Most of us have grown up believing that fat is bad for our health. Perhaps the reason for this is that overweight people are often referred to as fat.
Unknown to many, fat is one of the most important nutrients in the body given its role in the absorption of some vitamins, support of brain function, and promotion of healthy skin and hair.
Even with that, the fact that fat is more concentrated with calories than either carbohydrates or proteins makes it easily harmful if not taken in the right amounts and types. If you intend to lose weight yet still have the needed fats, this is a guide on the right amount and type of fats to take.
Keeping an eye on the calories
When it comes to weight loss, the most important thing to your diet is the amount of calories eaten. You take in too much of them and you gain weight and vice versa. Losing weight can be simplified to creating a deficit in the calories in the body.
To lose 1 to 2 pounds each week, you will need to a create a calorie deficit of between 500 to 1000 calories. This means that you have to take in between 1500 to 1200 calories each week to keep the weight deficit while avoiding malnutrition. Healthyfully has a BMI and weight loss calculator which can be used as a proper guide for healthy weight loss.
The quantity of fat intake that is healthy
In the sections above, it was held that an intake of about 1500 calories per day is what is needed to create a calorie deficit that will allow you to lose weight. The medically recommended percentage of fats per day is between 25% and 35% of all the taken calories.
That means that, for a calorie intake of 1500 calories, only about 375 to 525 calories will be made of fat. It also means that just about 42 to 58 grams of fat is all you need to stay healthy.
This amount of fats is enough to keep you healthy while facilitating the lose of weight. As long as you do not veer from this regime too much and couple this diet with physical activities, you will see visible results on your body fat scale a while after you start the regime.
Healthy and unhealthy fats
Under the umbrella of fats are unsaturated and saturated fats. These types of fats can be simply grouped into healthy and unhealthy fats given their effects on the body. Commercial and processed foods contain trans fast which fall under the saturated fats. This group of fats increase your likelihood of gaining weight and having heart diseases of various types.
Experts (such as the USDA and the AHA) recommend no more than 10% of these fats on a daily basis. To keep your weight goals, avoid this group of fats as much as possible. You can do this through going for white meats (and not their red counterparts) and avoiding foods that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.
On the other hand, unsaturated fats are good for your health and should be the focus of your fat intake for proper health. These fats do not have any effects if taken in the recommended amounts. They can be found in seeds, avocado, nuts, and some oily fish like salmon.
Oils such as walnut oil, flaxseed oil and olive oil are also part of the healthy fats. While still a health risk when taken in unreasonably large amounts, these fats improve the blood cholesterol thus keeping at bay circulatory systems issues like heart disease. With the calculator above, you will know how much of these fats to take in to lose weight.
The lack of fats is a health risk you cannot afford to take. On the other hand, too much of the same is another health risk affecting lots of people around the world. As such, you need a middle ground that will provide you with the right amount of fats needed by the body while allowing you to create a calorie deficit.
This calorie deficit is what will allow you to lose weight. You can make the process faster and better by increasing the level, intensity and types of physical activities you engage in. Losing weight is always more efficient when diet is combined with the right physical exertion. Having known the needed fat levels for your body, losing weight will not be a problem.
Author Bio: Monica a self-driven person and loves to spend her leisure time reading interesting books that come her way. She is passionate about writing and collecting new books. She believes in hard work and it is her persistence that keeps her doing better. She is a perfectionist and doesn’t let go off things that don’t appear perfect to her. She loves traveling whenever she needs time off of her busy schedule. Her favorite holiday destination is Hawaii.
