For a few weeks now I've been eating a very low fat diet because of some gallbladder issues I was having (That's here on my blog: Honey, I Shrunk My Butt). I've been struggling with what I should be doing with my diet, I just couldn't wrap my mind around the topic for some reason. I started getting overwhelmed with all the terms.. no-fat, low-fat, trans fat, good fat, bad fat.. fat fat fat. So instead of worrying about it, I basically cut out as much fat as I could, even the "good fat." Then a discussion came up in the Rock Star Boot Camp Fit & Healthy Group on Facebook {JOIN NOW!} that reminded me that I NEED good fat. In order to be successful in weight loss and health, your body needs fat. It's a little hard to swallow because in our society it's hammered into our heads that fat is bad. So I did some asking around and searching on the interwebs. What is good fat and what is bad fat?

I found this article called Choosing Healthy Fat (<--- read that, it has SO much great information!) and I really liked how the author sums up the no fat/low fat debate in my head:

"A walk down the grocery aisle will confirm our obsession with low-fat foods. We’re bombarded with supposedly guilt-free options: baked potato chips, fat-free ice cream, low-fat candies, cookies, and cakes. But while our low-fat options have exploded, so have obesity rates. Clearly, low-fat foods and diets haven’t delivered on their trim, healthy promises.
Despite what you may have been told, fat isn’t always the bad guy in the waistline wars. Bad fats, such as saturated fats and trans fats, are guilty of the unhealthy things all fats have been blamed for—weight gain, clogged arteries, and so forth. But good fats such as the monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3s have the opposite effect.
As a matter of fact, healthy fats play a huge role in helping you manage your moods, stay on top of your mental game, fight fatigue, and even control your weight.
The answer isn’t cutting out the fat—it’s learning to make healthy choices and to replace bad fats with good ones that promote health and well-being."

Another great part of the article is this table (among many, read it!):

Myths and facts about fats

Myth: All fats are equal—and equally bad for you.
Fact: Saturated fats and trans fats are bad for you because they raise your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. But monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are good for you, lowering cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart disease.
Myth: Lowering the amount of fat you eat is what matters the most.
Fact: The mix of fats that you eat, rather than the total amount in your diet, is what matters most when it comes to your cholesterol and health. The key is to eat more good fats and less bad fats.
Myth: Fat-free means healthy.
Fact: A “fat-free” label doesn’t mean you can eat all you want without consequences to your waistline. Many fat-free foods are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and calories.
Myth: Eating a low-fat diet is the key to weight loss.
Fact: The obesity rates for Americans have doubled in the last 20 years, coinciding with the low-fat revolution. Cutting calories is the key to weight loss, and since fats are filling, they can help curb overeating.
Myth: All body fat is the same.
Fact: Where you carry your fat matters. The health risks are greater if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen, as opposed to your hips and thighs. A lot of belly fat is stored deep below the skin surrounding the abdominal organs and liver, and is closely linked to insulin resistance and diabetes.

After reading this article in it's entirety and then once again, and also reading another from Livestrong.com on how to calculate how much fat I should be getting, I have a much better understanding of the topic. Now begins the journey of putting my knowledge into action to see results.

Remember the Cartwright Fun Run a few weeks ago? Luke Air Force Base was there to volunteer along with many others. The base paper covered the event and take pictures and the article has been published. How exciting to see another perspective on the event! Check it out here at the base paper The Luke Air Force Base Thunderbolt.





A group of campers in the Rock Star Boot Camp Fit & Healthy Group on Facebook have just started a 5 week refocus health program; it's called "Restart, Refocus, Recommit." It started Wednesday May 30th, only yesterday so you can still jump in if you want! Check out the flier below and if it's something you're interested in, make sure to join the Facebook group for support! Click on the image below to make it bigger!


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Rock Star Boot Camp is the official boot camp of the Phoenix Mercury! This is an exciting new partnership and we are proud to be associated with such an amazing sport and group of athletes. Watch for us at all the home games, on the Phoenix Mercury website, on TV and hosting several on-court events. We're also launching a Biggest Transformation Contest in conjunction with the Phoenix Mercury. More details will follow, but needless to say, it's a fabulous time to be a Rock Star!