Here is the first of three hacks I use on a regular basis to make it easier (make that much easier) for myself to stick to my eating plan. As I’ve mentioned previously, it’s not about having enough willpower. Rather, take a different approach and do it smartly.
Hack #1: Eat more fat
That’s right. The more fat I ate, the skinner I got. I started this one many years ago, out of necessity, before this whole keto movement started. Back then, my doctor ordered me to lose weight to heal a fatty liver. This led me to finally remove junk food from my diet, which were mostly empty carbs. On the other hand, I needed to substitute those calories with something else, or I would be hungry all the time.
But with what? I couldn’t eat more protein, since I also had severe GERD, and my stomach wasn’t able to digest meat very well. I did not like the taste of plant protein such as soy or whey. Eating more vegetables was good in terms of getting more nutrients, but they were not very filling at all. There was only one choice left: fat. So I started to eat nuts, or namely peanut butter. I would go through multiple jars a week. After an initial adaptation period, my body adjusted to digesting fat and I was amazed by how fast the pounds started to come off.
Eating fat to lose fat. I know it seems very counterintuitive. It goes against everything that’s been taught since we were kids. But it works! Now I eat all kinds of fat, from various nuts and seeds (including butters), to coconuts and avocados, even animal fats. The only types of fat I avoid are trans fat (clogs arteries), and deep fried foods (too much flour, plus the high heat destroys nutrients).
I’m not the type who counts the ratio of carbohydrates vs. protein vs. fat for each meal. I prefer to keep things simple: always start a meal with a modest amount of protein (eg. meat) and a healthy portion of vegetables. When that’s finished, I start munching on various nuts, seeds, or butters, until I feel full. How full? Well, see my eating plan here.
If I’m eating in a restaurant, I order the fattiest food on the menu, be it an oily fish, or a cut of meat with lots of fat. This includes dessert as well, I choose sweets with high amount of fat over ones that do not. Generally speaking, fats derived from plants are preferred over animal fat, but I would gladly take either one over sugary foods.
What about dairy? Well, I would love to eat that, except I’m severely lactose intolerant. So that’s out. If I wasn’t though, I would certainly include that in my diet as well.
One more point, I’m not concerned with whether or not I’m consuming enough fat to be in ketosis. Nor am I keeping track of how much carbs it takes to kick me out of it. I simply eat enough fat to feel satiated, and let the weight take care of itself.
Bottom line? Fat is tasty and filling. It packs more than twice as much energy per unit of weight than either protein or carbohydrate. So you don’t need to eat nearly as much in order to feel full. Your blood sugar level remains nice and steady after eating, no crazy highs and lows.
If you are looking to lose weight, but are afraid to feel hungry all the time. Fat is your solution. Take out the empty carbs, and replace them with healthy fats (sorry, french fries & ice cream doesn’t count). You’ll quickly see and feel what you’ve been missing.
In my experience, switching to eating more fat has been the second most important factor in losing weight. The first? Having a plan of course!
I’ll leave you with this song. It drives home just how I feel about fat. Enjoy!
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