Losing weight is not always easy, but through a combination of reducing caloric intake and increasing levels of exercise weight loss goals can be achieved. Decreasing the daily intake of fat can also be important in weight loss. The body does need fat every day, so it is important to know the right amount of fat to consume daily in order to achieve your weight loss goals.
Fat Is Necessary
Fat, protein, and carbohydrates are the three nutrients that supply calories to the body. Fat provides 9 calories per gram, more than twice the number provided by carbohydrates and protein. Fats provide essential fatty acids that must be obtained through food. According to Medline Plus these essential fatty acids are important for controlling inflammation, blood clotting, and brain development. Fat insulates the body, is an energy source, maintains healthy skin and hair, and carries vitamins A, D, E, and K into the bloodstream.
Types of fat
There are three different types of fat: saturated, unsaturated, and trans fatty acid. Saturated fats are one of the biggest causes of high LDL or bad cholesterol. Saturated fats are found in animal products, such as high fat dairy products and fatty cuts of meat. They also can be found in oils such as coconut and palm oil. Unsaturated fats do not raise blood cholesterol and include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. They are found in nuts, olives, avocados, salmon, and tuna. Trans fatty acids are found in commercial baked goods, fired foods, processed foods and margarine. Trans fatty acids raise LDL cholesterol and are linked to heart disease.
Fat and Calories
Calories are an energy source for the body, but if more calories are consumed than the body expends, weight gain will occur. In order to lose weight, you must consume fewer calories or burn more calories than you consume. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. To lose one pound of fat in a week, you have to eat 3,500 fewer calories, which is about 500 fewer calories a day, or burn off the calories through exercise. Eating a low fat diet can help with weight loss, but extra calories, even from fat free or low fat sources, will be stored as body fat.
Minimum Fat
Fat is an essential nutrient that the body needs daily. A low-fat way of eating is important in weight management and in helping to prevent heart disease. The amount of fat needed per day is determined by the daily caloric intake. The daily recommended amount of fat calories is 20 to 35 percent of your daily recommended calories. So, for a 2,000-calorie diet, no more than 700 calories should be from fat. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the daily fat intake should include no more than 10 percent from saturated fats.
Keep Intake Moderate
If you are trying to lose weight, the American Heart Association recommends that you get less than 30 percent of your calories from fat. In order to determine the amount of fat you should consume each day, start with the total number of calories per day. In order to determine 30 percent, multiply total calories by .30. For example, a 1200 calorie diet should have no more that 360 calories from fat each day. If you need to reduce the amount of fat being consumed each day cut back on saturated and trans fats. Reading nutrition labels on packaged food can help. Nutrition labels will show the total amount of fat per serving, making it easier to know how much fat you are consuming.
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