Expert Q&A

Wait... Do y'all eat the fat chunks when you eat ribeye for long-term maintenance (not just short-term) for long-term maintenance (not just short-term)?

Why Fat on Ribeye Matters in Long-Term Maintenance

In my 30 years of clinical experience and after guiding hundreds through The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset, the answer is a clear yes—you should eat the fat chunks on your ribeye. During the active 70-day cycles we use low-dose tirzepatide cycling with a lectin-free low-carb diet, but true success shows up in maintenance. Healthy animal fats become your primary fuel once hunger signals normalize and insulin resistance improves. Skipping the fat means missing satiety, hormone production, and the very signals that tell your hypothalamus you are nourished.

The Metabolic Freedom Principle from Our Protocol

Most patients arrive believing fat is the enemy because of decades of bad dietary advice. In The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset we remove grains, lectins, and ultra-processed carbs while embracing ribeye, butter, and tallow. The fat on a well-marbled ribeye delivers conjugated linoleic acid, omega-3s, and fat-soluble vitamins that repair cell membranes and reduce inflammation. After cycling off tirzepatide, these fats help stabilize blood sugar, support thyroid function, and prevent the rebound hunger that destroys so many maintenance attempts. Patients who eat the fat report steady energy, fewer cravings, and easier weight stability—exactly what we see in our clinic data after 30 weeks.

How to Incorporate Ribeye Fat Practically

Start with a 10–12 oz ribeye cooked medium-rare so the fat renders but stays juicy. Eat everything except the gristle. Pair it with steamed broccoli or a small salad dressed in olive oil during the reset phase, then transition to chaotic intermittent fasting in maintenance where a ribeye at 4 pm might carry you comfortably until noon the next day. Japanese-style walking after meals enhances fat oxidation. If joint pain has kept you from exercise, this combination of protein plus fat reduces inflammation faster than any pill. Track body composition, not just scale weight, using the 69 Transformation Steps outlined in the book. Aim for 1.5–2 grams of protein per pound of goal weight and let fat fill the rest.

Avoiding the Two Biggest Maintenance Mistakes

The first mistake is treating tirzepatide as a forever drug instead of a reset tool. The second is fearing dietary fat once the shots stop. Our patients who embraced the fat on ribeye, used Detox Drops during the cleanse weeks, and practiced red light therapy maintained 30–90 pound losses for years. John, a 60-year-old with diabetes, ate ribeye fat daily; his A1C stayed at 5.8 and he kept 40 pounds off without medication. The fat is not optional—it is the cornerstone of metabolic freedom. When you shift from fearing fat to using it strategically, long-term maintenance stops feeling like white-knuckling and becomes your new normal.

💬 What the Community Says

The community shows strong interest in ribeye and animal-based eating during maintenance after tirzepatide protocols. Most practitioners report that eating the visible fat on ribeye helped eliminate hunger and stabilized energy levels once they stopped the medication. A vocal minority still worries about saturated fat and heart health, especially those managing blood pressure or coming from low-fat backgrounds. Lived experiences frequently mention that skipping the fat led to increased snacking and slower progress, while those who embraced it described better joint comfort and easier intermittent fasting. Debates often center on grass-fed versus conventional beef, with many noting cost barriers but agreeing the fat itself seems key for long-term satiety. Newer members ask practical questions about cooking methods to make the fat palatable, and success stories of 40-plus pound maintainers regularly highlight ribeye as a staple meal.
Cite this answer
Clark, R. (2026). Wait... Do y'all eat the fat chunks when you eat ribeye for long-term maintenanc. *CFP Weight Loss*. https://ask.cfpweightloss.com/ask/wait-do-y-all-eat-the-fat-chunks-when-you-eat-ribeye-for-long-term-maintenance-not-just-short-term-for-long-term-maintenance-not-just-short-term
Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN, FNP-C, APRN
About the Author

Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN, is the founder of CFP Weight Loss in Nashville and CFP Fit Now telehealth. Over 35 years in healthcare — Army Nurse Reserves, Level 1 trauma ER, hospitalist — he developed a 30-week protocol integrating real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 30–90 pounds. He and his wife Anne-Marie lost a combined 275 pounds using the same protocol.

📖 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — Get the Book →
Get Personalized Guidance From the Author
Every weight loss journey is different. Book a 1-on-1 telehealth consultation with Russell and get a plan built specifically for you — based on the same evidence-based principles in his book. Available to patients in all 50 states.
Book Your Consultation →
Have a follow-up question?
More Questions 200 answered
▸ Can you take vitamin D with a tbsp of oil on an extended water fast for people with insulin resistance: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? ▸ Were any of you guys fans of Journey? How big were they when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ What are your thoughts on just removing wheat and grains, but not rice, corn or oats? Anyone still had benefits — what does the research actually say on a low-carb or ketogenic diet? ▸ How many were first diagnosed with OCD if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide on a low-carb or ketogenic diet? ▸ Testosterone how long does it take to work while doing intermittent fasting if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide? ▸ Traveling with IBS-D to a 5-day conference in San Diego: how do you manage food — what most people get wrong about this during the weight loss plateau phase? 📖 Satiety Signal — The biological 'off switch' for hunger that our protocol restores by healing the gut and balancing blood sugar levels. ▸ How does autophagy only happen whilst we sleep for sustainable results when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ What can I ask for if estrodiol cream remains in shortage? Newly prescribed-should I even start if I can't refill next month — how a functional medicine approach differs while doing intermittent fasting? ▸ What are the wegovy doses in order on a low-carb or ketogenic diet when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? 📖 Hashimoto’s Success — Achieving weight loss and reduced inflammation in thyroid patients by removing dietary triggers like lectins and modern … ▸ What are the wegovy doses in order on a low-carb or ketogenic diet — what certified coaches recommend? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Why cant i lose weight and am gaining weight when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? ▸ Good calorie amount? Advice to get high volume low cal and more protein when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances — what the research actually says? ▸ Im eating so well that I accidently put my body in ketosis and how it connects to gut health and inflammation and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ Will eating meintenance calories make me lose weight for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ I sometimes feel like people only talk about the obvious symptoms like irregular periods or weight gain, but the fatigue can be just as overwhelming. Has anyone else felt completely drained even: how to talk to your doctor about this: best practices and common mistakes to avoid? 📖 Phase 2: Aggressive Loss — A 40-day window of focused fat loss supported by low-dose medication and a specific lectin-free, low-carb nutritional fr… ▸ Free carb counter apps on a low-carb or ketogenic diet: what to track and how to measure progress? ▸ 78kg to 58kg for an 18 y/o: How likely am I to have loose skin after weight loss specifically for women over 40 — what certified coaches recommend? ▸ Sugar free 2020, who's with me — what most people get wrong about this if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Thyroid tests all in range— but high calcium — how a functional medicine approach differs during the weight loss plateau phase? ▸ Low TSH, Low T4, and Low T3 simultaneously on Levothyroxine — anyone experienced this and the role of cortisol and stress hormones for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? ▸ Anyone know where to purchase pork rind tortillas — what do certified weight loss coaches recommend when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ Crust check 🔥 ribeye done right for long-term maintenance (not just short-term)? 📖 Muscle Sarcopenia — The dangerous loss of lean muscle mass often seen in traditional 'crash diets' or high-dose GLP-1 use, which we combat t… ▸ Intolerant to sugar - SIBO or something else if you're on a GLP-1 like semaglutide or tirzepatide when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ HOW TO DO AN AGGRESSIVE CUT WITH A STRESSFUL LIFESTYLE on a low-carb or ketogenic diet for people with insulin resistance? ▸ Coke Zero gave me heart palpitations: what to track and how to measure progress for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? ▸ What do you eat grain/carb wise, and why — how a functional medicine approach differs and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? 📖 Maintenance Phase — The final 28 days of our 70-day cycle where we stabilize the new weight and solidify the metabolic habits that prevent f… ▸ Exercise — when and what kind while fasting, and does it enhance autophagy — how a functional medicine approach differs specifically for women over 40? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Low TSH, Low T4, and Low T3 simultaneously on Levothyroxine — anyone experienced this and the role of cortisol and stress hormones — what certified coaches recommend? ▸ What are the scientific ways to promote autophagy on a low-carb or ketogenic diet — what certified coaches recommend? ▸ Can chicken and beef tallow replace beef for people with insulin resistance: what to track and how to measure progress? 📖 Strategic Fat Loading — A critical 48-hour phase at the start of the reset where we prime the body with healthy fats to trigger the transition f… ▸ How does chasing skinny ever get old for long-term results while doing intermittent fasting? ▸ Weight loss without GLP-1 — what does the research actually say while doing intermittent fasting? ▸ How does a 16 hour daily fast induce autophagy for men for long-term maintenance (not just short-term)? ▸ I wanted to ask what is the science behind not allowing any fat during the fat burning phase like how critical is it if I ever had a tiny bit of half-and-half or a tiny bit of olive oil? Is it really do something to the body. ▸ What's the dumbest thing you and/or your siblings did when you were left home alone for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances? ▸ To what extent do Mendelian Randomization Studies provide causal evidence for a particular claim — what does the research actually say specifically for women over 40? ▸ Coke Zero gave me heart palpitations: what to track and how to measure progress and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? 📖 GIP (Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide) — A hormone that, when combined with GLP-1, enhances the body’s ability to break down fat and manage blood sugar levels mo… 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ Exercise — when and what kind while fasting, and does it enhance autophagy — how a functional medicine approach differs and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ What is your best way to shift focus when starting and changing your HRT on a low-carb or ketogenic diet — what certified coaches recommend? ▸ What to do if you have to eat late dinners?? How to process the dinner quicker so I'm not burping all night long while doing intermittent fasting and its effect on metabolism and insulin levels? ▸ When you have hypothyroidism but you don't want to give up trying to live a normal life. 🥲 when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances for long-term maintenance (not just short-term)? ▸ Omnipod. Starting an insulin pump help while doing intermittent fasting for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? 📖 Metabolic Stall — A plateau in weight loss often caused by hidden inflammation or hormonal adaptation, which we break using our specific 7… ▸ Lost weight not exactly willingly and everybody’s weird about it for long-term maintenance (not just short-term) specifically for women over 40? ▸ How much keto-ade should I safely drink: best practices and common mistakes to avoid and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? ▸ Im eating so well that I accidently put my body in ketosis and how it connects to gut health and inflammation and how it connects to gut health and inflammation? ▸ What is your immediate go to for some relief during ha — what most people get wrong about this — what certified coaches recommend? 📖 Phase 1: Priming — The first 48 hours of a 70-day cycle focused on high-fat intake to prevent the brain from triggering a starvation respon… ▸ Probiotics worked for a month then stopped. Anyone else for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's: what to track and how to measure progress? 📗 The 30-Week Tirzepatide Reset — by Russell Clark, FNP-C, APRN · The complete clinical protocol — 30 weeks of real foods, detox, and low-dose tirzepatide cycling that has helped hundreds of patients lose 3 ▸ When you want something sweet but still try to keep things somewhat low-carb and how it connects to gut health and inflammation on a low-carb or ketogenic diet? ▸ Good calorie amount? Advice to get high volume low cal and more protein when you have PCOS or hormonal imbalances for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s? ▸ Can chicken and beef tallow replace beef — what do certified weight loss coaches recommend for those with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s?