Will eating low fat lower body fat % ?

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jenniffer86
jenniffer86 Posts: 65 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just want to know if anyone out there, thinks A) low fat diet is a good, healthy idea, where I might be able to loose some weight.. ie; at least 5-10lbs a month?
B) If eating on a low fat diet plan, will ultimatly lower my body fat % ..?
I was told, that love handles are just fat deposits, its pretty much the only thing i have left to lose , and then I'll start really toning my body, but I want to know if eating low fat will help me lose this quicker?
Besides doing tons and tons of cardio, i'm looking for a better diet option.
SO far i just eat whatever I want in moderation, and try to exercise as much as I can. But my weightloss has stopped, and i've stayed the same for almost 5 months now :(
I need to make some kind of drastic change, and I can see that it's my fat intake I'm always over on..
any suggestions?
or personal experience would be great! thanks!!

Replies

  • hartlife48
    hartlife48 Posts: 33
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    You will lose weight but not that much body fat percent because when you cut carbs you are losing lean muscle instead of fat muscle. If you are more concerned about the %body fat, exercise AND eat healthy...exercise will turn your fat into muscle which will lower body fat %. You may lose fast at first if you cut carbs, but just know you are not helping your metabolism and you are actually hurting it, which makes it that much easier to gain the weight back. So in summary, exercise at least 3 times a week, mixing in both cardio and resistance training, eat 3 healthy meals a day (or 6 small healthy meals a day to prevent inbetween unhealthy snacking), and drink LOTS of water. Hope this helps!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Just an FYI fat will not turn into muscle and muscle will not turn to fat. In order to loose fat you have to be in a caloric deficit, which is easier on a low fat diet as fat has 9 calories per gram where protein and carbs only have 4 calories per gram. You may want to change up your workout routine and/or cycle you calories by eating over your limit for a day or 2 followed by a couple days below your caloric goals to shock your system.
  • unknownndoll
    unknownndoll Posts: 161 Member
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    I think calories are calories, but fat has double the calories per gram. I eat higher protien, moderate carb/fat. Maybe think about strenght training and toning now. Muscle burns fat and makes you tighter and more tone. Change things up. Cardio will help make you a smaller version of the same body, weights will help you reshape your body.
  • Yurippe
    Yurippe Posts: 850 Member
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    The low fat craze started in the 70's. Look how much fatter we are as a nation today.

    Fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. Just try to get yours from good sources (nuts, avocados, lean meats, etc.)
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    You're only 20 lbs from your goal so there's no way you'll lose that much that quickly. Start lifting weights to build muscle and that will help burn fat. Continue doing cardio... if you're stuck, you need to change your routine. Try a different form of cardio. If you run, try biking.

    I'm 1 lb underneath you right now. I started at 180 and 140 is also my goal. I weigh 162. I run intervals 3x/week and strength train (all of it with 5, 8, 10 lb dumbbells and resistance bands) for 20-30 minutes 3x/week. I do Ab Ripper X and Pilates 3x/week (on cardio days) and walk or swim after strength and cardio sessions. I've been losing inches pretty easily but the weight has been hard to get off. At this point, you'll probably have to be very strict with your diet to lose weight.

    Good luck!

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