The lowdown on Fat!
 

Someone please give me some help?? There is every answer you can think of over the net and i just don't know who to trust anymore.

I used to do weight watchers, and everything was very low fat! Fat was evil. Recently i've been seeing a lot about fat being not that bad, even rather good for weight loss and health. Can anyone help me make head or tail of this??? Id really really appreciate anyones experience/results or scientific research.

Who says WW is low fat? It is totally up to you what you eat as long as you don't exceed your points.

Unsaturated fats are considered "healthy fats." Saturated and Trans fats are considered "Unhealthy Fats." It's my opinion you need a little bit of fat in your diet. I'm not saying go hog wild but a little bit each day isn't going to kill your diet so long as you don't go overboard. Remember, every gram of fat has 9 calories.

Originally Posted by josey:
Who says WW is low fat? It is totally up to you what you eat as long as you don't exceed your points.

Apologies you are entirely correct ;) I was just referring to my time in WW. Our leader would always recommend, low fat yogurt, chicken breast not the drumstick as it has less fat, low fat cheeses etc. A LOT of stress was made about low fat mainly because, it had fewer points. You are correct though, WW as a plan, you count points but can eat whatever you like. As long as you stay within those points.

Originally Posted by iHeartU:
Unsaturated fats are considered "healthy fats." Saturated and Trans fats are considered "Unhealthy Fats." It's my opinion you need a little bit of fat in your diet. I'm not saying go hog wild but a little bit each day isn't going to kill your diet so long as you don't go overboard. Remember, every gram of fat has 9 calories.

This is how i'm thinking. Mainly i used to avoid fat because it had less calories. At the end of the day its calories in vs calories out. But recently a lot has been said regarding the negative effects of carbohydrate rather than fat. And also that fat satiates hunger, therefore the calories are well worth the less hunger.

Previously, whenever ive done low carb, ive felt very very ill. But ive always ate low fat too. (dont laugh at me, but im SCARED of fat!!!) Recently ive identified a gluten intolerance so a lot of carbs are out of the window anyway now. And im wondering if i eat more fats this will be a healthier lifestyle, less carbs, more fat. Its just completely contradictory to anything ive been taught so far though :dizzy:

Haha, don't be scared of fat. I used to look at it at the same way you do/did. I think they may have emphasized it back then so you can still get more points and not be hungry?

I try to aim for healthy fat alternatives according to WW's healthy guidelines rather than focusing on low-fat or "bad" fat, you know? :)

http://www.cutthefatpodcast.com/
The 2nd and 3rd podcast talks about healthy fat. I like their information because, it is not extreme and allows to you do develop your own plan. Low fat food tend to have added sugar for taste and that is more evil IMHO. Stay away from processed foods and you will be better off.

I eat 70-120 grams of fat per day, but I eat less than 15 grams of sugar per day. I believe the research implicates carbs and especially sugar more so than fat in destroying our health, but YMMV.

Originally Posted by Lilbert:
This is how i'm thinking. Mainly i used to avoid fat because it had less calories. At the end of the day its calories in vs calories out. But recently a lot has been said regarding the negative effects of carbohydrate rather than fat. And also that fat satiates hunger, therefore the calories are well worth the less hunger.

Fat also lowers the GI of a meal (so less insulin) and slows digestion.

For me it's about finding the right balance for my body. (I follow WW, btw)

Low-fat did used to be the big thing. Now it seems to have shifted to Low-carb. Who knows what we'll be seeing in the future?

Fat in food does not necessarily make you fat. It's calories in/out as you've said. Yet, stripping off fat used to be the easiest way of eating fewer calories in general. However, it doesn't mean fat is the "enemy" or anything.

Finding the right balance for your body is the goal. Eating enough fat, carbs and protein for your body to function properly. For you to be satisfied. :)

There are plenty of healthy ways to eat lower carb now-a-days, and you might find something that works for your body. :yes:

I too have found I get more full if I eat food with higher fat content. Eating two tbs of full-fat peanut butter is much more satisfying than a 100-calorie popcorn and banana, for me. I'm much less likely to go over my daily calories if I eat higher fats than higher cals.