Need to cut out dairy - but it makes up the majority of my fats... Also, I'm lazy

#1

So, I’ve been battling the same 5 lbs for about 2 years now… I’m wondering if dairy may be the culprit… I went gluten free about a month ago, started IIFYM keto about 2 weeks ago, and I’ve dropped a grand total of 1 lb. I’m not new to LCHF, I track everything, read all labels. Typical day is bacon/sausage and hardboiled eggs, pepperoni stick and cheese cuts, either chix breast and guac or tuna fish and mayo for lunch, cheese whisps as snack, cool whip creamy as a “dessert”, at least one serving of nuts (almonds or pecans). My net carbs are never over 20, and I don’t subtract sugar alcohols. My protein is typically 17-20%

Oh, and I also IF, with my window between 1030-630, with about 60-70% of my calories in my first meal. I do have an issue with snacking for that 8 hour window… working on fixing that.

I don’t have time to prepare lots of food, I am out of the house by 5 and not back in it until 8 pm most nights… What options do I have for fats that are not dairy based? I can’t imagine doing this diet paleo style and maintaining any sort of convenience that is remotely doable…

(Leslie) #2

Did I read this correctly, you’re eating cool whip?

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #3

Check out this website… it also has some recipes, it’s good information.

#4

OMG I love cool whip. LOL… it a quick fix for a sugar craving… When I was prepping for fitness shows in a past life, that was my life saver… To be clear, I specified that I have been IIFYM… and 2 carbs for a sweet fix fits…

#5

Great link… Thanks! The substitutions are perfect!

(Stacy Blanchard) #6

What is your reason for cutting out dairy?

(Leslie) #7

I’m a little stunned.
I wouldn’t touch a hydrogenated oil with my ex-husband
I realize that it’s sweet and appears to be keto, but it’s like ingesting rat poison. Hydrogenated oils are carcinogenic and inflammatory. What if your five pounds is entirely inflammation, and by just cutting out that one thing, you could lose it? Would you stop the cool whip then?

(Stacy Blanchard) #8

If you are just concerned about dairy then you’re probably right. We should listen to our intuition.
I have been researching and adjusting my diet to better support my microbiome. One thing I discovered in doing that is a podcast called Naturally Nourished. I listened to an episode called the pros and cons of dairy. One thing I am understanding better is that most people are intolerant of the A1 protein in cow milk. There are however A2 cow milk producers. Goat milk is all A2. A2 is a protein that is less problematic for most. I am also buying local raw goat milk and raw milk cheese for the probiotic benefits. Most stores carry one local dairy product. If your not ready to just throw it all out, you might look into the podcast I suggested. The local dairy products usually come in a variety. I have bought Kefir, cheese, milk, heavy cream and butter.

(Robert C) #9

To avoid dairy I’d change the egg situation. Mix eggs with 2 table spoons of cayenne pepper infused quality olive oil - cook that in a pan heated with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Your 3 hardboiled eggs just went form 15 grams of fat and 18 grams of protein to 57 grams of fat and 18 grams of protein. Make several in batch mode every few days and microwave them at 10:30 AM (beginning of the feeding window).

Yes - drop the snacks and nuts - only two big meals if you can - that’s probably more important than dairy if you haven’t had much trouble with dairy in the past. Easy snacks (that can survive on a shelf for years) are not real food. If you must have nuts - upgrade to raw nuts. Read about inexpensive snack nuts - they’re usually fried (but called roasted) in peanut oil or cottonseed oil.

Finally, think of changing your feeding window forward or backward so you can at least have one fresh cooked meal. Sauteed arugula in ghee is very easy to make and beats a pepperoni stick on every level.

(Tovan Nhsh) #10

Not sure how you feel about sardines or other canned fish, but they’re easy to carry & last forever.
Decent bit of fat also if you find the ones in olive oil. For what it’s worth I decided to cut dairy a few months back. Initially, I thought it was going to be much harder than it was. As a result of dropping dairy I did lose a pound or three & my stomach is flatter/less bloated. Minor body aches also improved.

Either way good luck!

(Candy Lind) #11

Are you certain you NEED to be battling them? Maybe your body is happier with them than without. Ask yourself if wanting to lose those 5 pounds is about feeling better, or just a left-over body image thing from that past life you mentioned, and not really important at all.

I would give my eye teeth to get CLOSE to needing to lose only 5 pounds. I may start maintaining when I get just out of “obese” range into “overweight” - a place I’ve seen once, briefly, about 12 years ago, and before that it had been at least 40. Just some perspective for you there.

I WOULD add that I agree with the “dump the Cool Whip” sentiments. Whipped cream is easy, relatively quick (especially for a small quantity - 1/2 cup cream and a bit of sucralose, whip with a milk frother) and way better for you (Oh, and if you go dairy free, you can do the same with coconut cream).

#12

Leslie,
I’ve been part of fitness and diet forums for 17 years, and it has always amused me how superior and militant people become about diet decisions that have no impact on their life. Rather than either 1) reply helpfully to the question actually posed, or 2) realize you have nothing of context to offer and move along, you choose to attempt to shame me for one item you picked out of a paragraph… It’s really befuddling. But, by all means, let me respond to your oddly aggressive forum post…

For most of the past 17 years, I have weighed 155, +/- a delta of 3’ish lbs. That remains true, even though my family has been:
a) SAD diet for several years,
b) SMED (standard middle eastern diet) for a year that we lived in the Middle East,
c) Strict Paleo for 2 years (including making our own condiments like mayo and ketchup),
d) raw food diet for 6 months (Ani’s raw food cookbook was great), and
e) random things such as whole 30/juice fast for a month or so here and there.
During any of those times, my weight NEVER fluctuated beyond those 5 lbs.

Twice in the past 17 years, my weight did drop to about 135-140. For about 18 months in 2006-7 when I was prepping for figure competitions, when I kept my macros to 50%P, 30%F, 20%C, and included treats of various chemical make-ups. A second time for about a year over 2011-12 when my macros were 40%P, 40%F, 20%C, with the same horrendously chemical treats (including copious amounts of Coke Zero and Cool Whip (the horror!).

So, links from non-medical, biased websites aside, I call BS on your authoritative proclamation that my 5 lbs of weight is caused by my moderate intake of cool whip - which occurred during times of my greatest weight loss.

#13

Hi Stacy,

I’m wondering if it is hindering weight loss… the easiest way to see if something is a problem is to eliminate it and see if the issue resolves… it is just difficult for me to imagine this diet without cheese and HWC… LOL.

#14

Oh no! I certainly need to lose more than 5! I want to weigh 130… My issue is that I weight 155 and I give some credence to set point theory, although I am not a researcher or nutritionist by any stretch… What I discovered in the two previous times I lost a significant amount of weight (and kept it off for a year or so) is that getting from 155 to 150 is hellishly hard. After that, I seem to coast.

(David) #15

Best quote ever :joy:

#16

Rob,

My approach to IF has probably been sloppy - I agree that I need to move to two big meals… That is a challenge for me that I am working towards correcting. My family situation doesn’t allow me much flexibility with my window other than up… I actually think I may need to just make it smaller… Maybe do an 18/6 to limit snacking…hmmm…

Thanks for the recipe on the eggs! I’ll try that this weekend.

(David) #17

Can I ask if you eat or drink anything other than water outside your eating window? I only ask because Dr Rhonda Patrick seems to suggest that it can positively impact health to restrict all food, even black coffee or herbal tea, to that window and have nothing but water outside it. Might be worth looking at her Joe Rogan interview to see if this speaks to you.

(Brandy Fischbach) #18

I have no great knowledge for you, but I can speak from experience. I just recently (this past Sunday) cut out all dairy. I’ve heard from others that the full effect can take up to a month. I have noticed that I am more alert in the mornings and my mental clarity is better. I also have less bloating and feel more “clean.” I also broke a stall I was having. I lost 1.2 lbs the first day I stopped dairy, although have not lost any since Monday. It wouldn’t hurt to just try it for a while. I am also having the problem of getting my fats without the dairy. I eat things like almond butter, MCT oil on my salad, raw nuts, etc.

(Candy Lind) #19

Make some fat bombs to fill in until you figure out different ways to add fat. Remember that you can likely use ghee with no ill effects since all the milk protein is removed. Many people swear by taking really good olive oil by the tablespoon. I haven’t tried that yet; I’m still working on using up two huge bottles of “lesser” oil. Coconut oil, especially extra virgin, is delicious all on its own.

(What The Fast?!) #20

Hi there! I can’t eat butter, HWC, avocado, or eggs at the moment, so I feel you! I do a lot of coconut oil, LOTS of olive oil, and fatty meats.

A typical day for me includes pork belly and/or fatty ground beef over a pile spinach doused in olive oil. I do use goat cheese or labne (you’re probably familiar with this if you lived in the Middle East - I find it doesn’t cause me issues like other dairy products) but not always. Fatty yes and coffee plus fat bombs help keep my fat up without the use of dairy…