How Much Fat?

[kevsmama]

How much fat should I be having everyday? I usually have at least one salad a day with ranch dressing, or tomato with a little mayo. Sometimes I cook with butter but not too often. What should I do to get more fat if I need it? I take a multiple vitamin everyday-really its a prenatal and I am not PG, vitimin C, magnesium and potassium do I need something else too?

[Demokat]

According to the Atkins book, the ratio that you should aim for is 65% Fat, 30% Protein and 5% Carb. I vary the fats that I cook with (Butter, Bacon Fat, Olive Oil, Peanut Oil, Coconut Oil) so that I make sure that I get a variety of EFAs. I also use nut oils on salads and vegetables. Some people use mayo and avocado to add a little more fat to their diets, or full-fat dairy like sour cream, heavy cream, and cream cheese.

[Aeryn]

I can tell you where my fat came from yesterday; maybe it'll give you some ideas.

I'm only listing the fat-heavy items in yesterday's menu!

11g - 1 oz heavy cream (in my coffee)
15g - 3 whole eggs
14g - 1 tablespoon coconut oil (to cook my eggs in)
6g - 1 oz Philadelphia Light cream cheese (in my eggs)
25g - Flaxseed meal/Almond flour muffin
5g - chicken breast
11g - 1 tablespoon mayo
6g - string cheese
15g - 2 tablespoons salad dressing

Avocados and nuts are also another way to up your fat; the latter, of course, is only for post-induction eating!

[kevsmama]

Thank you, I didn't realize that eggs had fat! Before they changed my work hours I ate scrambled eggs or an omlette everymorning! I love cream cheese and sour cream, just haven't been using it,but I will start tomorrow!

[mike_d]

Look for the lowest carb sour cream etc. there are many cheap or low-fat imitations out there 2 or more carbs / serving. Some people also have problems with too much dairy so uncured bacon or fatty meats/fish might be a better choice. I also use some coconut oil everyday.

[lisabinil]

Try logging your food everyday into a service like Fitday.com. It's free and lets you keep track of fats, carbs, proteins, calories etc. It also has lots of useful reports.

[Elizellen]

Or use the My P.L.A.N. feature on this forum (link at the top of the page) - there is a special forum where you can ask questions about using it if you have any problems.