Bit confused about the high fat thing

All I would say is there is a lot of confusion regarding fats. There is nothing wrong with foods that have a high fat content, many are very nutritious such as avacados, eggs, nuts, olive oil, butter, oily fish etc. I don't believe we can eat as much as we like but I certainly don't think we need to avoid them. If you hear or read of someone who advises eating a diet including high fat, that doesn't mean you have to eat a large amount of these foods, it just means it's fine to include these foods with a "high fat content" into your diet. The amount you eat is up to you. Hope this helps a little.

Hi,

My body only seems to put on weight if I eat carbs, or carbs with fat.
If I drop the carbs low enough, I can eat a lot of fat (more than I would ever want to!) without gaining.

A simplified explanation (as I understand it), is that in order to store excess energy as body fat, we need insulin circulating in the blood stream.

If you don't eat carbs, then there is very little insulin needed, so the energy doesn't get deposited as fat.
Think of the insulin as a key to unlock the body's cells, allowing fat deposits into the cells.

Of course, it is far more complicated than that, but the important thing to remember is that you can only eat higher fat quantities if you are eating low, or very low carbs.

Brunneria said:

Hi,

My body only seems to put on weight if I eat carbs, or carbs with fat.
If I drop the carbs low enough, I can eat a lot of fat (more than I would ever want to!) without gaining.

A simplified explanation (as I understand it), is that in order to store excess energy as body fat, we need insulin circulating in the blood stream.

If you don't eat carbs, then there is very little insulin needed, so the energy doesn't get deposited as fat.
Think of the insulin as a key to unlock the body's cells, allowing fat deposits into the cells.

Of course, it is far more complicated than that, but the important thing to remember is that you can only eat higher fat quantities if you are eating low, or very low carbs.

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How low is considered low carb?

As much as I understand it, you can have as much food that contains saturated full fat that's part of most natrual food.
It is the polyunsaturated fats that's cooked in, part of a processed food or meal and most processed sugars and carbs that you need to avoid. Also transfats are baddies.
It is better for your blood glucose levels and your overall health to eat full fat natrual yoghurt than low fat fruit yoghurt as the amount of processed fat and sugar will raise your blood glucose levels
Milk contains lactose which is a sugar and raises your glucose levels. You are recommended to have cream in your tea / coffee rather than low fat!
Or just drink it black like me!

Hope that helps

Charisma_1630 said:

How low is considered low carb?

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I low carb, and I only get my carbs from my veg. Don't bother with any other carbs at all except for small pieces of fruit through the day.

Lots of info on www.about.com/lowcarb also www.ditchthecarbs.com or www.iquitsugar.com

rowan said:

So what would be the maximum number of carbs you could eat for it to work?

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You do not need a lot of carbs!
Your body will get used to it within a couple of weeks and the craving will go.
The try and test or eat to your meter what you can eat depends on your tolerance to carbs.
Some can, I can't! I have to low carb. But I get the benefit as I am now healthier and fitter than I have been in a long time!

Charisma_1630 said:

How low is considered low carb?

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Everyone's carb tolerance is different.

Some people think low carb starts at anything under 150g carbs a day.
My body functions best at well below 50 g a day.

It's really a case of trial and error, helped by a trusty blood glucose meter, to find your own personal carb limit.

Think of it like a seesaw. Fats on one side. Carbs on the other. The higher carb you are, the less fat you can eat without weight gain. The lower carb you are, the more fat you can eat. You just need to find your personal balance point, and then enjoy the food choices that open up as a result.

I'm trying to do lchf but am really struggling with what to eat. Fed up with not being able to eat things I love.
The only constant thing I have so far is breakfast. Full fat yogurt and nuts.
Numbers have improved slightly but still wake up with 130-150

Tooconfused said:

I'm trying to do lchf but am really struggling with what to eat. Fed up with not being able to eat things I love.
The only constant thing I have so far is breakfast. Full fat yogurt and nuts.
Numbers have improved slightly but still wake up with 130-150

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There are plenty of threads about what you can eat and recipes on the low carb forum. Also threads on what posters have ate.
Have a read around and then decide what is suitable for you and your blood glucose levels.
Keep posting and asking questions.

Tooconfused said:

I'm trying to do lchf but am really struggling with what to eat. Fed up with not being able to eat things I love.
The only constant thing I have so far is breakfast. Full fat yogurt and nuts.
Numbers have improved slightly but still wake up with 130-150

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Check out the low carb thread 'what did you eat today' to see the kinds of food we enjoy.
I've been low carbing long enough now that the thought of all those stodgy, claggy white carbs is really un appealing. I think it's just a question of discovering what low carb foods you love, and them really enjoying them, guilt free.

rowan said:

I've read that we can eat as much fats as we like, but they're high in calories? I've read that we should add butter, cream etc to cooking even when there's no actual need for them so I'm a bit confused how people don't pile on the pounds?

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I dunno, but a low carb high fat diet works for me. It's reversed all the metabolic syndrome symptoms I had. I eat more calories now than I did trying to eat a supposedly healthy low fat diet. I'm having some cheese and liver pate for tea right now. Delicious and super healthy!

ON a low carb diet, you are replacing the missing carbs which previously were your source of energy, with extra fat and protein instead. Once it's got used to the changeover, your body will quite happily run on fat.

In general, to get into this fat burning state (ketosis) you will need to reduce your carbs to under 50 grams a day to start with. The Atkins diet as far as I can remember suggests 20-25 grams of carbs a day for 2-3 weeks to kick-start this change. After this you should try to "eat to your meter" to see what foods may be spiking your glucose levels after meals, and watching the scales to see if you are continuing to lose weight or not.

If you need/want to to both lose weight and reduce your BG levels, then you do need to a certain extent need to watch both fat and calorie intake to ensure that your body will use some of its stored fat, as well as the fat you eat, for its energy, so "As much fat as you need in moderation" is probably a better idea than an unqualified "As much fat as you want". The proportions of carbs, fats and proteins will vary with everyone's individual situation, as we're all different.

There is no particular virtue in keeping to a very low carb diet if your blood and body can tolerate slightly higher levels. So. use your meter to check on blood glucose levels and which carbs cause after meal spikes, and use your scales to monitor your weight, and adjust your fats and carbs accordingly.

Robbity

rowan said:

I've read that we can eat as much fats as we like, but they're high in calories? I've read that we should add butter, cream etc to cooking even when there's no actual need for them so I'm a bit confused how people don't pile on the pounds?
Also, how come milk has carbs but butter and cheese doesn't?

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A calorie from fat isn't any worse than a calorie from protein and for many of us much better than a calorie from carbs. Carbs tend to make you hungry soon again or can trigger cravings that makes you eat the whole bag even if you really is full already. A carb heavy diet seems to shut down the hormone that tells you that you are full so you consume more than you need and as they are carbs your bg will go up and insulin will stop your body from using its fat stores. Fat on the other hand fills you up without cravings and helps restore sensitivity to the feeling-full hormone and doesn't trigger insulin production so your body can use the fat stores. Basically it is about hormones and working with your body, not against it. You eat until your satisfied then stop. When you get hungry you eat again. You don't snack but eat proper meals of real food.

Cheese and butter lack carbs as these go into the whey and buttermilk. Milk contains about 5% sugar.

Wow I've really learned something reading these blogs.I have started doing low carbs this last week and I have lost 4lb this week. I have been steadily losing weight since I was diagnosed in October but this is the biggest weight loss in one week I have had. I thought a meal without potatoes or bread would be unappetizing but actually I haven't really missed them. Friends at work have suggested different sauces to have with veg to give more taste as I am not really a veg lover, the only thing I struggle with is breakfast. Usually I have weetabix as I need something quick because I leave home at 6.30for work. Today because I had more time I had a cooked breakfast of bacon egg tinned tomatoes and 1 Staffordshire oatcake. It's now getting on for 2.00pm and I am only just starting to feel peckish. Usually by 10.00am I am reaching for fruit as I am starving again. Has anyone any suggestions for low carb fast breakfasts? Also yoghurt confuse me as even the natural and Greek yoghurt seem to have a lot of sugar in them yet I read of people having them all the time which ones are best to eat?