Ready for another Reader Email? See who doesn’t relate to this one:
Dear Debbie, Thank you for your blog, I’ve been reading you for over a year now. I know you say that we shouldn’t start a “diet” on a certain date, or count calories, or go low fat, but I did. I’ve gained so much weight this past winter, that I thought I needed to do something drastic to get a jump start before our July 4th beach vacation. Every year, I’m the biggest one in our group, and I’m sick of it. I started a diet on June 1, and, it lasted 3 days.
I’ve already been derailed by one of my kid’s Field Days, a end of year soccer party ( at a pizza restaurant), and a graduation party this past Sunday. This is the story of my life. I’m ready to try something different.
I’m stopping there, because you get the picture. Maybe this is your picture? This lady also has daily headaches, miserable periods and PMS, and has carried extra weight since she’s had kids. She’s also lost weight on Weight Watchers, twice; and is on prescription migraine meds along with a whole lot of Advil. She’s 40, with 3 kids still at home. She had planned on eating 1200 calories a day to lose the weight. That lasted from Sunday til Wednesday.
Reality: if you want to lose weight, sticking to a Low Calorie, Low Fat food plan NEVER works in the long run. Statistically, between 95 and 99% of EVERYONE who loses weight on that kind of plan gains it back. It’s hard enough to stick to a plan with soccer games, work, parties, and weekends. It’s even harder to stick to a plan when you’re starving! Most people won’t last but a few days; for those who can tough it out longer than that, the body and mind will only allow self imposed starvation for just so long before the dreaded “Rebound Binge” happens. “Diets” just perpetuate a Cycle of gaining/losing, gaining/losing, and then eventually, JUST GAINING.
What to do if you need to lose weight? First, you have to eliminate all grains and sugars. Second, you must eat more Fat, Protein, and Vegetables; especially Fat. I’ve learned that this is the sticking point for most people. It seems counterintuitive, because we associate Fat in our foods with Fat on our body, but that’s not how it works, honest. Read this to learn how our body makes fat.
Our body is made mainly out of water, fatty acids, and amino acids. We need to eat accordingly. (Minerals make up about 4% of our body, and sugars and vitamins both come in at 2% of our body comp. ) We’ve had decades of Low Fat dieting advice based on the assumption that the fat we eat goes straight to our butt, stomachs, or arteries. That’s just not true, and there’s plenty of science to prove it. But who needs science? Look around. We’ve got 70% both Sick and Overweight in this country. The Low Fat Paradigm is so obviously not working.
For Sarah, who wrote this email, and for anyone struggling to lose weight, here’s my advice:
Take a chance, step outside your box, and just for a few weeks, try a different way of eating. Nix your grains and sugars, and anything “fat free or low calorie”; instead, load up on plenty of FATS: good butter, olive oil, coconut oil, egg yolks, chicken skin, the fattier and nutrient dense animal parts, like liver and kidneys, and switch to whole dairy products (yogurt and keifer). Add this to tons of vegetables, some good protein, some fruit, some nuts, seeds, and diary if they work for you.
Push past your fear that fat will make you fat, and try eating this way. I guarantee that if you can make this a lifestyle, not only will you lose weight, but issues like migraines and PMS will disappear. How can I confidently say that? Because migraine’s and PMS are from nutrient deficiencies, not medication deficiencies. Fat is LOADED with nutrients. Low calorie, low fat diet’s aren’t.
Did you know God made at least 500 fatty acids?? That’s not an accident; fats have numerous purposes. Our hormones are made from fatty acids, so are our cell walls; saturated fats protect the liver, they play a crucial role in our immune system, and a vital role in our bone health. Fats make up about 60% of our brain matter, they build our glands, and they’re our hearts favorite food; I could go on and on, but you get the picture? Fats Are Important and Vital to Our Existence.
Just as Important: Eating Fat Can Make you Thin if you eliminate the grains and sugars. Honest. Just try it; what do you have to lose, except weight. What do you have to gain? Your health, your self confidence, and a great body. Not sure how to live the Low Carb, High Fat lifestyle? Work with me. Even if you have kids, a job, and a busy life, you can do this.
