So Much Fat!!

[Renee McCarty]

I am a lifelong dieter (ok, a failed dieter) and just can't seem to wrap my head around the amount of fats we eat!

I am on day 7, and have been doing well, other than being really fatigued and having headaches the first 4 days. I don't notice my clothes fitting any different, as some people report at this point. I have been having some trouble with digestive slowness, so have added my Metamucil caps back in and am much happier for it. I am eating completely clean and compliant, eating until I'm full and not feeling the need to snack between meals (that part is AMAZING, I must say!) I eat very little fruit and not much in the way of nuts or nut butters. But I feel so guilty about the amount of fat I'm consuming...

The guidelines say to eat the minimum amount of fat or more, and I am doing that. Probably more, if you count the coconut milk I put into my coffee. I'm having to really resist getting on the scale or tracking all my food in my online food tracker, which have been my two obsessions the past year or so. I guess I'm just scared that I will get to the end of these 30 days and will have gained 20 lbs! Do people ever gain weight on this plan??

I think I need to hear from someone that I'm doing it right and it's okay. Hard to unlearn a whole lifetime of "nutrition" information!

Thanks in advance!

[ladyhoward]

You're doing fine! The amount of fat is shocking to people as we have heard nothing but "Fat is Bad" for the past few decades. When I struggle, I find it helpful to read through the testimonials and the success stories so I can see the success of the program while I'm in the midst of it - gives me something to look forward to. I am in my second Whole30 - the first one was last fall and I did well on it and then went off-road WAY too much. Keep resisting the scale and the food tracker - this journey is not just about eating better, but thinking better too when it comes to food. It takes time to unlearn the less-than-satisfying habits we had before, but you'll get there! Best of luck to you!

[Renee Lee]

Renee, as long as you are following the meal plating templates, YOU ARE OKAY! Just take a deep breath!

[Melelina]

I totally hear you on this! I am really worried about getting fatter because of all the fat I am eating (and it is only Day One for me ).. I grew up in the low-fat craze and have never been able to shake that "fat is bad" way of thinking. However, I am going to trust the process.

I will not weigh myself...

I will not track my food...

I will not...

I am a lifelong dieter (ok, a failed dieter) and just can't seem to wrap my head around the amount of fats we eat!

I am on day 7, and have been doing well, other than being really fatigued and having headaches the first 4 days. I don't notice my clothes fitting any different, as some people report at this point. I have been having some trouble with digestive slowness, so have added my Metamucil caps back in and am much happier for it. I am eating completely clean and compliant, eating until I'm full and not feeling the need to snack between meals (that part is AMAZING, I must say!) I eat very little fruit and not much in the way of nuts or nut butters. But I feel so guilty about the amount of fat I'm consuming...

The guidelines say to eat the minimum amount of fat or more, and I am doing that. Probably more, if you count the coconut milk I put into my coffee. I'm having to really resist getting on the scale or tracking all my food in my online food tracker, which have been my two obsessions the past year or so. I guess I'm just scared that I will get to the end of these 30 days and will have gained 20 lbs! Do people ever gain weight on this plan??

I think I need to hear from someone that I'm doing it right and it's okay. Hard to unlearn a whole lifetime of "nutrition" information!

Thanks in advance!

[Renee McCarty]

Thanks so much, Renee. And Melelina, nice to know I am not the only one who is alarmed by all this! I'm heading out to read some testimonials again... We can totally do this!

[srahsrah]

I'm right there with you guys...Day 6 and definitely no physical changes and have been wondering if my pants are a bit tighter. I feel more energetic today, but nothing different than when I've been eating a vegetarian whole food diet with lot's of grains. I can't find the answer to the question of: can you eat too much fat? Since not counting calories and fat grams is the whole point, I have just been trying to make sure I get some fat at every meal, but maybe it's too much? Does the thumb amount of fat per meal include nuts, avocados and olives?

[kb0426]

Hit the success story section of the forum .

Follow the template and let it work for you!

As for the nuts, avocados and olives, there are amounts listed for those that are not thumb size. I don't want to go from memory and give you bad info, but I think if you search under The Whole30 above, you will find the amounts.

[GLC1968]

I was the exact same way.

So much so, that the first time I tried this (pre-Whole30) I attempted to do paleo but low fat. I failed. Miserably. I lasted less than 2 weeks, felt awful the whole time, and then crashed so hard when I went off it that I gained a bunch of weight because I couldn't stop eating!

The second time I tried it, I had to fight every instinct I had to restrict the fat (and calories). I literally forced myself to eat fat. I had to learn to like bacon, avocado and egg yolks (all things I'd shunned my whole life!). But it helps SO much. Fat helps with cravings, with feeling full, with energy levels...and with that nagging voice in my head that kept saying 'you are doing so well, ice cream won't hurt!". I felt that if I could eat a big old grass-fed steak that I was being decadent and it made skipping the mashed potatoes (or desert) a lot easier to take from a mental perspective.

Anyway, you get used to it. I know I have...but it really did take time to adjust.

Oh, and if it helps, I lost 9 lbs in my first Whole30 eating tons of fat (I even ate nuts, nut butters and fruit!) and I was only about 17 - 18 lbs away from my goal weight when I started.

[Melelina]

This is very encouraging. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

I was the exact same way.

So much so, that the first time I tried this (pre-Whole30) I attempted to do paleo but low fat. I failed. Miserably. I lasted less than 2 weeks, felt awful the whole time, and then crashed so hard when I went off it that I gained a bunch of weight because I couldn't stop eating!

The second time I tried it, I had to fight every instinct I had to restrict the fat (and calories). I literally forced myself to eat fat. I had to learn to like bacon, avocado and egg yolks (all things I'd shunned my whole life!). But it helps SO much. Fat helps with cravings, with feeling full, with energy levels...and with that nagging voice in my head that kept saying 'you are doing so well, ice cream won't hurt!". I felt that if I could eat a big old grass-fed steak that I was being decadent and it made skipping the mashed potatoes (or desert) a lot easier to take from a mental perspective.

Anyway, you get used to it. I know I have...but it really did take time to adjust.

Oh, and if it helps, I lost 9 lbs in my first Whole30 eating tons of fat (I even ate nuts, nut butters and fruit!) and I was only about 17 - 18 lbs away from my goal weight when I started.

[Renee McCarty]

Yes that is so helpful! I have a friend who is doing this with me, she has weighed twice in the first week (she's losing and it shows!) and she's tracking calories. I am trying so hard to put a stop to the obsessive part of my food issues, that I think hearing about what she is doing is tweaking my fear and perfection/control issues. I just had the most wonderful chicken curry for breakfast, made with coconut milk, and I am not going to feel guilty about it! I am going to trust the process!

[Renee]

You have to trust the process!! Does everyone loose weight during their 30 days? No, from what I see on the forums, about 5-10% don't. But it doesn't mean the program doesn't work! There are multiple explanations as to why some people don't loose with the W30:

• They don't need to loose weight. Their weight is healthy and body fat % is not too high. Remember that muscle tissues are heavier than fat! And, keep in mind that healthy weight is not necessarily what the media portrays as healthy weight. Don't let your idea of "healthy weight" be distorted.
  
• They need more than 30 days
  
• They have an underlying issue. It DOES start with food, but that doesn't mean that food wil improve everything
  

Most people WILL loose weight. I've lost 11 pounds in 45 days (from 145 to 134, 5f3). But please don't make this just about weight loss. Health has many parametres (hence the 9 in Whole9), not just weight!!

On a side note, your friend should really really stop counting calories (and weighting everyday, for that matter). This habit can be very unhealthy:

1. It doesn't take into consideration endocrinology (studying hormones) AT ALL. When you eat food, the calories don't decide themselves whether they'll be stored or burned off. Your HORMONES do. The theory that 1pound=3500 calories is NOT always true. Your body is not just a mathematical equation of what you eat and what you burn.

2. It can lead to poor food choices that are based on calories first. Most people will look at the calorie content before looking at any other nutritional value. Including ingredients! How about starting off with the assessment "Is this real, unprocessed food, or is it something manmade that is also edible?". How about vitamins, minerals, and other micronutriments that you body NEEDS?

3. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie... NOT. The study "Calorie Intake in Relation to Body Weight Changes in the Obese," 1956 by Alan Kekwick and Gaston Pawan showed that "The group receiving 90% carbohydrates gained an average of 0,24 pounds per day of the study. The group receiving 90 protein lost an average of 0,6 pounds per day of the study, and the group receiving 90% fat lost an average of 0,9 pounds per day of the study"

So all in all, stop worring about all the calories and fat you are eating. Focus on choosing high-quality, unprocessed foods and enjoy the next 23 days!

[AmyS]

I eat shocking amounts of fat. But I feel great. As soon as I cut down on the amount of fat I feel horrible. I should buy an avocado farm. Ha!

[CSB1960]

^{Renee, I know how you feel. My jeans kept getting tighter, my stomach bloated worse than before I started whole 30, day 8 I was so bummed (the awful bloat, tightness in my stoamch was all I could think about all day long, reading the success stories only bummed me out even more, thinking something must be wrong with ME) Higher fat I'm sure is the culprit for how I was feeling....but day 9 (today) and I feel like a new person! I cannot believe how good I feel today. The bloated, can't breath feeling is going away! Thank goodness! It's amazing the change just ONE DAY can bring. Hang in there, I think for many of us it just takes longer. I have a history (like you of dieting, low fat) and I think whole 30 is a shock to the body, lol}

[Renee]

I'd also want to add that if you've been eating low-fat for a while, it IS possible that you need a couple of days to get used to such a change. Your gallbladder and liver are used to releasing and producing a certain amount of bile and it's possible that the amount is not adapted automatically.

And regarding your Metamucil caps, I don't think they're technically compliant. It might be a case where medicine > W30, but have you tried upping your intake of vegetable fibers? Veggies rich in fiber include: avocados, broccoli, all kinds of greens, eggplant, carrots, sweet potatoes and artichokes. Berries are also a pretty good source of fiber in fruits!

[Melelina]

This is so good to know! I haven't gotten to that quite yet since this is only day 2 but I have no doubt I will feel that way soon. I tend to bloat quite easily. Now I won't freak out when it happens.

^{Renee, I know how you feel. My jeans kept getting tighter, my stomach bloated worse than before I started whole 30, day 8 I was so bummed (the awful bloat, tightness in my stoamch was all I could think about all day long, reading the success stories only bummed me out even more, thinking something must be wrong with ME) Higher fat I'm sure is the culprit for how I was feeling....but day 9 (today) and I feel like a new person! I cannot believe how good I feel today. The bloated, can't breath feeling is going away! Thank goodness! It's amazing the change just ONE DAY can bring. Hang in there, I think for many of us it just takes longer. I have a history (like you of dieting, low fat) and I think whole 30 is a shock to the body, lol}

[LRM]

Fat is your friend. Please-trust this process. It really works. As your body adjusts, you will eat more than you ever thought, and your weight will stabilize. Oh, and you can kiss all that pesky calorie-counting goodbye.

[Kaleena]

I was going to post this exact same question. I'm on day 6 and I feel fatter. I've been too tired to workout since Day 2 or 3 (aside from my morning jog, which has been very low energy) and I have come down with a cold. I'm sticking through it but it's SOOO hard to not freak out over egg yolks, avocados and coconut milk with almost every meal.

I lost over 50lbs on a low fat diet about 10 years ago so I'm really trusting that this program won't make be balloon over the next 23 days!

[Renee McCarty]

Renee, I did up my vegetable fiber and took magnesium as well. The evening of the last miserable day (day 6), I finally decided that medicine is ok. Day 7 was much, much better. Either I just need more fiber than I can eat, , or maybe my body needs that psyllium, but either way I can't do the constipation thing. I am going to try to figure out what the minimum amount for me is... BTW, I feel incredible today! Energy is back, caffeine consumption is down, and I'm heading out to Zumba.

Kaleena, I also lost 70 lbs on a low fat diet. But have not been able to keep it off, and it's been creeping back the past 2 years, plus the accompanying health issues. I have a friend who did Whole30 at 60-some years old and she is Paleo now. She can out-Zumba me any day of the week, and she is 12 years older than me!

We just have to keep believing in ourselves!!

[caitlin]

I can't speak to Ww30 results, as I'm on day 9 and have been very good about not weighing myself. But I was similarly frustrated when I didn't lose any weight going paleo.

I realized a few weeks ago that even though I was adhering more to the 20% side of the 80/20 equation, my food choices and my relationship with food had improved immensely. Even though the number on the scale hadn't changed, I'd made a huge change in my life - I no longer binge eat. And the craziest part is, it happened without me even realizing it. Suddenly I looked back, and realized that I hadn't had a binge in months, and couldn't even remember when the last one was.

I used to come home from work and almost uncontrollably just shove food into my face. It didn't happen every day, but frequently enough to be a problem. I'm an ex-weight watcher as well, and always saw it as my own personal failing that I couldn't just adhere to that program for the long term. It's incredible to me that just by removing the junk in my diet, embracing fat, and enjoying the whole foods that i'm eating, I kicked a terrible eating habit that has plagued me since I was a child.

So I guess that's just a long-winded way of saying that the numbers don't matter, especially if you are improving your relationship with food and your body. I am confident that if I continue to nourish my body, once it's ready, the weight will come off.

[Nadia B]

Renee, as a part of low fat club I know exactly how it feels. First days after eating this way I had nightmares about getting fat from fat (I know, I know stupid). Being low fat is a miracle of willpower. Going Whole30 requires efforts too. This means we already have the skill! Now let's apply it to make the change that will actually benefit our well being – mental and physical.

I imagine Whole30 as a journey. To get to our destination we have to climb over the hill or walk through the forest. Each way has it own advantages and disadvantages – climbing is harder or you can lose the path in the forest (primitive analogies). But after all (quitting is not an option, simply not) we all WILL GET there.

Having said that – let's all enjoy the journey and focus on achievements, not failures.