# Diet with low oil/fats quantities?



## Luca Lazzari (Sep 28, 2011)

In the last couple of years I started cutting the quantities of fats (basically extra virgin olive oil) that I use when preparing my recipes. Usually I use a single tablespoon of olive oil, or a similar quantity of butter, for each recipe (for two people) and non-stick pans. And I try to avoid recipes with those succulent cheese!

This heroic strategy ends on saturday night and starts again on monday… The sunday lunch is sacred!!! 

Is there anyone else following this virtuous route?


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## pacanis (Sep 28, 2011)

no... but I like your idea of giving yourself a day with no guilt.


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 28, 2011)

pacanis said:


> no... but I like your idea of giving yourself a day with no guilt.


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## sparrowgrass (Sep 28, 2011)

I have been dieting all my life, and most of those diets have been low-fat.  I was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and my whole eating style has changed.  

I watch carbs now instead of fat--strong portion control of all breads, sugars, starchy vegetables.  I don't worry about fat (much).  Fat makes me feel satisfied, so I do use butter or olive oil on my veggies and don't necessarily trim all the fat off my meat.

I have lost 50 pounds this year, pretty much painlessly.  Lots of veggies, plenty of meat, and an ocasional treat of bread or pasta.  I never have had a sweet tooth, so I don't miss sugary stuff, and I am perfectly happy with diet soda.

I am not a nutritionist, just a person who has fought her weight all of her life, and tried every diet known to mankind.


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 28, 2011)

sparrowgrass said:


> I have been dieting all my life, and most of those diets have been low-fat.  I was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and my whole eating style has changed.
> 
> I watch carbs now instead of fat--strong portion control of all breads, sugars, starchy vegetables.  I don't worry about fat (much).  Fat makes me feel satisfied, so I do use butter or olive oil on my veggies and don't necessarily trim all the fat off my meat.
> 
> ...



I changed my eating style (that was simply non existent... I just ate what I liked when I liked) when I was diagnosed with Gout. Then I decided to adopt a weekly based menu, and I'm not a nutritionst, too. I just rotate all the kinds of food that I need. So i started eating friut and vegetable, previously neglected, and fish too. I cut oil and fats to cut calories, basically, and the same goes for bread, pasta and wine sad. In this way I lost 33 pounds in a year, and know I'm increasing the calories daily intake 

And I did not try any specific diet, because I don't believe so much in any of them...


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## Steve Kroll (Sep 28, 2011)

I have also cut quite a bit of fat out of my diet. At the same time, everything I've read indicates that you do need some fat, but it's important to make good choices with regard to the types of fat you consume. Extras virgin olive oil is a good choice. But even butter and cheese can be included in moderation. If you consume small amounts of dairy and meat from grass-fed (vs. grain fed) animals, you are increasing your omega-3 intake. Just don't put a stick of butter in everything you eat. Fish oil is another healthy option.

I've lost 23 pounds in the last 3 months without dieting at all. I still eat until I am full, but the difference is in the types of foods I eat. More veggies, less meat.

And I haven't given up wine. But I have cut back to a glass a day instead of three or four.


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 28, 2011)

Steve Kroll said:


> I have also cut quite a bit of fat out of my diet. At the same time, everything I've read indicates that you do need some fat, but it's important to make good choices with regard to the types of fat you consume. Extras virgin olive oil is a good choice. But even butter and cheese can be included in moderation. If you consume small amounts of dairy and meat from grass-fed (vs. grain fed) animals, you are increasing your omega-3 intake. Just don't put a stick of butter in everything you eat. Fish oil is another healthy option.
> 
> I've lost 23 pounds in the last 3 months without dieting at all. I still eat until I am full, but the difference is in the types of foods I eat. More veggies, less meat.
> 
> And I haven't given up wine. But I have cut back to a glass a day instead of three or four.



Thank you for your precious advice, Steve.

And I still drink wine, but only when I go out and on sunday.


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## MobiusKayak (Oct 11, 2011)

Before going any further cutting fats, you should really read this article:

What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie? - NYTimes.com

Cutting fats usually makes dieting and weight loss more difficult. As previously mentioned, it's about what fats you eat. EVOO is as good as mono-saturated fats go, but animal fats, like tallow, lard (from a butcher), and even butter, are generally better for cardio-vascular health.

You should be trying to reduce your insulin levels by cutting wheat, other grains, and potatoes if you want to lose weight. Bread and pasta should pretty much be avoided completely.


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## Luca Lazzari (Oct 11, 2011)

MobiusKayak said:


> Before going any further cutting fats, you should really read this article:
> 
> What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie? - NYTimes.com
> 
> ...



Thanks for the link Mobius and for your advice. Now I understand that I need to learn, from a strictly scientific point of view, what on Earth all this food does inside my body when I eat it... It looks like every single scientist and doctor and dietist has a personal agenda: everything is good for someone, averything is bad for someone else!


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## Andy M. (Oct 11, 2011)

One reason most diets have you cut out fats is because fats contain more calories than proteins or carbohydrates.  A gram of fat contains 9 calories while a gram of either carbs or proteins contain only four calories.  Thus, if you can fill up on fat free alternatives, you cut your caloric intake 56% while still eating the same volume of food.


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## MobiusKayak (Oct 11, 2011)

Luca Lazzari said:


> Thanks for the link Mobius and for your advice. Now I understand that I need to learn, from a strictly scientific point of view, what on Earth all this food does inside my body when I eat it... It looks like every single scientist and doctor and dietist has a personal agenda: everything is good for someone, averything is bad for someone else!



In the end, it's difficult to sort through all the stuff that's out there: scientists contradicting each other, people pushing differen diets, etc... It's what works for you that's most important. I just wanted to raise some awareness that there are other options that might work better. I lost about a pound a week on a low calorie, adequate fat & carb diet. I'm losing around 3-4 on a high fat, very low carb diet, and feel healthier and less hungry! You should experiment and see what your body needs.



Andy M. said:


> One reason most diets have you cut out fats is because fats contain more calories than proteins or carbohydrates.  A gram of fat contains 9 calories while a gram of either carbs or proteins contain only four calories.  Thus, if you can fill up on fat free alternatives, you cut your caloric intake 56% while still eating the same volume of food.



Same volume of food does not equal same level of satiety! If you don't eat adequate fat, you will get hungrier way faster, and inevitably cheat! (look up decision fatigue) Usually by eating carbs (which are oh so low-fat), which raise your level of insulin, which prevents you from burning fat and actually encourage fat storage.

Fats are good! Eat fats!


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## Steve Kroll (Oct 11, 2011)

MobiusKayak said:


> Cutting fats usually makes dieting and weight loss more difficult. As previously mentioned, it's about what fats you eat. EVOO is as good as mono-saturated fats go, but animal fats, like tallow, lard (from a butcher), and even butter, are generally better for cardio-vascular health.
> 
> You should be trying to reduce your insulin levels by cutting wheat, other grains, and potatoes if you want to lose weight. Bread and pasta should pretty much be avoided completely.


I agree to some extent, but I also think there is one problem with this way of thinking: most of the animals we consume in this country have been themselves fattened on a diet of grain. So when we eat a burger, that burger comes from a cow that ate primarily corn for the bulk of its life.

Nor do I believe carbs by themselves are the bad guys. I think the real culprit is foods that are omega-6 heavy. While you need some omega-6 in your diet, it's an inflammatory compound, and we eat way too much of it in the Western diet. You need to eat foods that contain a lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.

If you like meat, that's all well and fine. I do. But I also try to eat more grass-fed beef, as it has a better ratio of omega 6 to 3. According to Weight of the Evidence, a website devoted to nutrition and good living, the analysis breaks down as follows...

Beef, grass-fed
Ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3
2.7 to 1

Beef, grain-fed, conventional
Ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3
17.2 to 1

The same applies to butter, lard, milk, and cheese from cows.


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## MobiusKayak (Oct 11, 2011)

Steve Kroll said:


> I agree to some extent, but I also think there is one problem with this way of thinking: most of the animals we consume in this country have been themselves fattened on a diet of grain. So when we eat a burger, that burger comes from a cow that ate primarily corn for the bulk of its life.
> 
> Nor do I believe carbs by themselves are the bad guys. I think the real culprit is foods that are omega-6 heavy. While you need some omega-6 in your diet, it's an inflammatory compound, and we eat way too much of it in the Western diet. You need to eat foods that contain a lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.
> 
> ...



I couldn't agree more on the subject of grass vs. grain fed meat. I should have mentioned it earlier. Thanks!


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## Andy M. (Oct 11, 2011)

MobiusKayak said:


> ...Same volume of food does not equal same level of satiety! If you don't eat adequate fat, you will get hungrier way faster, and inevitably cheat! (look up decision fatigue) Usually by eating carbs (which are oh so low-fat), which raise your level of insulin, which prevents you from burning fat and actually encourage fat storage.
> 
> Fats are good! Eat fats!




I'm not a proponent of a fat free diet!  I was just pointing out why so many diets start with cutting fats.

I have long been a proponent of eat what you want, just eat less.


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## stassie (Oct 11, 2011)

Heck, everything in moderation. I'm all for cutting unnecessary fat from cooking  - that actually sounds like a pretty sensible thing to do to me, given there are plenty of foods that are naturally high in good fats. And as for avoiding bread and pasta, you've got to be kidding me! Definitely not in excess or anything, but carbs are all good in moderation and bread and pasta taste good.


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