After a few weeks, you will find it easy to eat less fat. If you're having trouble, remember to continue to count your fats and attempt to reduce that amount each day. Your eventual goal should be around 35-40 grams of fat per day. If you can attain this level, you have made a significant stride toward leading a healthy lifestyle. Please note: this is where it gets tough for many people. The temptations of fatty foods are very compelling! In the above paragraph, it sounds easy to make your goal. Remember to try to take it slow and don't expect to change overnight!

Fill-in this chart to help you count your fat grams! Count the number of fat grams you eat each day.

Quick Tip #16: Reduce your total fat grams until you reach your goal of 25-35 grams of fat per day.

The Craving Hump

Counting fat and reducing fat looks good on paper, but in reality it's hard to do. If you're busy with work or family, it's even more difficult. If you're like most Americans, you're probably a "fat addict." Your body has become accustomed to eating a high fat diet. As you begin to reduce the amount of fat you eat, you'll begin to crave fatty foods. You'll crave fried foods, hamburgers and everything you used to eat. And this is where most people tend to give in and eat a hamburger. However, as you slowly reduce your fat intake, your body begins to become content with the amount of fat you are feeding it...less and less as time goes by.

The goal is to get over "the craving hump," or the difficult time when you really crave fatty foods. If you can get over the hump, you're almost at the finish line. This usually takes about two or three weeks, sometimes longer. But once you're there, you'll know, because you'll no longer crave fatty foods. The key to getting over the craving hump is to replace fat calories with carbohydrate calories. Carbohydrates make the difference in this fight against fat.