Diabetes Diet - Skinny Fat |
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Fat -- it's the issue that's been at the forefront of everything we have read and heard about in nutrition for the past 10 years. And, truth be told, that has where it should be, especially because we are interested in preventing diabetes and managing our weight. The goal for each of us is to get less than 30 percent of each day's calories form fat (65 grams of fat or less, for the average person), but most of us are still getting more than that. Even though this message is repeated time and time again, it seems as if many of us have not heard it yet.
How can you eat so that your fat intake is less than 65 grams per day? Well, that depends on your personality. Anytime, you make changes in your habits, it's important to do it in a way that fits your style. This is especially true when it comes to the food choices you make. Because you have to eat food to survive and because you eat several times every day, it's essential that your method for building healthier eating habits suits your personal habits.
Suppose you are a spontaneous person who works best under pressure. Planning out low fat meals two weeks in advance will never work for you. But you might find long-term success at building low fat eating habits by gathering some information to have handy for quick meal solutions. What kind of information? For starters, the most healthful options at local fast-food and take-out restaurants, the best tasting low fat frozen dinners, and the brands of your favorite foods that are the lowest in fat. Using this information to make simple changes on a daily basis can significantly lower the amount of fat you eat over time.
For those who are analytic planners, a
more intensive approach to low fat eating habits might be the way to
go. This can include a fat budget; that is, you determine the right
number of fat grams to have each day, and then you track how much fat
you get to make sure you stay within your budget. To find your starting
fat budget, you may want to write down everything you eat for three
days. Then figure out the total calories, and divide by three to find
your average calories. If your goals is to lose weight, subtract 250 to
500 calories from this number. Take this new number, multiply it by
0.3, and divide that answer by 9. This is your starting fat budget.
Try staying within this budget for a few days, If you find it a
challenge to consistently keep your fat grams this low, you've found
the right starting point for you. If, on the other hand, it's easy for
you to stay below this fat budget, drop 5 to 10 grams off your budget,
and use this as your daily goal. No matter what your style, there's flexibility in
how you cut back on fat. In fact, it's almost impossible to eat low fat
every single day. Business lunches and dinner with friends on the
weekend might affect the fat grams you get on any one particular day.
It's the weekly average that counts. If over a week's time, the average
amount of fat you eat is lower, you're on track for managing your
weight. You can use this to your benefit, too. If you know you're
heading to a sporting event on Friday night and will probably eat a
meal that is higher than usual in fat, you can cut back 5 to 10 fat
grams each day during the week. Then you'll be able to enjoy your night
out knowing you've planned for it. When it comes to limiting your fat intake, there are lots of ways to
do it—many more than the two options mentioned here. The point is that
whatever method you choose, it needs to fit your personality and
lifestyle. |
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