The FastDay Forum

For years I have successfully maintained my (low) weight by not eating breakfast and sticking to a mainly low fat diet. Although I was slim I could not seem to shift the little pad of fat on my tum and had no real definition to my waist.
Since joining this forum and learning so much about nutrition and the latest scientific research into the benefits of a low carb/lowish protein/high fat WOE I have been trying to modify my diet by cutting out white carbs and using coconut and olive oil in meal preparation.
To my surprise I have lost a few pounds and am down to my lowest weight ever of 95 lbs ( about 43kg) at 5', aged 65 and best of all have lost 2" off my waist which is now down to 68cms.
My dilemma now is how I maintain this weight , which I feel great at, as I still struggle to eat full fat (and don't even mention avocados! yuck!).
If I start eating cream, nuts and other higher calorific fats will my weight increase? I've read all the data about fat burning fat but how do I find the right balance given that I have an aversion to anything greasy or fatty?
@Domane, I think you mentioned once about increasing fats, how did you manage that and balance your TDEE? Mine is a measly 1243!
Any advice gratefully received as I'm finding it so hard to get my head round this low carbing/high fat vs calorie intake.

Me too, callyanna. I shall read the answers with interest, Thanks for posting this x

At your TDEE I should think you are looking at fat in terms of a smear or a teaspoon at times not a big dollop of fat. So a little bit of butter on your veg, frying the onion for a tomato based pasta dish in olive oil, and some cream in your coffee occasionally. etc. should work. Half a cream cake not the whole bun. Its all relative and a percentage of your TDEE. I would keep on going as you have been doing.
The reduction in appetite with having the fat instead of the appetite increase that happens with carbs should balance out nicely.

I started reading Mark's Daily Apple (for the low carb stuff, I haven't gone "primal") and had a look for info lowcarber.org's forum. The weird thing is that if you stick to really low carb (and low sugar) and eat lots of fat, calorie counting doesn't seem to come into it - to a degree, of course! Now I know I run and have 4 horses that keep me active, but my housekeeping job is only 10 hours a week so although I'm on my feet and busy three mornings a week, that still gives me a lot of time when I'm sat here reading and contributing to this forum, I only class myself as lightly active so my TDEE is 1761 according to MM's calculator. But I was regularly eating 2500+ calories and not gaining. Weird, huh? To be honest, it kind of messed with my head because I've spent SO many years "knowing" that low calorie is the way to lose weight!

What you have to find the balance of is the carb intake that is right for your own body. I know some people go VERY low, like 20g or less (ie, the Atkins first two weeks!) but if you read on the low carbers forum, I think the average is around 40g to 50g net carbs. I can get away with a little more because of my running (and I forget now what my balance was because that was before Christmas, so aaaaages ago!)

This is an "average" chart.... but useful viewing....

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/press/th ... z2kwmupjR1

As with everything, it is really a case of jumping in and fine-tuning it to your own body's reactions and requirements.....

What I WILL say is that I tried this when I was having something of a Famine Reaction and eating the extra fat really helped to give me a boost and stop me feeling so hungry all the time.

At the moment, I'm back to my old familiar of low-ish carb, low-cal and calorie counting to get the remains of my "festive layer" off, but I wouldn't hesitate to try upping the fat and lowering the carbs again should I need to.... it means I can make fat bombs again and they are LUSH!!!!

Thanks Domane for your very useful post. I think I'm just scared of my jelly belly coming back if I overindulge on fat but as you say, it's a question of 'sucking it and see' to find out what the right balance is for me!

I used to be frightened of fat, but not any more because eating good quality fat (butter, olive oil, coconut oil etc.) seems to help the weight loss...hubby is still a bit scared of it.
Why don't you try eating a bit of extra fat for a week and see how it goes @callyanna and keep the carbs low? It can't do any harm to try for a short while, weight wise.

Yes Auriga, going food shopping this afternoon and intend to shock hubby by buying full fat yogurt instead of my usual low fat brand, cream and some nuts for snacking!

Oh my goodness, have I completely fallen in love with NUTS! Whole almonds, walnuts, hazlenuts and pistachios (raw and unsalted).... a weighed measure of these gives me FAR more pleasure than a biscuit or a chocolate bar these days, but of course they are so high in fat that I'm having to REALLY restrict them at the moment. Can't wait to get back on maintenance

I've not asked the boys at the gym in detail but there's an argument that fat round the middle is hormone related. They say a higher fat diet helps with this. Also too low a fat content in your diet, the body will hang onto the fats you need (particularly brain function) to live.

Yes @izzy, apart from my student days when I ate (and drank!)very unhealthily I suppose I have always been fairly naturally slim. At my highest I was 9st, lost a bit before I got married, then even more after the birth of my two sons and haven't wavered much between 7st to 7st 5 for 30 years until taking up regular exercise when I retired 5 years ago and dropping to just under 7st.
You may well be right that the LCHF doesn't suit everyone, maybe I was too hasty in jumping on the bandwagon ? Need to read more, experiment a bit more with my diet, so basically back to the drawing board!

Interesting answers @callyanna and obviously no use to me yet but all the information is bookmarked for the future and as you know I'm reducing carbs also bought butter back into my life love all nuts, buying cream again like you say I can't get my head around it all because of all the crap we we've been fed over the last 20 yrs or so.
Glad your jelly belly is disappearing lol. I remember that being you only concern when you joined us all, so for you problem solved well done and good luck with upping your fat intake and maintaining I'm sure you'll find a solution just keep weighing regular to stay in control.

I had been thinking about writing a post about being frightened of fat. I too have been indoctrinated into fearing fat ( Rosemary Conley, Slimming World to name 2)I have been trying to add a bit of good fat to my diet - I added a small teaspoon of coconut oil to my porridge, which I make with unsweetened almond milk, this morning. My weight loss is so slow anyway I am frightened of jeopardising it by adding 'hidden' calories.

Absolutely agree with izzy's post... but worth experimenting. If it doesn't work for you, at least you know you tried...

I'm sure you've all seen this but it was this article that prompted me to try the lower carb, higher fat option....

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sam-fel ... 28524.html

Whilst I accepted the opinion of my elders and betters that fat would be fatal I did so very reluctantly. I refused outright to give up butter for some spreadable rubbish but I did reduce the amount of butter I ate. I've always preferred full fat milk but hubs thought semi skinned rubbish was healthier, I am SO relieved that we now have organic, full fat milk back in our fridge. I refused to even consider things like 'low-fat cheeses' why would anyone eat those but my bete noir was sugar and other carbs like potatoes, rice, pasta, bread etc.

Since starting 5:2 everything about my diet has changed radically and I have never felt better and am back at my young woman weight so I know which side I am batting for in this debate, but, as others have said, we are all different and each of us has to do what is right for ourselves.

Ballerina x

I'm afraid of fat too @callyanna but I'll come with you for a try. You go first. Go on