Intro It is widely believed that fats make you fat.
However this is not true to a certain degree.
Fats are needed by the body in order to function properly.
Rather it is the consumption of calories that makes you fat.
If you consume more calories than your body uses then you will gain weight as fat.
If you eat fewer calories than your body uses you will lose weight.
Fats Fats are needed in the diet and aid the digestion of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Fat can be used as a source of energy whenever the glycogen stores are depleted.
Fats should make up 15% to 30% of your daily calories however it is possible to function on as little as 10%.
There are however types of fats that should be avoided.
Saturated and Trans fats are extremely bad for your health, increasing your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
You should be looking to get your fat intake from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
These types of fats have been shown to reduce your cholesterol levels decreasing your risk of coronary heart disease.
So if I need fats then what is it that makes you fat? Despite all the fad diets out there telling you to cut out fats and carbs and other ideas, the truth is that you should be counting calories.
You see whenever you consume more calories than your burn off you will put on weight.
If you consume less than you burn off you will lose weight.
How many calories should I eat? It is possible to calculate the number of calories you need by looking at your basal metabolic rate (BMR).
This is a calculation of the amount of calories your body needs just to function i.
e.
to keep your heart beating and your lungs breathing.
The method for calculating your BMR is called the Harris- Benedict equation.
Harris-Benedict equation for BMR Men (13.
75 x w) + (5 x h) - (6.
76 x a) + 66 Women (9.
56 x w) + (1.
85 x h) - (4.
68 x a) + 655 W=weight in kg H= height in cm A=age The figure produced from this equation will give you the minimum amount of calories you will need to eat in a day in order for your body to keep going.
However, the figure must be manipulated in order to discover how many calories you need for weight gain or weight loss.
You must multiply your BMR by the activity factor.
This is essentially a rating of your activity level.
Exercise 1-2 times per week BMR x 1.
2 Exercise 2-4 times per week BMR x 1.
4 Exercise 4-6 times per week BMR x 1.
6 These calculations will give you a realistic idea of how many calories you need to consume.
The whole idea is that if you want to lose weight you will need to eat fewer calories than this figure.
If you want to gain weight like muscle builders you will need to eat more than this figure.
Conclusion Therefore it is not fats that make you fat to a certain degree.
Rather it is consuming more calories than your body needs.
It is easy to calculate how much you need in a day.
Using this figure then you can keep a close eye on what goes in and control your weight the way you want.
However this is not true to a certain degree.
Fats are needed by the body in order to function properly.
Rather it is the consumption of calories that makes you fat.
If you consume more calories than your body uses then you will gain weight as fat.
If you eat fewer calories than your body uses you will lose weight.
Fats Fats are needed in the diet and aid the digestion of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Fat can be used as a source of energy whenever the glycogen stores are depleted.
Fats should make up 15% to 30% of your daily calories however it is possible to function on as little as 10%.
There are however types of fats that should be avoided.
Saturated and Trans fats are extremely bad for your health, increasing your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
You should be looking to get your fat intake from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.
These types of fats have been shown to reduce your cholesterol levels decreasing your risk of coronary heart disease.
So if I need fats then what is it that makes you fat? Despite all the fad diets out there telling you to cut out fats and carbs and other ideas, the truth is that you should be counting calories.
You see whenever you consume more calories than your burn off you will put on weight.
If you consume less than you burn off you will lose weight.
How many calories should I eat? It is possible to calculate the number of calories you need by looking at your basal metabolic rate (BMR).
This is a calculation of the amount of calories your body needs just to function i.
e.
to keep your heart beating and your lungs breathing.
The method for calculating your BMR is called the Harris- Benedict equation.
Harris-Benedict equation for BMR Men (13.
75 x w) + (5 x h) - (6.
76 x a) + 66 Women (9.
56 x w) + (1.
85 x h) - (4.
68 x a) + 655 W=weight in kg H= height in cm A=age The figure produced from this equation will give you the minimum amount of calories you will need to eat in a day in order for your body to keep going.
However, the figure must be manipulated in order to discover how many calories you need for weight gain or weight loss.
You must multiply your BMR by the activity factor.
This is essentially a rating of your activity level.
Exercise 1-2 times per week BMR x 1.
2 Exercise 2-4 times per week BMR x 1.
4 Exercise 4-6 times per week BMR x 1.
6 These calculations will give you a realistic idea of how many calories you need to consume.
The whole idea is that if you want to lose weight you will need to eat fewer calories than this figure.
If you want to gain weight like muscle builders you will need to eat more than this figure.
Conclusion Therefore it is not fats that make you fat to a certain degree.
Rather it is consuming more calories than your body needs.
It is easy to calculate how much you need in a day.
Using this figure then you can keep a close eye on what goes in and control your weight the way you want.