Fat Loss Nutrition - The Big Fat Lies

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Yet more people than ever are on a diet. So what is going wrong? The fact that diet foods such as low-fat and low-carb products are a $7.6 billion-a-year business might have something to do with it. The food industry keeps you fat with processed foods, so it can sell you more diet products. Avoiding both is one of the key factors in fat loss nutrition.

Getting the basics of fat loss nutrition right, along with the right kind of exercise, will lead to weight loss. The problem with many diets is that they are not balanced. They cannot be maintained long-term. And when you stop dieting, the weight piles back on. Focus on fat loss nutrition, rather than actual weight loss. An approximate guide is that for every 3 grams of protein at a meal you need to have 4 grams of carbohydrate and 1.5 grams of fat. More important still is the type of fat, carbohydrate and protein you eat.

Good Fats and Bad Fats

Quality fat, not low-fat, is the secret to fat loss nutrition. It is the 'trans' fats or hydrogenated fats in processed and fried foods which are the toxic fats that prevent weight loss. The American diet is also overloaded with omega-6 fats and these contribute to insulin resistance (more about that under Carbohydrates). To reach the ideal ratio of 1:1 omega-3 to omega-6, it is necessary to not only consume more omega-3 fats (in fish, fish-oil capsules, or flaxseed oil), but also to decrease the amount of omega-6 fats in your fat loss nutrition diet (vegetable oils, grain-fed beef and many processed foods).

If I told you of a saturated fat that was good for your heart and increased weight loss, would you believe me? Saturated fats, like coconut oil, are no longer the enemy. Coconut oil has the ability to increase your metabolism and burn fat for energy, as well as helping to regulate blood sugar - an essential in weight loss

The fat loss nutrition advice is to keep your extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressings and use coconut oil for cooking.

Carbohydrate Quality and Fat Loss Nutrition

Insulin resistance is the key to weight loss. Reverse it to burn the fat off. It is not so much the fat in the foods we eat but the excess carbohydrates from our starchy and sugary diet that is making us fat and unhealthy.

We consume far too much bread, cereal, pasta, corn, rice and potatoes, mostly as processed food. Good for the food industry, but not for fat loss nutrition and for you. These processed carbs stimulate the over-production of insulin, which leads to insulin-resistant cells. The sugar in your blood has no place else to go except to your fat cells, resulting in bulging stomachs and rolls of fat.

Good old fiber is your fat loss nutrition weapon in the battle of the bulge. Good sources of fiber are brown rice, vegetables and whole grains.

Protein

Eating a little protein at each meal will help to slow down the digestion of carbohydrate, so you don't get that sugar surge. Of course this does not mean the high-fat burger and fries meal. Fat loss nutrition means the low-fat protein of lean white meat, fish, beans and lentils. Beware the low-fat processed foods like low-fat yogurts which are high in sugar.

Fat loss Nutrition Tip: Eat some protein at every meal to control blood sugar.

Fat Loss Nutrition Balance and Quality

Yes, it is. Weight loss has less to do with willpower than the balance of fat loss nutrition and the quality of foods. The right exercise helps too. Just avoid all the low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, high-fat diet fads and processed foods where you can. You will not have to worry about quantity of food or feeling hungry when the fat loss nutrition is under control and you keep your blood sugar balanced.