Low fat

Question
Laura
I am 52, always been overweight especially in the belly. I come from a family (the men anyway) of meat eaters we seem to have the same genetics.Also the same digestion issues and a histiry of colorectal cancer.
Until recently I though low carb was the way to go because I could eat a lot of fatty meat. Never lost much weight but didnt gain either.One week as an experiment I cut out the red meat and I felt a lot better and my belt came in a notch.
I couldnt live without my meat for long so fell off the wagon.
For the last couple weeks I have discovered its not the meat its the FAT. I stopped using butter, eating cheese, and havent had any red meat.
I am now losing weight and feeling much better but my fat craving are very strong. Actually its more of a red meat and cheese craving.
What do you think about low fat cheeses and extra lean ground beef. Any other meats I could try?

Answer
I am not particularly a fan of low carb or low fat or any modification that doesn't relate to personal and individual need. Many diets propel people into changing the way they eat, work for a while, but then stop working or just do not fit with the individual anymore. This sounds like it is the case for you. However, I think that it's fantastic that you are taking a proactive role in your eating and health.

I am not surprised at all that, after a short time of changing, you're getting cravings for foods that you have spent a lifetime becoming accustomed to. While the changes made brought great results, you have come to realize that making such a huge change at once is difficult to maintain. That's ok. That's normal. I teach people to take small steps. You are simply ahead of the game knowing what brings results.

I would definitely get lean meat.  They sell meat as lean as 97%. You could even consider simply limited red meat to twice a week rather than cutting it out completely. Lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, buffalo (?# are all great options. The key is the lean cuts.

As far as the cheese is concerned, if you are getting reduced fat cheese, read the label to make sure that the ingredients are good ingredients rather than chemicals used to replace the reduced fat to add taste. You'll know because when you read the ingredients, you'll understand exactly what they are #i.e. skim milk, etc.). Otherwise, use the cheeses in moderation.

Something else that you might want to consider is using a probiotic and an enzyme. These increase digestive power and colon function. I use Wobenzyme and Ultimate Flora 5 billion organisms with FOS. Also, there is a book called Digestive Wellness by Elizabeth Lipski that you might find has some interesting information for you.

I always tell my clients, after they have cut everything out and then had a hard time, to go back and start slowly by taking steps.  What do you want your plate to look like in 12 weeks? Each week, determine what you can do that week ONLY to get to that point. In this way, you can accomplish a couple of things. One is long term change and the other is slowly changing life long habits. The two go hand in hand. In fact, you can use this method with any change or goal.

Also, you can go to my webpage MyCoachLaura.com and click on the Tymplates link on the left. This will give you a link to a metabolic profile that will tell you what your profile is. What this means is that it will tell you if you should have more protein, more carbohydrates, or are mixed in terms of the biggest health benefit. I offer the link as a help for people. Tymplates is not my company and I do not benefit from people taking the free assessment.

Please don't stop listening to your body. What is right today will definitely be different later down the line. The body changes, our needs change, and we have to be diligent with our own care and health. Congratulations to you on taking such a huge step and sticking to it to the point of seeing results!

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