Don't Fear The Fat

If you haven't tried this yogurt yet, you are missing out. I normally do not like yogurt, but this is strained and thicker and not as tart, and it's really yummy. I don't buy nonfat dairy products, I don't think there is a point to eating them, but I do usually buy low fat. Well, I bought this in whole milk because they were out of the 2%. I didn't look at the calories or fat because I figured I had a rough idea of what they were. Then I went to eat it today and saw that the little 7 oz. container had 20 grams of fat. Hmm, that seemed like quite a few. But I ate it - a little before lunch, and the rest before I left work to go to my networking meeting - and it was worth the 20 grams of fat.

Then just for curiosity's sake, I decided to enter my food for the day into Sparkpeople to see what damage I had wrought with that little container. And guess what, I had not wrought any damage. Even with the peanut butter and sunflower seeds in my oatmeal, and the Fage Total yogurt, I'd still had just 45 grams of fat for the day - which is completely in line with the Sparkpeople (and other) guidelines.

And when I went to the event, which was serving wine and cheese and crackers, I was not hungry. I had 1 glass of wine, and 2 crackers with cheese. And I came home and took a brisk walk with the dog and I am still not hungry. So I think those 20 grams of fat did their job quite well by keeping me full.

I am figuring out what works to keep me full and energized - things with more protein and fat and not as many carbs, in small servings throughout the day. But I still make sure I get enough fiber and vegetables. I want to eat more fruit, but then I start thinking about pesticides and how the fruit travels here from Chili or California or Argentina and I get weirded out and can't buy it. It will be nice when it is really spring and I can have local things (and when the raspberry bushes in my yard start bearing fruit for the season.)

I think that taking out the wine at home, and the english muffins, and the Whole Foods salad/hot food bar lunches have really helped me listen to my body and give it what it wants (and needs.) Those things were the standard response to any kind of hunger, real or imagined, and when I made them no longer an option it forced me to figure out if I was really hungry, and what in fact I was hungry for. And so I'm figuring out that sometimes I'm hungry for cold oatmeal and olives, or whole milk yogurt, or eggs and avocado, or chinese broccoli, or kale or beets or spicy curry or any number of super tasty and healthy things to eat. And sometimes I'm hungry for a little serving of my dad's homemade ice cream, or fried clam bellies on a hot day in the summer with a cold beer, or pizza. And since there is not any "off limit" food, I can eat these things in a serving size that satisfies my hunger without feeling like it will be the last time I eat these things. (Well, except for last week with the pizza, but we're going to try that one again.)

Ok, now I'm hungry. Well my mind is hungry, but my stomach is not. And I am thankful that at least for right now, I can tell the difference.