Interesting results with higher fat intake

[auggiebumdoggie]

I have been using myfitnesspal to track calories for the last 4 months or so. I lift 3 times a week and do cardio and hiit 2-3 times a week.

I started at 259lbs and am down 42lbs to 217 in about 6 months. I stay around 1850 calories per day now.

I generally run at the following macros depending on the week

40-45% protein
25-30% fat
balance in carbs

Last week I started adding more avacado, olives, and cod liver oil to my diet. I am still at the same calories but end up with less protein and less carbs due to the increase in healthy fat. Fat is now around 40%.

With the increase in fat, I feel much better and am getting better results on the scale. I also feel stronger on my lifts.

Just thought I would share this for anyone trying to lose fat. I am really enjoying the avacado the most.

Do you think that 40% is too high on fat if it is pretty much all "good" fat?

[dcmaggio]

The difference between 30 to 40% fat isnt big enough that it should make some crazy difference, especially not in a week.


But any perceived benefit is likely some combination of placebo effect with other factors in life (ie how much you slept, recovered, all kinds of crap)

I mean if you went from <5% carbs to 40% carbs you might notice a crazy difference in tons of things in a week or two.

But going from 30% fat to 40% fat on an 1850 calorie diet is like replacing a glass of skim milk with a handful of almonds.

Nothing crazy. But if you like it better and think it makes you feel much better by all means stick with it. It certainly wont hurt you

[StacksItRich]

The difference between 30 to 40% fat isnt big enough that it should make some crazy difference, especially not in a week.


But any perceived benefit is likely some combination of placebo effect with other factors in life (ie how much you slept, recovered, all kinds of crap)

I mean if you went from <5% carbs to 40% carbs you might notice a crazy difference in tons of things in a week or two.

But going from 30% fat to 40% fat on an 1850 calorie diet is like replacing a glass of skim milk with a handful of almonds.

Nothing crazy. But if you like it better and think it makes you feel much better by all means stick with it. It certainly wont hurt you

Not true. An incease of 10-15% on 1850 is 185-280 calories.

That's 20-30 extra grams of fat.

He was eating only 50-60 which is way too low. Now it's atleast 80G of fat which is about normal now. So i could see how it could make a difference.

[dcmaggio]

60g of fat is WAY too low on what planet ?

I think that's a reasonable number, 40g would def be low, maybe 50 would be the norm-low. I think 50-70g is fine for most people (450-630 calories). That way you can get protein (150g~ 600 calories) and carbs (same as protein) comes out like a well balanced diet

The RDA for fat is 40-60g a day for a 2000 calorie diet for a normal adult

And a serving of almonds is 180~ calories mostly fat (pretty sure its like 16-18g of fat~) which is pretty spot on of what i said. Him replacing a glass of milk (carbs + protein) with almonds (fat)

(just for giggles the AHA suggest you should eat 25%-35% of your calories from fat)

[Serpentarius]

OP probably has a lbm of around 135-140, so he needs around 60g a day, even less and he is fine.

Also OP, dont do percentages, you need to know grams of macronutrients and calories.
Dont skimp on protein, if you do and you dont do resistance training, odds are you will look like poop when you lean out. Aim for 1g protein per lb of lbm always, .45g fat and you are fine.

[Rhyme]

Thought I would chime in...

I started using healthy fats (mainly pecans) to meet my daily caloric intake a lot easier. I did this with no expected effect in mind. I noticed a steady but high level of energy when im at work. Also the relative Normal/high fat intake seem to have that same zen like warmth like a a thermo supp without the uncomfortable heart rhythms. Placebo? I doubt it. could definitely be other factors i don't know about

[gloria7]

You've seen "better" results on scale because you dropped carbs => lost some extra water weight.
Stick to what makes you perform better.
Personally I would eat ~2000-2200 kcals

[auggiebumdoggie]

OP probably has a lbm of around 135-140, so he needs around 60g a day, even less and he is fine.

Also OP, dont do percentages, you need to know grams of macronutrients and calories.
Dont skimp on protein, if you do and you dont do resistance training, odds are you will look like poop when you lean out. Aim for 1g protein per lb of lbm always, .45g fat and you are fine.

I appreciate the feedback. I have been doing resistance training for around 6 months and i am always over 180g protein daily. I have noticed that my weight loss has slowed the further along that I get. I was losing 2 pounds a week. Now I lose around 1 pound a week.

I hope that it is just muscle gain and fat loss but have read here that you can not do both at the same time. The good news is that I am getting stronger on all my lifts.

Just going to keep doing what I am doing. This forum has been a wealth of information for real life results. I am a big believer in learning skills from those who have already achieved the results you are looking for.

[stingray72]

I started eating healthier fats before but didnt keep up with it. With two people reporting unexpected benefits I think I will go back to doing this.

[auggiebumdoggie]

I started eating healthier fats before but didnt keep up with it. With two people reporting unexpected benefits I think I will go back to doing this.

I have noticed that my stomache is upset more often with the the higher healthy fats. It could be just an adjustment or it could be from the higher fiber since avacado has a bunch. Please post your results after a week or two. I would love to hear how it goes for you.