The fat you eat...

This is practically Dr. McDougall’s mantra. And he swears by it. In his book, McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss, he explains this thoroughly. He dedicates an entire chapter to this principle.

In a nutshell, our body converts macronutrients into energy. The easiest to convert is carbohydrates, then protein and finally fat. So since fat takes a lot of energy to convert into fuel/energy, the body prefers to store it.

As a result, samples of adipose fat cells show what kind of fat the person has been eating. For example if you eat a lot of olive oil, the fat stored in your body will be monounsaturated fats. Or if you eat a lot of fish fat, your fat cells will be filled with omega-3 oils.

But the point that I want to make is that extra fat is extra fat. When you look at someone suffering from obesity, you can’t tell what type of fat they have been eating.  Just that they have been eating too much fat and as a result, it has gone into storage.

This was my biggest problem as a fat vegan. I was eating super healthy foods but I was consuming way too much fat especially for my petite frame. Sure, if you analyzed my fat, it would be from nuts, seeds, avocadoes, and olives. But that didn’t help when swimsuit season came around.

That’s why giving up fat makes it super easy to lose the extra weight.  Firstly, all fat is calorically dense at 4000 calories a pound. And secondly, if you are over-eating (more than your calorie range), fat is going straight to storage on your butt.

So, take advantage of all the fat free recipes on this website and in my book BREAK THE CYCLE.

Also, consider getting the following cookbooks. There are either fat free or low-fat options. Some use healthy fats like nuts and seeds but none of them use oils. So, lose the weight and protect your heart with these recipe books:

• The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook by John and Mary McDougall
• The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook by Ann Crile Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn
• The Secret to Ultimate Weight Loss by Chef AJ

When you are tempted to eat something that you know contains a lot of fat, remember this quote: The fat you eat is the fat you wear.