question about calories & fat grams

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
question about calories & fat grams
1
Tue, 02-03-2004 - 4:45pm
Ok, I know you need to consume at least 1200 calories a day for optimal weight loss, correct? but, is there a min. number of fat grams too? I've noticed a lot of the things I buy are fat free, so I've really only been counting calories, but now I wonder, health wise, if I should eat a little more fat? That seems ubsurd, but I just want to do it right.

TIA

Angie

Avatar for jess9802
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Tue, 02-03-2004 - 5:01pm
My understanding is that no more than 1/3 of your calories should come from fat. So, if you're eating 1500 calories a day, no more than 500 calories should come from fat. That works out to about 55 grams of fat a day. Some fats are better than others, though, so you'll need to keep your saturated fat intake as low as possible, and focus on "healthy fats," the kind you find in foods like nuts, avocados, etc. (I don't pay much attention to this--probably to my detriment.)

Your body NEEDS good fat. It helps you feel full, aids with vitamin absorption, keeps your skin looking young, and all sorts of good things. The problem with eating fat free foods is that there's no real saving in terms of calories, because the fat is replaced with sugar. Personally, I focus on calories more than anything else, so I usually buy low-fat items rather than fat free (though I do prefer skim milk). I was just reading about fats in the diet on fitday.com last night, so I'd check that out if you need more info.