Fear of Fat?

This is my big problem.  I know, rationally, and from experience, that I should have the balance of my calories from FAT. 

Following the Atkins protocol, maybe 65-75% of my calories should be from fat.

But I have a terrible, terrible time with this.  After growing up in the 70s and 80s, and dieting in the 90s, hearing about calories and how bad they are, then fat, and how bad THAT is, it is very difficult for me to do what I now know is correct, even though it makes me lose weight, and causes me to feel infinitely better.  Plainly, my body functions best when most of my energy comes from fat consumption.

Still, I have a dreadful bias against fat.  I track my intake on http://thedailyplate.com -- but I am loath to add fat in any form at all.

Anyone else have this problem?

Please do yourself a favor and read Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes! It's very, very long. Or his new book, which hasn't even shipped from Amazon yet. It's a shorter, easier to read version of the former.

He debunks the lipid hypothesis, calories-in-calories-out, exercise to lose weight, etc.  Really, you will be doing yourself a favor!

Or type in his name on YouTube to get started. He's in quite a few videos.

I remember being a young girl in the 80s and early 90s already dieting "fat free." Well, it screwed me up royally. Higher fat diets make a ton of sense (in the absence of an abundance of carbs, of course!).

I really used to have a big fat phobia, but after educating myself better, I honestly don't anymore.

Oh do I hear that! I grew up in the same era and we were taught it would be better to eat nuclear waste than fat!! I still have to convince myself that the fat is indeed ok to eat. It sure was a huge disservice to everyone when they pushed that lie on us. Just know you aren't alone, I venture to guess anyone who grew up then suffers the same as we do!

*chuckle*  I guess I am lucky that I do not have the fear of the fat.  In fact, my favorite part of the steak is the crispidy fatty edge and my favorite part of a roasted turkey is the skin!  :}  Or maybe I was never successful enough at being low fat that I actually put much merit into it?  (I was always insane with hunger and horribly bingey on low fat diets).

I have said this before and its so sadly true.

I was *never* compelled to eat a stick of butter.  Unless there was a sleeve of crackers hanging around. And a sleeve of crackers.. what?  That's NOT a serving?  :} 

Would it help you to be using full fat cheeses, avocados, and/or - so your fat came from "food" and you did not have to attach emotions to spooning some macadamia nut oil onto something? 

I'm an inveterate calorie counter.  Even though the laws of thermodynamics (Energy in = energy used + energy stored) do NOT apply to physiological laws of metabolism, I still tend to think the way I was indoctrinated.

Working on it, though!  

But read your post before breakfast, and now all I can think about is CRACKERS!!!  Mmmmmmm

But not for me .... off to make eggs hollandaise!

I only have about the same amount of malabsorption a typical RNY (even though I went in for a DS - different story), so since I am closing in on 2 years out, it's likely that I actually malabsorb little to no macronutrients. I eat around (or above) 100 grams of fat daily, yet my most recent total cholesterol dropped yet again and is now down to 102, and that includes my HDL having increased while my LDL decreased, so my cholestrol ratios are all good.

Here's something I posted a while back:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4280095/Lets-talk-about-dietary-fat/#35235240

I post on an active type 2 diabetes forum as well, and BY FAR the most effective diet for controlling type 2 (and other issues that often accompany it, such as high cholesterol, high triglycerides, etc.) is one low in carbs and high in fat. I know that's only anecdotal, but it's reality.