enough fat in diet ?
 

Sometimes my daily intake of fat is only 8 g. Is this enough ? On some days, I'll eat salmon so my daily fat will be higher (like 20 g or even higher) but sometimes it is as low as 8 g.

8 what?

That number has no meaning.

Do you mean 8 grams of fat a day? If so, that seems low. I think for a 1600 calorie a day diet, you need something like 50g's of fat (or, that's what's recommended).

Speaking from personal experience with an extreme low fat diet, my nails became brittle and my hair fell out, so you might want to try to bump that up. There are lots of sources of healthy fats -- olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc. as well as meats and fish and dairy.

8g is too little. You need more fat than that to support basic body functions.

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fat is not bad as people make it sound like.

i do a 40-30-30 ratio. protein-carbs-fat. i try to take in around 1700..so that comes out to about 60g of fat. what i do is eat a tablespoon of peanut butter with my meals. so i end up getting at least 32g of good fat. i leave the rest for incidental fat..meaning those fat i dont purposely take in.

most carbs cause an insulin spike..so an easy way to slow that spike down is eating some healthy fat with it.

Try adding in some almonds as a snack. Nuts are highly touted as a good snack while dieting- adds in good fats and they are filling.
I try to make sure I have fat in some form with every meal and my weight loss is better when I do this.

kaytlin, I think you should consider going to the library and getting a good book on NUTRITION.
You really shouldn't go under 20% fat. I think 30% is better.
Your body needs fat to produce the many hormones that control your bodily functions.

You NEED about 3% of your calories to come from fat for basic functions. Some of the more extreme low fat diets may try to put you at 5% but at that level, it is a very delicate balance and most low fat diets recommend 10-20% of your calories come from fat.

I try to be less than 20% for my fat intake and when I mapped it out, I was averaging somewhere around 15%.

So I'd say you need some more fat in your diet. Look for healthy fats such as olives, avocado, nuts, etc.

That is WAY too low. Without knowing your fat source, I am sure that you aren't getting enough essential fatty acids or conjugated linoliec acid. You are actually inhibiting your weight loss efforts.

When you do that, your body will find a way to get the fat that is essential to your body's needs. It will even rob your skin, hair, nails, etc.

I agree that it is too low. I usually do better if I eat around 25%-30% of my diet from fat. So, if I eat 1500 calories a day, that would be 45 grams, and if I eat 1200 that would be 36 grams.

8 grams of fat a day...that is so low that it is going to cause some side effects. I would recommend seeing a doctor, and upping your fat intake. Besides your hormonal functions, your organs, hair, skin, and nails need fat.

If you continue eating such a super low fat diet, you could end up with hair that starts falling out or breaking off...along with other complications.


Fat isn't the enemy-it is necessary, just like protein and carbohydrates. Fat got a bad reputation because of the bad for you foods that are high in fat like cookies, cakes, snacks, chips, etc. But, there are many HEALTHY foods that are also fat sources, such as salmon, nuts, eggs, olive oil, and so on.

Your skin will get dry and your hair will fall out at that level. What do you eat that you only get 8 grams of fat a day? Good stuff from everyone else.

For those who wondered how I could get around 8 g of fat daily only here's an example of what I eat in day:

breakfast: yogurt with a banana

lunch: whole-grain spaghetti with a meatless spaghetti sauce (tomato and basilic) (not a lot) + 1 egg + broadbeans immature

snack: a nectarine

supper: mashed potatoes (potatoes, carrots and some other vegetables) + canned peas

snack: apple + sometimes a glass of milk

You've been told this repeatedly in thread after thread after thread.

You're not eating enough and you're not eating enough of the right kinds of foods. You're damaging your body and your metabolism. Every post you make shows this more and more. Your latest post that you've stopped menstruating is further evidence of that.

You need to go to a doctor. You need to talk to someone about nutrition and learning what you need to fuel your body. You need some help in dealing with your food and weight related issues. I really really really hope you'll get the help and support that you need.

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I preface this by saying that I'm by no means a nutrition expert, BUT...

It seems like you could up your fat in-take without drastically altaring what you're eating if you swap (what I assume is) low/no fat yogurt/milk with the full-fat versions. Do you eat the whole egg, or just the whites? If you just eat the whites, try leaving in the yolk.

But aside from that, how many calories a day are you eating? I just ask because the dinner you described seems a tad bare to me... another good way to add in some fat (and protein) is to add chicken or fish or something to your dinner. Also, along with your snacks, try mixing in some nuts or smearing some peanut butter on the banana or apple.

At least try to bring some more of the "super foods" into your diet woman. Some Avacado, some blueberries, some spinach.... as hard as it is you might want to rotate your diet a little so you get more nutrition in there...

Can you eat a chicken breast, piece of fish, or pork tenderloin at supper?
That does not look like enough calories to me. You're eating good healthy foods, but not enough. How about some nuts?

Have you been to the library yet????
I like "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" by Walter Willett.

I know you really, really, really want to lose some weight, but if you don't do it the right way, it'll be hard to keep it off.
Balanced eating is the key.


Best wishes :)

katylin, I don't know how old you are but I am assuming quite young. I also don't know how much weight you have to lose. What most of us are trying to say to you is said because we care- your diet is not healthy and will only cause you grief down the road. You are eating far to few calories and they are not balanced- you don't have a good mix of protein, fat and carbs. You have virtually no fat or protein in your diet. You need protein to sustain muscle and muscle burns more calories than fat.
I am assuming you believe you have alot of weight to lose and that is why you are being so restrictive in your diet. Please reconsider, you can lose weight eating in a healthy fashion, exercise and build muscle and you will start looking fantastic. Very low calorie diets need to be medically supervised and require supplements- often B12 injections and protein levels are much higher.

Well sometimes I do salmon or chicken and therefore gets more proteins and fat in my diet. It only depends on the day. I do not eat pork or beef though.

Katylin- it needs to be everyday and frankly every meal. Even if you eat one piece of chicken a day and an egg you are getting less than 30 g of protein- not enough. From a nutritional perspective- protein takes longer to digest than carbs so you feel full longer, your blood sugar doesn't spike as much. Fat is important as well and although it may seem counterintuitive you need fat to be able to metabolize fat in your die. Up your daily calorie intake, balanace your carb, protein and fat and move more and you will lose weight.

How about seeds, nuts, peanut butter, or olive oil?

Just like there are good and bad carbs, there are good and bad fats. The good fats are used by the body instead of stored in the body like bad fats. You really need much more fat than you are consuming, at least 3x as much. Just get it from good sources.