Don’t Fear the Fat!

One of the things I stress in my online group program, Better & Beyond, and in my 1:1 Coaching is fueling your body with the right macronutrients at meals.  This means eating the appropriate amount of proteins, the right carbohydrates and healthy fat at each and every meal.  Right now I want to stress the fat.

For some reason, the addition of fat can be really tricky for some folks.  If you were alive and kicking in the 1990’s the thought of eating fat can be down right scary.  I get it.  I remember looking at the nutrition labels on food and calculating the amount of calories in the food  and staying as far away as possible from any food that had even a hint of fat.  My thought was that I could burn off the calories in the food, but that the fat would stay with me forever.  You can guess, how that went for me, right?  It meant eating lots of breads and pastas and low fat snackwells and then spending hours on a treadmill or elliptical to “burn off” the calories I had consumed.  It also meant spending a lot of time unsatisfied with my meal and even more time so hungry I could have eaten my shoe.

This was a terrible, terrible diet craze for all of us!  And we HAVE to re-educate ourselves and get with the program.  Fat does NOT make you fat.  I am saying it right here in black and white and I’ll stand by it.  In fact, finally in 2015 new dietary guidelines were published specifying that Americans should include fat in their diets and stop reducing the total healthy fats.  Hallelujah!

Now, before we get all too happy, there are two types of fat, and one type definitely is NOT as healthy and should be eaten only in moderation.  If you hear the word saturated fat, like the type of fat found in that wonderful stick of butter, coconut oil and a delicious hunk of red meat, then watch yourself.  However, those wonderful unsaturated fats found in salmon, avocadoes, nuts and seeds are so, so good for keeping you healthy AND for longevity, which is one of my most favorite words ever.  As an example, I bet I eat avocado every single day of my life.  If you have spent any time on any of my social media or here, you know how I love an avocado.  And guess what, eating it every single day of my life has not made me blow up like a balloon.  I am not any fatter for eating this every single day.

So, here’s the thing.  If you are trying to lose weight, maintain your weight or eat healthy for longevity, then fat is your friend.  Do not fear the fat!  You want to eat in a way that you can sustain from here on out.  Eat those eggs, nuts and avocadoes.  You will be satisfied, full and get all the health benefits.  Think about how and why the folks subsisting on a Mediterranean diet live for ages.

It may be a lot to wrap your head around, especially if you are stuck in the “no fat” time warp.  But take baby steps adding in some fat to each meal and consider how you feel after your meal.  Do you feel more satiated and satisfied?  Less like you need a snack in two hours?  More happy and less hangry?  Oftentimes how we eat and how we begin to change our eating patterns has more to do with what is in our heads and how we allow ourselves to think about food.

I hope this makes sense and gives you something to think about when planning each of your meals. If you have questions or would like more information or work in the area, just shoot me a message!

Live Well!