High Fat so very counterintuitive?

[HGF]

Doing well on Atkins (about 30 lbs down, about 30 more to go), but am really struggling right now. I can manage the LC part, but I really just can't get into the high-fat part. It seems so wrong! I have 2 TBSPs of half-and-half a day and that's it. The rest is meat and veggies. I'm a very picky eater, majorly addicted to sugar and feel like fat might open the door to binge behavior. I've already had several binges from dreaming about sugar. Yeah, I am an all-or-nothing kinda gal - another issue to work on.

Newbie to the forums and REALLY respect all the wisdom and experience here.
I don't know what to do or even how to evaluate this. Thanks for your understanding and any input.

[WereBear]

I'm a very picky eater, majorly addicted to sugar and feel like fat might open the door to binge behavior.

Former binge/starve victim here. So I'm glad to tell you that fat doesn't have the same effect at all. There's one crucial difference between the two:

FAT fills you up. SUGAR makes you hungry.

There's a lot of chemical processes that happen depending on what we eat. Fat makes us feel full, repairs our bodies, and makes sure our nerves and brains work right; just for starters!

Sugar messes with our blood sugar levels and makes us hungry after we eat it. It also makes our brain feel soothed by forcing serotonin release. But the bad news (there is no good news) is that this only lasts for a little while. It makes us hungry and depressed again very quickly. Then we have another serving... and another... and another... no different from any other addict, be it crack or shopping, at that point.

This doesn't happen on low carb. When I eat a low carb meal, I am full and satisfied and it last for hours and hours. If it sounds good to NOT constantly be thinking about food, try adding more fat to your meals gradually; healthy fats like butter and coconut oil and fatty meats, chicken with skin; whatever you like.

Sugar is the disease. FAT is the cure!

[red1cutie]

Fat makes you happy, Sugar makes you tired and grumpy!

What I mean is when you are not focussed on food because you are eating enough fat you feel great, when you consume sugar and you get the high followed by the low you get irritated, you have cravings and nothing satisfies you.

[cldade55]

I do not find fat appealing by itself, so I understand. Switching to fattier cuts of meat, full fat dairy, plenty of oil for dressing and cooking etc seems to provide the saiety my body needs.

[Kirsteen]

You're doing great in that you've lost so much weight, so there isn't much need to change the formula. Don't worry if the scales appear to stick for a while - it's great for your health, and weight loss is almost an added bonus compared with the improved mobility and extended lifespan you gain.

I find it difficult not to binge on sugar (and I'd probably overdo the cream too), but butter and olive oil are great additions to my veggies, help to boost the calories a bit and don't lead to binging.

Try listening to some of the scientists and doctors who have been interviewed on Jimmy Moore's podcast shows. Gary Taubes is a very influential person, but I'd particularly recommend Julia Ross to you, because she runs an addiction clinic, and her talks deal directly with the subject of food addiction,binging, etc.

http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/310/nutritional-psychologist-julia-ross-on-curing-carb-addiction-episode-266/

http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/1404/best-of-2009-%E2%80%98encore-week%E2%80%99-julia-ross-episode-321/

Enjoy

[Aradasky]

It is our culture that has taught us that fat is BAD. I an having to make big changes in the way I think, too. I am going to do this for about three months then go to the dr for my regular physical. I will look at my chloresteral that is usually low but had been creeping up. WHEN I see that it is much better ( I fully expect that) then I will be more eased in my mind about the fat in this wonderful new way of eating. Maybe getting your chloresteral checked, and if good, then it would help change your mind about it being BAD.

[WereBear]

See what your triglycerides are like. My husband went from 678 to 73.

Besides, when you are low carbing, the usual equations don't apply.

Low carb changes math (http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/weight-loss/low-carbohydrate-diets-increase-ldl-debunking-the-myth/)

[PinguChick]

Fat is REQUIRED for your brain and body to function. It absolutely must have dietary fat to function.

It does NOT need dietary sugar to function. Your body manufactures all the sugar it needs in your liver.


Also, here is a good article to read:

http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat

[black57]

Fat is good for you and one of the most powerful nutrients that we consume. That is why fat exists. Items that we eat, that are lowfat, are lowfat because the fat has been removed not because it is natural. Our bodies use and need fat. If it weren't for sugar/carbohydrates our bodies would not store fat to the extent that it does today. Obesity became a national problem when lowfat diets became popular. Lowfat, therefore is a relatively new concept.Because it has been accepted as being healthy no one in mainstrem health is willing to come out and say that it is not working.

[MsGinger]

Wow! In the begining, I too, had a hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that fat is GOOD! All of the responses really helped reaffirm what I now know, but can still struggle with. Even though I "knew" this, it helps greatly "reading" the words again.
Thank you everyone.

[HGF]

thank you so much for your help - these are some great resources you've listed - i'm off to check them out

[AnniMin]

I still struggle with this issue too. Those old vegan books come back and haunt me all the time. Today I gave every last one of them to the Salvation Army!

[heirloom10]

you just need to experience how satisfying fat is...
it can feel like magic

:D

ps- fat, and magnesium supplements, would help you with the cravings

[Equinox]

You might want to get a jar of extra virgin coconut oil, and just take a little before a meal, particularly a meal that's low in fat by default (lean meats and veggies).

Start by eating a teaspoon straight from the jar before a meal, if you tolerate that well, gradually work your way up to an amount that seems right in terms of fat content of the entire meal. Don't be afraid of the fat! These are short-chain fatty acids anyway and will be burned off for fuel, not stored.

[WereBear]

I still struggle with this issue too. Those old vegan books come back and haunt me all the time. Today I gave every last one of them to the Salvation Army!

The cure for THAT is reading The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith.

[AnniMin]

The cure for THAT is reading The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith.


I haven't read that book yet. I'm going to order a copy from amazon. Thanks for the suggestion WereBear. :agree:

[AlaskaRoy]

You could also try switching from half-and-half to heavy whipping cream; this has less lactose (milk sugar) -- the lactose is in the skim portion of the milk.

[h_curtis]

How about looking at it in really simple terms. Your body adjusts to what you eat, correct? If you eat fat, your body won't need to store it. Even though Atkins doesn't state that, it does in my mind make sense. I think people grossly underestimate the adaptation of our bodies. Eat fat=body not needing to store it.

[black57]

The same is true for water. The body will store water if it is not receiving enough water.

[shannone10]

I'm with Kristeen. If things are working out well for you at your current fat consumption level, and you simply just don't like fatty foods, just keep up the good work and don't worry about it.

But if you really want to eat more fat maybe start with something easy like adding some olive oil to your meats and veggies either after cooking or during cooking. Or melting a bit of butter on meats while they are still hot.

Thanks for posting a good question. Congratulations on your success!

[Nancy LC]

I have to be careful with cheese and nuts, two fatty foods I can easily binge on. Everything else I don't over-do.. except the very occasional low carb dessert.