# Trouble keeping on a low fat diet



## Salil (Jul 15, 2009)

Hello Friends,
    I have been trying to keep on a low fat diet for a long time. I eat something like a salad or fish along with broccoli/rice. But I am hungry within the next hour or so. I have to eat again. Even if I am not hungry I have this big gas bubble in my throat so I feel bad all the time. 
I have upper abs but my lower abs is not showing at all. I have a good upper body and arms but there is a layer of fat on my waist that I wanna remove. Isn't the idea that if you have a low fat diet that the body will start utilizing the body fat when it needs energy instead of making you feel hungry. Another question I wanted to ask is if I feel hungry I usually have a protein bar or whey protein drink. Are these good to satisfy hunger or do I need to eat carbs or fats?


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## Marat (Jul 15, 2009)

Salil said:


> Hello Friends,
> Isn't the idea that if you have a low fat diet that the body will start utilizing the body fat when it needs energy instead of making you feel hungry.



No. You're body will start using your own stores of energy anytime you consume fewer calories than you expend. 



Salil said:


> Another question I wanted to ask is if I feel hungry I usually have a protein bar or whey protein drink. Are these good to satisfy hunger or do I need to eat carbs or fats?



You tell me. Do you feel full after consuming those items? Typically, higher fat higher protein meals are more satiating than higher carb meals in overfat individuals. 


If you would like more specialized information regarding fat loss, please give this link a read and come back with the information that is requested.

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/new-members-begin-here/97077-read-me-first-homework-1-newbies.html


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## Salil (Jul 15, 2009)

m11 said:


> No. You're body will start using your own stores of energy anytime you consume fewer calories than you expend.



Wouldn't this make you hungry?




m11 said:


> You tell me. Do you feel full after consuming those items? Typically, higher fat higher protein meals are more satiating than higher carb meals in overfat individuals.


I do feel full but within an hour I am hungry again. Is the idea to eat a lot of low fat, low carb high protein diet. Basically what I am trying to do is lose the fat on my waist. I am not an overfat individual. I have good arms and chest. However, my waist is the problem. When I try to go on a low fat diet then I feel hungry most of the time.


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## Marat (Jul 15, 2009)

Can you post your macros? Terms like 'low fat' or 'high protein' can be very variable since we are not familiar with each other. If you do not know those values, sign up with fitday.com and input your current diet to get your daily grams of fat,protein,carbs, and fiber. 

It is very common to feel hungry on a low fat diet. However, you do not have to feel like you need to eat every hour to feel full when you are dieting. Once we have your macros, we can adjust your diet accordingly to help you with your satiety issues.


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## Salil (Jul 15, 2009)

ok. I calculated I need about 2700 calories a day. Of which I plan to have 20% of that in fat calories. I estimate that I have 16-18% body fat. I avoid almost any kind of fat in my food. However, right from morning till the end of night I am hungry and have to eat constantly. I am not sure but I feel like I am eating something like 3000 calories on protein and carbs and about 500 calories of fat, but still feel hungry. I am not sure how I should structure my diet to avoid hunger but still keep it low fat.


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## Built (Jul 15, 2009)

Please get away from these ratios. And get away from "low fat" - it's a murderously uncomfortable way to diet for many of us. I'm one of 'em, too. I diet on high fat. 

How many grams of protein, carb and fat do you consume daily?

And what do you currently weigh?


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## Marat (Jul 15, 2009)

Built,
Look familiar?

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/diet-nutrition/91943-frustrated-diet.html


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## Built (Jul 15, 2009)

Oh wow, damn.


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## Salil (Jul 21, 2009)

Ok. I am going crazy. I am doing all the things the stickies are telling me to do. Eat 5-6 times a day. I eat about 8-9 times a day 200 -300 calorie meals and I eat healthy meals. I still feel hungry. I drink plenty of water. What more can I do? I am eating all the time.


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## Built (Jul 21, 2009)

Link in my sig on getting started. Read it, now.


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## Salil (Jul 21, 2009)

Built said:


> Link in my sig on getting started. Read it, now.



I already did.


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## NeilPearson (Jul 21, 2009)

You are ignoring the part about fat.

Fat is your friend.

Carbs make you hungry.

You say you are doing all the things in the stickies but you also say you are having trouble sticking to low fat...  this doesn't make sense.  The stickies don't say eat low fat


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## Built (Jul 21, 2009)

Salil, if you read that link you wouldn't be eating small frequent meals and you'd be eating more fat.


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## Salil (Jul 21, 2009)

I understand your part about not avoiding low fat. However, I am doing the P90X workout that limits me to 20% fat diet for the first month. I have hight protein though but I wonder if protein bars and whey protein shakes will satisfy my hunger.


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## Marat (Jul 21, 2009)

Salil, you can't have everything. If P90X is comfortable and gives you the results that you want, then by all means, stick with it. However, if you are struggling with satiety and you aren't reaching your goals (which by your post history, looks like you are having some trouble), than maybe you should look into following some other line of advice than that of P90X. 


We have no way of knowing if bars and shakes will satisfy your hunger. Consume them, then see if you are hungry earlier than you want to be. Ultimately though, your satiety is likely going to come down to what your macronutrient profile looks like more so than where those calories are coming from.


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## NeilPearson (Jul 21, 2009)

I would follow the advice here and throw away the p90x diet


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## chucksmiths (Jul 28, 2009)

Salil said:


> Hello Friends,
> I have been trying to keep on a low fat diet for a long time. I eat something like a salad or fish along with broccoli/rice. But I am hungry within the next hour or so. I have to eat again. Even if I am not hungry I have this big gas bubble in my throat so I feel bad all the time.
> I have upper abs but my lower abs is not showing at all. I have a good upper body and arms but there is a layer of fat on my waist that I wanna remove. Isn't the idea that if you have a low fat diet that the body will start utilizing the body fat when it needs energy instead of making you feel hungry. Another question I wanted to ask is if I feel hungry I usually have a protein bar or whey protein drink. Are these good to satisfy hunger or do I need to eat carbs or fats?




Try eating small meals but frequent. It can lessen your intake but will help you with your hunger. eating frequently will solve your hunger and eating small amount of meals especially low fat high protein diet can help you reduce weight.


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## Built (Jul 28, 2009)

chucksmiths said:


> Try eating small meals but frequent. It can lessen your intake but will help you with your hunger. eating frequently will solve your hunger and eating small amount of meals especially low fat high protein diet can help you reduce weight.



Many who diet find the opposite works better - fewer, but larger meals; higher fat is often more satiating. 

Eating more frequently can make it easier to overeat. I don't recommend this approach while cutting unless you happen to know it's more comfortable for you.


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## Snarff (Jul 28, 2009)

thanks to this site i've started intermittent fasting and its the easiest "diet" i've ever been on, I hit my cals between 4pm-10pm and during the working week when i'm not around food and then at weekend I just eat as and when I feel like it (still hitting m target cals),  id'd also second the high fat diet. I eat salmon and 8 whole eggs every day, and i'm running a daily 500 -750 cal deficit easy


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## Merkaba (Jul 30, 2009)

Throw away the p90x shit.  

post what you eat on a typical day.


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## juggernaut (Jul 30, 2009)

take a dive in some Skippy


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## irishteen (Jul 30, 2009)

its really simple do you want wasboard abs or not? if so stick to your diet and do lots of cardio.it may make you feel uncomfortable for a little while but after awhile your body will adjust!! also when you see yourself with amazing abs it ill be all worth it.


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## Built (Jul 30, 2009)

irishteen said:


> its really simple do you want wasboard abs or not? if so stick to your diet and do lots of cardio.it may make you feel uncomfortable for a little while but after awhile your body will adjust!! also when you see yourself with amazing abs it ill be all worth it.




Actually irishteen, low fat diets suck for cutting, and there's really no particular need to do tremendous amounts of cardio if your diet produces a sufficient deficit. I do very little cardio while cutting.


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## Merkaba (Jul 30, 2009)

irishteen said:


> its really simple do you want wasboard abs or not? if so stick to your diet and do lots of cardio.it may make you feel uncomfortable for a little while but after awhile your body will adjust!! also when you see yourself with amazing abs it ill be all worth it.



um yea Irish you might want to do a little more research there buddy before you start ordering folks around!


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## juggernaut (Jul 31, 2009)

irishteen said:


> its really simple do you want wasboard abs or not? if so stick to your diet and do lots of cardio.it may make you feel uncomfortable for a little while but after awhile your body will adjust!! also when you see yourself with amazing abs it ill be all worth it.


can I see some proof that this actually worked for you?


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## Salil (Aug 6, 2009)

I have started eating lots of fish, chicken salad, having whey protein. I am still sticking to a low fat diet mostly. But the surprising thing is that I don't feel that constant hunger anymore. I do eat pre-packaged meals by lean cuisine though since they are low in fat and give me about 300 cals per meal. but, the good news is that I am able to manage my hunger better.


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## juggernaut (Aug 6, 2009)

woah.


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## AmDevil (Aug 6, 2009)

lean cuisine?!


LEAN CUISINE?!!


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## DocHoliday (Aug 18, 2009)

Salil said:


> Hello Friends,
> I have been trying to keep on a low fat diet for a long time. I eat something like a salad or fish along with broccoli/rice. But I am hungry within the next hour or so. I have to eat again. Even if I am not hungry I have this big gas bubble in my throat so I feel bad all the time.
> I have upper abs but my lower abs is not showing at all. I have a good upper body and arms but there is a layer of fat on my waist that I wanna remove. Isn't the idea that if you have a low fat diet that the body will start utilizing the body fat when it needs energy instead of making you feel hungry. Another question I wanted to ask is if I feel hungry I usually have a protein bar or whey protein drink. Are these good to satisfy hunger or do I need to eat carbs or fats?


 The protein bar is probably full of sugar.  Sugar stimulates appetite.  Stick with the plain whey protein.  Make sure your fat intake is between 15-20% of your total daily calories.  Also, be sure you are eating ENOUGH calories!


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## Built (Aug 18, 2009)

DocHoliday said:


> The protein bar is probably full of sugar.  Sugar stimulates appetite.  Stick with the plain whey protein.  Make sure your fat intake is between 15-20% of your total daily calories.  Also, be sure you are eating ENOUGH calories!


15-20% is pretty arbitrary, don't you think?

I mean, if you're dieting hard, that means fat will go down to VERY low levels - considering fat is an essential macronutrient, this may not be a wise strategy to follow unless a) you're eating at maintenance or higher and b) your maintenance is at least 15x your bodyweight.  

Just stick with a LBM-targeted minimum of 0.5g/lb lbm to start. If you feel comfortable with your fats higher, go higher. Just keep the calories below maintenance and you'll drop.


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