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Author: Angel
Date: 07-30-02 17:31
Hey Everyone!
I was wondering what is best to count, the calories or the fat. I know that a certain percentage of the calories come from fat but does that mean I don't count the fat grams? Basically what I am asking is are the fat grams AS important as the calories? I hope I'm not beating around the bush here ...
Thx,
Angel
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Author: JillG
Date: 07-30-02 18:08
Angel, I know I always look at calories and fat content as well as how many of the calories come from fat. If the fat calories seem high for whatever it is, then I avoid it. Another thing I have really started looking at is the sugar in everything. I looked at some baked beans and I was astonished that there were 16 grams of sugar per serving. But I think you have to look at both, something that may be low fat or non-fat is a lot of times high in calories. Jill
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Author: Willa
Date: 07-30-02 18:12
I think you have to count both if your gonna do that kinda diet....but cutting too much fat out of your diet will cause you to store fat...you have to feed your body a little it seems...i know i went on an almost no-fat diet....after the first 6 weeks i couldnt loose any more weight...(now this may also have something to do with my medical condition, maybe for others this wouldnt happen)
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Author: Dee
Date: 07-30-02 23:21
Hi Angel,
I count everything!!! But there again, I'm a Virgo, and we do love our spreadsheets!! The problem nowadays with only counting fat grams, is that so many modern foods are labelled "low fat", but contain large amunts of sugar. For instance, I see tubs of low fat yogurt in stores that I like (such as trader Joes, and Albertsons -- the local supermarket) that have a whopping 38 grams of sugar, and 230 calories. All that sugar sort of belies the healthy reputation that yogurt has!! I count calories, and try to keep my fat calories at 15% to 20% of that total...I keep to a very low fat diet (10% some days) because I have to fight very, very high cholesterol, and I try to do that medicine free. I think that, if it were not for my cholesterol, I would eat 25% to 30% of my calories as fat, since I love olive oil!!! As I don't want my protein any higher than 15% or so, I keep my carbs (only eat complex carbs...veggies, fruits, whole grains) at 65% to 70%, and I can lose weight on that high-carb, low fat diet, at the rate of 1 lb per week, if I keep the calories to 1500 or so per day, and exercise daily. I have heard many people say, however, that they can't lose weight on a high carb diet, so everyone's metabolism is different. Because of the high sugar content of so many of the low fat foods (even some of the fruits I like) I personally think that counting calories is really important, but that is just my 1 cent worth, based on my own experiences. It's late at night, so good night, sleep tight!!
Cheers, Dee
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Author: GymMachine
Date: 07-31-02 07:19
i know what u mean by people saying they cant lose weight on a high carb diet...i think they fail to realise that there are different kinds of carbs...thos which lead to a little fat gain consist or huge servings or rice/pasta/breads...which are ok in moderation and if the energy is going to be used...you have actually done what i have started to do these last few months...cut the starchy carbs and eat carbs from veggies and to a lesser extent milk....sure its more prep time in the kitchen because i usually eat alot of veggies with chicken if theres no pasta side to fill me up, but its alot healthier in the end....plus some veggies are known to have a negetive caloric value so i think vegie carbs are the best..full of fibre too.....cutting the spuds/rice/pastas and breads have done wonders...i dont eat any of them anymore not even in moderation....and it does work well for fat loss, it just means i tend to eat a truckload of veggies instead which aint too bad...infact the only thing that differs between us is a eat high amounts of protein too (only coz i weight train vigouresly)...im at 45-45-10 as a rough indication...i supplement with flax oil for good fats because im a little fat phobic...anyway just though id tell ya your going to get some good results from this Dee keep it up!
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Author: Melanie
Date: 07-31-02 07:42
You should count both. It's the total calories that really matter, but some research has shown that the calories from fat are more likely to be stored as fat then calories from protein and carb.
Another reason to count fat is that fat has 9 calories per gram, while protein and carb have 4 calories per gram. So basically fatty foods are more calorie dense - high-fat food will have more calories then the same amount of low-fat food... so it's easier to end up eating more calories without knowing it.
I would also pay special attention to processed foods. Even when they are low-fat or fat-free, they can be very high in calories. So read the labels...
Melanie
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Author: Fay
Date: 07-31-02 07:51
I would like to add my personal experience. I have lost 24lbs (20lbs fat) in 5 months basically with dieting, since my exercise program is based on taichi and stretching. I am now in a maintance period which is basically the same, only the portions of carbs are a little more... I am quite carefull with the fat consumption (between 20-40gr/day), and it is mainly olive oil. Carbohydrates included fresh and boiled vegetables, beans, lentils, musli and fruits, occasionally pasta or baked potatoes or rice or bread; occasionally means once per week. Now I am eating pasta etc. three times per week but not big portions. I keep my protein around 20% of my total calory intake. Software had helped me a lot in keeping track with all of this reeducation of myself, now I don't really need it.
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Author: Dee
Date: 07-31-02 09:11
Hi GymMachine,
yes, it sounds as though we are not too far distant in "food philosophy"...I keep the protein content lower only because I started out with very high cholesterol (total was 313 when I first started trying to lower it), and there is a history of early heart disease in my family (my dad died at age 57 with a massive heart attack, as did his brother in his 40s, and his younger sister in her early 50s, and my grandparents died young too.) As for fat, TRANS fat (evil stuff in terms of raising my cholesterol even more than saturated fat does) is something I don't put into my mouth any more, and I try to keep saturated fat down low too, though I get a bit from low fat cheese, low fat yogurt, and very lean chicken/beef/salmon. (I use non-fat milk mixed with water for making my oatmeal.) As for "good fat", I use olive oil at the ratio of 1 teaspoon olive oil to 2 teaspoons of vinegar to make my 1 tablespoon of salad dressing (sound hard up!!), and I use tiny amounts of olive oil for various cooking tasks since I really do like the taste. I use a little cold-pressed flax oil every single day, however, and swear by it! In addition, every morning, I put 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds into my oatmeal (has a nutty taste I like a lot), and I don't begrude the 80 calories it adds to my bowl of oatmeal -- the 7 grams of fat in that 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed are, in my humble opinion, the best 7 grams of fat I could find anywhere!!! As for veggies, the fiber in them is mostly soluble fiber, and very good for my cholesterol level, so I fill at least half my plate -- or more -- with steamed veggies every night, and put piles of veggies into soups and casseroles!!! Sounds like you're on a good eating track too!
Cheers, Dee
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Author: JillG
Date: 07-31-02 12:06
I agree with GymMachine and Dee about the Flax oil and seeds. I read a book that had a lot about the essential fatty acids, and I did their little test just to see, I put some flax oil in a ziploc bag and some vegetable oil (i think) in another and put them in the freezer, after an hour the other oil had solidified but the flax oil was still liquid. I also like to toast the seeds for a minute or two in a hot nonstick pan, and put them on a salad. I was trying to find recipes using flax seeds and there is a Flax Council in Canada. On their website you can download a free flax seed cookbook in Adobe acrobat reader. It has some great recipes. The website is www.flaxcouncil.ca
Jill
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Author: Michelle
Date: 07-31-02 12:38
"Calorie" is a unit of energy. Every single food item, whatever it's made out of, has its energy equivalent in calories. Since it takes 3500 of these energy units to make up a pound of excess fat, any such excess should be avoided.
Since a gram of fat contains 9 calories, and a gram of protein or carb has only 4, it is good to limit fat intake so you can have more actual food (and thus feel fuller). And not only are fats more calorie dense per gram, they are also way smaller in actual volume most of the time - aka, just a teaspoon of olive oil is over 13 grams of fat already (120 calories), while a whole cup of lettuce (which is mostly carbs in the form of fiber) is barely over a gram of absorbable carbs (5 calories).
Of course, there is also the benefit of maintaining normal cholesterol and lipid levels (and thus prevent heart attacks, strokes, etc.) when dietary fat is under check. This also takes into consideration the type of fat that is in the diet, unsaturated (olive oil, canola oil, nuts, fish) being the favorable kind for healthier cholesterol and lipid levels.
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Author: Dee
Date: 07-31-02 13:33
Hi Michelle, I usually find myself in agreement with you, but you did make either a mistake, or a serious typo when talking about the calories in olive oil, and since we do need some fat in our diets, I don't want anyone reading our posts to be confused! You wrote: "just a teaspoon of olive oil is over 13 grams of fat already (120 calories)", and I'm sorry, but you're way wrong! I buy cold pressed extra virgen olive oil, and it has 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per TABLESPOON, which is a standard 15 ml measure. A standard TEASPOON holds 5 ml, and there are 3 teaspoons in each tablespoon. I make sald dressing every day with one TEASPOON (5 ml) of olive oil, and that has 40 calories, and about 4.5 fat grams. I whip up with that 2 TEASPOONS (10 ml) of malt vinegar, which has very few calories, and that way, I get a total of one tablespoon (15 ml) of yummy dressing that comes in under 50 calories!!! A level teaspoon of olive oil goes a long way, as does a teaspoon of soft tub margarine on my toast, and it would be a very rare day indeed that i would use a 15 ml tablespoon of any kind of fat!!! Hope you don't mind me correcting you Michelle, since you may have made a typo, or just not noticed what size spoonful was being listed! Since I inherited very high cholesterol from my family (313 when I started with very high bad LDL cholesterol), and since heart disease at an early age plaugues my paternal family, I am very particular about saturated fat and trans fat, but do allow myself some "good" fat from olive oil, flax oil, and the almonds that grow on our own land outside!! Have a good day,
Cheers, Dee
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Author: Katie P
Date: 08-01-02 08:32
When all the chips are on the table, it's the calories that count. Fat is important too - avoid saturated "animal" fat and transfats (the kind you find in commercial cookies, crackers, etc). Focus on vegies, lean protein, fruits, etc. Shop the perimiter of the store. If you are eating all of your vegetables and lean protein, your calories should stay pretty low.
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Author: Michelle
Date: 08-02-02 19:00
You're right Dee - I meant a tablespoon, and not a teaspoon. Sorry about that
Michelle
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Author: R. E.
Date: 08-06-02 13:14
I recommend keeping a careful and accurate calorie count and in order to lose weight keeping the daily calorie intake at no more than 1000 calories per day.
At this rate people with a Basal Metabolic Rate of 1500 calories will lose weight atthe rate of about one (1) pound per week.
This is the approximate rate for most women of average height, build, and activity.
There are other programs which are called Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD)
which will generate faster weight loss.
Anyone interested please email me for more information.
Best Wishes,
R.E.
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Author: Dee
Date: 08-06-02 14:38
One thousand calories a day sounds a bit low, particularly for women who work during the day, and for women who get a lot of exercise. You mentioned Basal Metabolic Rate, and assumed it might be at 1500 calories per day for "average" women (whatever "average" might mean), but surely, to approximate one's daily maintenance calories, one needs to add to the BMR an estimate of the calories one burns up in activities. From that maintenance level, one can deduct calories in order to lose weight, but I have always been told that 1200 per day was about the minimum if one wants to eat a reasonably healthy diet with good nutrition. I, for one, would starve at 1000 calories per day. I am raising 3 young children (very active 6-year-old triplets), have the house to care for, lots of cooking to do, and certain tasks to do outside (feeding chickens, watering things, weeding, etc) to keep our little farm running while my husband is at work. In addition, I jog for 30 minutes each day, weight train 3 times a week, and take walks, bike ride, and play in the pool with my kids. My maintenance calories per day are closer to 2000, and I can lose weight at the rate of one pound per week by eating 1500 calories per day. I don't think I'm particularly unusual, since several women who visit this site board are, I know, very active. There are women on here taking karate lessons , power walking, bike riding, visiting the gym every every evening, going to work all day, and so on, and I'll bet that their maintenance calories are higher than the 1500 per day you mentioned too, although for all I know, they may be on your 1000 calories per day to lose weight. All I know is, I couldn't get the nutritios diet I eat at that low level, nor would I have the energy I need each day! I dare say some women could eat that, but not me, and I'm not an unusual person, since I am 5' 5", average frame, and 138 lbs right now.
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Author: GymMachine
Date: 08-07-02 04:05
1000 calories per day, u gotta be kidding...thats a bit too low in anyones lifestyle
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