Is it Better to Watch Fat or Calories to Lose Weight?

When foods are loudly marketed as "low fat," it is easy to get caught up in the misconception that cutting fat in a diet will lead directly to weight loss. It is actually the maintenance of a caloric deficit that will ultimately lead to permanent weight loss.

Not All Fat is Bad

• Although a low-fat diet can offer many benefits, including an improved feeling of well being, not all fat needs to be reduced. In fact, healthy fats like fish oil can aid in overall health and even weight loss.

Calorie Defecit

• The key to losing weight is having your body burn more calories than it takes in. This can be done by finding an estimate of your average calorie needs, and counting the calories you eat in order to create a deficit.

Types of Calories

• Weight loss is not as simple as subtracting the calories you burn from the calories you eat, however. Calories derived from high-nutrition foods such as vegetables and lean meats will be much less likely to be stored as fat than calories from sugars and processed foods.

Balance

• It is not counting calories alone or watching fat that will lead to weight loss, but rather keeping each of these areas in moderation. Eating low-fat foods may improve health, but will not directly lead to weight loss. Losing weight through caloric control will not automatically improve health.

Weight Loss Aids

• A great way to increase a caloric deficit is to participate in light exercise on a daily basis. A one-hour activity can burn hundreds of calories, making up for possible mistakes in a diet.