You'll hate me for this.

[Zurie]

For years now -- the reasons why are too many to discuss here -- I have had reason to doubt the fact that fats are really bad for us.

I do NOT mean overdoing it (I easily get nauseous if I eat too-rich foods).

But think on this: for 1000's of years our forefathers -- think back to your grannies! -- had nothing except animal fats to cook with! On farms animals were slaughtered during winter, and they rendered out lard, mutton fat and other fats, and that's what they used to fry things in, or to use in baking.

During the 50's some wise guy decided that fats were bad, and we gradually were encouraged to use factory-produced hard fats such as margarine. Why would artificially-produced fats, after all those centuries, be better for us?

I DO cut off the thick fat rind from chops or whatever-other-meats, but otherwise I believe in using what Nature provided us with.

The worst, the biggest shock to us was when one of our best male friends died of a sudden heart attack. He'd had very high (probably pressure-induced) blood cholesterol many years ago. Long before even that discovery he and his wife cut out just about all fats from their diet. They bought bags of skim/nonfat milk powder to mix for milk. They ate little meat, and what they ate was just about fatless. So in no way were they eating a diet with fats in it. And yet ...

"I am throwing a stone into the chicken coop", to hear your reactions. I am wondering if fats are really all that harmfull, and if cutting fats will really help you to lose weight.

What about the harm carbohydrates and sugar do?

Just asking. Would love your replies, just do not kill me!!

[Shirl (J) 831]

Well I studied fitness and nutrition for 2 yrs. Fat alone does not make us FAT !! it contributes to it yes.

Sugar is stored in the body and broken down into????? ---- FAT yes that is right. If you have a diet high in sugar i.e. POP aka soda pop it will make you put on lbs.

Our bodies need protein ex: red meat is one. I do not personally like red meat. Diets with fish and lean meats is good. Let's face it a diet is a diet !!!

I do not even like the word DIET !!!!!!!!!! a healthy eating lifestyle is what we need. I love carbs but yes too many like most things are not good for us.

I could live on pasta, rice and potatoes. But yes I would gain weight.

Native Indians were seldom if EVER fat they did eat red meat, fish, and most off the land. Your CULPRIT????? is what


PROCESSED FOODS !!! period and we all know it

so Zuri you put out a valid point and I love it when people drop in and bring us their thoughts.

p.s. veggies are FREE food.............. and have TONS and TONS of health benefits..... we need them........... oh and let's not forget water. !!! you can live without food but NOT water..... drink some daily........... the 8 glasses a day is a MYTH.
Our society has just gotten lazy......... we are not as active and we have to be to lose or maintain weight

[Jacqueline in KY]

I do not believe in fat free and if you notice if something is labeled low or no fat, not only does it cost more but it has more carbs in it than the regular does. I believe in healthy fats and limited fats, but truthfully, I have been thinking about being asked to be removed from this forum because I do not believe in a low fat diet unless you show the need for it. I think this forum would work just as well in a diet forum rather than fat free. You can tell no one uses it and if people were going low fat/no fat this thing should be full. I am with you Zurie, I also have a thing about carbs, I think there are carbs that are good for you and those that are not.

ShirlJ veggies are free food in Weight Watchers but not in all diets.

[Zurie]

Thank you, Shirl and Jacquie.

A debate is always a good thing. And of course not everyone's metabolism is the same.

I lost about 16- 17 kg in 2008 -- and I was only mildly overweight -- on a low-carb diet. One reason was ... and Jacquie will know all about this ... that my blood sugar was far too high.


That was the shock of my life!! Research on the Internet made me decide that, if starches -- never mind whether wholewheat or wholegrain -- turn into glucose, that means 1 + 1 = 2. So I cut the bread, cereals, all cookies, all sugar, potatoes, rice. That's when the weight dropped off, to the point where I felt I had to stop losing any more weight.

Since then -- 5 yrs ago -- I have eaten well on proteins, veggies, salads and low-starch crispbreads and now and then low-GI brown bread. Lots of eggs and cheese. And let me add, masses of fresh veggies for dinner! (Oh -- I am half-addicted to potatoes, so I do eat them!! Also french fries, now and then!)

I use only butter and butter-spreads, canola and olive oils, and I have a supply of duck fat (!) in my fridge. Actually duck and goose fats are GOOD for us!! Contains a lot of good fats -- who would have guessed!

[duonyte]

A new market opened in our area and it has goose fat for sale in the refrigerated case! I believe in natural fats, too, no margarine for me. I lost 20 lbs when I stopped drinking diet drinks. I did not drink all that many and did not substitute them with regular soda except very occasionally, but that was the only change I made and the weight came off. I fully believe that processed foods and fast foods are a real danger to a healthy life.

If you have not done so yet, read Nina Planck's "Real Food: What To Eat and WHy" - it is an eye-opener.

[Zurie]

Thanks, duonyte. I value your input a LOT.

We have a highly-regarded doctor of sports nutrition, who has recently caused a stir -- testing it on himself -- by saying that too many carbs are the "root of many health problems".

He now advocates a high-protein, high-fat, low-carb diet, and has lost the weight he wanted to lose (as a runner he was never really overweight). He's also against diet sodas -- naturally also fast foods!

All I can say is that our forefathers -- way back into the dim past -- lived on the meat they hunted plus the fat, and stuff liked berries and roots.

Even as recent as my grandmothers' time they only had lard, rendered pork fat, butter and the fat off ducks and chickens to use for frying and baking. They did not have high cholesterol and neither did they die of heart/arterial diseases. I rest my case.

[duonyte]

Well we do have to be judicious. In my grandmother's time there were no autos or other mechanized equipment on the farm. The plow was pulled by horses and you walked behind it. At harvest, you wielded a scythe to cut down the rye aand the hay. The hay was forked into stacks, then onto the horse-drawn wagon.

It was all hand labor. You used a heck of a lot more calories in those days then we do!

[Zurie]

Yes, that fact is certainly true.

Not that "Victorian" ladies did more that lift their little fingers! They had servants ... How I sometimes long for "servants"!!

But anyway, what is very interesting is that it seems diet sodas can make you fat -- or at least, prevent weight loss. I wonder how many dieting ladies know that ...

[Jacqueline in KY]

Zurie, I don't drink a lot of diet sodas but I do drink some. I went completely without and didn't lose a pound, so I am on the fence about that one. I can give them up but I like the fizz, so think I will continue with my one every now and then.