Let's Talk about Fat

 in our food I mean.  How much should we be getting a day.  I've had 19g for the last 2 days and I'm just wondering if that is too much?  My calories are staying under 600 and my protein is at 60g, yesterday my carbs were at 41 but today they are at 27.

I don't really worry about it much.  It is true that if you eat higher fat foods then you generally get less volume for the calories spent.  Insufficient food volume isn't a problem for too many sleevers. 

Fast carbs (sugar, white flour) spike and drop your insulin level so those are best avoided.  Carbs from vegetables are pretty safe IMO.  Fruit is a little iffier because of the fructose.  Some like berries and apples don't have as much.  Whole grains aren't advised by my doctor until 6 months out.

I average about 40 a day, but I don't pay much attention.  I eat full fat for most foods (exceptions are 1% milk and 2% fage yogurt).  You need fat for fuel and fullness and to keep your guts moving. 

I never bothered to track it.. For me, my philosophy.. and from the umpteen books I read early on about nutrition/insulin/hormones/getting fat.. Fat is not evil, we do not get fat from fat.. and fat overall is not the big culprit in lipid issues even, carbs are.. especially the double whammo of fats plus our overloaded carb-rich standard American diet. My normie husband was a great guinea pig for this one recently.. cutting the carbs took his triglycerides from over 500 to 60.. and total and LDL both lowered. He eats full fat, as do I.. Dr was going to put him on statins.. we went our route, fixed it without meds.. something the Dr said was impossible (question everything.) He also ended up dropping back into his size 30 jeans! Obviously we aren't pigging out on bacon.. but cheese, olive oil, butter.. all there.

Yes, it's calorie dense.. but we track those and we do have to make sure we fill our sleeves with protein.. but fat gives a feeling of satiety for longer periods, and it adds to the pleasure of food as well- taste. So, I have been full fat this entire time, if I prefer full-fat. I do lower fat versions if I like them better.. I still have no issues staying between 700-900 cals now at a year out, and early on- 600 was the norm.. never counted a gram, just protein, carbs and calories.

What did the doc say after your husband handled it with diet?

Congrats!

Nothing yet! He's going back in for a yearly check up in the next few months. We use Direct Labs here to monitor some health issues as needed. I am curious too. I asked him to not say anything to our (normally) very open minded but traditional-sort do****il he gets the lab results back! I think the vast majority in the med field understand to one degree or another that some of these issues are indeed lifestyle, or combo of genetic and lifestyle, but they realize most folks won't make the changes needed.. so they hand out the meds.. but the two of us tend to be a little stubborn. So, for almost a year, DH has eaten what I eat.. and splurges occasionally as he's naturally always been lean.. but he's a meat/ ton o' veggies/fat guy. Oh, and we went back to drip/paper filtered coffee and stopped the French press... that effects it too.

I miss that stuff.

Yes! I was shocked to find out that the French press did that, and I switched back, as well.

My husband was having a lot of pain in his knee and it turned out it was arthritis.  They offered anti-inflammatories that he was not willing to take because of the various side effects and warnings.  He read that coffee can be a bad inflammatory so he cut coffee out of his diet and guess what--no more pain.  And he didn't drink that much of it.  A couple of cups at breakfast and some during the day IF he needed a boost, but not all day, and not daily. 

Yeah, we are caffeine and coffee-heads here, and I LOVED our French press.. I got a beautiful insulated all stainless steel one (after I broke the glass one, again) just a couple months before the crazy cholesterol test news! Bummer. It's on the shelf in the basement.. I plan to drag it up and use it if we splurge on some really great coffee. Just a couple cups can't hurt!

 I typically will have less than 20 in a day.  I don't bother with the whole full fat vs lowfat debare.  Bottom line, if the calories aren't coming from protein, I dont need them.  I only have 530 calories a day after I account for my supplements.  I'm not wasting them on fat when I can find foods that taste great without it.

Full fat unless I like it some other way (like my Greek yogurt is usually 2% or 0%).