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Effects of long-term fat free diet?

zombiesarepeaceful

zombiesarepeaceful

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Since having an eating disorder, I've started eating only fat free foods -- mainly consisting of raw foods, no sugar except natural sugar found in fruits, and vegetables. No starchy vegetables like potatoes or grains, and occasionally fat free dairy such as skim milk or cottage cheese. Nothing even containing a gram of fat..if the label says 0.5g, I won't eat it. Extreme I know...but at least its eating, where I wasn't before.

Ive googled and not found alot on the long-term effects of eating fat free, besides a possible vitamin deficiency, due to a few vitamins that are fat soluble and not able to be absorbed in the absense of fat. Has anyone else gone completely fat free? What effects did it have on your health? Weight loss? Long-term health? Mentality?

I work everyday (fast food joint) at least 5 hrs and am pretty active...to give you an idea of my activity level. 5'7" 130lbs...but have lost weight since starting this diet.
 
Hey Zombie~

You should eat a small amount of fat. If you dont your skin could loose its elasticity from lack of fat.

Google it.
 
Take som fat supplements, the healthy type of fat.

Take fish oils and vegetable oils like olive-oil, borago-oil or evening
primrose oil.

Eat avocados and such, containg healthy types of fats that will not store up
and make you gain weight.

A totally fat-free diet can not be healthy for anyone!
 
I don't eat much bad fat and I am skinny but I do put all sorts of organic cold-pressed oils such as olive, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin (those two roasted actually, they're so yummy), and all sorts of other healthy oils. I put generous splashes of them on my grains and salads and vegetables... I love the taste and they don't make me fat. Yeah, and evening primrose oil and fish oil are good as supplements. Oil rocks. If it's the good one. You need fat in your diet.
 
Without any fat in your diet you would die. Fats (lipids) are part of every cell in your body (especially in the cell membrane which maintains the integrity of the cell) and are essential to many bodily functions. The best fix for your diet would be to introduce fish; it is very healthy and contains only healthy lipids that your body needs. And I'm sure fish do not go against your diet (I mean c'mon who worries about getting fat from fish).

In the long run I would talk to friends and/or family about your eating problems, or research healthy diets. Your diet actually does not sound that bad as long as you add fish and some whole grains. If you are worried about weight, the only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you use; stay healthy by making sure those calories are healthy and have all the food groups in them. If you are losing weight rapidly eat more, you should not lose more than 1-2 pounds a week.
 
There are a lot of health problems that can be associated with an entirely fat free diet.

You're right about vitamin deficiencies being a likely problem, but it's an extremely serious condition in the long term. If you look at the side of a multivitamin bottle, only 1, vitamin D, can be manufactured by your body, and about half of the remaining are fat soluble. So even if you eat a carrot, which is high in vitamin A, in the absence of fat, it won't be absorbed into your body. A lack of this single vitamin can supress your immune system, wreak havoc on your skin, and, in severe cases, cause blindness. And that's just vitamin A.

Another serious issue to consider with any restricted diet is essential amino acids. Your body can't manufacture about 1/3 of the amino acids it needs, so they must be pulled from food. I'm not a dietician or a doctor or anybody who should be dispensing too much advice, but you're treading on dangerous ground here. If you don't get the amino acids you need, your body can't build proteins and enzymes to function, and will begin to shut down. This is something that vegans, and to a certain extent, vegetarians, need to be careful about. It's absolutely possible to maintain the right balance with either diet, but NOT one which you're describing.

A diet like this puts a lot of undue strain on your body. It's good to hear that you're moving past an eating disorder, it's the right direction. Obviously, the best thing to do would be to move to a more standard diet, but in the meantime, if that's a move you're not ready to make, see if you can get in touch with a dietician or nutritionist to get some advice on how to minimize the harm and keep moving in a healthy direction. Another alternative you might want to consider is setting up a healthy vegan diet, it wouldn't be too much of a departure from where you are now and could be incorporated as you feel comfortable with it.

So. Short term; you'll probably just start feeling pretty crappy and tired, notice a loss of muscle tone, and start getting sick more often and for a longer period of time. Long term, it could kill you.
 
Thanks...

I haven't noticed a loss in muscle really, prolly because I'm working though?

I did this a couple years ago. After about a year my skin got extremely dry and painful..i don't know about healthy oils and stuff, every time I'll accidently eat fat, I have a panic attack. Don't know what to do about that but maybe getting help with shit sometime.
 
The dry and painful skin may have been the result of vitamins. The body's an incredibly interesting piece of machinery: while it can't manufacture vitamins, some are stored in incredible amounts. Your liver, for example, stores about a year's worth of A. That's why short term you won't see much, you have a good bit of it stored up, but when it runs out, the change is dramatic. Water soluble vitamins must always be taken regularly though, any excess is excreted.

You won't notice muscle loss right away either, it's broken up as an absolute last resort of energy for your body (called catabolisis) and will happen as you likely aren't taking in enough protein to maintain bodily functions. I don't really have any personal experience with your situation, but I do know you're not the only one, and there are lots of resources out there; if you're interested in talking with someone, I'd suggest contacting local hospitals or universities and asking what's available in your area, and they could probably give you a starting point.
 
zombiesarepeaceful said:
i don't know about healthy oils and stuff, every time I'll accidently eat fat, I have a panic attack.
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seems you got some pretty unbeneficial conditioning regarding fat. i suggest you try to unlearn your response by repeating to yourself, as often as it takes till you believe it, that fat is good, and that, in fact, the right fat will NOT make you fat. In fact, it may help you lose weight. I find that copious amounts of cold pressed oils - flaxseed oil more than any, but others seem to do the trick too - help me have regular bowel movements. And I was at some point close to becoming anorexic, I used to feel really dirty after eating fatty foods like, say pizza with ham on it and all that... mayonnaise... baaargh! But cold pressed oils added to almost anything never gave me this dirty, full feeling that made me wish I could just defecate it all out and be true, clean, really just me without all those contaminants in my body... what also helped me with feeling clean inside was psyllium husks... such a fantastic bowel cleanser. Dunno if this helps any or if my experience of feeling dirty inside when I eat heavy foods is anything like what you are experiencing with your eating disorder but I thought I'd share.
 
^yeah..i feel like i shouldnt eat fats for...some reason...dont really know what it is. even if i eat grains, or anything that classifies as "empty carbs" i have the same reaction.
 
I once saw a dietician and she told me you're suposed to have a minimum of 30mgs fat daily. You do actually need *some* fat in your diet, (obviously non-saturated is preferable) just like you need carbohydrates and protein.
 
yeah..i feel like i shouldnt eat fats for...some reason...dont really know what it is. even if i eat grains, or anything that classifies as "empty carbs" i have the same reaction.
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It sounds like you have a fundamental misunderstanding of nutrition.

Fat is mostly found subdermally (beneath the skin) and in the nervous system. It plays a significant role throughout the body in all kinds of metabolic pathways. Bottomline is, fat is necessary and you need it. Given your size, I'd say you need at least 50g of fat per day to be healthy. And remember that you must include the essential fatty acids too - that means omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids (from nuts, fish, poultry, eggs).

If you are attempting to live on 1 or 2 grams of fat per day, you are nuts. Are you experiencing lethargy and inability to concentrate?

As for the "empty carbs" you have to realize that carbohydrates are energy. Any sugar is a carbohydrate. Your body needs carbohydrates for energy, it's that simple.

There is no secret to eating healthy: you need to eat a balance of carbs, protein, and fat, in addition to essential nutrients like vitamins and omega fatty acids, and trace minerals and metals.

It sounds like you may be a little obsessive-compulsive about eating (as is the case with many eating disorders). The solution is to snap out of the fantasy and start thinking logically.

What would a human being living before modern civilization eat? A mixture of meats, nuts, seeds, berries, tubers, roots, vegetables, and fruits (depending on where you are).
 
Fat isn't bad for you at all. This misconception was propagated for so long a lot of people still blindly cling to it. You can eat literally all the fat you want and still be in perfect health as long as you exercise properly and keep the carbs within reason. At least that's what I do..
 
There is an element of tolerance with regards to fat free diets ie. your body needsfat, and if its not getting much, what it does get, it'll will store for fear its not going to get much more. Its healthy to actually eat one fatty food at least once a week, so your body is still accustomed to intaking fat. Otherwise, if its fat/lipid depreived, any bit of fat will be stored. Balance is the key zombies.

With the panic attack thing, I'd think about having a chat to your doctor, or a psychologist who may help you get over this fear, which for you health, your really need.

All the best zombies! :)

-Sam
 
Thanks all...after a few years of having an eating disorder off and on, all my life of dealing with severe depression and anxiety, and whatnot...my mom is finally getting around to agreeing to let me see a psychiatrist. I'm still trying to convince her seeing somebody doesn't mean I'm gonna end up living in a group home all my life, or zoned out constantly on drugs. Drugs, if anything, make me normal. She has no idea I self medicate and when I'm acting sober instead of fucked up and shit, is when I'm on something.

I have noticed feeling "slow" since being on this diet for a month...and I think its the effects of the lack of fat or whatever I'm not getting from not eating right. Can't wait to get this resolved...if I ever do while still living with my mom.
 
A fat free diet is incredibly unhealthy. If you actually eliminate all fat from your diet, you will eventually sicken and die. Really.

Saturated fats and cholesterol from meat and eggs can be unhealthy if you eat too much of it, but unsaturated fat (vegetable oils) are actually good for you. Try adding a dash of olive oil to your meals. Fat also helps people feel satiated; a diet with a bit of fat in it can actually help you lose weight by reducing food cravings.
 
quality whole grain is anything but "empty carbs" - look into the nutritional benefits of (organic) wholegrain rice, quinoa, amaranth, or a particular favourite of mine, millet. Yummy when well-prepared. Love eating grains with some fresh cold-pressed oil of my choice and soy sauce and cayenne pepper. Sometimes I even put some balsamic red vinegar on top, Delicious and definitely makes me fee good and doesn't make me fat.
 
zombiesarepeaceful said:
I work everyday (fast food joint)
Click to expand...

Aaaarh! That's the kind of place I wouldn't want to work at. The dodgiest of fats and carbs ... I'd either let myself be brainwashed and start eating that crap and generally feel like crap because of this new diet, or I'd rebel against that sort of food, sneer at it almost - as I do anyway, now and then. Having it all around me, seeing it and smelling it and touching it day by day I'd probably really despise it and react by wanting to purge myself from the energy that emanates from it by focusing on and being picky about what I allow to enter my body - clutching at the straw of (the perceived path to) health in order to protect myself from the disease and toxicity around me.
 
You seem like a very smart individual. That means you have hope to educate yourself, and realize there are neccessary fats.

Please read about saturated vs. unsaturated vs. polyunsaturated vs. Trans fats. Then you can start identifying "good fats" and allow yourself to eat them without having to feel guilty about eating it.

You can even get oil blends (flax/hemp/pumpkin. etc) in capsules. That way you can ingest them as a suplement, and you dont even have to think of it as food at all.
 
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