When it comes to fat loss, there is no food that is “special.”
Your body knows calories in and calories out when trying to lose fat.
Putting in the word “healthy” doesn’t let you throw science out the window.
Healthy Fats
Lately, healthy fats have become magic. You throw in the word “healthy” and it’s free game.
Unfortunately, thats a lie. Although, healthy fats are good for you, that doesn’t mean they are “free” foods.
What is healthy Fats?
Unsaturated fats are to be considered “healthy fats.”
Theses sources are:
Olive oil
Avocado
Nuts
Nut Butters
Omega-3’s
Including these sources in your daily diet is very important to your own health.
Important?
Fats are important and play a big role in our daily lives.
They help you function on a daily basis; from building cells, to helping with hormones, and brain function.
Those 3 main things are big and need to be taken seriously.
As long as you consume a few servings of fat a day, you will be good to go.
Now, that I have given a little background on fat, let me get to the point.
Fat is a macronutrient, just like protein and carbohydrates, it goes into the body like any other food.
To believe, because the word healthy is in front of it, doesn’t mean you’re free to eat as much as you like.
If your goal is fat loss, no matter the macronutrient, you still have to stay in a calorie deficit.
When eating fat, you have to be careful because the calories sneak up on you really fast.
It sneaks up on you because a gram of fat is 9 calories, compared to, a gram of carbs and proteins is 4 calories. Those 5 extra calories add up and before you know it, you’re no longer in a deficit.
Are Healthy Fats Holding You Back
Do you feel like your diet is on point, you are eating a lot of quality food but just aren’t seeing a change in fat loss?
Are you measuring your fats, including the oils that you’re using?
Fats are calorie dense, which means they pack a lot of calories for the amount food that you get.
Do you ever, actually look at the serving size, at say, olive oil?
A serving of olive oil is 14 grams of fat and comes out to 126 calories.
1 tbsp of olive oil
14 grams for a tbsp is a lot and that adds up fast.
Then, how often do you only use 1 tbsp?
You keep pouring and pouring and not even realizing how much you’re actually eating.
When you go out to dinner, the chef isn’t measuring how much they’re using. They just pour until they think it’s enough.
Without even knowing it, you could be at 300 calories from fat, for just 1 meal.
As good as olive oil is, it’s really easy for it to add up fast.
Another healthy fat, nuts. These are a great snack but can be hard to stop eating.
It’s very common to be at your work desk with a bag of almonds shoveling handfuls of into your mouth.
Next thing you know, you’ve had 3-4 handfuls and up to 500 calories.
Nut butters, another food that the calories add up. It’s hard to only eat one serving of , say, peanut butter.
I know for myself, when I grab the peanut butter, I’m not eating one regular spoonful. I’m loading up the spoon, eating it, and then going back for more.
With a serving of peanut butter being just under 200 calories, I’m eating around 400-500 calories each time.
Frustration
When clients come to me frustrated about how they’re eating and not seeing results, this is one of the first things I bring up.
If your goal is fat loss, you have to pay attention to what you’re putting in your body and how much.
Topping off the tbsp of olive oil, taking an extra handful of almonds, or piling the spoon with peanut butter adds up, quick.
How To Control It
To make sure you’re paying attention to how much you’re eating, you need to do 1 of 2 things.
First choice, use a scale. This gives you an accurate measurement and help you know how much you’re actually eating.
Second choice, measure with your thumb. Your serving of fat should be the size of your thumb.
Learning to eat proper portion sizes will make a big difference and reduce a lot of extra calories that you don’t realize that you’re getting.
Putting It All Together
Fats are calorie dense and are easy to consume.
Although, healthy fats are good for you and are needed, that doesn’t make them special.
These fats can add up fast and before you know it, your deficit is gone.
To make sure you’re eating the right amount, you need to measure how much you’re actually eating.
Without measuring, you’re blindly hoping that you’re eating the right amount.
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