Fat Makes You Skinny? and the reason for my frequent stalls!

Keith, I'm curious, on your high fat days, how many calories do you eat? When eating dairy I still eat full fat, I just don't eat much. My fat grams are usually 40 or under in a day. I don't know how I could get the fat count up without a huge increase in calories. 

I try to stick to the 600-800 calorie plan. I do have days that spike to as much as 1000 depending on if we ate out or not or if I snacked a bit more heavily than I planned.

The magic fat number for me appears to be 35-45 grams. I did some comparisons between my fat consumption graph and my weight loss graph for the same time period and in periods of low fat, I can clearly see the stall. When I spike my fat, the weight starts to drop again. So you are probably right where you need to be. 

I didn't realize I had done it, but for the past month or so I have managed to completely cut out dairy. I ate some cottage cheese yesterday but before that it has been more than a month since I have had yogurt.

Gee, really like this thread!!!  Low carb and low fat is pure torture for more than a few days.  I eat what is basically a Mediterranean diet  If it was good enough for my ancestors, it's good enough for me.  I have olive oil everyday, in or on something.  I eat lots of fish and veggies and some fruit.  I do limit the cheese I eat because I love the stuff, so I stick to the stronger tasting ones so I can use less. 

I eat full fat greek yogurt, but not more than 1/2 cup a day.  Full fat things generally are lower in carbs. I don't eat low fat anything unless it is naturally that way.  I have always eaten a relatively high fat diet, yet my good cholesterol is way high and my bad cholesterol is way low.  I do eat low carb, but I am not obsessive about it.  I think all meat and no veggies is bad for your gut. Fiber is important to weight loss.

Thanks for doing this study, keep it up and keep us informed of your progress.  Read the books on this subject by Gary Taubes, especially "Why We Get Fat".

I know this is an old thread, but it seems relevant for me. 

Every time I go in for medical weight management, I butt heads with the staff about my fat intake. The latest time was MOST frustrating because I had a 5lb fluctuation in weight probably related to my period, so the dietician said "Well clearly you're doing something wrong." I have lost over 50lbs from my high weight and every pound I've lost has been on a high fat, low carb diet, where I don't track my calories and just meticulously count carbs and purposefully eat a lot of fat. I'm trying to lose as much weight as I can before surgery, so I'm sticking to my high fat, low carb diet.

I have told them that I won't eat low fat dairy, that I won't give up red meat, and I really hate being in this position. One dietician said "We recommend a low fat diet, but I respect that you feel strongly about this." I respected that. The other said, snidely, "Why are you even here then?" I still want the surgery because I think it will still help me, but I really don't want to go on a low fat diet for the rest of my life. 

I really hate low fat dairy, because it's doctored and carbs are added to make it that way. And red meat is a staple of my diet. If I eat just red meat and vegetables, I lose weight like it's nothing. I would eat grass fed steak and butter with a side of greens 7 nights a week if I could afford it!

It's just frustrating with the dieticians because they're in a position of authority, they cite their authority as justification for their pronouncements (this is a logical fallacy), and tell me "Well, you're just one person." Having done my homework, even as just one person, I think I can come to my own conclusions about the role of fat in my diet.

Are these dietitians associated with your surgical program? I think you should cut dairy out as much as you can because it's not the best fat and it's often loaded with hormones and artificially enriched with vitamins and minerals. I used unsweetened almond milk. But I think you are right on. High fat low carb diets are called ketogenic diets. Maybe time to find a new nutritionist that is up on the latest info. You have done your research so stick to your guns. 

Yes, they're with my surgical program. What frustrates me is that in my initial visit, I made a point of asking my surgeon and the first dietician I met with. I made a point of asking the surgeon if he was on board with my current diet and he was approving, saying, "It's become clear that low carb is the best way to go." The first dietician was like, "I see you do Atkins, that's a little more fat than we recommend but it's okay." So I feel frustrated that each subsequent dietician has given me grief about it.

Their line of thinking is that if you do not consume fat, that your body will turn to body fat for energy which is only true if you consume some fat. The some part is where you guys different. Their line of thinking is that you are probably getting some fat with a low fat diet and that is enough. But others think it should be higher. I have found that around 25-35g per day with daily exercise was the right amount for me to lose weight.

Where is your fat level and where do they want you to be?

interesting idea for sure.  I'm not scared of fats and dont actively try to control them.  the only constraint i have is calories and protein.  my fat averages around 26g a day (20-30 range) - probably half that fat is from dairy.  I've been losing pretty consistently so that is good.  I'll try to up fat a tiny bit and see if that helps.  maybe some almond nut butter? or can someone recommend some lower calorie good fat sources?

There's really no such thing as lower calorie fat source. Fat just has more calories per gram. But I find that eating more fat in general makes me less hungry and way more energetic. I am pre-op so I have no idea what it is like for post-ops, but I sometimes even just eat a little butter! 

No such thing as a lower calorie fat source. Almond butter is great, right kind of healthy fats. Fats are inherently higher calorie at 9 calories per gram versus 4 calories per gram for protein and carbs. This is why docs tell you to eat low fat so that you can stay within the 600-800 plan. I think 26g is probably ok, I found that around 35g worked best for me.