Still (subconsciously) afaid of some fat page

[firetiger]

Hey guys! I have been eating a primal diet for the past month or so. Before I was eating fairly cleanly but with grains, etc. I have already seen/felt wonderful benefits like the constant bloated feeling I had before gave way to a flatter stomach. I'm fairly active with HIIT style workouts or 1.5 hour yoga sessions about 5 days a week. I try to walk a lot too. My goals are to be happy & healthy and hopefully get rid of the last of my stubborn belly fat.

I have no problem eating CW "healthy" fats like avocados, coconut oil, nuts, oil olive (on salads), even fattier cuts of quality meats, but I have not broken down and purchased grass-fed butter or tons of bacon. I have a mental hang-up eating things that we have always been taught are "bad" even though that does not appear to be true.

Did anyone have this issue when they first started? I am making arguments to myself like "hey, if you fry some bacon & only eat it on salads you will eat & enjoy more nutritious salads." I've been frying my food in coconut oil for the most part but want to incorporate some butter.

Another question I have about this lifestyle is if men & women should be eating differently as our bodies metabolize things differently & are designed to store more fat than men's.

Thanks!
Sarah.

[aliphian]

I have found that the CW thoughts about fat cause some of us to eat too much protein when going primal. If you are trying to lose that belly fat, gluconeogenesis is most likely not your friend. Get half of your calories from good fat and the rest should take care of itself.

[picklepete]

I have no problem eating CW "healthy" fats like avocados, coconut oil, nuts, oil olive (on salads), even fattier cuts of quality meats, but I have not broken down and purchased grass-fed butter or tons of bacon.

You're doing fine IMO. I think the idea is not to fetishize fat and choke down an amount beyond palatability, but rather to shake the notion that it's elementally toxic and to avoid those demoralizing (and potentially dysnourishing) meals of dry chicken and dry lettuce. If you look and feel good on your particular fuel mixture there's probably no benefit from adding more fat. If you struggle with hunger or refined carbs it might be worth exploring.

I keep butter around for the K2 and butyrate, using it with fried eggs and steamed/roasted vegetables comes naturally.

Bacon is by no means required for anyone, it's just a handy mascot to illustrate the schism between CW and paleo. I only use it as garnish myself.

[firetiger]

So it's totally acceptable to eat an avocado almost daily? I'm totally down with that. Also I should get over it & buy full fat coconut milk for my breakfast smoothies instead of light then. Baby steps. I'm tracking my food (which I find cumbersome & hate) to see what my ratios are. 60% fat: 30% protein: 10% carb is the ideal?

[Sandra in BC]

I have no problem eating CW "healthy" fats like avocados, coconut oil, nuts, oil olive (on salads), even fattier cuts of quality meats, but I have not broken down and purchased grass-fed butter or tons of bacon. I have a mental hang-up eating things that we have always been taught are "bad" even though that does not appear to be true.

You dont have to add copious amounts of fat to your food if you don't want to (nor do you need to eat low carb). Eat healthy, nutrient dense foods you enjoy. If it gives you peace of mind, enjoy some of them less often as a treat.

Did anyone have this issue when they first started? I am making arguments to myself like "hey, if you fry some bacon & only eat it on salads you will eat & enjoy more nutritious salads." I've been frying my food in coconut oil for the most part but want to incorporate some butter.

Nope. Bring on the butter and bacon!

So replace the coconut oil with butter. Or bacon drippings. They're both good fats. Mix them 50/50 with coconut oil if it helps ease your mind. If you don't have an issue with the *quantity* of fat, and your hangup is just about the source of the fat, then keep reading and educating yourself.

Another question I have about this lifestyle is if men & women should be eating differently as our bodies metabolize things differently & are designed to store more fat than men's.

True. Which is why you should listen to YOUR body, and eat what makes it perform optimally. Yes, it differs by gender. It also differs from person to person. Best thing to do is not compare yourself side by side with anyone, male or female.

So it's totally acceptable to eat an avocado almost daily?

I think its a crime NOT to eat avocado daily. I average 1/2 to 1 a day.

[picklepete]

I'm tracking my food (which I find cumbersome & hate) to see what my ratios are. 60% fat: 30% protein: 10% carb is the ideal?

That sounds like a solid starting point but it should only be used as reference and not rigidity/stress. Arranging one's dinner plate with pharmaceutical precision is not very Groklike.

[firetiger]

That sounds like a solid starting point but it should only be used as reference and not rigidity/stress. Arranging one's dinner plate with pharmaceutical precision is not very Groklike.

I'm really more curious to see what the ratios are but there will be no calculating of calories/percentages for every meal. This is just to see where I'm at. I just went grocery shopping and got some bacon, ground chuck, grass-fed butter-all on sale. The bacon I'm going to use, one strip at a time, on giant salads as motivation to eat lots of greens. I think it's all about balance. It took me living abroad for two years and eating from the earth to break my SAD upbringing so this will take some time too. It's a new way of thinking about food, fat especially.

Thanks for all the advice guys!

[firetiger]

I think its a crime NOT to eat avocado daily. I average 1/2 to 1 a day.

On it. I think I will play with the other fats too like use some butter and some coconut oil & like you said see how that feels for me.

[sbhikes]

The only difference between full fat and light coconut milk is they add water to the light stuff. Get the full fat and save some money by not buying water.

I don't think bacon is required on this diet. I think you can do a lot better to just eat salmon and grass-fed lamb/beef. I save the fat from cooking grass-fed lamb sausage and use it for cooking. The fat in grass-fed animals promotes better health. It can promote weight loss when it replaces other fats, like vegetable oils.

[Paleobird]

The only difference between full fat and light coconut milk is they add water to the light stuff. Get the full fat and save some money by not buying water.

And save storage space. Better yet, buy some coconut cream. Same stuff, just less water. I like Aroy-D brand.