Fat for Fuel by Dr. Mercola

oregongrrl

I have searched this book and cannot figure out how many healthy fat grams one should consume per day.
Can anyone help please?

chunky

@oregongrrl, you might try going to any one of a number of Keto macro calculators on the web, for instance : https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/

Susan_RD_101

Hello @oregongrrl ,

I would repeat the steps above but using the number of calories that make up your Basal Metabolic Rate (you can find this in your profile settings). This will tell you how many calories you need to consume, without factoring in activity; an easier target to meet.

One other important point is not to set your protein target too low. I prefer individuals over the age of 65 to consume between 1-1.2 g or protein per kg (2.2 lbs) per day. As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass and this can impact many body processes such as immunity, strength, and metabolism.

Kind regards,

Susan_RD_101

@oregongrrl

The reason you haven't found an answer to this question is because there isn't one.

What we know is that humans are able to eat a varied diet with great ranges of fat. Many people can live and be healthy eating ~10% of calories from fat, while others can eat higher fat, seemingly with little impact to health.

However, in general, we should be aiming for a fat intake between 20-30%, with saturated fat being less than 7-10%, and trans fat being as close to 0 g as possible. Many health authorities advocate for a daily intake of 500-1000 mg of DHA per day (a type of omega 3 fat), which can be met through supplements or by eating fatty fish 2 x per week. Our remaining fat should come from mono and polyunsaturated fat and ideally, from whole food sources, like nuts, seeds, nut butter, and avocado.

Let me know if you have any follow-up questions!

Kind regards,

oregongrrl

Thanks for your reply and advice. However, you might not have read Dr. Mercola's Fat for Fuel book, In it he recommends 75% fat (to replace carbs) ketogenic diet. I just don't know how many fat grams that is and if there's a limit.

Susan_RD_101

@oregongrrl

To figure out how many grams of fat this would be, do the following:

1. Determine your kcal requirements (can look under total energy expenditure in cronometer)
2. Multiple this number by .75 (for 75%)
3. Divide the number you got in the second step by 9

This will tell you how many fat grams = 75%.

For example, my calorie needs are 1900 (to maintain weight).

1900 x .75 = 1425
1425/9 = 158 g of fat per day

I wouldn't advise going higher than this as it may be difficult to get enough protein and fibre, as well as essential vitamins and minerals.

Kind regards,

oregongrrl

Thank you Susan. You make it sound so simple and you are right.
The only Kcal I found for myself was Kcal burned, not sure I can consume 1986 Kcal per day. As I am 76 years it's gets extremely difficult to lose far even if I follow the macro units religiously.
Thanks again

oregongrrl

Hi Susan thanks again for all the help you have provided.
However, I am going to try to go with Joel Marion's 14-day Keto Challenge hoping for more directions there. It is a challenging program I am thoroughly confused but hope to figure it out with this community.
Thanks again

ConnieSC

Hi, Oregon,

I, too, searched the book forwards and backwards and could not find the answer to your (and my) question: "How many fat grams should I consume per day?" (BTW, I felt very, very frustrated) I had to figure it out on my own.

I was/am using the Cronometer Gold program. In my profile, I selected as follows:
Under Macronutrient targets/(selected "Show full...)/Dynamic Macronutrient Targets/selected "High Fat Ketogenic"

According to my selections above, and according to other info in my profile, I should be eating around 100 fat grams per day. Mind you, these were, for the most part, HEALTHY fats.

Towards the end of my weight loss journey, here is the number of fat grams that I was consuming per day, on the average.

I lost 20 lbs in about 4.75 months.

Fat grams: 95 grams/day
Weight: around 120 lbs.
Age: 68 years old
Gender: Female

I hope this helps!

oregongrrl

Hi, thanks so much for replying. You are fortunate to lose that much, it took 6 months for me to lose 8 lbs. I followed Fat for Fuel by Dr. Mercola to a T.
I am 75.
Thanks again

chazza

I aim for high fat. The base is 15x5grams (75grams) of coconut oil per day, with butter and full fat milk products. I keep vegtable oils low, and get extra fat from olive oil, fish, and some meat.

lwoodyiii

Dr. Mercola is a crank