The Nitty Gritty on Fat Loss – Newsletter September 2015

The Nitty Gritty on Fat…..loss

People seem less worried about consuming fat in their diets nowadays, thankfully that bandwagons gone, but a few people still need convincing, so here we go…

Good Fats?

You’ve all probably heard the term good fats and bad fats, and whilst some sources would be more beneficial to you than others, we’ll keep things simple. So as a general rule, aim to get your fats from natural sources such as the following:

Fish

Eggs
Raw nuts
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Avocado
Butter

Western diets tend to be higher in omega-6 due to the prevalence of fast food. Aim for fat sources which are richer in omega-3 as these have a range of benefits towards muscle building and fat loss, as well as anti-inflammation amongst other things.

What are Bad Fats?

Fats which tend to be found in processed foods may taste good, however offer little benefit to your body, either minimise or exclude these foods from your diet. These will usually be higher in omega-6, which is linked to increased inflammation in the body.

Here are a few examples:

Fried foods
Takeaways
Doughnuts
Cookies
Pastries
Crisps

Context

I’ve highlighted context in past newsletters, and this still stands. Is it detrimental to have a doughnut and two packets of crisps over the course of one week? Of course not, you need to view your eating as a whole and consider what’s happened over the entire week.

Now having a doughnut and two packets of crisps everyday wouldn’t be beneficial, especially if your goal is centred on your appearance. Something like this could easily take you into a calorie surplus, exactly what you don’t want if weight loss is your goal.

BUT. Eating well during the week only to binge on the weekends due to restricting foods is an even bigger problem, so the key is to find a balance where you’re not craving certain foods.

To Summarise

Fat consumption doesn’t lead to fat or weight gain, overeating does.
Fat is good and vital for vitamin absorption amongst other things.
Recommendations to avoid saturated fat are misguided.
Good sources of fat will have positive effects on your hormonal functions.
Try to be strong after a night out and avoid kebab shops…