Fat, and why you should be eating it

raynes

I think that there's a LOT of misconception about fat.  Fat is not bad.  We need fat to function.  Specifically, your brain needs fat.  Fat is not evil.  Like all things in life, there is good fat and there is bad fat. 

I'd like to share an article that I think sums up the differences between the good and bad fats, and gives you a good list of where to get those good fats.

http://www.stumptuous.com/all-about-fat-1

The article starts with 5 rules:

Rule #1: Most of the stuff you read about fat in the mainstream media is crap.

Rule #2: There are good fats and bad fats.

Rule #3: Your body needs fat — and probably more than you think — in order to achieve optimal health.

Rule #4: Thus low fat diets are not necessarily the best thing for health, gaining strength or losing body fat, especially if they are high in carbohydrates.

Rule #5: In fact, eating fat on purpose can help you be healthy, get strong… AND lose fat.


So give the article a read, and then put down your I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and pick up an avocado.

crnota

Great article, thanks Raynes!

This reminded me that I have a question about fat that I was meaning to ask anyone who knows more about this kind of stuff...

I have been tracking my nutrition with the software that comes with my bodybugg, and it puts my daily recommended fat intake at 42g. This is based on a goal of burning 2450 calories a day and eating 1950, to have a 500 calorie deficit. This is based on my parameters that I initially entered.

I successfully burn the 2450 calories each day (well, most days) and keep my calories at 1950 or less. But even though my calories are under 1950, i am always WAY over in fat. Like, 90-ish grams of fat. The little bar graph looks terrible. But the thing is, I don't feel like I eat "bad" food- it's mostly good fats. I never eat fried foods or processed fats or things like that. It's disheartening, though, because I stay under in every other category!

 For example, one day last week I had a low fat yogurt for breakfast, for lunch I had a salad that had avocado and black beans on it, plus an oil and vinegar dressing (but not too much of it), and grilled shrimp (plus tons of veggies of course). 1 small piece of bread with a tiny pat of butter. For snack,  a serving of almonds. For dinner, vegetables that were roasted with olive oil served over couscous (no added fat), and a sprinkle of goat cheese (maybe 1 Tbsp total). No dessert. I thought I had a pretty healthy day, and my calories reflected that. But my fat was over 90g....I guess because of all the olive oil?

Anyways, sorry that was so long. But should I be concerned that I am going so far over my daily recommended fat? Or is 42g a low rec?

raynes

1 g of fat has 9 calories.  So, 42g would put you at around 19% of your daily calories from fat, and more than 90 g would be greater than 40%.

To me, 20% is too low and 40% is a bit too high.  It all sort of depends on what you're aiming for.  I've personally found that a diet that's around 40:30:30% carbs/protein/fat works well for me.  I have a lot of energy and I feel sated most of the day.

I'd say that the 42 g is a low goal.  For 1950 calories, 30% would be more like 65g of fat, which I would say is a good goal.  You're day at 90g was probably mostly due to the olive oil, and the salad dressing.

To me, because you're getting so many of your calories from fats, I'd be concerned that you're letting other things (like protein and good carbs) slide  Maybe spend some time aiming for a ratio more like th 40:30:30 (which is basically what the Zone diet is) or something similar (search for "macronutrient ratios").

crnota

Thanks! That is helpful. 42 does seem low, and 65 or so seems more manageable. I do need to try to get more protein into my diet. I'll look into some healthier ratios!