Eating Fat Will Not Make You Fat

I'm going to say something quite shocking: you don't get fat by eating fat! Okay, let me say that again in layman's terms: the greasy foods that you love will not make you chubby.

As a personal trainer, I don't advocate low-fat diets. I don't advise clients to cut back on fat or purchase a bunch of "fat-blocking" supplements. I don't even go on talking about "good" and "bad" fats (I'll discuss that in another article). Fat is good for you, would make you healthier, and could even help you lose a few pounds.

The real enemy here is sugar, not fat.

Let me explain. There are three types of nutrients that play a role in how fat you'll get: fat, protein, and carbohydrates (sugar and starches). These three are also known as "macronutrients" because they contain calories and supply your body with fuel. Without macronutrients in your diet, you'll simply die. A car cannot run without gas. Your body cannot run without macronutrients.

All three of these nutrients are absolutely essential for the body. However, fat and protein have several roles in the body. Carbohydrates do not.

Simply put, the main role for carbs (sugar and starches) is to give your cells energy. Nothing else. If you have more than enough carbs in your system, the body would pee it out, store it as glycogen (stored form of sugar for later use), or simply convert the left-overs into fat. (By the way, starch is a stored form of sugar in plants, and the body would simply break it down into sugar, which would be further broken down into glucose for energy).

If you have an excess of protein, there is a chance that it could also be converted to fat. However, protein has several different roles in the body: repairing soft tissue such as skin, organs, and muscles, improving our immune system, providing fuel for the body, helping us feel full for longer periods, help regulate hormones, help produce serotonin in the brain, and many more things. Even though excessive protein could be converted to fat, it won't happen right away as the body could do plenty of things with protein.

Fat is the same way: it does several things in the body from reducing inflammation, maintaining your nervous system, providing fuel for your heart (of all things!), building cellular membranes, providing insulation, and even prevent you from getting hungry too frequently. It also helps you better absorb vitamin D (which is crucial to maintaining bone health) and other fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, E, and K. Fat does a lot for the body. Excessive amounts can be stored in the body and expand your waist, but it won't happen right away. It has plenty to do in the body!

But sugar? Well...it doesn't do a whole lot for the body. It gives you energy and...well...that's about it! If you get more sugar than you need, then your body would fill up its glycogen stores so you could use that sugar later on. But once your glycogen stores are filled to the brim, then guess what? That's right, the body would either pee out the rest or simply store it as fat.

And guess what? It's a heck of a lot easier to eat sugar than it is to eat fat.

Think about it. Could you eat bacon, sausage, fried chicken, and "fat back" all day? You can if you got issues! Otherwise, you'll get nauseated!

But, could you drink 10 sodas in a day? You bet you can!

Or, how many cookies can you eat in a day? The whole box? I bet you can!

Can you drink more than "a few" glasses of wine a day? Wine is basically a carb. The body breaks down the alcohol into a substance called acetate, which is very similar to sugar -- and the body prefers acetate for fuel over sugar. So, if you've eaten additional sources of carbs, they would be stored as fat!

Why is it so easy to get fat? Because of carbs, not fat. Eating fat in itself will not make you fat. And it's not all that easy to eat a lot of fat. But, it is very easy to eat and drink a lot of sugar. Don't believe me? See how many M&M's, Pepsi's, cookies, gummy worms, and ice cream you could consume in an entire day. You'd be thoroughly surprised!

Now, I don't advocate a low-carb diet. I'm completely against it. But I also don't advocate low-fat diet either. Your diet should have a fair mixture of fats, carbs, and protein. Don't try to get rid of the fat from your diet. You need it. However, try to go easy with the sugar. You don't need too much of it.

Aiyo A. Jones is a certified fitness trainer through the National Council for Strength and Fitness. He teaches boot camps, group fitness aerobics, and conducts an online fitness training program called "The 21-Day Health Challenge." Visit his site at: http://www.21dayhealthchallenge.com and receive a free e-book: "110 Best Kept Secrets For Weight-Loss."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Aiyo_Jones