Blog

How Much Fat You Should Eat To Lose Help Lose Weight

Good morning and welcome to the middle of the work week!

So today we are talking about fat, plus I have provided a bonus recipe for an interesting beverage below…Beetlejuice…if you dare.

First though a disclaimer.

If you are following my 12 Week Fitness Model Fat Loss System the advice below does not count for you…sorry. You all have to eat less fat in phase 1 and in phase 2.

For everyone else who just wants some simple guidelines and habits to develop to lose weight this is perfect for you ;-)!

With that said…Habit 8 – Eat 15 to 20 Grams Of Fat At Each Meal

Where we have been.

You should have 7 habits established, you have learned to eat for the right reason, at the correct intervals, learned how to eat just enough, discovered the joys of eating mainly unprocessed foods, have fallen in love with eating 2 – 3 cups of veggies at each meal, you have discovered the weight loss “miracle” of getting rid of liquid calories, you unearthed why eating at least one fist size portion of protein will make you look learner and feel fuller, and today you will discover how eating the right amount of fat at each meal will help you loss weight ;-)!

Why Should I Eat FAT!?

Eating fat, especially around 15 grams of fat per meal helps you feel full and satisfied for about about 3 – 4 hours.

In a fat obsessed world there are two camps. There are those who eat too much fat, this is where I naturally go 😉 and those who do not eat enough. The “secret” is you want to have a moderate amount fat. Not to much and not to little, but just right ;-).

The best way to know how much fat you are taking in is to log your food in MyFitnessPal for a couple days and discover how much fat you are having at each meal. This way you will know and not guess at how much fat you are taking in.

In my experience as a trainer, very few people struggle with getting enough fat in their diet, especially if they are eating the right amount of protein at each meal (fist size). Normally if my clients follow my recommended food list they don’t have to worry about adding fat, because most sources of protein already contain the required 15 – 20 grams of fat.

Any way, let’s just say you aren’t getting enough fat, 15 – 20 grams a meal, it is pretty simple to add 5 grams to a meal. You can add teaspoon of butter, oil, an ounce of avocado or ½ an ounce of cheese.

If your problem is you are having too much fat at each meal, you will likely need to limit your fat sources to one, maybe two items. Instead of having a steak (15 – 20 grams of fat) and a salad with ceasar salad dressing (15 – 20 grams of fat) you will need to pick one. I would totally keep the steak and change up my dressing choice…but hey that is just me ;-)!

If you follow all of the habits below you should be right around 1,800 to 1,300 calories a day. Which for most people is enough to lose weight, especially if you are exercising and active.

The ultimate goal is to have 3 meals with 15 – 20 grams of fat: If you stop losing weight, you will need to make sure you right around that 15 gram mark FYI.

To Recap Habit 8…Eat 15 – 20 grams of fat at each meal ;-).

The Following are your actions steps.

ACTION STEPS:

Continue Habit 1 – Eat 3 or 4 Meals per day WITHOUT SNACKING!

Continue Habit 2 – Wait 20 – 40 minutes after you feel hungry before you eat

Continue Habit  3 – The Little Bear Rule – Eat Enough, No More, No Less.

Continue Habit 4 – Whole Foods, It’s What’s For Dinner…and the other meals too 😉

Continue Habit 5 – Eat 2 – 3 Cups of Veggies at Each Meal.

Continue Habit 6 – Don’t Drink Liquid Calories!

Continue Habit 7 – Eat One Fist Sizes Portion of Protein At Each Meal.

Develop Habit 8 – Eat 15 – 20 grams of fat at each meal.

Make an accountability chart, like the one below, so you can see your progress. If you stick to the habit for an entire day. Mark an X on that day. If you average 90% over the course of two weeks. Then move on to the next habit, which I will share soon :-).

 

Habit Week	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
Eat 3-4 meals without snacking!
Wait 20 – 40 minutes
Eat Enough
Whole Foods
2-3 Cups of Veggies
No Liquid Calories
Fist Sized Portion of Protein
Eat 15 Grams of Fat at Each Meal

 

Habit Week	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7
Eat 3-4 meals without snacking!
Wait 20 – 40 minutes
Eat Enough
Whole Foods
2-3 Cups of Veggies
No Liquid Calories
Fist Sized Portion of Protein
Eat 15 Grams fo Fat at Each Meal

 

Now go be awesome!

KELLEN LAKE – Fat CAN be your friend 😉

PS – See the Beetlejuice beverage below ;-).

 

BeetleJuice (Servings 2)

Ingredients:  

• 2 Tbsp. peeled and chopped fresh ginger  
• 1 medium beet, scrubbed & chopped  

• 4 medium, scrubbed & sliced  
• 1 medium apple, cored & cubed  
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. In a blender, combine ginger, beet, carrots, apple, and water… and blend!  
2. Strain juice if desired.
3. Enjoy!!

(Refrigerate for up to 2 days.)