How to Use the Best Fats for Weight Loss and Health

In this article:

• Fat is a macronutrient, along with carbohydrates and protein. Fat provides 9 calories per gram.
• Fat in your body is essential for things like cushioning organs and joints, regulating body temperature, maintaining a strong immune system, and absorbing nutrients.
• The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) for fat is 20-35% of total calories from fat. Adults should keep saturated fat to under 7-10% of total calories.
• Healthy fats include monounsaturated fats and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats can be healthy swaps for saturated fats. Olive oil, canola oil, avocados, seafood, peanuts, nuts, and seeds can be healthy fat choices.
• Unhealthy fats include saturated fats and trans fats. Butter and fatty meats can be high in saturated fat. Fried foods can have trans fats.
• For health and weight, keep portions in check and swap less healthy fats for healthier sources.
• Lark can support your goals and help you stay motivated as you make progress towards your health and weight loss goals with or without GLP-1s as you log food, get tips for eating healthier, and make small changes that can turn into healthy habits.
  

When you’re building a meal plan for health and weight control, it’s a good idea to look at the fat in your meals and snacks. Fat is one of the macronutrients, along with protein and carbs. When you consume moderate amounts of healthy types of fat, you’re supporting health and weight management. Here’s how much fat you should have, how to choose healthier sources, and how to incorporate them into your regular routine. There’s also a sample menu with healthy fats.

Fat’s Roles in the Body

Fat plays many roles in your body. Here are some examples.

• Thermal regulation - Body fat acts as insulation in your body so you can stay more comfortable
• Nutrient absorption - Dietary fat allows your body to absorb certain nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and K
• Cell structure - Every cell in your body includes a cell membrane that is largely made up of lipids, or fats
• Energy storage - The main way your body stores energy is in body fat. Your body can break down body fat to use as fuel when you’re fasting or between meals
• Cushioning - Body fat surrounds soft organs to cushion and protect them
• Blood sugar control - Regulating glucose, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol
  

How Dietary Fat Affects Health and Weight

Dietary fat is the fat you consume in the foods you eat. Consuming the right kinds of fat in moderate amounts can support health. It can lower blood sugar and risk for hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and chronic inflammation. On the other hand, too much fat or too much saturated or trans fat can have the opposite effects.

Dietary Fat, Hunger, and Blood Sugar

Dietary fat also impacts weight management by affecting hunger, satiety, energy balance, and blood sugar.

Here are some ways healthy fat supports weight management.

• Fat lowers the glycemic index of a meal, so the blood sugar spike and dip are smaller than with a high-carb, fat-free meal. This leads to less hunger in the hours following the meal.
• Fat is slower to digest, so you can feel full for longer and be less likely to eat as much soon after.
• Foods high in healthy fats tend to be high in other nutrients linked to healthier weights. For example, salmon has omega-3 fats and protein, nuts have monounsaturated fats as well as protein and fiber, and avocados have monounsaturated fats and fiber.
  

Serving Sizes for Fat

An excessively high-fat diet can lead to weight gain. Fat is a calorie-dense nutrient, with 9 calories per gram. Protein and carbs each have only 4 calories per gram..

That’s why serving sizes of fat can be small.

• Oil, butter - 1-2 teaspoons
• Peanut/almond butter - ½ ounce (1 tablespoon)
• Nuts/peanuts/seeds - ½ ounce (2 tablespoons)
• Avocado - ½ small or ½ cup

How Much Fat Should You Eat?

The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) is the amount that is linked to better health and weight management. The AMDR for fat is 20-35% of total calories. The typical American gets 37% of calories from fat.

For a 1600-calorie diet, that’s 36-62 grams of fat per day. On a 2000-calorie diet, that’s 44-78 grams daily. Having less than that may lead to an unsatisfying or high-carb diet and weight gain. Having more than that may lead to a calorie-dense diet and weight gain.

The recommendation for saturated fat is less than 7-10% of calories from fat. The typical American gets 12%.

Types and Sources of Healthy Fats

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA)

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) are high in a Mediterranean diet and are considered heart-healthy. Most people can increase their consumption.

Here are some good sources of MUFA.

• Olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil, olives
• Canola oil
• Avocado, avocado oil
• Peanut, peanut oil, peanut butter
• Cashews, pecans, almonds, other nuts and seeds

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA)

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) include Omega-3 PUFA and Omega-6 PUFA. Most people can increase their omega-3 PUFA and get enough omega-6 PUFA.

Here are some sources of Omega-3 PUFA.

• ALA: Flaxseed, walnuts, soybean oil
• EPA/DHA: Salmon, tuna, and other fatty fish

There may be additional benefits of consuming EPA and DHA compared to just ALA. It is a good idea to ask your healthcare provider if you do not consume seafood.

Here are some sources of Omega-6 PUFA.

• Soybean, corn, other vegetable oils
• Peanuts, nuts, seeds
• Meat/poultry

Types and Sources of Unhealthy fats

Higher consumption of unhealthy fats is linked to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease. It’s best to choose unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats and avoid trans fats when possible.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats tend to be solid at room temperature. Try to choose unsaturated fats instead.

Here are some sources of saturated fats.

• Butter, cream, dips
• Fatty meats, poultry skin
• Full-fat dairy
• Mixed foods - Burgers, breakfast sandwiches, pizza, fried rice, mac and cheese, pasta alfredo, biscuits and gravy, lasagna

Trans Fats

Artificial trans fats are considered the worst type of fats. The goal is to avoid them entirely. Sources include deep-fried foods like French fries, doughnuts, and fried chicken.

Excess Fats

Excess fats may include PUFA and be otherwise healthy, but they’re not healthy if they’re giving you calories that you don’t need.

Here are some examples.

• Mayonnaise
• Salad dressings
• Baked goods like Danish, croissants, muffins, and foods made with puff pastry

Swaps to reduce calories and fat or improve fat profile

You can reduce calories and unhealthy fats by making portions smaller and swapping healthier fats.

Here are examples of swaps you can make.

• Instead of spreading butter, spread hummus, avocado, peanut butter, or light mayo
• Instead of cooking with butter, cook with cooking spray or olive oil
• Instead of baking with butter, bake with oil, applesauce, sour cream, yogurt, or mashed banana
• Choose leaner meats and remove skin from poultry
• Try chicken, fish, shrimp, and ground turkey instead of red meat
• Choose reduced-fat dairy products instead of full-fat
• Instead of creamy dressings and dips, use olive oil, vinaigrettes, or yogurt-based dips
• Bake, grill, steam, poach, or broil instead of fry

It’s also a good idea to check portion sizes. It’s common to have oversized portions of salad dressings, spreads, and dips.

Sample Menu with 33% Calories from Fat

Many healthy meal plans with research to support their benefits can fit within the AMDR of 20-35% of calories from fat. For example, a low-fat, Mediterranean, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet can all work. Here’s an example.
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This is just a sample menu. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before changing your dietary patterns. You can adjust this plan to meet your calorie needs and to fit within your dietary preferences or allow for food sensitivities. Always be sure to hydrate, too.

How Lark Can Help

Selecting healthy fats and keeping portions in check can help you reach your weight and health goals. Lark can help you make positive choices on a daily basis. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement and nutrition and physical activity coaching and tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications.

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!

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