Does Eating Fat Really Make You Gain Weight? The Truth About Fats In Your Diet
Why Eating Fat Is Actually Essential for Your Well-Being
Picture this, it's Summertime and you are walking past the food trucks at the state fair. Then, it hits you. You smell something sweet in the air and feel the warmth from the food truck on your skin. It smells like Heaven. You can practically taste the sugary goodness melting on your tongue. It is funnel cake-your favorite!
But, instead of buying your funnel cake- something you get to eat once a year- you pass it up because you heard (probably on the Internet, let’s be honest) that eating fat is bad for you. But, is eating fat actually bad for you? Will this fatty fried goodness make you gain 10 pounds in a day? The answer is a resounding no.
Like most things in life, balance is key- and science agrees.
In this article, I’ll explain the benefits of eating fat and why your body needs fat to function.
I. How You Actually Gain Weight
II Different Types of Fat to Eat Every Single Day
III. Why Your Body Needs Fat
How You Actually Gain Weight
Fat alone does not cause weight gain. Your body needs a healthy balance of fat, protein, and carbs to function and live a healthy lifestyle.
Keep in mind that one food group is not “good” or “bad.” It is just food. And all food serves your body in different ways.
So, how the heck do you gain weight?
Weight gain happens when your body is in a caloric surplus. Simply put, you will gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn. If every single day, you are eating more calories than you burn, then you will start to gain weight.
If your goal is to lose weight, the key is to maintain a caloric deficit. This means you have to burn more calories than you eat.
Weight gain and weight loss are all about the eating habits that you form. Of course, a balanced diet is so important if you want to gain weight or lose weight safely and healthily.
Two Different Types of Fat to Eat Every Single Day
There are two different types of fat that you need to eat every single day-saturated fat and unsaturated fat.
Saturated Fat is typically solid at room temperature. A lot of saturated fats come from animal products. [1]
Here are some common saturated fats:
Butter
Whole Milk
Cream
Pork
Beef
Cheese
Coconut Oil (This surprises a lot of people!)
Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, are often liquid at room temperature. A lot of unsaturated fat comes from food sourced from plants; but, there are some animal-based unsaturated fats too. [2]
Here are some common foods with unsaturated fats:
Pumpkin Seeds
Avocado (A favorite of mine. Yum!)
Eggs
Salmon
Tuna
Peanut Oil
Olive Oil
Photo by Wesual Click on Unsplash
How Much Fat You Should Eat A Day
At this point, you’re probably wondering how much fat you truly need to eat every single day.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the average amount of fat that you need to eat a day is 20% to 35% of your daily calories. And, 10% or less of the total fat intake is from saturated fats. [3]
When people talk about fat being “bad” they’re usually talking about saturated fat. But, your body still needs saturated fat. It’s so important to keep track of how much saturated fat you eat a day.
You can still have cream in your coffee every morning and a funnel cake at the state fair. You can go out for a fancy steak dinner. And, I cannot stress this enough, you don’t need to completely cut out saturated fat.
As you eat throughout the day, most of your daily fat intake should come from unsaturated fat. It turns out that the people going bananas for avocado toast were onto something. And, let's be honest, avocado toast is pretty damn good.
Eating fat is all about balance!
Why Your Body Needs Fat
Over the years, fat has been targeted and labeled as “bad.” The truth is, there are so many healthy benefits to eating fat. Just as your body needs water to survive, it also requires eating fat to function.
The National Library of Medicine says that fat helps your body in these ways:
It helps your body absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K (Say hello to healthy skin, hair, and strong bones!)
Fatty foods make linoleic and linoleic acid-the stuff your body needs for good brain development, prevention of blood clotting, and inflammation control.
Fat in food gives your body the energy that you need while exercising! [4]
Of course, if you have a habit of eating mostly saturated fat or too much fat, there are some serious risks that are not great for your body.
Let’s say that every day you only cook with butter, you only eat beef or pork, and you pretty much only drink coffee with heavy cream. Chances are pretty high that you are eating more than the recommended amount of saturated fat in a day. Your diet is probably pretty high in fat.
This can be a problem, and experts warn that you can have some serious health issues.
You are at risk of obesity, coronary heart disease, and certain types of cancer. [5]
Maybe reading those risks feels scary. But, I promise, it is not too late to change your eating habits and learn how to give your body the fuel that it needs!
Incorporating fats into your diet is so important for your overall health. Learning how much fat to eat takes practice, but it is doable. Once you start to build healthy eating habits, it’ll be a breeze. You just need to take the steps to start.
Take one small step to improve your eating habits and download my free meal guide by filling out the form below.
With my free meal guide, you:
Learn which foods are highest in protein (and carbohydrate and fat recommendations)
Learn how to put meals together
Tips on making nutrition fit your lifestyle
Take charge of your health. Start learning about how to eat a balanced diet of fat, protein, and carbs today. You can do this!
Resources:
1. Medline Plus
2. Medline Plus
3. News Network: Mayo Clinic
4. Medline Plus
5. WHO