Well i am counting calories but i was wondering if you all take fat into account? Not just the calorie counters but WW, SBD, all plans. I didnt know what the general consensous was. If i am fine with calories but had a high fat, does that mean my day is out of range? Or is it fine if i just stay in the right amount of cals?
Fat is not a bad thing, necessarily. We all need healthy fat in our diets. I try to eat healthy fat and avoid bad fats.
I try to ensure that healthy fats (walnut oil, canola oil, olive oil, avocado, salmon, nuts/nut butters) make up 20-25% of my daily calories. I try to limit saturated fats (found in red meat/dairy/eggs) and try to completely avoid man-made transfats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils found in margarine and packaged baked goods like cookies and crackers).
Personnally, I don't pay any attention to my fat intake, I just worry about my overall calorie intake. But because I am restricting my calories, I find that I am forced to lower my fat intake without thinking about it. If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to stay within my calorie range for the day.
So without even thinking about it, my fat intake averages around 32g per day (which is at the low end of the recommend range for my calorie level according to the Bally website, which is where I log all my meals) and my saturated fat intake averages about 8g per day (which is half the maximum saturated fat recommended for my calorie level according to Bally).
This strategy has worked pretty well for me as I've lost over 30 pounds and am almost at my goal weight. One of my strategies to stay within my calorie range has been to always buy the non-fat or lowfat version of any food that comes in a non-fat or lowfat variety (e.g., yogurt, cheese, sour cream, popcorn, spaghetti sauc, etc.). The only exceptions I make to this are for peanut butter and soy milk. This really helps cut out calories and I'm sure has significantly reduced my fat intake.
Well i am counting calories but i was wondering if you all take fat into account?
Yup. I'm what some consider a "fat snob." I'm very picky about how much fat I eat. Most days my total fat intake doesn't exceed 20%. I try to make as much of that as I can the good fats. But whatever the case, I watch my fats very carefully. And besides, the less fat you eat the more food you can eat because fat is more calorie-dense than protein or carbs.
Another thing to consider (and why I started watching fats carefully) is saturated fat raises blood cholesterol. I used to have high cholesterol and high triglycerides (blood fats) but after changing my diet and lifestyle, 2 years later my cholesterol levels, including my good cholesterol (HDL), are within desirable ranges.
Every now and then I steal a few fries from my husband/partner, when he brings home a fast food meal or I'll have a piece of fried chicken or fried fish, things that I love. I haven't totally given up the foods I love, I just eat them in extreme moderation.
Wyllenn, i like your approach, i think i will really start paying attention to them once i plataeu.
Until then i think just staying in my alloted calorie range keeps my fat somewhat in check. It just seems like when i look at it at fit day, my fat is always higher than i would like it to be. But i think i am going to check out ballys website and see how much fat they say i should have.
I do make an effort to use good fats though, olive oil all the way. Hubby has cholesterol problems and it is just better for the family all around.
I think i will get more fat snobby as i go along and as i need to. Thanks for the input guys, you all are a great resource, what did we do to support each other before the internet?
I just try to watch the percentages and make sure that whatever fat I eat it is mostly monounsaturated. I do try to keep my total around 30% of calories but it creeps up sometimes.
I watch it like a hawk due to early heart disease in my family and high cholesterol. sadly, I just started being diligent about it when they found some gunk in my arteries already, and I'm 33! So that is what scared me into action to lose weight, eat healthy, exercise.
Now, since I count calories to assist in losing weight, my husband and I have lost quite a bit and feel quite happy with the amount we eat because like it has been said, a gram of fat is nine calories, wheras a gram of protein or carbs is 4. So we are eating more food with less calories and it is working great!
Counting fat?
