Maybe it’s just me, but even though I’m busting it during every workout, some of the lean and mean in me is feeling a little soft these days. My clothes still fit and the scale still reads the same number so I’m not that concerned. But today during my personal training session with Lauren I asked her for her number one tip she shares with clients who are interested in improving not only their physique but also their nutrition.
Her number one tip was, “fight fat with fat.”
I had to take a double take as this didn’t make sense until I realized that she wasn’t talking about the delicious butter laden Christmas cookies or fudge. Instead, she meant that in order to fat long term and “lean out” one must satiate their hunger with healthy fats, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.
There are many benefits of healthy fats:
- Good fats help lower cholesterol.
- Good fats help protect internal organs.
- Good fats help transport and retain nutrients.
- Good fats are a source of energy.
I took her advice and did my best to amp up today’s meals with healthy fats. I realized that my breakfast often excludes fat as does my afternoon snack, hence the reason that I’m normally craving another meal just an hour or so later.
Today’s updated meals:
This morning’s bowl of cereal featured 2% milk because the office was out of skim. A little bit of fat helped this bowl of Fiber One stick to my bones.
This morning’s snack was an unpictured Clementine along with a pack of delicious lightly salted almonds. I ordered a box of these from Amazon for a steal and am loving them as a office desk staple.
My normal spinach and beet salad was updated with walnuts in place of the normal blue cheese. Walnuts provide a healthier form of fat than cheese and also left me more satiated. I added Craisins as well which added a sweet punch, per Lauren’s suggestion.
Tonight’s sushi deliver dinner was upgraded with avocado. I tend to steer away from avocado due to it’s high fat content but it is very satiating. I enjoyed a brown rice tuna avocado roll along with a salmon brown rice roll. Paired with a side of Felicity it was the perfect easy Thursday night dinner!
Question: Do you have a fear of fat or have you learned to embrace healthy fats? What is your favorite “healthy fat?”
I <3 FAT!!! Especially avocado. Good, healthy fat is nothing to be afraid of because a little bit really goes a long way and your body tells you when to stop.
Years ago, I used to fear it, even using reduced fat peanut butter, but since including more raw foods into my everyday eating, my fat uptake (and muscular strength) has increased. Obviously it’s still in moderation, but avocados, nut butter, nuts and coconut oil are some of my favorite things and I always have 3/4 every day!
I think we all fight with fat! 🙂 But there’s sort of a fun challenge in doing so…it’s a girl’s battle, I guess, lol! 🙂
I’m going through the same thing as you (just did a post about healthy fat actually) where I’m really upping the fat in my diet. It’s kind of crazy after being a little afraid of fat for so long. 🙂
Love this reminder! Fat helps me fill up and stay full longer. Like Theodora and Jacquie said, I love to add avocado to items. Great post!
I read Matt Fitzgerald’s Racing Weight a few months back, and at the end he includes 14 endurance athletes’ food logs. I was AMAZED at how many of them were choosing beef or salmon over chicken. In fact, out of the 14 athletes, not one had chicken for any meal. I had been demonizing red meat since I was aware enough to pay attention to my diet, but we get so many nutrients from it. It made me think if those athletes were choosing red meat or salmon, there was certainly something to it.
On the avocado train…I love avocado spread onto wheat toast.
I like to eat the 2% Fage instead of the 0%. Tastes better to me and I think it does keep me more full. Worth the extra “good” fat.
It took me a long time to accept the saying “fight fat with fat” after recovering from an ED. During my ED, I didn’t necessarily limit my intake of carbs or sugars, rather I focused on fat. Since I wasn’t filling myself, I was always hungry and ready to eat again… Not cool. Since recovering a few years ago, I’ve truly come to realize that every meal needs a balance between carbs + fats + proteins for staying power 🙂