First off lets us a define what exactly is a low fat diet.
A very low fat diet is where anything under 10% of the total calories consumed comes from fat.
So for example on a 2400 calories per day diet that is 26 grams per day or less.
On a fat loss diet of 1500 calories, 10% is only 15 grams of fat per day.
Now I have to confess that growing up I was brainwashed through the media that fat was bad and for many years I followed a very low fat diet to help me get lean.
However when I wasn't reaching my targets and started to look more closely at nutrition I discovered that fat wasn't the enemy.
In fact by learning not to lump all fats together in one category and separate the good fats from the bad, eating the good ones in small quantities the results started coming.
Another bonus was increased energy and much better workouts.
Why it's best to always eat a little "good fat" Even now with all the nutrition information available to research fat phobia is still clearly ingrained into the consciousnesses of most people, Therefore I think it's important that the reasons why you should eat a little good fat are explained again now.
1.
A very low fat diet or even a no fat diet can tip your body into the starvation mode.
Normally we associate missing meals or eating very few calories with sending our body into "survival mode.
" However if you reduce your dietary fat intake to less than 10% of total daily calories then expect that starvation alarm to start ringing.
2.
Without enough fat in your diet then large fluctuations in blood sugar can occur.
This is because fat slows down the release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream.
So if you don't have enough fat in your diet and you eat large amounts of simple and refined carbohydrates, this will cause your blood sugar to spike as they shoot rapidly into the bloodstream.
3.
When your blood sugar spikes, your pancreas releases a lot of insulin to bring blood sugar back down to normal.
Now moderate amounts of insulin are necessary (and anabolic).
However large amounts of insulin are what is called lipogenic (cause fat storage) and anti-lipolyic (stop fat release).
So if trying to lose weight this is not the state you want your body to be in.
4.
Staying with large blood sugar spikes another potential hazard is that they can cause hormonally related hunger and cravings.
These are very powerful cravings that are extremely hard to resist even for the most disciplined of us.
Without enough fat in our diet we risk having these large blood sugar spikes that can send us on the hunt for the nearest chocolate bar or doughnut.
5.
A zero or very low fat diet decreases testosterone levels.
Research has shown that low fat levels in the body can be connected with low testosterone levels.
Now if your trying to burn fat and build muscle then low levels of testosterone could seriously hamper your effort.
6.
Finally a very low fat diet may be lacking in essential fatty acids To be honest a deficiency in fatty acid deficiencies is rare, but if your diet does not contain enough dietary fat you may be short of the optimal levels.
Essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency can impair fat burning, reduce your energy and cause a whole host of other problems so not recommended.
So if your struggling to get good results while eating a low fat diet then maybe now is the time to think about introducing them back into your diet.
A very low fat diet is where anything under 10% of the total calories consumed comes from fat.
So for example on a 2400 calories per day diet that is 26 grams per day or less.
On a fat loss diet of 1500 calories, 10% is only 15 grams of fat per day.
Now I have to confess that growing up I was brainwashed through the media that fat was bad and for many years I followed a very low fat diet to help me get lean.
However when I wasn't reaching my targets and started to look more closely at nutrition I discovered that fat wasn't the enemy.
In fact by learning not to lump all fats together in one category and separate the good fats from the bad, eating the good ones in small quantities the results started coming.
Another bonus was increased energy and much better workouts.
Why it's best to always eat a little "good fat" Even now with all the nutrition information available to research fat phobia is still clearly ingrained into the consciousnesses of most people, Therefore I think it's important that the reasons why you should eat a little good fat are explained again now.
1.
A very low fat diet or even a no fat diet can tip your body into the starvation mode.
Normally we associate missing meals or eating very few calories with sending our body into "survival mode.
" However if you reduce your dietary fat intake to less than 10% of total daily calories then expect that starvation alarm to start ringing.
2.
Without enough fat in your diet then large fluctuations in blood sugar can occur.
This is because fat slows down the release of carbohydrates into the bloodstream.
So if you don't have enough fat in your diet and you eat large amounts of simple and refined carbohydrates, this will cause your blood sugar to spike as they shoot rapidly into the bloodstream.
3.
When your blood sugar spikes, your pancreas releases a lot of insulin to bring blood sugar back down to normal.
Now moderate amounts of insulin are necessary (and anabolic).
However large amounts of insulin are what is called lipogenic (cause fat storage) and anti-lipolyic (stop fat release).
So if trying to lose weight this is not the state you want your body to be in.
4.
Staying with large blood sugar spikes another potential hazard is that they can cause hormonally related hunger and cravings.
These are very powerful cravings that are extremely hard to resist even for the most disciplined of us.
Without enough fat in our diet we risk having these large blood sugar spikes that can send us on the hunt for the nearest chocolate bar or doughnut.
5.
A zero or very low fat diet decreases testosterone levels.
Research has shown that low fat levels in the body can be connected with low testosterone levels.
Now if your trying to burn fat and build muscle then low levels of testosterone could seriously hamper your effort.
6.
Finally a very low fat diet may be lacking in essential fatty acids To be honest a deficiency in fatty acid deficiencies is rare, but if your diet does not contain enough dietary fat you may be short of the optimal levels.
Essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency can impair fat burning, reduce your energy and cause a whole host of other problems so not recommended.
So if your struggling to get good results while eating a low fat diet then maybe now is the time to think about introducing them back into your diet.
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