[MsCLPJ]

I've decided to count fat grams once more. If you are too, please respond. How many do you allow yourself each day? Carol/FL

[gma22]

Carol: I am on an 1800 cal/ 410 fat calorie program because though I have lost 90 lbs I still have about 150 to lose. I keep my fat at 25% per day. What I found worked for me was to set up daily menus for myself. It took a lot of time and I still have about 10 to do to have a whole month, but this way, I can pull the recipe and menu for the day and just follow it. Good Luck with your program.

Faye

[cherryxdoom]

i started my just eating 5 grams a day and that worked but i read somewhere that if you dont eat enough fat grams your body thinks your starving it so its harder to lose weight. then i read else where that if you eating 1200 cals and 17 grams of fat that should be enough. now im eating 10 grams and its working fine. i didnt go to the docter to get advice so it might be unhealthy to do it *shrugs* i started off as 200 lbs (june) and am now 158(oct)
good luck!

Mandy

[aphil]

5 or 10 grams of fat a day is REALLY too little...I would aim for AT LEAST 20-25 grams a day. You need a certain amount of fat in the body to keep the skin hydrated, and keep your hair from becoming brittle, and so on. A moderately low fat diet is about 30% of your calories...27% is equal to 3 grams of fat per 100 calories-so a 1200 calorie diet at 27% fat would be 36 grams per day. Anything that can be packaged as "low fat" has to fall within this guideline of 3 grams or less per 100 calories.
Extreme low fat diets like 5-10 grams a day can cause dry brittle hair, and even hair loss...and dry skin, lips,and such-as well as some worse if done for a long perio of time. Your calorie level at 1200 is a touch low, but even if you don't change that-you should up the fat slightly to 20 grams or more at least...and it should be healthier fats like peanut butter, the minimal fat in chicken, and so on...not the fat in hamburger, etc. Also-those watching fat grams shoudl beware of eating too many "fat-free" products such as pudding cups, fat free Newtons, and such-because you may be eating less fat-but you are also eating more sugar and less nutrients. Naturally low fat sources like fruits and veggies are best-keep the "fat free treats" to once a day.
Lowering your fat intake is a good thing-but it can be done way too extremely. Use the 3 grams per 100 calories formula as a guide.
1200 calories a day-36 grams of fat a day
1400 calories a day-42 grams of fat a day
1500 calories a day-45 grams of fat a day
and so on...
gma2one's plan of approximately 45 grams a day is a little more "right". (There are 9 fat calories per every gram of fat-if you want to figure it)
Aphil

[MsCLPJ]

Thanks for the informative replies. Personally, I keep my fat budget between 40 - 50 grams per day. That works just fine for me. We are all different and it is so interesting to hear what works for others. Thanks for posting. I'll keep you updated on my progress. I look forward to hearing from you all again soon. Carol / Florida

[gma22]

Aphill: You are very right! I personally don't think it is safe to go below 25%, which is what I do. Each gram is 9 cal so if a person is only taking in 90 cal from fat, a person could be in big trouble down the line somewhere. I don't think we realize when we do drastic stuff that our body will rebel sooner or later and we will usually be in a bigger mess than when we started. Slow and easy wins the race for me. I lost quickly but I have a huge amount to lose and I think I was just taking in huge amounts of calories each day and probably cut it and fat by half when I started on my program. No matter what, you want to retain your health and the best way to do that is to learn to eat properly to maintain proper habits for the rest of your life.

Faye