Fat..., How Many Grams???

I'm just new to CC+, only belonged for five days. My SW was 254 and I lost 2 pounds right away. Then, I weighed myself yesterday and I gained the 2 pounds back..., oh pooooh!

I ran an analysis on my foods. My fat grams were 31, 67, 58, and 43 for the last four days. I have no idea where my fat grams are supposed to be. Or how many protein grams or carb grams I am supposed to be taking in.

My calorie limit was 1,800, but I am going to drop that down to 1,600. And, I'm thinking that I probably am taking in too many fat grams, but I don't have a clue how many to limit myself to.

Can someone tell me what the propotion of fat/protein/carbs should be?

Thanks much and good luck to everyone of their ventures!

Oh, I forgot. I exercise at a wellness center, not an intense exercise, just walk on a treadmill and use the recumbent bicycle and use the resistance weights. My doctor said the resistance weights were great for weight loss. I'm thinking I need to bump up the weight and reps on my weights.

If you look around in the Community you can find the answer to that, I eat low fat, under 30 grams a day, sometimes 15 - 20. Too loose you will have to change the way you eat, and you will have to exercise....walking will do the trick.

Some people like more protein and others like more carbs, but you should have a fair amount of everything.  Don't let anything be less than 20% of your total calories.  That includes fat.  You can try to make sure that you are getting healthy fats, but you do need fat, at least 35 grams on a 1600 calorie diet.

Also, a lot of people who start exercising and dieting find that they don't lose much at first.  When you first start exercising, your muscles build up quickly and also retain a lot of water, often enough to offset your weight loss.  Don't let that discourage you.  As long as you are exercising and limiting your calorie intake, you will be making progress.  The scale might not be the right instrument to measure it, but you are making progress.

Just to add my own 2 cents worth....I have been on my diet plan for three weeks today and I have lost 8.5 pounds, and with all the working out I have been doing along with the dieting I actually thought I would have lost more.  But then I measured myself yesterday against my starting stats and I actually have lost 1  1/2 inches around my waist and hips and I was SO HAPPY!  So sometimes its not strictly about the pounds.  Also, I was freaking about the carbs in all the whole-grain food items I was eating, but the nutrionist at my gym says thats GOOD carbs so not to worry.  If you sort of focus on the sat fat and cholesterol that seems to be the key.  Anyway I am just trying to eat sensible and that works best!  good luck.....

"I have been on my diet plan for three weeks today and I have lost 8.5 pounds, and with all the working out I have been doing along with the dieting I actually thought I would have lost more."

Is there a specific diet plan with CC?  Or do you just go with something you know and plug in the amounts?

The CC plan is to eat healthy and keep your calories down to a recommended amount.  There is no specific diet.  That is a really important aspect.  You can eat what you like.  The fact that you are making the decisions about what to eat and then getting feedback on how healthy it is and how many calories you consume allows you to learn better eating habits.  Most of us are here because we eat too much and exercise too little.  If we go on a 'diet', lose weight, and then go back to our previous habits, what is going to happen?  We gain it all back!  But if we improve our lifestyles, know what foods we need to limit and how many calories are in what we eat, we can keep the weight off.  Instead of a 'diet' it is a 'lifestyle change'. 

A good source to use to find out how to balance the foods you eat and the exercise you do can be found at www.mypyramid.gov.  Its meal plans are based on portions of the different food groups per day. The site has over 20 meal plans that are based on gender and calorie needs as determined from a very short questionnaire. It's a great site to go to.

I completely agree with clharr...we're after lifestyle change more than weight loss. Weight loss is achieved "naturally" from better choices in foods we eat and activities we choose to do or, as the case may be, not do.

Nonetheless, it's helpful to know how to balance the calories we're alotted. I have the same calorie level. Here's what I try to do:

1. Use only whole grained food...whole wheat, whole oat, brown rice...and to have 4 to 5 portions a day (a portion = 1 slice bread, 1/3 cup rice, 1/2 cup oatmeal).

2. Eat at least 5 different colors of vegetables (at least 3 cups, 6 1/2-cup servings/day). The deeper the color, the better: it means the veggie is higher in a protective anti-oxidant or phytochemical which have been shown to be preventative against cancers and inflammation (which causes most disease).

3. Eat no more than 2 cups, 4 1/2-cup servings/day  fruit. Frequently, I use 16-oz. of V-8 juice for 2 servings of veggies and mix 1/2 cup water with 3/4 cup juice over ice for 1 serving of fruit. Too much fruit ==> too many calores with natural sugars. HOWEVER, if you won't eat veggies (and my sister won't!), eat lots of different kinds and colors of fruit.

4. Eat 1 3-oz. serving of meat/chicken/fish, 1/2 cup cooked dry beans, 1 cup of 1% milk, and 1 cup cottage cheese for calcium and protein needs.

5. Fat usually comes from the olive oil I use to sautee vegetables and grill the meat. ( You only "need' about 3 teaspoons a day.)

Hope you like the site.

Thank you, sandrako! The info you gave me is great, and will help me out alot! The mypyramid.gov site if fantastic. I have bookmarked it already.

I really appreciate your help!! This is why I love this site so much. I fumble around and ask for help, and right away someone reaches out and helps. So many blessings right here. It's wonderful.

Hope you have a super week, I know I will! With all this added info, I will definitely keep myself busy studying new game plans on eating. I'm all excited!! Just like a little kid with a new toy. It doesn't take much for me to get all wound up!

The best advise is to simply remember that calories in equal calories out.  Eat a balance of good food.  Try to shop the outside of the grocery store, which meant fresh meats, produce, dairy and fruits.  It is important to eat good fats and limit sugars(watch labels for high fructose corn syrup--it's poisin!)

Here's a simple way to calculate how many calories you can eat without gaining weight.  Active people-multiply current weight x 15.  This is the number of calories you can eat per day to maintain your current weight (for example:  150 lbs times 15 equals 2,250 calories per day.)  Moderately active people- multiply your current weight x 13.  Inactive people- multiply weight x 11. 

Now let's say you want to lose 2 lb's per week.  (it is only possible to lose 2 lbs of actual fat, if you lose more it is muscle or water.)  For each pound of body fat you will need to eliminate 3,000 calories per week.  To lose 2 lb's you need to subtract 856 calories per day from the above calculation you made. 

Now you can see why it is important to exercise.  You can have more calories and still lose weight. 

Take the amount of calories that you come up with to lose the amount of weight you wish per week and fiqure that no more than 30% should be fat. 

The best formula though is as follows:  45% protein, 35% high fiber carbs, 15% essential fats, 5% fruits.

I hope this helps you. 

1 gram of fat = 9 calories

1 gram of carbohydrate or protein = 4 calories

When you eat too much protein and not enough carbohydrate, waste products (ketones) are made that are toxic to the body.  Too many over a long time can stress out the kidneys, and in some people even lead to kidney failure.

The brain and the heart, in particular, need carbohydrate for optimal functioning. It is a good idea to eat carbs that are high in fiber and nutrients: whole grains, fruits (preferably whole, not juiced), and vegetables. However, think twice before taking in 45% of calories in protein: 30% is the most that is deemed healthful.

According to Dale Schoeller, PhD and Andrea Buchholz, PhD, RD,

"The current evidence... suggests that weight-loss diets should be moderate in carbohydrate (35% to 50% of energy), moderate in fat (25% to 35% of energy), and protein should contribute 25% to 30% of energy." Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Vol. 105, May 2005, p S24.

Just as there are good carbs, there are good fats: monounsaturated are the best. These include olive oil and canola oil, as well as the fat found in walnuts, almonds, and avocados. The worst fats are trans fatty acids -- anything on the ingredient list that says "partially hydrogenated." You'll find that most snack foods -- even "lower in fat" foods -- contain fats that fall into this category.

Saturated fats, those found in animal products (e.g., meat and butter) as well as tropical oils (e.g., palm and cocunut oil), should also be avoided: no more than 7% of kcals (8 gms on a 1,000 kcal eating pattern).

For most women, 1,000 to 1,200 calories will result in weight-loss. Men and women over 160# will lose weight with a 1,600 calorie intake. After a 10% loss of weight, it's a good idea to maintain for a month or two before attempting to lose another per centage of body weight. At that time, you'll need to recalculate your energy needs: they will be lower, but never lower than 1,000 kcals per day.

This computes to the following at the 1,000 calorie level:

Carbohydrates (CHO)  

35% x 1,000 = 350 kcal/4 kcal per gm CHO =   63 gm CHO

50% x 1,000 = 500 kcal/4 kcal per gm CHO = 125 gm CHO

Fat

25% x 1,000 = 250 kcal/9 kcal per gm fat = 28 gm FAT

35% x 1,000 = 350 kcal/9 kcal per gm fat = 39 gm FAT

Protein (PRO)

25% x 1,000 kcal = 250 kcal/4 kcal per gm PRO = 63 gm PRO

30% x 1,000 kcal = 300 kcal/4 kcal per gm PRO = 75 gm PRO

You can do the rest of the calculations following the same pattern -- you'll just need to change the daily calorie intake. However, my recommendation is to go the www.mypyramid.gov and follow the simple directions to get the whole thing done for you...and you won't have to keep counting everything. There are an array of tools that make the process fairly user-friendly.

Upping your activity level is very beneficial in mitigating the problems with overweight and obesity: you can be fat and fit...and you also will be able to take in a few more calories and still lose weight.

Nonetheless, you want to take the weight loss slow, no more than 1 to 2 pounds a week, so that your body gradually adjusts and won't "kick-back."  It also helps the skin get back into shape more easily.

One of the biggest negatives about the show, Biggest Loser, is that there is an assumption that it's good to lose weight at such a fast rate. Note the few returns to graduates: and that those they interview may have kept off most of the weight lost, but that for the majority it's starting to creep back on.

Changing eating habits is a life-long change. It's hard to be motivated with such incremental moves on the weight-loss ticker. I've begun to track changes in BMI instead: in general, a loss of 6 pounds moves you down to the next level. That and aiming to decrease my waist measurement, for me, is a little more motivating in tracking my progress.

I hope this has been helpful.

Sandrako has very sound advise.  As for the 45% protein, I consider the protein breakdown in spinach, dairy, and even the nuts and oatmeal that I eat.  I find that if i eat lean meats and lots of veggies along with high fiber carbs and watching the amount of healthy fats, then I don't have to calculate and can lose weight as long as I exercise and stick to my weight lifting program.  I ate a mainly vegetarian diet last year but had trouble cutting out the chicken so I have added chicken(smart chicken usually free range without antibiotics) back into my diet along with lots of fish.  So you see that the protein that I eat is healthy.  I don't think that most people take into account that chicken, beef etc has fat so if you calculate a % of fat you need to consider it in your diet.  You can get too much fat and sabotage your diet.  

I have maintained my weight my entire life using these rules.   I have never been more that 10 lbs up and right now I'm 6 so I ran into this sight after we returned from a 3 week trip (European cruise) of eatting food that I normally don't eat.  I was careful but not as careful as I am normally.  I guess what I'm saying is healthy eatting IS a lifestyle.  If you practice it; you can live it. 

I envy the longevity of your wise lifestyle choices, Icecreamlady: it would have made my life MUCH better if I'd lived such choices when I was younger.

Now, I must deal with the aftermath of those choices, albeit made out of emotional needs and lack of stress outlets. (Unless you deal with these issues first, at least maintaining your weight while figuring them out, it makes real weight loss that stays lost nearly impossible.)

But, each day is new; I am getting better...I know what needs to be done -- it's "just" the implementation of that that's difficult. DUH!

A habit I have that I found interesting today is that I nearly always want/ "need" to be doing something when I eat. It's like having a conversation of sorts with another object -- or, in the case of phone calling, people. I live alone and am not working right now, so it might be a response to lack of social contact...unless you call 2 dogs and 2 kitties "contact!" Anyway, it's something for me to ponder.

BTW, I miscalculated the grams of CHO for 35% CHO of 1,000 kcal eating pattern. It should be:

35% x 1,000 kcal = 350 kcal/4 kcal per g CHO = 88 g CHO

Like I said you very obviously know what to do.  I am lucky that I am the opposite of most people in that I don't eat when I'm stressed.  You could tell when I was the most unhappy in the life because it was when I was the thinnest.  My biggest problem is eatting when I am bored, which is when I sit still usually at night.  I seem to think I need to be doing something and the urge is to eat(snack).  It is my biggest weightloss problem.  I can eat healthy all day but still want to snack on almonds, granola, etc in the evening.  For some reason carrots don't always do the trick.  It is a battle within myself.  I just keep telling myself you are not hungry(which I am not).  Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not.  It helps me to always have a cup of green tea herbal tea or water to sip.  This is one of the reasons that i write down all that i eat when I'm seriously trying to lose because it helps me to see that I can't have any more fat, calories or carbs.....

I have two sisters who are very overweight and have asked me to help them, which helps me too.  I try but it is just up to them to do it and I can only guide them.  They come week after week sometimes and don't lose a thing.  I told them that if they want to come and have "sister night" then that is fine but I can't help them until they are ready to do the work that it takes to change their eatting habits.  I know that it is hard to lose weight and stay motivated. It may seem like 6 lbs is not much but in order to lose it is just as hard or more for me.  I have to reduce calories to 1200 or I will not lose.  My daily calorie intake is 1800 just to maintain the weight that I like to stay close to.  I am 53 and it get harder every year.  I just try to keep busy. 

I wish you much luck with your war.  You win one battle at a time.