Fat FAQs

Why do I continue to gain fat even though I don't eat much?
How much fat is too much?
My diet consists of mostly fat-free foods, why can't I lose weight?
What's the difference between good fats and bad fats?
Where can I get essential fatty acids (EFAs) from?
What is the glycemic index?

1. Why do I continue to gain fat even though I don't eat much?

There are several reasons why you can still gain fat while reducing caloric intake. When your body is used to receiving a certain amount of calories and then you severely reduce that, your body goes into starvation mode. In starvation mode, your body's metabolic rate decreases as it tries to conserve more energy as fat. Hormonal and thyroidal imbalances can also decrease your body's metabolic rate. If you suspect that you may have either of these imbalances, schedule and appointment with your doctor to get complete blood work. There are many ways to successful treat these imbalances.

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2. How much fat is too much?

Dietary fat should consist of no more than 20% of your daily calories. Men should have a body fat percentage of no less than 5% and no more than 25%. Women should have a body fat percentage of no less than 15% and no more than 30%.

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3. My diet consists of mostly fat-free foods, why can't I lose weight?

Fat-free foods are clever marketing by food manufacturers to get you to think that if their food contains no fat then you can't get fat. This is simply untrue. You can gain fat from any food if you eat more than you use. In most fat-free foods, the fat has been replaced with sugar. The body converts unused sugar to fat very easily. Drinking one can of soda everyday, which contains no fat, but a lot of sugar, will amount to 15 lbs. of fat each year! Even worse, frequent consumption of sugar causes our bodies to become insulin result, which makes gaining fat even easier and can cause type 2 diabetes.

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4. What's the difference between good fats and bad fats?

Unsaturated fats including omega-3's and omega-6's are considered good fats. Saturated and trans fats and generally considered bad fats. Good fats raise your good cholesterol, raise your metabolic rate, keep your skin healthy, increase mental function, and are necessary for proper bodily functions. Our bodies need saturated fats, but not very much. Too many saturated fats raise total cholesterol, increase the risk of heart disease, and may contribute to various kinds of cancer. Our bodies do not need any trans fats. Trans fats provide no benefit to the body. In fact, they will lower the good cholesterol (HDL) while raising the bad cholesterol (LDL).

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5. Where can I get essential fatty acids (EFAs) from?

Essential fatty acids are omega-3's, omega-6's, and omega-9's. Our bodies cannot manufacturer these fats. Nuts, cold water fish, and flax seed oil are all excellent sources of EFAs.

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6. What is the glycemic index?

The glycemic index is the ranking of how foods affect blood sugar. Blood sugar plays a very important role in weight management. Many studies have shown that foods that rapidly raise blood sugar stimulate a rapid insulin response, which our bodies use to store the recently eaten food as fat. Furthermore, frequent insulin spikes may cause our bodies to become insulin resistant, which is the first step of developing type 2 diabetes.

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