Eat Fat to Lose Weight

Many dieters make the mistake of cutting out certain food groups to lose weight. Not only is this a dangerous practice for overall health, but it's not effective in long-term weight loss. All of the food groups, including healthy fats, when consumed in moderation, are essential in managing weight and overall health.

Healthy Fats

Choose foods that contain healthy, unsaturated fats or Omega-3 fatty acids, which are better for overall cardiovascular health and promote manageable and logical weight loss. In addition, these types of fat aid in satiety and keep hunger cravings from creeping up throughout the day. Trans fats and saturated fats not only clog arteries and damage your heart, they rapidly convert to an excess of calories, which leads to extra pounds.

Dr. Meir Stampfer, associate director of the Channing Laboratory and a weight loss specialist, found the most significant weight loss resulted from low-carb or Mediterranean diets, which were significantly better than low-fat diet plans. The popular Mediterranean diet, mentioned in Stampfer's study, relies on the consumption of healthy fats, like olive oil, to promote absorption of other nutrients and vitamins, such as fat-soluble vitamins D, E, A and K as well as the powerful antioxidant lycopene. These vitamins and minerals are known to assist in weight loss and management.

A Balanced Diet

Foods rich in unsaturated fats and heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids contain few calories and sugars. Healthy fruits, vegetables and legumes such as avocados, black beans, soybeans (and other soy-based foods such as tofu), peanuts, almonds, and olives work to fight hunger while delivering essential nutrients for a well-balanced diet. The best source of Omega-3 is fish, specifically fresh-water salmon, tuna, and a variety of whitefish including tilapia, grouper, cod, and halibut. Many food manufacturers have also taken notice of the research behind healthy fats and have started to add Omega-3s and unsaturated fat in place of the empty calories of saturated and trans fats. Read labels closely to decipher the fats.

An Active Lifestyle

As with any nutritional adjustment to your diet, to lose weight, you must modify your activity levels. Tosca Reno, author of the "The Eat-Clean Diet," recommends a consistent routine of cardiovascular exercise, like running or biking, at least three days a week for roughly 30 to 60 minutes (during which you should sustain an elevated heart rate) to reap the benefits of a modified diet. Lifting weights has also been connected with reducing fatty deposits in the body and overall toning. Adding weight training before or after a cardio workout will maximize fat-burning potential. Muscle development aids in the reduction of body fat by burning extra calories and sustaining a peaked metabolism.

A New Attitude

Healthy fats are moving up in the world of healthy eating. In fact, the standard food pyramid has recently been revised to include higher daily consumption of healthy fats. So don't be afraid to incorporate fat into your weight loss strategy and goals.