Dietary fat is not bad, it is necessary. Every cell in your body has a cell membrane that is made of a double layer of fat. Where do you think your body gets the fats to make or repair cell membranes? From your food! The so-called “bad fat” (saturated fat is actually protective against stroke (lowering rates up to 88%); not true for the “good fats,” although they have other important uses in the body.

Fat IS bad if you eat it with lots of carbohydrate. But then, a high-carb diet can make you fat even without any dietary fat. It happened to me. I used to follow the recommended low-fat diet, but still struggled to manage my weight. Then, three years ago I gained 20 lbs in 2 months and my best friend told me that I looked pregnant (I wasn’t). My triglycerides were so high that I was at a higher risk of having a heart attack, but my cholesterol was so low that I was at increased risk of having a stroke!

At the urging of a nurse who is diabetic, I read The Diabetes Solution by Richard K. Bernstein and reduced the amount of carbohydrate that I eat. I lost 30 lbs in 3 months, and another 10 lbs since then. Not only that, but my triglycerides, cholesterol, resistance to colds and flu, energy levels, etc. all improved DRAMATICALLY.

I don’t starve myself, in fact, I eat whenever I feel like it. Really. I eat an entire package of brie or camembert as a snack, sometimes right before bed. I eat steak, bacon, and fried eggs. I have whipping cream on my low-carb muesli for breakfast every day. I just don’t eat much carb. This really works! I actually gain weight easier than anyone you know, but I’ve been able to keep my weight stable (my BMI is 19.2) and improve my health by enjoying a high-fat, low-carb diet.

I feel so empowered about my health now. I know that I won’t develop Type II diabetes like my mother and grandfather. I also know that I’ve reduced the risk of developing many other obesity-related diseases. There’s nothing remarkable about me, except that I stopped listening to the “fat is bad” dogma that is still being spouted by most of the medical community, in spite of the research to the contrary. So if you’re “eating healthy” but still struggling with your weight, try something different.

To find out more, check out these articles:

How to Start Losing Weight: Exercise Alone May Not Be Enough to Get Results

http://weight-loss-methods.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_start_losing_weight

What Not to Eat: Give Up These Carbohydrate-Loaded Foods and Lose Weight

http://proteins-carb-fats.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_not_to_eat

Lift Weights to Lose Weight: Why Anaerobic Exercise Works Best for Weight Loss

http://weight-loss-methods.suite101.com/article.cfm/lift_weights_to_lose_weight

The Right Way to Lose Weight:

http://weight-loss-motivators.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_right_way_to_lose_weight

Are Low-Carb Diets Safe?

http://diet-trends.suite101.com/article.cfm/are_lowcarb_diets_safe

There are plenty of well-designed scientific studies that demonstrate that eating high-fat/low-carb is healthy but the anti-fat dogma has become so ingrained in out minds. If you want to learn more, check out the journal Nutrition and Metabolism – full of articles on studies about diet. To find out how we were brainwashed about fats, read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes or read his article award-winning article What If It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie? that was published in the New York Times.