fan of coconut oil, I also use some EVOO, occasionally some butter, nuts, nut butters, salmon, sardines, avocado, olives, and I have started using full fat dairy instead of the low fat "crap" again....

    I cook with the coconut oil, but also add half a teaspoon to my black coffee or green tea if I need extra fat to make up my macro's.

    I am not too fussed about saturated vs unsaturated - but stay far away from anything with transfats...

    ^^This^^

    I am a low fat convert!

    I have cut out all 'diet' food and switched to full fat - whole dairy products, & I eat avacados, whole eggs, nuts, seeds, oily fish. I have just changed my macros to 30% protein, 30% carbs & 40% fat to start with & will see how I go.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,286 Member
    Natural fats are fine, along with natural saturated fats, and you can't avoid saturated fat anyway, it's in all foods that have fat in it, just a paranoid view based on decades of misinformation and misinterpretation . Just keep away from most/all refined vegetable oils.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I agree with the other fat enthusiasts, lol. I lost 30 pounds, and have maintained that loss, while eating lots of fats (anywhere from 30-50% daily). I always snack on almonds, love natural peanut butter, use olive oil, walnut oil, virgin coconut oil, love avocados, etc. I would only be concerned if the bulk of your fats were coming from not so good sources, like vegetable oils, packaged junk food, etc.
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    Fat is good for you! Eat butter! Eat lots of olive oil! Finding balance is key. Once you throw away the old mindset of "fat is bad" there will be huge doors that open to you... and everything will suddenly be much more delicious. :P

    I would try to moderate saturated fat intake but don't worry too much, just use common sense.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,286 Member
    Check this out...it may help

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYCPQz9nhQs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

    Bottom line is less seems to be better from several standpoints. Less than the 30 percent recommended. If you take in good fats (omega 3) that's okay! This video is deep..and has lots of medical terms..but if you listen (perhaps a few times) it will give you an overall view and rational for cutting fat!

    8443442.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
    That's got to be the best cherry picking of data for confirmation biased I've seen in a long time. First he uses Keys for his confirmation that fats causes heart disease, but as we have found out his 7 country study was actually 22 countries, but just left out the ones that didn't work for his hypothesis. Then he mentions the Inuit (actually he called them Eskimo's...says alot about how old his data is, or hasn't looked at very much data regarding them) and the heart protective qualities of omega 3's and the lack of heart disease among the Inuit but doesn't mention that they also consume a diett that extremely high in overall fat including saturated fat.......he probably got a grant for his research.......shyt, I could have gathered this over the internet in a night and saved them the cash. Sorry, just a total train wreck.
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 637 Member
    This, our bodies need some fat, forget about trans fat and watch saturated fats but otherwise, feel free and you will feel better!
    good advice already... Too many people fear fats... Embrace it the healthier fats and eat upto 30% and you will be thanking yourself that you did
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
    ok just to confuse matters....

    Saturated fats don't really show any real life studied negative effects.

    Or rather, those studies that profess to show negative effects that all of our advice is now built on was done in the 50s, the guy showed a correlation with around 6 countries, neglecting to mention that the whole study in fact contained 22 countries and when all the data was there, the correlation was not apparent at all....

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/saturated-fat-healthy/#axzz1vVS48P9L

    http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat

    http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller38.1.html

    This is interesting as well -

    prevalence-of-obesity.gif
  • tomhancock
    tomhancock Posts: 100 Member

    Thanks...
    Mine are set at 30% but `i usually have some left over! I guess I can eat my peanut butter without feeling guilty :wink:

    Be sure to get natural peanut butter! The regular jif or whatever has a ton of sugar added!
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    I'll have to be the lone voice of dissent. I don't think fat is good for you. Your body needs a little fat, but not much, and when it comes to calories, fat is fat is fat.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    I'll have to be the lone voice of dissent. I don't think fat is good for you. Your body needs a little fat, but not much, and when it comes to calories, fat is fat is fat.

    Your body NEEDS fat...the only difference between fat calories and calories from protien and carbs is that fat calories are more dense - i.e. foods that are higher in fat are going to be higher in calories...

    I eat a ton of good for you fats in any given day - coconut oil, olive oil, almond, pecans, avocado, fish. When I do have dairy I have full fat butter and cream - no "low fat" version of anything. I also take fish oil daily, as well.

    I have lost weight by upping my foods that contain loads of fats and lowering foods that contain loads of carbs

    BTW I have had my cholesterol checked recently...it was quite good - about 180 with an HDL of almost 60. Compared to a year a half ago where I was constantly eating "diet" food and low fat everything and my levels were over 200 for cholesterol and about mid 30's for HDL...so cutting out processed food and upping fat actually improved my blood cholesterol levels....
  • PinkEarthMama
    PinkEarthMama Posts: 987 Member
    I don't do low fat anything. I'm not willing to give up delicioius to lose some weight, so I have to modify in other areas to get where I want to be. Fat is not the enemy. Many traditional foods are cooked with extraordinarily high fat levels ( deep fried, cooked with pig fat or chicken fat, etc etc ).... and obesity is rare. I don't think obesity comes from eating GOOD FAT foods, so I don't care TOO much about fats.

    Healthy fats are a vital part of ones body.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    Avoid the saturated fats. Fats from nuts, avocado, fish etc (just google 'good fats') are good in relatively small doses.
    ^^wrong about saturated fats

    basic guidelines i would use is 30% calories from fats 10% monounsaturated, 10% polyunsaturated, 10% saturated fats... and no trans fats.
  • Saezimmerman
    Saezimmerman Posts: 93 Member
    Control and balance is the big thing with fat. I'm still learning alot about this but the primary thing my doctor has recommended for me after reviewing my blood work and family history is low fat and high fiber. He does caution me to watch for added sugar in the low fat/no fat dairy products.
    The important thing is to make sure that you don't replace one bad thing with another. This primarily happens in processed foods and pre-packaged foods. Cutting back on these and adding the natural peanut butter someone else recommended will probably help. Just take it slow and see what works for you.
  • tinawharrison
    tinawharrison Posts: 123
    Avoid the saturated fats. Fats from nuts, avocado, fish etc (just google 'good fats') are good in relatively small doses.
    ^^wrong about saturated fats

    basic guidelines i would use is 30% calories from fats 10% monounsaturated, 10% polyunsaturated, 10% saturated fats... and no trans fats.

    These macros sound sensible!
  • cmc6921
    cmc6921 Posts: 10 Member
    Lowfat usually has a lot of sugar and its sugar that makes you fat, not fat! When you see low fat on a label, mfgrs often add sugar to make stuff taste better. You would be surprised about the number of products that you will find that have an overabundance of sugar. When I eat low carb, which I usually do, I do not pay too much attention to fat. I watch the sugar like a hawk though. If you're concerned about fat, consume healthier ones like olive oil and less saturated fats. I do not eat low fat dresssing and I NEVER use margerine...that might as well be plastic! Keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine, but watch the sugar and empty carbs.
  • tinawharrison
    tinawharrison Posts: 123
    Lowfat usually has a lot of sugar and its sugar that makes you fat, not fat! When you see low fat on a label, mfgrs often add sugar to make stuff taste better. You would be surprised about the number of products that you will find that have an overabundance of sugar. When I eat low carb, which I usually do, I do not pay too much attention to fat. I watch the sugar like a hawk though. If you're concerned about fat, consume healthier ones like olive oil and less saturated fats. I do not eat low fat dresssing and I NEVER use margerine...that might as well be plastic! Keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine, but watch the sugar and empty carbs.

    What do you mean by empty carbs?

    Thanks :wink:
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,286 Member
    Lowfat usually has a lot of sugar and its sugar that makes you fat, not fat! When you see low fat on a label, mfgrs often add sugar to make stuff taste better. You would be surprised about the number of products that you will find that have an overabundance of sugar. When I eat low carb, which I usually do, I do not pay too much attention to fat. I watch the sugar like a hawk though. If you're concerned about fat, consume healthier ones like olive oil and less saturated fats. I do not eat low fat dresssing and I NEVER use margerine...that might as well be plastic! Keep doing what you're doing and you'll be fine, but watch the sugar and empty carbs.

    What do you mean by empty carbs?

    Thanks :wink:
    Empty carb really means empty calories. Refined sugar have no nutrients attached and why their called empty calories. When someone is dieting, nutrients become more important and consuming sugar and other processed foods that have added sugars can put a strain on our systems. When we consume sugars other nutrients are needed to metabolize these sugars like calcium, potassium, thiamin chromium etc and when we consume a food that doesn't have some of these nutrients in them, like refined sugar our body will draw from those nutrient reserves and use them....basically refined sugar draws nutrients out of our body that we'll need to replace and why sugar is called an anti-nutrient sometimes. Plus sugar competes with vit C for producing white blood cells which can be a problem for our immune system.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
    Yes, avoid bad fats, especially saturated, go back to how you were "virtually fat free" and then add avocado, eggs enriched with omegas, fish... etc...
    I pulled this from google :)

    http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with saturated fat. In fact it is necessary for proper cell and brain functions.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,286 Member
    Yes, avoid bad fats, especially saturated, go back to how you were "virtually fat free" and then add avocado, eggs enriched with omegas, fish... etc...
    I pulled this from google :)

    http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with saturated fat. In fact it is necessary for proper cell and brain functions.
    And why the body can manufacture it if we don't eat it.....there's only 2 fats the body can't manufacture and which we need to consume, they being Linoleic and Alpha Linolenic Acid........the omega's. I agree though, consuming natural saturated fat is perfectly normal and healthy.
  • VMarkV
    VMarkV Posts: 522 Member
    ok just to confuse matters....

    Saturated fats don't really show any real life studied negative effects.

    Or rather, those studies that profess to show negative effects that all of our advice is now built on was done in the 50s, the guy showed a correlation with around 6 countries, neglecting to mention that the whole study in fact contained 22 countries and when all the data was there, the correlation was not apparent at all....

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/saturated-fat-healthy/#axzz1vVS48P9L

    http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat

    http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller38.1.html

    This is interesting as well -

    prevalence-of-obesity.gif

    The funny thing is, this rapid increase coincides with the "low-fat" diet craze, introduction of low or no-fat processed foods as well as the introduction of "healthy" vegetables oils. I mean come on, it's from vegetables, so its got to be good for you? (sarcasm).
    Also from the pharmaceutical world comes a ridiculous/astronomical surge in cholesterol lowering statins being used. Coincidence?
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
    ok just to confuse matters....

    Saturated fats don't really show any real life studied negative effects.

    Or rather, those studies that profess to show negative effects that all of our advice is now built on was done in the 50s, the guy showed a correlation with around 6 countries, neglecting to mention that the whole study in fact contained 22 countries and when all the data was there, the correlation was not apparent at all....

    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/saturated-fat-healthy/#axzz1vVS48P9L

    http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat

    http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller38.1.html

    This is interesting as well -

    prevalence-of-obesity.gif

    The funny thing is, this rapid increase coincides with the "low-fat" diet craze, introduction of low or no-fat processed foods as well as the introduction of "healthy" vegetables oils. I mean come on, it's from vegetables, so its got to be good for you? (sarcasm).
    Also from the pharmaceutical world comes a ridiculous/astronomical surge in cholesterol lowering statins being used. Coincidence?

    That is exactly it! USDA recommends low fat diets and look at the change. Could be coincidence but from the science I know I'd be tempted to say it's not a coincidence at all...
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