fat or calories?

Question

i am trying to lose weight but have been leaning towards low fat foods rather than calories . i know you should watch the two but what should the main emphasis be on.

Answer 1

Keep a count of calories, fat is important in the diet and should not be completely removed from it. Go for good fats...mono and poly unsaturated rather than the damaging saturated fats.
Good luck;

Answer 2

Neither - the low fat mantra is dead and gone and calorie counting doesn't work. A calorie is a measurement of how much energy it takes to heat one drop of water to one therm. Not a particularly useful measure for a human being - we are not big on water heating. Calories completely fail to take into consideration that all calories are not equal. Low fat on the other hand makes the terrible mistake that it is fat that makes you fat - not so, it is excess carbohydrate (carbs are what give you energy and are esentially your fuel), and particularly refined carbohydrate (such as the weight watchers double chocolate chip brownies I saw on TV last night) which is stored as fat.

Invest in the Patrick Holford Low GL diet. You will be aiming for optimum health with the benefit of weight loss. Your weight loss will ber permanent and you are more likely to end up with a lean body with loads of energy. An alternative to Low Gl wqould be the Atkins diet which has very recently come up tops ion a whole host of big studies including one by the American heart foundation. If you read the book properly and follow the instructions correctly it is without a doubt the quickest way to lose weight and feel great. The one thing that both plans have in common is lots to eat and really tasty food and its all real food!

Answer 3

Your emphasis should be on good nutrition more than calories. Although of course, the junk and snack foods are also often the most calorie-dense foods due to sugar and fat and fillers.
Your main emphasis should be a variety of healthy, fresh foods, with a greater portion of fruits and veg than dairy and meat. Make sure you get enough water too--this will help fill you up and keep your body hydrated. Many people interpret thirst as hunger, they don't realise that by the time you feel "thirsty" you're already slightly dehydrated.
Avoid caffiene (coffee, tea, soda) as this stimulates your appetite and also is usually associated with snack foods (cake, biscuits etc.)
Be sure to get at least 30 min of exercise per day, walking, cycling etc. is easier and cheaper than a gym. Take the stairs instead of the lift, get off the bus a stop or two early, park farther away from the door...it all adds up.
Another piece of advice, only weigh in once a week and write it down. Try to weigh the same day, at the same time, in approx the same clothes. Your weight can fluctuate from one day to the next due to salt consumption, etc. and weighing every day can make you just do your head in! Pay more attention to how your clothes fit than what the scale says.
Good luck on your journey towards health.

Answer 4

It is the calorie that has to be taken into account. But it is related to the diet, especially fat, carbohydrate and then protein.
I g of fat has about 9 calories. 1 g of carbohydrate or protein has 4.4 calories or so. In other words one spoon of fat is equal to two spoons of sugar or protein.
Carbohydrate is the ready source of energy. When you faint because of hypoglycemia you take glucose immediately rather than a spoon of fat.
If you want to lose weight, then pay attention greatest attention to what you eat what how much of calorie you expend by doing work and exercise. Go for very low fat and little carbohydrate.
Remember that high protein and carbohydrate intake can also add to fat content in the body through what is called lipogenesis.

Answer 5

Low fat foods are a con. The low-fat fad in the US in the 1980s is directly linked to the obesity problem of today, as people think they can eat more of low-fat foods.

Better to count the calories. I found WeightWatchers to be a good system, and it works extremely well if you combine it with a detox diet (like Carol Vorderman's) and regular exercise, say 3 or 4 times a week.

Answer 6

Calories are the ticket. You do want to keep your diet relatively low in fat because fat has more calories than protein or carbs, and of course for health reasons. You do not, however, want to eliminate fat from your diet; not only is this incredibly difficult but you will be hungry all the time if you do, no matter how much you eat.

Answer 7

right i would really advise weight watchers u defo lose weight on it i have already lost 8lb i eat what i want(smaller portions)and this diet fits in to every day life it work by calories and saturated fat so something might be low calories but if it is high in saturated fat then it is bad 4 u and u will put weight on

Answer 8

be really careful, foods that are labelled LOW FAT, are usually high in sugars and additives, so overall i would say calories, try eating your food very slowly, really chewing your food, and you will find that you actually eat less, once your stomach can send the signal your full, when you eat quickly, you actually eat more than you need to. good luck, this has really helped with me

Answer 9

emphasis should be on G.I. and exercise for safe and effective weight loss and its the only way to keep the weight off.

I couldnt agree more with Jane B. That is a great book

Answer 10

I tell you the Gospel truth here.... My Doctor told me weight watchers is the only program he has EVER seen that kept weight off consistently for people.
They do a couple of different programs where you go by points is probably the easiest. I lost 13 pounds my first week doing that (it was awesome!).
Plus with weightwatchers you get the cheapest program out there and you eat your own food, not high priced brands they sell.
Good luck on whatever you try, for it to stick it has to be a lifetime commitment.