diets: fat vs. low-fat

[Deleted User]

LINK - read me!

my H and I used to practice an extremely low-fat diet.  however, we recently switched (around May) to including more and more fats into our diets.  surprisingly, the inches started falling off (especially my H), we didn't experience crazy mood swings, we didn't get as HANGRY, and my skin and hair has grown (an additional) 4-6" and is super shiny (now it is approx. 3' or 3.5' long, I think).  THANK YOU AVOCADOS!!  I do believe it has made a slight difference in my PMDD symptoms, but I'll know more for sure over a longer period of time.

if you look at my older accountability threads and compare them with my current ones, you can see a big difference.  I hadn't heard that more fat is healthy until I got a little more acquainted with the idea of clean eating (first), and then a paleo/Whole30 diet (second).  obviously, we are not strict Paleo eaters, but we do try to eat as cleanly and locally as possible.

also, today was my H's final weigh-in day for his Health Benefits thing at work.  he weighs in at 14 lbs less (5'6" male, starting at 182/182 and ending at 166/167).  however, he has lost a full size in his shirts (he lost fat but gained a ton of muscle in his arms and chest and back).  he has gone down at least 2 sizes in jeans and we don't know how many sizes in his suits.

so what do YOU think?  I know where @LivLeighton stands on this (Ms. Keto-Diet), but what about the rest of you?  Liv, can you weigh in on this?    let's talk!

CASK85

I have to run to a seminar, but my understanding is that low-fat/high-carb diets are not good for you at all. Natural, healthy fats, higher protein and lower carb is what (when I'm paying good attention to what I eat) is what I strive for. I didn't really know this was the way to go until I started reading about paleo when I was doing p90x last winter/spring. 

motoLyn

I think there's a real difference in good fats and bad fats.  Case in point avocados, olive oil and fats from nuts.  All taken in moderation are good for you and help keep your body stable and balanced.  Now I wouldn't take on full fat milk, I still would drink skim or 1%.  I would rather practice a balanced diet and everything in moderation along with staying active and away from over processed foods. 

The low-fat, non fat snacks and what not, I say just pass over them for leaner and healthier choices. 

[Deleted User]

I definitely believe in the Whole30 methods of eating. I was nervous to start it because we would be cutting out a lot of foods that we eat a lot like pasta or drinking alcohol. We have adjusted well though minus a few cravings here and there. We have been eating avocados like crazy people. It has done a lot for FI and I. FI has lost a lot of inches and we both feel better. I noticed that my jeans were lose this morning yay! I haven't lost a lot of weight maybe a couple lbs but I've toned up and lost some inches around my hips and thighs.

[Deleted User]

I've learned that lower fat milks have sugar and sometimes other things added to them.  I'll use full-fat cheese, butter, etc. but if I drink milk plain, I will get 2%.  I would probably make a switch to all full-fat milk, but my H is resistant and prefers 2% milk (for now!)  also, we actually don't drink or consume a lot of dairy at home, so it's not a big deal.  my cystic acne is better when I don't eat a lot of dairy, too!

phira

If I'm trying to eat healthy, I mostly just try to cut out some processing. So instead of buying tomato sauce or salad dressing, I'll make it myself.

The whole OMG FAT AHH stuff just doesn't work for me. I don't believe there's a magical way to eat that will be The Right Way To Eat, and I don't believe that there's a specific weight and shape anyone is supposed to be.

From what I've seen, a lot of my friends and family members who get reeeeally into dieting usually bounce around from diet to diet and are never really happy with their results long-term. I feel more stressed out counting calories (or points--I've done Weight Watchers) than I do just eating whatever and making sure I don't have to buy new jeans.

The only time I do care about fat content? I only use skim milk. My partner will only drink whole milk, though, so I'm sure that's what our kids will end up drinking.

tuarceatha

CocoBellaF said:

I've learned that lower fat milks have sugar and sometimes other things added to them.  I'll use full-fat cheese, butter, etc. but if I drink milk plain, I will get 2%.  I would probably make a switch to all full-fat milk, but my H is resistant and prefers 2% milk (for now!)  also, we actually don't drink or consume a lot of dairy at home, so it's not a big deal.  my cystic acne is better when I don't eat a lot of dairy, too!

I was shocked to find out that whole milk is only 3% fat. Did you know that? They call 2%, 2% because it sounds like 98% is taken out of regular milk. I dunno, my mind was blown by that.

I'm not so in tune with my diet. I've gone on diets in the past, and tried to pay more attention to what I was eating at different times to assess body problems (higher blood pressure readings, limp/weak hair, and the like), but nothing life changing or even noticeable. I mean I lost 8lbs in a week or so when I did the Atkins diet in 2003. I kept that up for about 12 days of my life.

Anyway, the most healthy-life altering thing I've experienced is exercising. I'd never really done it before 2008. Then I started running several times a week on a treadmill and again, my mind was blown. i.e. This is what strength feels like?!?!

bethsmiles

Because of some medical issues I have I have to do a diet that is lower in fat but I don't avoid it all together because I know that's not healthy. Honestly I just try to make my diet not too complicated. I count my calories and try to eat less processed food. I'm just to busy these days to try to figure in anything else to my diet.

beanbot2002

I am all about good fats over low/no fat. Like you mentioned @cocobellaF, so many products end up adding more sugar to their low/no fat items to make up for taste. My understanding is that your body goes and turns that sugar into fat, and it's not good fat! When I was doing the SBD (a low glycemic index diet-lean protein, whole grains, high fiber fruits and veggies, and good fat way of eating) I had very similar results to you. Fewer mood swings, less hunger, no sugar/junk cravings, etc. It took me a year, but I lost 80 lbs and felt amazing. After the baby, I'm going to go back to this way of eating.

labro

I've been successful with Weight Watchers so far and I guess you could consider that a low fat diet...higher points for more fat and carbs...lower points for less fat and carbs. However, what's made the biggest difference in my life is combining a balanced diet of smaller portions with exercise. I haven't been exercising at all for several months now and my weight has been maintaining itself because I've been making some effort to stick with the WW plan. If I start exercising again consistently I'm sure I'll see the pounds start coming off again. I lost 20 lbs between April and July of this year and the beginning of July was when I stopped exercising consistently.

leia1979

I'm on board with some fats. I buy 2% milk, but I also buy H the 2% milk cheese because it slightly reduces the amount of calories in the same slice of cheese. When it comes to weight loss, it's more about portion sizes than changing what I actually eat. I tend to look at straight calories in/calories out. My doctor also explained to me about the glycemic index and how too many processed carbs (I forget the correct term) can be worse.

KeptInStitches

I eat and cook very low-fat, but it's partly because that's how I was raised. I can't tolerate fat, especially in dairy and salad dressing. It's weird, but I swear to you I can taste it. So I use no-fat sour cream, low-fat cream cheese, low-fat cheese (because that no-fat crap can suck it), etc. As far as my health is concerned, really I have 10-15 more lb to lose from when my grandma died 4 years ago and I quit trying at all (I think I lived on Burger King for 4 months).

phira

@KeptInStitches You CAN definitely taste the difference between full-fat, low-fat, and non-fat stuff. If you're used to one version, switching to the other will taste very weird. It's one of the reasons that people tend to either drink diet or regular soda. For years, I drank diet soda, not because I cared about the calories or sugar, but because my mom only ever bought diet soda, and that's what I liked better.

KeptInStitches

@phira Woo! I feel less crazy - a lot of people just stare at me when I tell them I can taste fat.

KateJ16

I definitely fall into the "full-fat" group - I am trying as hard as I can to get back on a real food diet.  When I did that last year, eating full-fat everything but letting that actually fill me up (so I ended up eating less just by default) I ended up losing 30 lbs.

After lots of reading and documentaries and research, I just don't trust the low-fat or no-fat stuff anymore - I am incredibly wary of all of the chemicals/things used as substitute to get the correct texture/flavor/etc.  I really do believe now that HFCS and other things that are put into processed foods (so low/no-fat food) affect appetite more than scientists/regulators realize.

phira

KeptInStitches said:

@phira Woo! I feel less crazy - a lot of people just stare at me when I tell them I can taste fat.

Definitely not crazy. I often prefer the taste of full-fat (when I make kugel with low-fat sour cream and cottage cheese, I think it tastes terrible), but it's about what you're used to!