Low Fat Diets

Consuming fat results in weight gain and has limited nutritional value. Therefore people are advised to consume fat in low quantities.

When you are on a low fat diet program, you should limit the amount of calories you consume. When on a low fat diet, only 30% of the calories you consume should come from fat. On an extremely low fat diet, only 20% of the calories you consume should come from fat.

Poultry, fish and meat are not to be consumed when on a low fat weight loss diet. However you can consume dairy products like fat free milk, fat free yogurt, egg whites and cheese. Foods that you must absolutely not consume are seeds, nuts, all kinds of fats and refined carbohydrates like white flour, sugar and white rice.

The bright side is that you can eat an unlimited quantity of other foods like grains, vegetables and fruits.

However, the belief that fat is mainly responsible for weight problems and obesity is being seriously challenged by modern research findings.

The Kinds of Food We Eat

Research shows that those who are overweight are often found to consume the same amount of calories as those who are not. So what is it that makes the difference? ‘Healthy diet and exercise’ makes the difference. 

It’s a common assumption that too much fat will actually make you fat. This is right in a way because saturated fats are definitely not good for your health. However some fats are required for your body, therefore they are called ‘essential’ fatty acids. Believing in this assumption, some go on a low fat or absolutely no fat diet without realizing that food which has low fat has higher amounts of salts and sugar to make the food more eatable.

Sugar and fast releasing foods inevitably cause weight gain, which people don’t seem to realize.

The rate at which these foods let out blood sugar decides whether you will put on weight or not. This is because each time you consume food, your body has to decide whether to burn this food like energy or store it in the form of fat. Greater insulin levels will change your body. 

Weight Loss - Lack of Sleep

Do you know why doctors recommend 8 hours of sleep every night? It is because if you sleep less than 8 hours your body doesn’t complete its job of restoring the body and can lead to weight gain. Its natural functioning is hampered and may also stimulate the hormones that create your appetite. Most people catch around 7 hours of sleep at night, which leads to weight gain.