Can You Gain Weight By Eating High Fat Products

[ElenaO]

I am trying to switch to a low carb diet and I was checking the macro contents of parmesan cheese. It seems that there's 0 grams of carbs in it. I am wondering how much is too much of parmesan? Can you eat any amounts of it without getting fat? This doesn't sound logical, but I hear from the low carb/keto community that fat is not a problem, carbs are. 

[Siim Land]

Weight loss or gain is still fundamentally determined by thermodynamics - calories in vs calories out. If you consume too much fat, even when carbs are low, you'll get fat. With that being said, there are a lot of hormonal processes that contradict this paradigm. Some people experiment with eating copious amounts of fat on keto without gaining any weight. So, insulin and digestion are also relevant. 

Ketogenic diets are effective for fat loss because they reduce hunger, promote fat burning and are easy to stick to. The only metabolic advantage would come from establishing a healthier caloric deficit. When you're in ketosis, you're burning more of your own body fat for fuel instead of protein as happens with a non-ketogenic calorically restricted diet

[ElenaO]

Frankly, I haven't heard anyone mentioning that by eating fat you would get fat. At least not in the paleo and keto circles (could be I hang out at the wrong places?). In fact, all I hear is that you can eat as much fat as you want and it will be all right. Oversimplification. As usual. 

[Emerald]

I gained and subsequently lost about 70 lbs during each of my pregnancies... with the weight of the baby, water weight, and placenta included in that number. So, 40-50 lbs of fat each time. So, I never paid attention to fat content or carbohydrates or even the type of food that I ate beyond meeting my basic macro-nutrient requirements. I just focused on the calories, and that helped me drop the weight very quickly. I was able to lose that weight in four or five months by eating a 500 calorie deficit on most days during the week with the occasionally cheat day.

[ElenaO]

@Emerald How did you feel during these days? Were you feeling constantly "hangry"? I am afraid that would happen to me, because that's how I feel often (because of high carb diet, perhaps?). 

[Emerald]

4 hours ago, ElenaO said:

@Emerald How did you feel during these days? Were you feeling constantly "hangry"? I am afraid that would happen to me, because that's how I feel often (because of high carb diet, perhaps?). 

I don't usually get upset when I'm hungry. I actually like the sensation of mild hunger... though I do prefer the sensations related to eating food. So, I'm not sure if I'm the best person to ask about that. But I can say that the sensation of hunger was never that intense. It was always mild. The way I did it was to eat 3 meals a day at 500 calories each. Sometimes, I'd eat smaller meals in the morning and afternoon, so I could have a bigger dinner, because I tend to like to eat more in the evening hours.

[Pelin]

@ElenaO  I'm low-carb for 3 months, with cheat days in and out, and I got to my desired weight 6 weeks in (from 130 to 120 lbs) and my belly got flatter. I'm pretty fit now so I'm maintaining the diet for a healthier lifestyle. I never count my macros but I'm pretty sure I consume more fats than the daily recommended amount some days. I don't feel as much hunger as I'd feel it while eating grains. 

Eggs are an excellent way of feeling full without getting too much calories. With my full breakfast I have around 7 am, I don't usually feel hungry until 1.30 pm. and I teach for 5 hours in the morning so I practically don't even sit down from 8:30 to 1:30. When you feel really hungry, nuts are helpful but it's great if you just wait until lunchtime.

my typical day:

full breakfast

• 2 eggs, soft-boiled or as omelette (parmesan/mozarella omelette is great) (if I'm busy, I just stick to eggs and tea)
• one diced tomato (if in season) with a tbsp olive oil
• cheese, any kind, as much as I want
• 3-4 olives
• tea or coffee 
• occasional walnuts, peanuts or almonds (raw)

some lunch/dinner options: mix & match

• avocado salad with olive oil, lemon and tomatoes (love this)
• beans salad (white beans, garbanzo beans etc) (beans have more carbs but I didn't have any problems)
• yogurt, pickles etc.
• meatballs/ steak/ chicken breast
• bone broth soup/ chicken broth soup / vegetable soup like broccoli or pumpkin
• boiled veggies with raw olive oil and lemon

I think you got it by now, but I almost always use extra virgin, high quality olive oil with nearly every meal! I love it, along with butter. And I still lost weight, more importantly, I got to my desired weight/shape and keeping it.

[ElenaO]

Thanks for such a detailed list @Pelin ! The thing is, I love to eat. You are saying you can eat as much cheese as you want. Well, see, I can literally eat like 200 grams of cheese if I am hungry enough. Together with the eggs and a salad. Of course, I would feel quite full after it, but I will still eat my lunch, only later than usual. 

I don't eat grains usually. Only occasionally and if there's nothing else available. But I am huge lover of fruits, so I could very easily overeat on those. Do you consume any fruits at all? 

[Pelin]

@ElenaO I do, but in moderate amounts. Maybe if I have a light lunch I'll have a banana. I sometimes spread sugar-free peanut butter on a slice of apple etc. In summer, strawberries or cherries  Some keto supporters suggest no fruit, but like you, I like fruit. So I eat in moderation. (+as I'm getting very little sugar into my body, when I eat fruit it feels very, very sweet. So, impossible to overeat)

My advice is: Watch yourself, maybe food journal for a month or so. Don't just record pounds but also measure yourself. I believe everyone's body is a little bit different. We all have different tolerance levels, hormones etc. 50 gr of cheese in the morning, + 50 at lunch didn't do any harm to me. But you may be different