To Lose Fat, Eat Enough Fat
One of the big mistakes people make on low-carb diets is they do not eat enough fat. As strange as it seems, you have to eat fat to lose fat. Here is why.
When you eat carbs, your blood glucose rises. Insulin is released to burn the glucose for energy and store excess glucose as fat. When insulin is high, your body is in fat storage mode.
When you eat fat, your blood glucose does not rise and insulin is not released. Since your body does not have glucose to use for fuel, it produces ketone bodies from the fat. Like glucose, ketone bodies are used by your body for energy. But unlike glucose, insulin is not involved in the process.
When insulin is low, your body is in fat burning mode. If you eat fewer calories than you need for energy, then your low-insulin body will pull fat from storage to burn for energy.
Consequences if You don’t Eat Enough Fat
If you do not eat enough fat, your body will burn protein for energy. This is not bad if it is dietary protein, but your body will also pull protein out of your muscles to burn for energy.
If you do not eat enough fat, you will start to lose muscle. In general, this is not a good thing. And remember, your heart is a muscle.
Why it is Hard to Eat Enough Fat
What you want to do on low-carb is replace the carbs you used to eat with fat. This is hard to do because we have all been conditioned for most (or all) of our lives that we should avoid fat. Fat is evil! We are in the habit of eating low fat. You have to break the low fat habit to eat enough fat so your body burns it for fuel.
Honestly, it is hard to overeat fat. Fat is so filling that your body quickly signals that it wants no more. If you try to eat too much fat, you may become nauseous. You may not be able to force yourself to eat more. So do not worry that you will get too much fat.
The only time eating more fat is a problem is if you are also eating high carb. Then it is a real problem. But since you are eating low-carb, it is fine.
What to do to Eat Enough Fat
The absolutely simplest approach is this:
- Add fat to every meal
- Do not remove fat that is already part of your food
- Do not buy or use low-fat products
Breakfast Fats
As you adjust to low-carb, your body will go into fat burning mode overnight. You may choose to skip breakfast to encourage your body to burn fat off your stomach, hips, thighs, arms, legs, etc.
If you do eat breakfast, here are some ways to get more fat:
- Whole eggs, especially cooked in butter or bacon fat – try Keto friendly Confetti Eggs
- Deviled eggs made with healthy mayonnaise
- Add cheese to your breakfast
- Add sour cream to your breakfast
- Have a bit of bacon or other high fat meat
- Eat a small avocado
- Have a handful of olives
- Add some high fat nuts to your breakfast – macadamia nuts and hazelnuts (also called filberts) are very high in fat
- Use heavy cream in your coffee or tea
Snack Fats
- Celery stuffed with nut butter (not peanut butter)
- High fat nuts
- Handful of olives
- A small avocado
- Raw veggies with plenty of high fat dip
Lunch / Dinner Fats
- Salad with full fat dressings – do NOT eat dry salad; your body needs the fat to process many of the vitamins in that lovely salad you are eating
- Add mayonnaise to your lettuce wrapped or fork-and-knife “sandwiches”
- Cook with coconut oil or butter
- Eat fatty meats – don’t trim off all the fat, eat it
- Have nice fatty sauces again, especially au jus which is not thickened (most thickening agents are high carb grains and starches)
- Make your own bone broth for soups and stews and leave the fat in it
- Drizzle melted butter over cooked veggies or add cheese – try Artichoke Spinach Mushroom Bake
- Make a sauce from flavored mayonnaise for veggies and meats – aioli is just the start – try Vegetables and Flavored Mayo
- Add avocado and olives to your salad, sandwich or meal
- If you buy smoked brisket, ask for fatty (the server will assume you want lean otherwise)
- Eat dark meat chicken or turkey, including the skin
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of boneless, skinless breasts
- Pork shoulder cooked up as Carnitas or Cuban style has lots of lovely fat
- For dessert or afters, make a Charcuterie tray
