Not all fats, especially nutritious and healthy ones, should be avoided.
Reviewed by registered dietitian Emily Lachtrup, MS, RD
The low-fat trend of the 1990s may be outdated, while high-fat diets like keto are still popular. Because opinions about fats often change, you may not be sure how fats fit into a healthy weight loss diet.
Fats contain more calories than carbohydrates and proteins. According to the USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center, there are 9 calories in 1 gram of fat and 4 calories in 1 gram of protein or carbohydrate. Therefore, it makes sense that a low-fat diet can help you save calories. However, not all fat is created equal, and losing weight is more accurate than simply counting calories. According to the American Heart Association, fat is an essential nutrient that provides energy, supports cell function, and helps your body absorb nutrients and produce hormones. Fats also fill foods and make them taste better.
Here's how to lose weight if you don't know where to start, according to a nutritionist
Including the right fats in your diet instead of avoiding fats can help you lose weight. The Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes healthy fats, has been shown to aid weight loss. A 2019 study published in the journal Nutrition and Diabetes that followed 32,000 people for 12 years found that those who followed the Mediterranean diet had about a 10% lower risk of becoming overweight or obese compared to those who did not follow the Mediterranean diet. . The Mediterranean diet can also help with weight loss. A 2020 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that people who followed the Mediterranean diet were twice as likely to lose weight compared to those who did not follow the diet.
Since a lean diet isn't the answer, you may have questions about how to get the right fats in your diet to achieve your weight loss goals. In this article, we present the best healthy fats for weight loss that are recommended by nutrition experts.
What are healthy fats?
First, what do we mean when we say you should eat more healthy fats? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get 20 to 35 percent of calories from fat sources and less than 10 percent of daily calories from saturated fat. There are three main groups of fats: saturated fats, trans fats, and trans fats. Each type of fat has a unique chemical structure, which means that each one of them works differently in the body.
We call saturated fats and trans fats “bad” fats. A diet high in saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Foods high in saturated fat include butter, whole milk, cheese, red meat, baked goods, and fats that are solid at room temperature, such as coconut oil. However, saturated fats cannot be avoided as they play an important role in maintaining a healthy body. Instead of aiming to eliminate saturated fats, it is beneficial to focus on increasing unsaturated fats to promote a healthy balance of fats in our diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, trans fats also pose a risk to heart health because they raise levels of harmful LDL cholesterol.
“Good” fats are unsaturated fats, and there are two main types: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Trans fats are liquid at room temperature and are linked to health benefits such as: B. Reducing harmful LDL cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease.
Monounsaturated fats: These healthy fats are found in foods such as olive oil, peanuts, and canola oil. Avocado, nuts and seeds.
Polyunsaturated fats: These healthy fats are abundant in foods such as canola, sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils. Nuts, flaxseeds and fish.
The best healthy fats for weight loss
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Since low-fat diets are no longer popular, avocados have gained popularity. (We're looking at your avocado toast!) The high fiber and monounsaturated fat in avocados help boost the satiety factor, making them especially beneficial for weight loss. A 2018 clinical study of 31 relatively healthy overweight and obese adults published in the journal Nutrients “found that eating a whole avocado for breakfast suppressed hunger and increased nutritional satiety compared to eating without avocado,” says Christine. Carly, MS, RD, owner of Camelback Nutrition and Wellness.
Oily fish
Protein plays an important role in weight loss as it increases satiety after a meal and also helps maintain muscle mass during weight loss. Fish, including "oily fish" such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines and anchovies, are natural lean sources of protein. Fish oil contains the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. “EPA and DHA are different from the omega-3 fatty acids found in plants, and eating seafood is one of the few ways to increase these essential nutrients that our bodies can't make,” explains Carolyn Thomason, RD, CDCES in Washington. - Registered nutritionist and diabetes educator.
A 2019 study in the journal Nutrition Research Review found that eating fish can help you lose weight in several ways. First, replacing fish with other animal proteins reduces calorie intake by 4 to 9 percent. Second, eating fish as part of a low-calorie diet “promotes weight loss,” according to the research. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend eating 8 ounces of fish (about two servings) per week.
All salad dressings
If the idea of eating your vegetables without your favorite clothes bothers you, don't worry.
“Fat-free” salad dressings are declining in popularity because they are based on outdated science.
In addition to improving the taste of high-fat salad dressing, fat is also important so you can absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in these vegetables, such as vitamins A, E, D, and K. “Using a wrap of high-fat foods is more satiating than fatty foods and is digested more slowly than foods high in carbohydrates or protein, so you feel full longer,” says Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD. Certified Sports Nutritionist in Miami.
Nuts
If you're looking for a convenient, filling snack that supports your weight loss goals, almonds are a great choice. Almonds have long been on the list of banned foods for weight loss, because they are high in calories. (And that's thanks to all those healthy fats.) However, research shows that almonds do not get in the way of your weight loss goals. For example, a 2019 study of more than 100,000 healthy adults in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health found that replacing less healthy foods (processed meats, sweets, potato chips) with nuts was associated with lower levels of anxiety over time. Related as well as reducing obesity.
“I choose nuts as the best healthy fat for weight loss,” says Samantha Cassetti, MS, RD, nutrition and plant-based health expert and co- author of Sugar Shock . “A two-year study found that healthy older adults can include 1 to 2 ounces of nuts in their daily diet without gaining weight,” he said.
Whole yogurt
Are all yogurts free of "bad" saturated fats? Yes, but listen to us. Full-fat yogurt is not only rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins and probiotics, which are good for gut health, but it also helps you feel full longer.
Research shows that eating yogurt is associated with a lower risk of weight gain over time. A 2019 study published in Advances in Nutrition concluded that not all dairy products are linked to weight gain and that consuming dairy products improves lean body mass and helps reduce body fat. The researchers compared sweetened yogurt to regular yogurt, and found that plain yogurt was more closely linked to weight loss.
Need more convincing? A 2022 meta-analysis published in the journal Advances in Nutrition with data from more than 30,000 people found that for every 50 grams of yogurt consumed daily (a standard serving of yogurt weighs 150 grams), the risk of overweight/obesity increases. . Decreased by 13%. From sweet to salty, there are plenty of options to help you incorporate more yogurt into your diet while achieving your weight loss goals.
Diploma
Even if you're already trying to lose weight, don't be afraid to add fat to your diet. In addition to being a major nutrient, fat improves the flavor of foods and makes them more satisfying. Instead of avoiding fats like we did in the 1990s, the goal is to include the right fats in your diet, such as nuts, avocados, and full-fat yogurt. Get ready to dig.
Read the main article about good food.