Fat does not make you fat

It does seem reasonable to blame eating fat for the increase of body fat. After all, they are both called 'fat'. However, things are rarely as simple as they sound, and solely blaming fat over carbs or protein is not actually correct. Overeating any of these three macronutrients increase the risk of weight gain.   

Registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick at Cleveland Clinic Wellness does agree that fat is scary for some people, especially those who count calories. Fats are quite high in calories. One gram of fat contains nine calories while per gram of protein and carbohydrate both contains four calories. We also tend to associate fat with heavy, indulgent food such as butter and steak and this adds to the misconception that all kinds of fat is unhealthy. 

All kinds of fat are definitely not unhealthy. While it is true that eating processed food, unhealthy food, or overeating constantly will cause weight gain, it is also true that it is possible to lose weight on high-fat diet. Kristin claimed many of her clients replaced refined carbs and sugars with healthy fats and lost weight. The keto diet is quite popular nowadays, which is high-fat and low-carb. Many people say this diet helped them lose weight, although it's still quite controversial among dietitians. 

Removing refined carb and sugar from diet automatically helps to lose a lot of weight. Additionally, fat takes longer to digest than other nutrients, so they keep you full for longer and stops overeating, snacking and binge eating. For this same reason, your body burns more calories while digesting fat. All this results in weight loss. 

How much fat should we eat, then? Fat should be kept as 30 percent of your daily diet, more or less depending on your body, activity level and general health. It is always advisable to consult a doctor or dietician for specific guidelines. 

All fats are not same. Try to keep healthy fats in your diet, including nuts, whole soy, olive oil, fatty fish, avocado etc. You will no longer need to splurge on non-fat food to lose weight!