🧈 Stop Blaming Fat: The Real Reason You’re Gaining Weight

🧠 Why Fat Has a Bad Reputation

“Skip the ghee, it’ll clog your arteries.”
“Throw the egg yolk — cholesterol alert!”
“Eat oil-free for weight loss.”

Sound familiar? For decades, dietary fat has been blamed for everything from heart disease to weight gain.

But let’s get one thing straight: fat isn’t the problem — poor choices and imbalance are.
When you understand what fats actually do in your body, you’ll stop fearing them and start using them wisely.

🧠 Why You Actually Need Fats (Every Day)

Fats aren’t just about calories or taste. They’re foundational to how your body runs:

  • 🧠 Your brain is nearly 60% fat
  • 💡 Your hormones are built from fat
  • 🛡️ Your cells are protected by fat
  • 🧴 Your skin, hair, joints, and nerves thrive on fat
  • 🧬 Vitamins A, D, E, and K are absorbed only with fat
  • 🧬 Cholesterol is made by your liver and used to produce bile and hormones like testosterone

So when you go “zero fat,” you’re not saving calories , you’re starving essential systems.

🥑 The Different Types of Fats (And Which Ones You Want)

✅ Healthy Fats (Eat These Daily):

  • Monounsaturated fats (MUFA) – olive oil, groundnut oil, avocados, almonds, peanuts
  • Polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) – walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, fatty fish (omega-3)
  • Saturated fats (in moderation) – ghee, coconut, whole milk, dark chocolate

These fats support brain function, reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol, and help your hormones stay balanced.

🚫 Unhealthy Fats (Limit or Ditch):

  • Trans fats – found in bakery items, vanaspati (dalda), processed snacks, fried street food
  • Refined seed oils – sunflower, corn, soybean (especially when reused or overheated)

Trans fats increase bad cholesterol (LDL), lower good cholesterol (HDL), and are strongly linked to heart disease and chronic inflammation.

🔬 How Fat Actually Works Inside You (Step-by-Step)

🥄 Step 1: Digestion Begins in the Small Intestine

Unlike carbs, fat skips your stomach and gets digested in the small intestine.
Your liver and gallbladder release bile, which acts like soap — breaking big fat globs into tiny droplets.
Then, enzymes like lipase from your pancreas break fat into fatty acids and glycerol, which your body can absorb.

💡 Pro Tip: Eating more fiber (from veggies, fruits, oats, etc.) triggers fresh bile production, which uses up excess cholesterol — helping lower LDL naturally.

🧬 Step 2: Absorption, Transport & Use

Once broken down, fat is packaged into chylomicrons — little fat carriers that enter your bloodstream. From here:

  • 🛠️ Some fats are used for energy, hormones, and repair
  • 🧊 Some are stored as triglycerides in fat cells
  • 🚚 Others are carried by:
    • VLDL – moves triglycerides from liver to cells
    • LDL – deposits cholesterol in blood vessels (bad in excess)
    • HDL – picks up excess fat and brings it back to the liver (protective)

✅ When you eat balanced, this system works beautifully.
⚠️ When you overeat any macro, your system becomes a mess — with inflammation and fat gain.

⚖️ Too Much or Too Little? Here’s What Happens

🍟 Too much fat — especially the wrong kind:

  • Leads to weight gain (fats are calorie dense)
  • Increases inflammation from poor quality oils
  • Raises risk of heart disease and insulin resistance

🚫 Too little fat:

  • Weakens hormone production
  • Reduces absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K
  • Leads to dry skin, anxiety, cravings, and poor recovery

✅ The sweet spot: About 20–30% of your calories should come from healthy fats.

❌ Fat Myths We Still Believe (And Need to Stop)

❌ “Fat makes you fat”
✅ Excess calories do — from any source. Fats actually help you stay full and prevent overeating.

❌ “Cholesterol in food = heart attacks”
✅ Your liver makes cholesterol regardless of how much you eat. Moderate intake of eggs, ghee, or paneer isn’t harmful when your diet is balanced.

❌ “Low-fat = healthy”
✅ Most low-fat foods are loaded with sugar to taste better. Natural fat keeps your metabolism, mood, and brain working right.

❌ “Ghee is bad for your heart”
✅ Pure desi ghee, in moderation, contains CLA and butyrate — great for gut health and reducing inflammation. Don’t blame the ghee. Blame the portion size and context.

❌ “Only use cold-pressed oils”
✅ While cold-pressed is great for salads or light sautéing, refined oils can be safe for occasional deep-frying due to their high smoke point. Just don’t reheat them or use them excessively.

✅ The Balanced Plate Formula (With Fats)

🥣 1 part Complex Carb (millets, oats, brown rice, whole wheat)
🍗 1 part Protein (dal, paneer, tofu, eggs, fish)
🥬 1 part Fibre (salad, veggies, sprouts)
🧈 1 part Fat (ghee, nuts, seeds, coconut)

→ Keeps blood sugar stable, hormones happy, and cravings in check.

🛠️ Fat-Smart Convenience Hacks

  • 🥣 Use an air fryer or microwave to cut oil and save time
  • 🥜 Add nuts and seeds to snacks, breakfast, and salads
  • 🥥 Dilute coconut chutney to cut down saturated fat
  • 🍳 Restaurant food adds excess oil/butter for taste, so always expect more calories.
  • 🔄 Rotate oils every few months (groundnut, mustard, sesame, etc.)
  • 🍱 At restaurants, ask for less oil or pick grilled over fried
  • 🍛 Order phulkas over butter naan, palak paneer over butter masala
  • 🍽 Use an oil sprayer at home instead of pouring straight from the bottle

🔚 Final Thoughts: Fat Isn’t Your Enemy — Fear and Misinformation Are

💪 Fat = energy, hormones, brain function, mood
🚨 Bad fats = inflammation, cravings, disease
🧠 Smart fats = focus, satiety, performance

👉 Don’t cut fat. Cut confusion.
👉 Don’t fear ghee. Fear imbalance.
👉 Don’t skip the yolk. Skip the myths.

Your brain, hormones, and future self will thank you.

By Sumanth
Nutritionist | Functional Medicine Practitioner | NASM CPT

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