Fat Girls Need Loving Too

I will start off today’s post with a funny quote from the great baseball movie Summer Catch:

“Excuse me, I am tired of living a lie. I need it to be known that I like a big girl. In fact, a large, zaftig, voluptuous, full-figured, big-boned, massive-assive honey, that is what gets me going. I like fat women and they like me… big girls need love too, baby!” – Miles From Summer Catch (2001)

Bhahahaha – Yes indeed fat girls do need “lovin. “This is a hilarious moment in a great movie. Even though let’s be honest, I watched Jessica Biel get out of the pool over and over and over. If you have not seen “Summer Catch,” it is a great baseball movie. Put it on your list.

                Today (and the next few days) we are going to talk about Fat, the good and the bad. Mostly the good. Fat has a bad reputation. We are going to destroy some myths and show why fat is great and how it will help you throw cheese.

We already know that functional explosive resistance training can help us burn fat. Click here.

What about consuming fat helps us as athletes recover faster and throw harder…

Positive Fat Facts

                Fat is used for many important things in your body. Fat provides the greatest amount of food energy per mass (approximately 8.8 kcal/g). Fat provides energy for important organs, especially the heart. Fat is used as a delivery service for vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fat provides protection for vital organs. Part of all your cells are made up of  fat called phospholipids. Fats make up sixty percent of the brain and nerves that run every system in your body.

Fats Role With Muscle

Fat also plays an important role in muscle contraction. When your brain signals a muscle to contract (or relax) fats helps transmit that signal. Fat is the ideal fuel for muscle cells because it contains 2 times the energy compared to glucose, weighs less and moves easily throughout your body.

When someone tell your that fat is “bad” for you, they don’t understand the important roles fat has throughout your entire body. You always need to respond to the word “bad” with this question, “Bad for me how?” You will quickly discover that “bad” is not a properly defined term.

Fat Categories To Impress Your Friends

Triglycerides are three molecules linked together that make up fatty acids. The fatty acid categories are saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Fats are categorized by the number molecular bonds and their hydrogen atom number.

The Fat You Need

The fat I want to focus on is the polyunsaturated fats. These are also considered the “essential” fatty acids. Similar to “essential” amino acids, we need these in our body but we cannot manufacture them from other nutrients. Which means we need to consume them in our daily diet. A VERY important essential fatty acid is Omega-3 fatty acid. Omega-3 fatty acid is associated with reduced post workout muscle inflammation and speeds up muscle repair. Smith and associates studied the effect of omega-3 supplementation and found a significant increase in protein synthesis for subjects who took omega-3 supplementation verses the subject who did not.

Fat In Your Diet

These good Omega 3 fatty acids can be consumed in your daily diet.  Here is a list of the top foods that contain Omega-3s (top defined by how may mg per 200 calorie serving).

As you can see from the above table. These foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids are not in every meal, but it is possible to get them from your daily diet.

How much?

Total fat (all types) should total 30 to 35 percent of your calories in your diet. Also, If you do not have at least 20 percent of calories from fat in your daily diet, you may experience fatigue and weakened immune system. For example: A 200 pound male athlete should consume roughly 3800 calories a day. 33 percent of those calories, 1254 calories, should be from fat. Or 138 grams.

The Easy Way

Who wants to eat fish every day? Not me. The easiest way to get an adequate amount of omega 3 fatty acids is to supplement with flaxseed oil. Fortunately, this is easy with 2 – 3 tablespoons a day after a workout. 3 tablespoons will give you approximately 42 grams of flaxseed oil. An excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids!

You can buy some from this link. And have it shipped to your door. Click here. See how you like it.

Or the softgels here.

Or you can go to your local grocery store and check the health food section.

Omega 3 fatty acids are a great example of a small thing that makes a big difference. You wont feel a huge spike in recovery or a rush of energy, just a slow steady benefit and a healthy body.

Remember, hard work takes small steps and big dreams,

Zach Calhoon

Disclaimer: Always consult a medical professional before consuming any supplements .

 Smith, G., Atherton, P., Reeds, D., Mohammed, B., Rankin, D., Rennie, M., & Mittendorfer, B. (2011b). Dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases the rate of muscle protein synthesis on older adults: a randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 93, 402.