Whaddya mean fat is good?

midge_m

Hey guys, new to the group here!

For the most part I am following a “lower carb" diet plan, normally I am at 100g or less a day for the most part. I can’t quite image dropping lower than that, but I’m open to experimentation.

I am drawn to LCHF mostly because it is simply the way I gravitate towards eating. Protein and veg is pretty much my go to meal, even before I decided to lose this weight (I have 100+ to lose, down 33 so far) just in more controlled portions! I also eschew fat-free concoctions, and for the most part practice portion control over restricting.

Anyway, I am having a lot of trouble letting go of my fear of fat! Right now I eat enough (50 - 60g), I think, and the majority of it comes from nuts (love my nuts!), but there is a little part of me that is horrified when I hear about putting butter in coffee and the like (no judgement! It’s just goes against everything I was taught!)

A couple of facts to know:

- I am diabetic. So reduced carb is a necessity no matter what my feelings are on food. (I like carbs, but I am OK as long I my food remains tasty!).
- I have heart disease. I had a massive heart attack at only 35. I am now 40+. Of course the main bit of advice I gt there is be low fat!
- I also have high cholesterol, PCOS and few other things that are more irritating then interesting!

So what do you think I need to know to let go of my fat fear?

meggic

For decades, we've been tricked in to believing Low fat is good, grains are good, and sugar does no harm. It's understandable that you have this fear because the opposite of this science is constantly thrown in your face in order for sugar and carb producing companies to keep their profits high (take for example, Kelloggs, who introduced their "healthy" Special K Line of food years ago, which is actually just a more costly version of food that is already bad for you, but yet their profits skyrocketed since we ate it up, [pun intended]).

I think your fear will be reduced if you read about and understand WHY a diet high is fat, low in carb, in combination, is good. Research a few articles and read about Ketosis. Understanding the science behind the statement may help ease your mind. I like ketovangelist and ruled.me articles, but there are plenty out there. You can also research how low carb diets impact people who have heart disease.

Just keep in mind that a diet high in fat in combination with starchy high glycemic carbs, like sugars and breads, is a terrible combination. Your body will burn the carbs and store the fat if you do this. So you are either all in, or you're all out. Do High fat with low carb and stick to it, or don't do it at all.

You also should start with <25g of carbs a day for at least 2 weeks, and as you get into Ketosis you can slowly build up your carbs back to around 100, by monitoring slow increases in carbs over an extended period of time, while ensuring you remain in Ketosis. But the higher your carbs, the less weight you will lose per week, so it's ideal for people who have weight loss as a goal to keep it under 25g a day, or less if possible.

If you're scared of fat, keep the fat moderate (50% of calories), and keep the protein higher than you should (like 45%) but keep carbs at 5%. Then slowly increase fat and decrease protein until you're at a ratio more in tune with your body type (there are calculators for this online) as you get used to fat.

Maybe fat scares you for a certain quality of it, like perhaps greasiness (bacon, cheese, butter)? If that's the case, find alternate fat foods that don't have this quality, such as avocados, nuts, softer cheeses, etc., and slowly start to experiment more with ones that seem scarier.

You mention you like protein, so how about trying to incorporate more fatty cuts of meat like Rib-Eyes, or keeping the skin on a chicken?

Also Fat=Flavor, so if you can for 2 weeks cut your addiction to carbs (which is actually just a sugar addiction), your taste buds will in fact adapt and start preferring thick fatty things over sweet garbage.

Hope this helps.

ndvoice

The ratio of fat / protein / carb can really vary from person to person. Myself, my daily fat is around 60 grams. My carbs range 50-60
I don't add fat to coffee. But I have learned to enjoy nuts, avocado & nut butters - which were no-no's on previous diets. The amount of fat & carbs I eat keep me very full, allow for weight loss & control my hypoglycemia. I don't find any need to add fat to my coffee (or in other unique ways) because I have nothing to benefit from it. I would rather save the extra calories as part of my calorie deficit. However, if i found that I was regularly feeling hungry, having cravings, etc, I would try increasing my fat to see if that helped.

lowjax75

It is hard to let go of what has been drilled into our heads for decades now. The easiest way to overcome the fear is to learn more about fat and it's impact on our bodies. That's easier said than done though as there is so much conflicting information out there.

Some good resources are a couple of Taubes books called "Why we get fat" and "Good Calories, Bad Calories". I also really loved the video "Fat Head" by Tom Naughtin. It helps explain a lot and I think it is free on Netflix. The original Atkins books (Diet Revolution from 72 and New Diet Revolution from 99) are good too. I've also heard good thing about Westman as well, but haven't read any of his material.

I'm sure other people here have many other sources as well.

ladipoet

When I started this way of eating (WOE), I too was afraid of fat because I didn't understand the science behind why and how this way of eating worked. I highly, highly recommend picking up a copy for your self and reading the following book written by two doctors:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Science-Carbohydrate-Living/dp/0983490708

Once I understood the science, my fear of fat totally and completely disappeared. On a daily basis I eat easily 120 grams of fat so about (roughly) 80% of my calories come from fat. I've been following this WOE for just over 16 months now and I've successfully eliminated 136 - 137 pounds or thereabouts. Over the past 16 months, I have adjusted my macros 2-3 times with the % of fat going higher each time. My doctor knows I follow a Ketogenic lifestyle and she is absolutely thrilled with my progress. Each time I go in for an appointment, she always tells me, "just keep doing what you're doing!"

dasher602014

I too had this "mindset" problem when i started but research does change your point of view. My husband is diabetic and this WOE was suggested by his doctor and it is working. His Blood Sugar readings are much better.

When I start losing the plot because of all the low fat media and well meaning people getting in my face about what we are eating, I turn to Dr Jason Fung. He deals with diabetics who are seriously ill. He is a senior specialist out of Toronto, Canada. He has a group of educational videos which can be found either on Diet Doctor (another good website) or all of his videos can be found on youtube for free. He supports fasting but he is quoted as saying that he found fasting was easier to explain to people that LCHF diets. The videos do take time to view but they explain the science behind this WOE and the reasons why low fat diets were expounded and why they are being called into question now.

Good luck and I hope you have improved health as others have on this WOE.

macchiatto

I have PCOS and MS and am on LCHF now. It seems to be good for those conditions.

However, my husband has CAD and my impression is there hasn't been enough research on it for patients with existing heart disease to recommend it. If there is more research on it that you find, I'd love to know; my husband has struggled with losing weight and I'd love him to be able to join me in eating keto/LCHF and see if that helps. Like you, low-fat has been drilled into him. His cholesterol is actually pretty low but his HDL is only 18 so his ratio is terrible. One of our twins (who will be 7 in an hour ) inherited his exact cholesterol profile.

midge_m

Thanks for the responses. I will continue my research. @macchiatto I am with you that the CAD support needs more research definitely. We will see what I find!

Sunny_Bunny_

ndvoice wrote: »

The ratio of fat / protein / carb can really vary from person to person. Myself, my daily fat is around 60 grams. My carbs range 50-60
I don't add fat to coffee. But I have learned to enjoy nuts, avocado & nut butters - which were no-no's on previous diets. The amount of fat & carbs I eat keep me very full, allow for weight loss & control my hypoglycemia. I don't find any need to add fat to my coffee (or in other unique ways) because I have nothing to benefit from it. I would rather save the extra calories as part of my calorie deficit. However, if i found that I was regularly feeling hungry, having cravings, etc, I would try increasing my fat to see if that helped.

There are other reasons the coconut oil and butter are added to coffee besides hunger control and for simply getting more fat.
The brain benefits of coconut oil and butter are quite impressive and a very interesting science if you like that kind of thing. I'm working on trying to reduce my ADD medication by utilizing the mental energy boost of the fatty acids that are unique to those fats along with vitamin/mineral supplementation. At this point, I may be too dependent on my meds to ever fully wean off of them, but I have had success in taking my teenager off hers and her grades have actually improved for the first time in years!

glossbones

Fat is not only amazingly good for you (from the right sources, avoid processed!), it tastes great, and is super satisfying.

Personally, I found it very difficult to stick to a low carb diet when I was around 100g per day. I know you 'can't imagine' going lower, but maybe try it for two weeks and see how you feel? When I came into LCHF this time (317 days ago) I decided to try a 14 day "fast track" program and I had SO much more success than I ever had on the higher end of low carb. I didn't realize at the time, but it was a Ketogenic plan, and it killed all the cravings I was fighting when I was allowing myself a higher level of carbs.

Once I learned about that, I found my way here, and have learned so much more about the WHY of eating this way, rather than just the WHAT of the meal plans I'd been following.

I wish you great success! I really can't imagine going back, with all the improvements I've felt.

pwrfl1

glossbones wrote: »

Fat is not only amazingly good for you (from the right sources, avoid processed!), it tastes great, and is super satisfying.

Personally, I found it very difficult to stick to a low carb diet when I was around 100g per day. I know you 'can't imagine' going lower, but maybe try it for two weeks and see how you feel? When I came into LCHF this time (317 days ago) I decided to try a 14 day "fast track" program and I had SO much more success than I ever had on the higher end of low carb. I didn't realize at the time, but it was a Ketogenic plan, and it killed all the cravings I was fighting when I was allowing myself a higher level of carbs.

Once I learned about that, I found my way here, and have learned so much more about the WHY of eating this way, rather than just the WHAT of the meal plans I'd been following.

I wish you great success! I really can't imagine going back, with all the improvements I've felt.

. Where did you find the 14 day Fast Track program ? I'm looking for a reset after the holidays !

glossbones

pwrfl1 wrote: »

Where did you find the 14 day Fast Track program ? I'm looking for a reset after the holidays !

My original Fast Track program was this one: http://amzn.com/1401929141

But I think that's overpriced, honestly, for what you get. I only used two or three of the recipes before I just switched to using Ketogenic recipes I found online.

This year I purchased the Ketovangelist recovery meal plan, and I've been using that to cook for my family, who is doing LCHF with me.
https://www.ketovangelist.com/ketovangelist-january-keto-recovery-meal-plan/

You get a LOT more recipes from that plan (I've only seen two of them before, so for me it's a great value just for providing variety to my husband's picky palate), and it's only $10. But I think it's only available through tomorrow!

pwrfl1

glossbones wrote: »

pwrfl1 wrote: »

Where did you find the 14 day Fast Track program ? I'm looking for a reset after the holidays !

My original Fast Track program was this one: http://amzn.com/1401929141

But I think that's overpriced, honestly, for what you get. I only used two or three of the recipes before I just switched to using Ketogenic recipes I found online.

This year I purchased the Ketovangelist recovery meal plan, and I've been using that to cook for my family, who is doing LCHF with me.
https://www.ketovangelist.com/ketovangelist-january-keto-recovery-meal-plan/

You get a LOT more recipes from that plan (I've only seen two of them before, so for me it's a great value just for providing variety to my husband's picky palate), and it's only $10. But I think it's only available through tomorrow!

Perfect ! Thank you !!

nvmomketo

midge_m wrote: »

Hey guys, new to the group here!

For the most part I am following a “lower carb" diet plan, normally I am at 100g or less a day for the most part. I can’t quite image dropping lower than that, but I’m open to experimentation.

I am drawn to LCHF mostly because it is simply the way I gravitate towards eating. Protein and veg is pretty much my go to meal, even before I decided to lose this weight (I have 100+ to lose, down 33 so far) just in more controlled portions! I also eschew fat-free concoctions, and for the most part practice portion control over restricting.

Anyway, I am having a lot of trouble letting go of my fear of fat! Right now I eat enough (50 - 60g), I think, and the majority of it comes from nuts (love my nuts!), but there is a little part of me that is horrified when I hear about putting butter in coffee and the like (no judgement! It’s just goes against everything I was taught!)

A couple of facts to know:

- I am diabetic. So reduced carb is a necessity no matter what my feelings are on food. (I like carbs, but I am OK as long I my food remains tasty!).
- I have heart disease. I had a massive heart attack at only 35. I am now 40+. Of course the main bit of advice I gt there is be low fat!
- I also have high cholesterol, PCOS and few other things that are more irritating then interesting!

So what do you think I need to know to let go of my fat fear?

Welcome to the group.

Maybe you'll find fat easier if you start with fats from fish? I think many heart and stroke organizations are now saying not all fat is bad and embracing some fats like that found in fish might be a good place to start. MCTs lie in coconut oil are e really thought to be quite healthy too.

Carbs seem to be the food that hurt cholesterol the most. It seems backwards but it appears true.

Try looking into some of the older threads about cholesterol improvements from this woe. I think it was Jane in the over 50 thread who just had some fantastic tests come back a few days ago. There are quite a few stories around here where cholesterol improves by quite a bit.

Good luck! I hope LCHF works well for you.

Dragonwolf

The launch pad has a number of resources that might help "deprogram" you regarding fat. I highly recommend checking them out.

I have PCOS, as well, and this way of eating has been a lifesaver for me. Any other diet leaves me starving (even on the same caloric intake) and getting nowhere.

I'm going to be more conservative about my recommendations since you've already had a heart attack, but I know that LCHF actually usually improves blood cholesterol levels, decreasing the risk for CVD. Combined with K2 (most commonly found in good butter), and it can even reverse existing issues. I know, it sounds backwards as all get out, but it's true.

I highly recommend reading Dr. Peter Attia's stuff at eating academy.com.

KarlaYP

I'm going to recommend the reading of "Cholesterol Clarity" (authored by Jimmy Moore, et al.). it's a wonderful book that is very understandable for a layperson! Most of the contributions in the book are from a group of different physicians who back this way of eating (woe). Fear of fat is understandable since its been all we've been told, our entire lives! There are many beneficial fats that we need for optimal health! Knowledge is power and reading about your issues can help you face the fear on your way to optimal health too!

Best of luck to you!

SoosannahK

glossbones wrote: »

pwrfl1 wrote: »

Where did you find the 14 day Fast Track program ? I'm looking for a reset after the holidays !

My original Fast Track program was this one: http://amzn.com/1401929141

But I think that's overpriced, honestly, for what you get. I only used two or three of the recipes before I just switched to using Ketogenic recipes I found online.

This year I purchased the Ketovangelist recovery meal plan, and I've been using that to cook for my family, who is doing LCHF with me.
https://www.ketovangelist.com/ketovangelist-january-keto-recovery-meal-plan/

You get a LOT more recipes from that plan (I've only seen two of them before, so for me it's a great value just for providing variety to my husband's picky palate), and it's only $10. But I think it's only available through tomorrow!

@glossbones How are you liking the plan? I purchased it too, but as it is only the husband and I, I have found we have a lot of leftovers and I got off schedule as to not waste food, so I just started jumping around to what looks good lol. I was already back in ketosis when we started it so I didn't think I needed to follow the strict "eat only this for first two weeks".I am loving the recipes, as they are quick, simple and tasty.I didn't care for the BBQ pulled pork though. It was worth $10 just to get all of the recipes. But I must say that man loves some bacon and butter. But it has got my weight moving back in a downward direction.

Sorry didn't mean to hijack the post. I whole heartedly agree with doing your research for yourself and learning all you can.

lithezebra

In theory, low carb/high fat could be great for your cholesterol levels, but with your health history, you need to stay on top of your blood tests, and make sure that high fat is working for you, regardless of whether it works for other people. What does your doctor say?

camtosh

I recommend Nina Teicholz's "The Big Fat Surprise" to learn about why the dietary guidelines got so skewed against saturated fat... Here is a great review of the book: https://proteinpower.com/drmike/2014/05/13/big-fat-surprise/

and this excerpt highlights the surprise part:
"Nina Teicholz is a married mother of two living in New York City. She is an investigative journalist and food writer by trade. When she first moved to New York, she was following a low-fat, USDA Food Pyramid style diet. Her life changed when she began writing restaurant reviews. She ate whatever the chefs she was reviewing sent out, which was often “paté, beef of every cut prepared in every imaginable way, cream sauces, cream soups, foie gras – all the foods [she] had avoided [her] entire life.”

She ate an enormous amount of fatty food, and despite her worries to the contrary, her cholesterol numbers didn’t go through the roof. But best of all, she lost the ten pounds she had been struggling to shed."

glossbones

SoosannahK wrote: »

@glossbones How are you liking the plan? I purchased it too, but as it is only the husband and I, I have found we have a lot of leftovers and I got off schedule as to not waste food, so I just started jumping around to what looks good lol. I was already back in ketosis when we started it so I didn't think I needed to follow the strict "eat only this for first two weeks".I am loving the recipes, as they are quick, simple and tasty.I didn't care for the BBQ pulled pork though. It was worth $10 just to get all of the recipes. But I must say that man loves some bacon and butter. But it has got my weight moving back in a downward direction.

I'm cooking for four people, and as I'm the only one who actually goes into work every day, I need the leftovers so that people have an easy option for lunch while I'm out. I did decide, right off, to jump around the menu plan because I wasn't going to spend money on salmon and shrimp in the same week, for example. I did write to Brian and see if there were particular reasons he paired this or that for lunch with this or that for dinner. He said it wasn't planned out like that, he wasn't worrying about people's macros. He gave me permission, since I am not, as he said, "a keto newbie" to make adjustments and add 0 sugar condiments, etc.

So here was our first week:

Jan 1: Ballistic Coffee for breakfast, then I made the BBQ Pulled Pork to serve midday. Dinner was off-roaded because my dad picked up pork chops for him and my mom. I had some rib eye in the fridge I reheated.
Jan 2: Ballistic Coffee, Leftover pulled pork, and dinner was cauliflower casserole (so good!)
Jan 3: Breakfast of Champions (which didn't get served until around 1pm because I had to do grocery shopping), then Lamb for dinner from my dad's shopping trip.
Jan 4: Ballistic Coffee or Cheesy Muffins (I made them for my mom cause she's having issues with the coconut oil in her coffee), then leftover BBQ pork, or Cauliflower Casserole. For dinner, and now my husband's on board with us, I served the Caveman chili I cooked the day before.
Jan 5: Ballistic Coffee or Cheesy Muffins, Leftovers (my mom had a handful of cashews), and then I made the chicken nuggets recipe in the evening. These took forEVER so I'm not sure they were worth the effort (though I tripled the recipe and that made a LOT and everyone seems to be enjoying them cold or reheated).
Jan 6: Ballistic/Cheesy, Leftovers for lunch (mom went out to meet a friend and ate an omelet). For dinner I made the Almond Chicken, which was really good but I think we're done with chicken for a while at night because my husband burns out on the same meats repeated frequently.
There are still cheesy muffins, one serving of chili (which I brought to work) and four servings of the almond chicken for lunch. Tonight the plan is for the Unrolled Eggroll.

So yeah, way off the plan as it comes packaged. And I realized too late that the BBQ pork (at total carbs) is too much to pair with the chili. I have to keep a better eye on that.

So my biggest challenge with the plan is that it uses a LOT of cheddar, and my mom won't eat cheddar (among quite a lot of other low moisture and sharp flavored cheeses). So I arranged the first week to avoid the meals that rely on cheddar. Not sure that's going to work going forward. What I might do, then, is let my husband - the pickiest eater - help me pick the dinners, and then for any nights reliant on cheddar, just get steak for my mom (and possibly for me... if I were only cooking for myself it would be steak and eggs every meal).

And my aunt is following this meal plan, too, and since she lives alone she's probably just picking a recipe and eating it until it's gone, then going to the next. It's a LOT of cooking (and groceries) if you follow the plan exactly. But for me, the $10 was worth it for the new recipes. And it's nice to be able to point to the menu and show my mom that she doesn't NEED side dishes with her meals, and that I'm not insane for telling her to add coconut oil to her coffee. :P

SoosannahK

glossbones wrote: »

SoosannahK wrote: »

@glossbones How are you liking the plan? I purchased it too, but as it is only the husband and I, I have found we have a lot of leftovers and I got off schedule as to not waste food, so I just started jumping around to what looks good lol. I was already back in ketosis when we started it so I didn't think I needed to follow the strict "eat only this for first two weeks".I am loving the recipes, as they are quick, simple and tasty.I didn't care for the BBQ pulled pork though. It was worth $10 just to get all of the recipes. But I must say that man loves some bacon and butter. But it has got my weight moving back in a downward direction.

I'm cooking for four people, and as I'm the only one who actually goes into work every day, I need the leftovers so that people have an easy option for lunch while I'm out. I did decide, right off, to jump around the menu plan because I wasn't going to spend money on salmon and shrimp in the same week, for example. I did write to Brian and see if there were particular reasons he paired this or that for lunch with this or that for dinner. He said it wasn't planned out like that, he wasn't worrying about people's macros. He gave me permission, since I am not, as he said, "a keto newbie" to make adjustments and add 0 sugar condiments, etc.

So here was our first week:

Jan 1: Ballistic Coffee for breakfast, then I made the BBQ Pulled Pork to serve midday. Dinner was off-roaded because my dad picked up pork chops for him and my mom. I had some rib eye in the fridge I reheated.
Jan 2: Ballistic Coffee, Leftover pulled pork, and dinner was cauliflower casserole (so good!)
Jan 3: Breakfast of Champions (which didn't get served until around 1pm because I had to do grocery shopping), then Lamb for dinner from my dad's shopping trip.
Jan 4: Ballistic Coffee or Cheesy Muffins (I made them for my mom cause she's having issues with the coconut oil in her coffee), then leftover BBQ pork, or Cauliflower Casserole. For dinner, and now my husband's on board with us, I served the Caveman chili I cooked the day before.
Jan 5: Ballistic Coffee or Cheesy Muffins, Leftovers (my mom had a handful of cashews), and then I made the chicken nuggets recipe in the evening. These took forEVER so I'm not sure they were worth the effort (though I tripled the recipe and that made a LOT and everyone seems to be enjoying them cold or reheated).
Jan 6: Ballistic/Cheesy, Leftovers for lunch (mom went out to meet a friend and ate an omelet). For dinner I made the Almond Chicken, which was really good but I think we're done with chicken for a while at night because my husband burns out on the same meats repeated frequently.
There are still cheesy muffins, one serving of chili (which I brought to work) and four servings of the almond chicken for lunch. Tonight the plan is for the Unrolled Eggroll.

So yeah, way off the plan as it comes packaged. And I realized too late that the BBQ pork (at total carbs) is too much to pair with the chili. I have to keep a better eye on that.

So my biggest challenge with the plan is that it uses a LOT of cheddar, and my mom won't eat cheddar (among quite a lot of other low moisture and sharp flavored cheeses). So I arranged the first week to avoid the meals that rely on cheddar. Not sure that's going to work going forward. What I might do, then, is let my husband - the pickiest eater - help me pick the dinners, and then for any nights reliant on cheddar, just get steak for my mom (and possibly for me... if I were only cooking for myself it would be steak and eggs every meal).

And my aunt is following this meal plan, too, and since she lives alone she's probably just picking a recipe and eating it until it's gone, then going to the next. It's a LOT of cooking (and groceries) if you follow the plan exactly. But for me, the $10 was worth it for the new recipes. And it's nice to be able to point to the menu and show my mom that she doesn't NEED side dishes with her meals, and that I'm not insane for telling her to add coconut oil to her coffee. :P

The unrolled egg rolls were really good. I am having that today for lunch. I try to do the BOC on one day I am off. BPC the rest of the time or nothing for breakfast as I am usually not hungry. The chicken nuggets were a pain. My husband loved them though and he can have the whole recipe because I really do not care for chicken. I've the caveman chili for supper tonight, hubby ate yesterday and said it was good. My coworker tried the beef and broccoli casserole and fathead pizza and said both. we're awesome. I think I am going to make it this weekend. I am going to make some of the muffins this weekend too.

No sides needed at all but sometimes if it is a low low carb day, I will add some collards or green beans. definitely very cheddar and bacon heavy. I have lost 4lbs since starting so will definitely keep going for the month eating his recipes. I am down to 1 snack a day and my appetite is well under control. I actually found out I spent less on groceries getting every thing for the week and was the first time I have been near budget in months. I have been buying what looks good or what is on sale. Will need to do a partial resupply of bacon and cheese. I still think I have enough meat in the freezer to go another week. I just really like having a plan, not that I am following it on point, but I can grab a recipe and go with it.