Are you struggling to lose weight on a low fat diet? Find out why low fat diets don’t work long term to shed those extra pounds!
The holidays have passed. Winter is in full swing. Many of us are trying not to gain too much weight. There are two general types of diets people try. They are the low fat diet and the low carb diet. For any diet to be successful in losing weight long term, it needs to me a lifestyle change, not a short term diet.
Many people find out that low fat diets fail after a short time. Why is this? Low fat diets cut a significant amount of calories. This causes the body to react by increasing hunger and decreasing metabolism. Let’s look at the basic reasons why low fat diets don’t work.
Reasons Why Low Fat Diets Don’t Work!
The Need to Eat
Most people who follow a low fat diet find themselves always feeling hungry which leads to food cravings. It’s difficult for people to control this hunger signal without eating. Thus, they give in which can lead to overeating.
The high carbohydrate content in most low fat foods is what leads to this never ending hunger. All carbs in the body are transformed into sugars. This creates an insulin response. The metabolism begins fat storage. Fat storage is done to reduce your blood sugar level. Then, when the insulin spike goes away. you become hungry again because the energy from the food was stored and not spent where it was needed.
An overabundance of carbohydrates in the diet will keep you cycling between hunger and fat storage. Filling up on carbs creates this vicious cycle in the body which is a big reason why low fat diets don’t work. How could you possibly lose weight when you are constantly hungry and storing more fat?
The Need for Fat
The body runs on fats. Insulin causes fat to be stored. The metabolism breaks down fat in order to create energy. Think of your car. It probably runs on gasoline or diesel. What happens if you put water in your gas tank? Your car won’t work as efficiently as it should. What happens if you replace your fuel with 100% water? The car won’t function at all. The same applies to your body. On a low fat diet you consume less than 30 percent of calories from fat. Your body can survive, just not efficiently. If you cut out all the fat in your diet, the body would not be able to function. Fat is in almost every cell. The brain is 60 percent fat. Many cellular responses use fat. Your body does not need to consume carbohydrates at all! The body can create sugar on its own from non-carbohydrate food.
Using fat for fuel allows the body to operate efficiently. Like human tendency, the body goes for the easier route. When carbs are found in the body, the body will attack those first. This is because carbs transfer to blood sugar. Blood sugar is toxic and levels too high will kill you. Carbohydrates burn very quick. They are not a sustainable form of energy. Fats are slow burning and will provide the body energy for a long period of time. A high fat diet also provides the body with a feeling of fullness. Thus, when you eat more fats you feel full longer. This reduces your caloric intake.
There are two primary reasons why low fat diets don’t work. The first is you will always be hungry from eating too many carbs. This induced hunger leads to overeating. The second reason is your metabolism is built to run on fat. Fats are a long term, sustaining form of energy. Without this your metabolism cannot break fat down as efficiently. So ditch the low fat diet myth for good and make a lifestyle change to always follow a low carb diet. Here’s a list of 50 great low carb recipes to get you started!
