Fat Intake

[sickofrollercoaster 7]

Ok, I have been given my guidelines for Protein, calories and carbs but have not heard about how much fat we should limit ourselves to. So I have not really paid attention to it but as I get more in tune to what I should be eating and how to meet the minimums/maximums of the other three, wondering what I should be limiting to.

Any advice?

Thanks!

[Tiffykins 673]

Honestly, I had zero guidelines for fats. I did steer clear of most fat free, reduced fat stuff because some fats are vital to our bodies.

I hated that the fat free/reduced fat stuff had more sugar, salt and carbs, and that is the main reason I steered clear of them.

With the small amounts of food we are consuming, I can't imagine how we could consume too much fat. I could see it if we were eating huge amounts of fatty meats, but most dietary guidelines stress lean meat choices for Protein. Remember, the good fats are essential for our hair, skin, digestion, and good cholesterol. That is how it was all explained to me during my nutrition classes.

[sickofrollercoaster 7]

Thanks Tiff. I figure since I am making good food choices, the fat that I am getting cannot be too bad. Just see my fat intake alongside the carbs, calories and Protein so wondered what that number should be looking like.

[notsofluffy 3]

Is anyone taking any Omega supplements?

[stcyt 15]

Is anyone taking any Omega supplements?

I take omegas and try to put a little flax seed oil in my smoothies and oatmeal.... they are soooooooooo good for you

[Tiffykins 673]

Is anyone taking any Omega supplements?

I take an Omega3 with DHA and EPA, and I also use ground organic flax seed in most of my casseroles, salad dressings, and when I bake.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

This is a great thread, I've been wondering about olive oil - I've always believed that it is a heathful oil for our bodies, inside and out - so, it's an okay fat?

[Jachut 487]

My idea of a healthy diet contains as little saturated animal fat as possible. It doesnt include processed meat products such as ham, salami, deli turkey etc, it includes on a little lean red meat and chicken, more fish, and a lot of good fats from tuna, salmon, nuts, avocados and olive oil. It also contains a LOT of fibre and as such is more carb based than recommended in America for bariatric patients.

Mind you, I'm not claiming I eat this perfectly! But I think that whatever the debate between high Protein v high carb, and whatever the studies say about the effects of Atkins style diets on blood chemistry, we know pretty well that a lot of saturated fat is a heart disease risk, a very big one and I would never eat a couple of eggs, cheese, ham and dairy products all in ONE day, no matter how small the portions. I woudl balance that out with a lot of vegies and personally, a few wholegrain products.

And I've never seen or heard of a study that says trans fats are good for you, so I'd avoid processed foods as much as possible. If you cook from scratch, eat your limited fat in the form of good fats (because they ARE still fat and will pile on the pounds fast if you overeat them) avoid packaged and tinned foods, keep the salt low and avoid too many animal products, you're probably on the right path.

But yeah, 30grams a day or so for a dieting female I believe is about the general aim?

[sickofrollercoaster 7]

Thanks for all of the responses and forgive me as I am new to all of this.

Tiff, I am not sure what all of those things are that you talk about, I will research. Right now I am just taking a Multivitamin.

Jachut, when you say 30 grams, are you talking total fat?

[Jachut 487]

Just thinking aloud usually - but that's probably outdated 80's dieting advice. Total fat though I think.

The thing is too of course, whatever style diet you follow, getting the weight off is going to be far more influential on your overall health than worrying about amounts/types of fat just now. I think I'm talking more about a life on maintenance.