Is it bad if you get all your calories from fat? i. e. suppose you only consume 1500 calories, but they are all from fat is that different from getting 1500 calories all from protien or carbs?
I mean calories are calories right? I have found when I just eat a lot of fast food I haven't gained any weight in fact sometimes I have lost weight conversely when I took protein (along with exercising) I put on weight. I mean an engine designed for high octane gas will work on lower stuff just not as well. I am just wondering if any of people who do dieting know why fats are bad for you, and I am not talking about trans or saturated fat I am taking about normal fats. The way I think about it you can eat foods with fat but just less of it since 1g fat = 9 cal vs. 1 g of protein or carbohydrate = 4cal. I am just curious why fats are considered bad? Is there something about the chemical composition of the food that makes it harder for the body to break down? I am just curious.
Calories are calories in terms of energy and gaining or losing weight, to a certain extent. The difference in body composition results comes from the ratio of macros you eat. (Protein/fats/carbs are the macronutrients) Outside of body comp goals, health wise it's obviously unhealthy to take in predominantly fat calories. Carbs are the body's main source of energy, and proteins are vital for numerous reasons.
The older you get, the harder it'll be to work it off. Fats were meant to be for storage, not for normal use. Plus, if you're working out, without protein and a constant source of energy, your muscle tissue will cannibalize itself and you won't see much gains.
Short answer: When it comes to gaining/losing weight, there is no difference. If it's about health and nutrition, balancing your calories between fats, carbs & protein is important. Fats are not "bad for you." They are an essential part of a balanced diet. Overconsuming fats, especially saturated and trans-fats, is bad for you health.
Speaking of trans fat, where can i get some? It seems like every product in the world says "0 grams Trans fat" on the label.
The less trans-fat the better. Here is a generalization of what the different fats do to cholesterol levels: HCL = good cholesterol LCL = bad cholesterol "Good" fat, Mono-unsaturated fat: Raises HCL, lowers LCL Poly-unsaturated fat: Lowers HCL, lowers LCL "Bad" fat, Saturated fat: Raises HCL, raises LCL Trans-fats: Lowers HCL, raises LCL. The worst case scenario! On a visual level, mono/poly-unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature (olive oil for ex). Saturated/trans-fats are solid at room temperature (most all animal fat for example, butter, etc). The typical american diet has an overemphasis of "bad" fat and not enough "good" fat. The above is only a generalization. Trans-fats are created by hydrogenating unsaturated fat so it solidifies at room temperature. This makes for better tasting food and more pleasant food consistencies. Probably the worst offending foods with trans-fats are donuts and other danishes and deep fried foods (i.e, the oil used to fry them is mostly a trans-fat) such as french fries. Please note again these are mostly generalizations. Hope it helps you. The government decided a couple of years ago that in 2006 the nutrition labels had to start listing trans-fats, which I think is a great idea. Hopefully, soon, all fast food french fries will be cooked without trans-fats, which will make them much healthier, though the calories will stay the exact same. I believe Wendy's and McDonalds have already made announcements on this.
