% Fat Breakdown

[iansteele]

So my average diet consists of about 20-25% fat, of which more than 50% is Mono Fats, is this good or should I try reduce it and get more Poly Fats?

I'm 5'11, 180lbs, I know a lot of you think that is not overweight, but I used to play provincial (state) waterpolo and also acquired national colors. I'm not used to having much fat on my body, thus the reason for tracking it.

So back to the main question, I read that 20-30% of your diet should consist of fats, I'm just wondering about the different kind of fats. It's currently, 35/52/12 (Sat, Mono, Poly), is this an acceptable amount or should I change my diet to favor less saturated fats?

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone will share

[rpmcduff]

In my opinion your Fat levels and the break down of Sat/Mono/Ploy are fine. While fat is often demonized as the worst thing you can eat it is actually necessary to critical body functions like nutrient transfer and neurological functions. Even Saturated fat has been shown as a necessary component to maintaining adequate Testosterone levels in men.

If you are looking to cut or maintain a low bodyfat percentage then I would encourage you to focus more on the amount and timing of the simple carbohydrates you're eating. Simple Carbs like White bread, white rice, potatos, and sugar are actually easier for your body to convert into stored fat than converting dietary fat into stored fat.

If you eat too much of any food at one sitting you are encouraging your body to create fat storage. Glycogen is what our muscles use for energy. Once the glycogen levels in your muscles are replenished any calories left are converted to fat. That is why Bodybuilder's subscribe to eating 5 or 6 smaller meals each day. That way their body just has enough calories to refill their glycogen needs and their body then has a chance to burn off some of that glycogen before they are topped off again.

Adding cardio (and especially fasted cardio, like in the morning before breakfast) can help you deplete your glycogen supply and thus force your body to convert the fat stores into glycogen for fuel.