Fear of fat page

[ChosingPrimal]

I have been lurking around the forum for a couple months now and am really excited about the PB, but I am worried about eating that much fat.


I just lost 30 pounds through reduced calories and exercise and am afraid to gain it back by eating so much fat. Any recommendations about how to ease into it or does it require a leap?


I would love to hear from others about their experience.

[Asturian]

I had the same fear. I was on low-fat paleolithic (lean-green) diet from spring to fall of last year and lost 20+ lbs in 6 months.


In mid-September I went to high-fat primal (fat-green) diet and lost additional 30+ lbs in 3 months.


I think it has something to do with fat stimulating leptin which boosts metabolism via thyroid, adrenals, and hypothalamus.


I have begun to stall again but I think I have a fix.

[FlyNavyWife]

I worried too... I was on a low-fat diet and lost some weight (not a ton but I didn't have a lot to lose) and ate 1200 calories a day and exercised. Then I had surgery and couldn't exercise for a while, AND switched to a primal diet at the same time... I was scared more fat + more calories + less exercise would make me gain weight. Instead, I lost a few more pounds and I have been easily maintaining since then.


It definitely fixed my "broken" metabolism.

[BarbeyGirl]

Count me among those who worried...for no reason.


I was pretty strong and lean when I went primal. I'm WAY stronger and leaner now.


My macros usually run about 60% fat, 25-30% protein, and 10-15% carbs. 2000-2400 cals/day. Small female, age 30, hard exerciser (lifting and sprints).


I think the key in sticking with it is understanding that, in the absence of excessive carbohydrate (or grossly overconsumed calories), fat cannot and will not make you fat.

[ChosingPrimal]

Another problem with the fat thing is that it is all so rich. I have been following the low fat, low carb diet for so long that the foods people say they are eating are too much.


Does anyone have advice about how to integrate those foods (full fat coconut milk, cream, oils, butter) into your daily diet. I don't want to get sick.


Thanks for all your help

[Acmebike]

Well, just like the Conventional Wisdom tells a person to use low fat alternatives throughout your day (egg whites only, skim milk, non-fat yogurt, no-fat sour cream, fake butters), just remember to get the FULL FAT option when you can!


Use real high fat Greek yogurt, real butter, whole milk or better yet, heavy cream. Cook in ghee, lard, tallow etc, and a good heaping of it, rather than a spritz of PAM cooking spray.


Make meals with gravies, sauces, soups that are cream, butter based....

[FlyNavyWife]

yeah... just do it. You don't have to go around drinking heavy cream or entire cans of coconut milk. Just add fat in where it's natural and makes sense. Leave the skin on your chicken, skip the low-fat CW alternatives (skim milk, fat free sour cream, etc, like acmebike said), and cook and flavor with fat (butter on your veggies, cooking eggs in a bit of bacon grease, etc.

[fuhcq2]

You wont gain weight...im weight 180 and I am having trouble gaining weight personally.

[OrangeGirl]

I had the same fears as you ... but I jumped in head first, at least from my perspective. I eat about 90g of fat per day ... it would've usually taken me three weeks to eat that much on my extremely high carb, very low fat diet (protein fell where it may).


I weighed about 160 and went down to 125 on conventional wisdom. But I had to exercise like CRAZY to maintain that weight. I had gotten back up to 135 when I quit exercising after I got married in June (hey, I deserved a break ... ha!) and since June I would hardly touch fat for fear I would put on even more weight.


Fast forward to last week, I'm down to 128 with a very moderate amount of exercising - short sprints, walks (in the snow, so it's kind of strenuous), and eating all that fat I never could've dreamed possible. I'm staying anywhere from 60g to 90g of carbs a day where that used to be easily in the 300g for a former sugar addict like myself.


Sorry for that novel, I just wanted to give you another story of how this REALLY does work and feels awesome.

[rphlslv]

I have a question for you ex-fatphobes(I was one too!): is the fear of fat created because of the name "fat"?