Wherever you look, there is sure to be someone offering their advice when it comes to weight loss. From trendy diets to exercise regimens, everyone has some kind of gimmick. Fortunately, to lose weight and keep it off, there are universal truths that you can trust.The truth is, most diets work if you stick with it; the difference is understanding what foods you can and can’t eat and in what quantities.
Think you HAVE to trade your favorite potato chips for only low-fat option foods?
The Truth about Low-Fat Diets
It is logical to choose low fat foods when trying to lose weight. You want LESS fat on your body, so you ingest less fattening things, right? A single gram of fat contains double the calories of a single gram of protein or carb.
It’s true that decreases the amount of fatty foods will decrease your daily caloric intake…so why don’t low-fat diets work?
All too often, people make the mistake of thinking that since they are eating low fat foods, they can have as much as they want, which simply isn’t the case. Daily calorie goals that are regularly exceeded will cause weight gain. The fact is too many calories—no matter if the source is high or low in fat— will add pounds.
Fats are Essential
Drastically cutting fat from your diet is never a good idea. Like we talked about in Myth 1, the body needs fat to perform basic functions and abilities. Essential fatty acids are a vital part of any persons” diet and should be consumed at least three times a week.
On top of that, the body needs dietary fats which are found in all foods to be able to absorb nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Vitamins like A, D, E and K are all absorbed by fat and absolutely mandatory when it comes to body function abilities.
Choose Healthy Fats
There is a hierarchy to fats, and we discussed most of these when disproving Myth #1. There ARE fats that will help you in the long run to be healthier and stronger. As we discussed before, limit the intake of saturated fats.
Saturated fats are those found in animal products (choosing a leaner cut of meat at the butcher is one great option to limit this fat without giving up what you like to eat.) Read the labels at your grocery store and try to steer clear of anything that reads “hydrogenated fat”. Hydrogenated fats are a type of saturated fat and tend to clog arteries at a higher rate. What you DO want to go for is mono and polyunsaturated fats. These are fats found in nuts, olives and avocado.
Always remember to include foods from all the food groups and opt for the healthier option. Low-fat isn’t the answer, it is watching your daily caloric intake no matter what you eat. Add a little exercise and meet your daily calorie goals and you will be losing weight before you know it!
Look for Myth #7: Cholesterol is Bad for you
Get a jump start on your personal weight loss program today.
