Need advice on "lean" meat and weight loss

[ek35730]

Hi all,

My husband and I are nearing the end of our January Whole30 (this is my third, his first successful). Last night while eating dinner (Well Fed's bora bora fireballs made with grass fed, Whole Foods category "4" ground pork, some spicy kale and sweet potato) my husband said he wanted to stop eating "fatty" meats (see, e.g., my meatballs) and focus on "lean" meat (chicken breast, turkey, fish basically).  The backstory of this is a bit long (sorry).  My dear husband has yoyo'ed in weight for most of his life. He is currently (I think) around 210 as a 5'8" guy.  He is a confessed sugar addict - it is amazing when you realize what an addiction sugar can be.  He fully understands that sugar is his biggest problem and is committed to avoiding it as much as possible. He would like to lose around 30-40 lbs to get back to a healthy weight (and I would just like to see him do this in a sustainable way). We went probably 70/30 paleo over a year ago but his "30" has definitely gotten larger over time - thus, the Whole30 reset.  He exercises probably 2-3 times a week on average (mostly weightlifting).  

 

For me, one of the best things about the Paleo diet is the ability to not think about calories and to eat the (grass-fed - we are lucky to have both access to, and disposable income to allow us to buy it pretty much exclusively) delicious red meat that I love without gaining weight.  We don't go crazy with bacon or prosciutto but a lot of my protein recipes are based on red meat because I often prefer it. But I don't want to be selfish about it - I will eat/cook chicken breast more often if it will help him lose weight and be healthier. There is a lot out there debating the advisability of sticking with "lean" meat, particularly if you are eating grass-fed, but none of it seems to address it from a weight loss perspective.  Will sticking with chicken breast, turkey and fish really help him lose weight faster (assuming he otherwise follows the paleo template)? His theory is that his body can't burn the fat he needs to lose if he's taking in so much fat. I think this might be flawed nutritional logic but I can't find an article addressing this question specifically.  Can anyone help me out here?

[Tom Denham]

I would say that emphasizing lean meat in his situation would be a mistake. Lean meat does not keep a person satisfied as long and will often prompt eating extra. Fat is a friend in weight loss, not an enemy. The only way I can stay with 3 meals per day is to eat mostly eggs and high-fat proteins at my meals. I recently spent 3 days at a religious retreat where the chef emphasized lean fish and vegetarian entrees. I ate enormous portions by going back for thirds and fourths at every meal and I still had to eat a can of tuna in my room when I woke up hungry in the middle of the night. When I cook with beef and lamb and salmon at home, I am usually okay with 3 big plates of food for the whole day. 

 

Now I only lost 30 pounds when I started Whole30-style eating. I dropped from 215 to 185. I was originally 230 pounds and managed to lose 15 pounds through CrossFit exercise and conventional healthy eating. But then I got stuck at 215 pounds and could not lose more. When I started eating Whole30-style with plenty of fat, I started losing weight again and found losing that last 30 pounds relatively easy.