One of the most popular diets, people pursue low fat diets for many reasons, including weight loss and disease prevention. When selecting a low calorie or low fat plan, make sure you are consuming a balanced and complete diet. Your assignment is to set realistic and attainable low calorie diet goals.
People on low fat diets need to avoid certain foods. High-fat foods include whole milk and whole milk products such as ice cream or cream cheese, fried foods, marbled beef, chicken skin, spare ribs or any meat with visible fat, tuna packed in oil, regular salad dressing, potato chips and fried snack foods, and many baked goods”cookies, cakes, pies, and doughnuts.
Ultra-low fat diets, those recommending below 10% of caloric intake from fat, have been shown to greatly increase the risk of deficiencies of essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs are basic, essential nutrients important for heart health, mental function, skin health and many other body functions.
Low fat diets work as weight loss diets because they reduce calorie intake. The difficulty with low fat and very low fat diets is that they are difficult to maintain. Often when people go off these diets they gain weight back, then diet again, then gain weight back in a pattern of weight cycling This happens with many diets, but some research shows that people who go off low fat diets tend to binge or overeat more than people who go off more moderate diets.
Whatever your reasons or motivation, here are 4 things you can do to get started:
1. Drink water, and plenty of it. Water is essential for digestion, and also helps us feel fuller for longer. Sometimes we confuse thirst for hunger, so keep a bottle of water by your side and sip it frequently”you’ll probably end up eating less.
2. If weight loss is your goal, don’t set yourself up for disappointment or, worse, health problems. Make this a positive experience and start with small, achievable goals. Sustainable weight loss means losing no more than two pounds a week. If you choose to go on a crash diet, your body will ultimately balk: your metabolism will slow down and it will become harder to shed pounds as your poor body goes into preservation mode.
3. Look for “low-fat,” “nonfat” and “reduced-fat” claims on food packages. Focus on total fat, but always try to choose foods low in saturated or trans fats. When selecting food, balance those with a higher fat amount against those with a lower fat amount to stay within your fat total or “budget” for the day. This is one of the best natural weight loss.
4. Decrease saturated fat (animal fat, butter, coconut and palm oils) to less than 10% of your total calories per day. For a person eating 2000 calories a day, this would be 20 grams of saturated fat or less per day. And choose healthy unsaturated fats in place of saturated fats. Healthy fats include olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, salmon, and avocado.