An important component of weight loss is to decrease your unhealthy daily fat intake. This is important because we naturally like foods high in unhealthy fats because they taste good. Some examples of unhealthy high fat foods where 60 to 90% of the calories comes from fat are prime rib, cheese, and ice cream. People who eat diets high in harmful fat are at greater risk for higher cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease, and a variety of other health problems.
Types of Fats
While you want to avoid the harmful fats listed above, there are healthy fats like monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fats are found in foods like avocados, nuts, and plant oil. These fats can actually lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Polyunsaturated fats are another healthy type of fat that includes omega-3 fatty acids, generally found in some cold-water fish, flaxseed oils, and walnuts.
Saturated fats and trans fats are unhealthy fats that include animal fats, sweets, baked goods, and fried food. These are the kinds of fats that should be avoided.
How to Decrease Daily Fat Intake of Unhealthy Fats
You can decrease the type of saturated and trans fatty foods you eat like margarine, butter, mayonnaise, ice cream, and fried foods or you can decrease the portion size of foods that are high in unhealthy fat, especially cheeses and animal protein. If you must have animal protein, it is better to eat smaller portions and eat low-fat protein like fish, poultry, and shellfish instead of beef, lamb, and pork. You can create your own weight loss meal plans with this idea in mind.
Eating complex carbohydrates like whole grain breads and rolls, potatoes, and whole wheat pastas can be part of a healthy weight loss plan if they are eaten in moderation and you don’t add butter, dressing, and sauces. Other good foods include cereals, fruits, salads, and vegetables. Alcohol should be limited because it is very high in calories.
After losing weight, weight can be maintained with 60 to 65% of total caloric intake coming from complex carbohydrates, 20% from protein, and less than 20% from fat.
Some Examples of the "Idiot-Proof" Diet
Following are some ideas for healthy, low-fat meal options:
Breakfast:
- hard rolls, toast, bagels or English muffins (whole grain is preferable)
- low-fat or nonfat milk (especially in coffee)
- Use only a thin layer of cream, cheese, or jelly on bread.
Lunch:
- plain hamburger (without cheese and bacon)
- iced tea or sparkling water with lemon
- low-fat yogurt or apple for dessert (instead of pastries)
- chef’s salad with turkey only (without the other stuff like cheese, salami, and roast beef; order salad dressing on the side and don’t use more than two teaspoons)
- chicken or lean roast beef sandwich
Dinner:
- Cold vegetables
- quality protein hors d’oevures like shrimp and crab legs
- six ounces of red meat and eat a side of baked potato, rice, pasta, or steamed vegetables
- nonfat yogurt or water-based sorbets (instead of ice cream)
For dieters who like to eat out, steamed rice, wonton soup, and other vegetable-based entrees can be ordered in a Chinese restaurant. Salsa, cold vegetables, rice, tostadas, and corn tortillas can be ordered in a Mexican restaurant.
Decreasing unhealthy daily fat intake is important for creating a healthy weight loss plan and lowering one’s risk of developing serious medical problems. Obesity is a serious risk factor for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, gallbladder disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, and some types of cancer. Lowering harmful fat intake can help decrease serum cholesterol and greatly reduce risk of coronary artery disease.
Sources:
Lean & Mean by Morton H. Shaevitz
MayoClinic.com, "Dietary fats: Know which types to choose" (accessed November 12, 2010)
Livestrong.com, "Monounsaturated Fat Vs. Polyunsaturated Fat" (accessed November 12, 2010)
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
George Castor - I recently graduated from college with a B.S. in Psychology, I am what some would call a dreamer and a romantic, I love reading and ...
