Bacon! Or how I learned to Stop Worrying and Love Fat

I have a news flash. Fat is not bad nor does it (by itself) make you fat. Fat does not lead to obesity.  I know this. I have known this a long time, but it didn’t stop me from limiting my fat intake. I had been eating to many lean meats and was puzzled at my lack of weight loss. After some critical self analyzing I figured out the issue and have thus added it back. Let me share my love of fats with you.

Let me preface this with the disclaimer that I am not a licensed nutrition/Dr/dietician. This is meant for informational purposes only.

A few years ago (six)  I managed to lose about 80 pounds. In a bit less than a year. I did this mostly following an Adkins plan. In fact I stayed in his induction phase with the exception or a few slip ups. That means I was very actively watching my carbohydrate intake and limiting it to within 20 grams per day. My best month was 20lbs in a month lost. The whole time adding muscle and strength.

I gave in to the Adkins philosophy and ate lots of fat at every meal. I was very satisfied in between meals, and did not suffer from hunger pains. I felt great and was losing weight. No my blood pressure was not high nor did I suffer from any other imaginary problem associated with a high fat diet.

I remember one of my staples back then was canned spinach drained and cooked in butter or cream cheese. I would say almost equal proportions of fat to veggie. Using the spinach or another vegetable to soak up the fat and flavor. This would usually be combined with a chicken breast grilled and a salad.

Being paleo now I am trying to limit the dairy products so my go to fat has been bacon grease. My favorite new side dish is to cook three pieces of bacon. Once the bacon is crispy remove and set aside. In the skillet I throw in a handful or two or fresh spinach. The goal is to get all the bacon fat absorbed by the spinach. When the spinach is just about done I add a little kosher salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. You can add the bacon as a topper to either the spinach or to a salad.

I heard a quote from Mat lalonde that he never waste’s a fat. That’s been a goal this month. If a fat goes in to a recipe It gets consumed. No draining meats. I even have been adding extra fat. I throw in a tbsp of coconut oil into most everything I’ve cooked. I’ve noticed that cravings have been eliminated. I sometimes forget to eat for hours. One day I just didn’t feel hungry until the day was almost over.

Also my weight has been dropping once again. I’m down at least ten pounds since the last weigh in. I have felt amazing this month with the addition of the fats I had limited out. Definitely not going to be reducing my fat intake any time soon.I’ll stick with my high fat foods. I believe the best way to burn fat is to eat fats.

Are you getting enough fat in your diet? Are you stuck on a weight loss plateau? Give fat a chance! Let me know in the comments your favorite fat dish.