Confused about Fats

[SherryP]

Hi there,

I'm on day 12 of my first Whole 30, and I'm doing great. I think. While I would like to see some weight loss, I'm also doing this to slay my sugar dragon and diet soda addiction, which seems to be working.

I'm confused about how much fat to consume, and the difference between cooking fats, and eating fats. For example, if I am cooking veggies or chicken with EVOO or cocnut oil, do I also need to add edible fat to my meal?

Breakfast example:

Veggie omelet with 2 whole eggs and a little egg white (veggies might be spinach, mushroom, onion, peppers) and some berries (3 or 4 strawberries, and a dozen blueberries). I had been adding some shredded coconut or nuts to the berries, but then I read I shouldn't eat nuts everyday. I can't eat avocado, so if I can't eat nuts, what edible fat should I have? Or is the oil enough? Just want to maximize results.

[jent103]

When you cook vegetables, meats, whatever in fat, a lot of the fat stays in the pan. So cooking, say, your omelet vegetables in a tablespoon of ghee isn't the same as drizzling a tablespoon of ghee over the omelet. For that breakfast, you may not need to add much if any, because the egg yolks have fat and that might be enough for you. (Out of curiosity - why an egg white instead of a whole third egg?) The meal template suggests 1-2 "thumbs" (roughly a tablespoon) of fat per meal of things like mayo, ghee, coconut oil, etc. Everyone is different, so you'll just have to play with it and see what works for you - maybe one thumb of fat total keeps you satisfied till the next meal, or maybe you need two.

 

Personally I feel better when I cut back on the nuts. A lot of people have trouble digesting them, and they're easy to overdo - high potential for a food without brakes! Plus even though they're fine, there are better sources of fat. Lately I've been having them mainly as salad toppings for a little crunch, with the occasional apple with almond butter, and that's better for me than when I include them as a primary fat source.

 

As far as other fats: coconut, olives, ghee, well sourced lard/tallow, dressings or sauces with EVOO, and homemade mayo is a personal favorite.