ws/is anyone else afraid to eat fat?
dyannajoy
Posts: 466 Member
I am new to paleo and soooooooo afraid of the fat thing. I am 63, have higher cholesterol but do not want to go on medication and am willing to do what it takes to get healthy. I have been feeling soooooo much better and dropping weight since starting this just a few weeks ago...........BUT I struggle with eating fat. Has anyone else feared this and what did you do and how has it worked out for you? Thanks!! Dyanna
0
Replies
-
well im pretty new at this but no, i haven't been scared of the fat. remember it all comes from good healthy food.. that should help ease the mind!0
-
I eat bacons everyday and my blood pressure is excellent.
I would recommend you to do the research with the fats and CHL. Marksdailyapple.com is a good place to go, or go to this http://simplepaleonow.com/2012/03/18/cholesterol-basics/0 -
I agree with Jindra about doing the research into the fats and cholesterol. Robb Wolf's book, The Paleo Solution, has an excellent section explaining what fat really does in your body (provided it's from good, healthy sources and not man-made) and how cholesterol really works. I actually find the following link a really good over-all explanation of why to eat paleo/primal, and he includes lots of references to both paleo/primal authors and scientific studies. The section on fats starts with heading "Part 3: YOU AREN’T WHAT YOU EAT (SO EAT SOME FAT)".
http://www.fitbomb.com/p/why-i-eat-paleo.html
I know it's sort of tough when you first start, as you're probably very used to avoiding fats based on conventional wisdom. But once you get the hang of it, you'll realize that good fats won't hurt you, will help your body function better, help you feel better and also make up a good portion of your caloric intake, so that you're not under-eating.
Another good resource is the book "It Starts With Food'.
Good luck!0 -
I am new to paleo and soooooooo afraid of the fat thing. I am 63, have higher cholesterol but do not want to go on medication and am willing to do what it takes to get healthy. I have been feeling soooooo much better and dropping weight since starting this just a few weeks ago...........BUT I struggle with eating fat. Has anyone else feared this and what did you do and how has it worked out for you? Thanks!! Dyanna
I personally haven't really struggled with the fear, but growing up in the 90s with the "all fat is bad!" fad, I understand where your fear is coming from. And I do still find it a little weird for my fat goals to be set so high.
Remember - not all fats are created equal. The idea of Paleo/Primal is that you become a "fat burning beast" (as Mark puts it). It kind of helps to have ample sources of fat as a fuel source. Additionally, by cutting way down on carbs, you naturally have to increase protein and/or fat to compensate for the calories lost from eliminating the carby foods from your diet (the same goes for a low fat diet - protein and carbs increase as a result).
Additionally, fats provide a vehicle for delivering a number of vitamins and minerals that aren't water soluable. In other words, the only way for your body to efficiently absorb fat-soluable micronutrients is through the consumption of, well, fats.
If you still have trouble eating things like bacon or full-fat creams/yogurts/whatever, try starting by simply cooking with coconut oil or some good butter, or make your own salad dressing with olive oil as a base. If you drink coffee, try the "Bulletproof coffee" ( http://www.bulletproofexec.com/how-to-make-your-coffee-bulletproof-and-your-morning-too/ , I've seen mention that coconut oil is a good substitute for the MCT in the recipe).
Do you eat breakfast? If you're like me, and your breakfast consisted of cereal almost invariably, add in an egg, cooked your favorite way and eat a little less cereal. After a few weeks, add another egg and reduce your cereal more. I found that three eggs is enough for me, especially when coupled with a couple of pieces of bacon. I've also found my eggs skip horribly to my skillet, so I get a little more fat in as a bonus by using a little bit of coconut oil.0 -
I am/was (mostly 'was' now) totally scared of the fat! Low fat has been the way to go for so long, it's hard to reverse that. It's hard to give up and change old habits. I'm working on it though, olive oil and my salad every day, sauteeing veggies and not being as conservative with fat use...it's weird because it doesn't seem like dieting. Adding extra fat??? Say what???0
-
I think that these articles by Mark Sisson are hands-down the best articles on becoming fat adapted. To burn fat, you have to eat fat, and from a variety of high quality sources. If you are nervous, have your blood work done now, and then up your fat intake significantly for 3-4 weeks and have it tested again. Over and over again, people's blood lipids improve on a high fat diet. Embrace the good fats!
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted/#axzz20LDNxoFu
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted-part-2-qa/#axzz20LDNxoFu0 -
Make sure they are good fats... But once I added more butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc I did better with my eating. My cholesterol and bp numbers were rockstar status after 3 months. I'm 37 and most of my peers and family are on medication for both.0
-
Been on a hunter/gatherer diet since 5/2011 (primal/paleo). Lab results for cholesterol/triglycerides 6 months ago and this week:
Triglycerides: 125 to 63
Total cholesterol: 200 to 128
HDL: 37 to 43 (cool!)
LDL: 138 to 72 (even cooler!)
Ratio: 5.4 to 3.0
I haven't lost any weight since thanksgiving (in fact, I gained 10 pounds), but I stayed true to the primal/paleo lifestyle - including mostly saturated animal fats and coconut oil.
Eating this way works.
Don't worry about the fat. If you completely eliminate grains, legumes and sugar from your diet - fat will be a non-issue.0 -
Been on a hunter/gatherer diet since 5/2011 (primal/paleo). Lab results for cholesterol/triglycerides 6 months ago and this week:
Triglycerides: 125 to 63
Total cholesterol: 200 to 128
HDL: 37 to 43 (cool!)
LDL: 138 to 72 (even cooler!)
Ratio: 5.4 to 3.0
I haven't lost any weight since thanksgiving (in fact, I gained 10 pounds), but I stayed true to the primal/paleo lifestyle - including mostly saturated animal fats and coconut oil.
Eating this way works.
Don't worry about the fat. If you completely eliminate grains, legumes and sugar from your diet - fat will be a non-issue.
WOW!!! Awesome!! Keep that up and you might live little longer than your peers.
0
