Weight-Loss should high-fat foods, such as cheese, be cut from your diet?

[shorexline]

Hi everyone

I was wondering to what extent foods such as butter, cheese, etc should be cut from your diet in order to lose wieght? I dont get enough calcium (even with a calcium suppliment) because I dont like to waste calories on milk - one glass has 110 calories and does nothing to keep me full. I like to add feta cheese to my salads in order to get some extra calcium throughout the day. I know some fat is good for you, but how much is too much?

Thanks!

 

[Harold14370]

The USDA guidelines recommend 3 cups or equivalent per day of milk.


Some fat is good for you, but it is usually recommended to limit saturated fat, which is why skim milk or lowfat cheese are better choices for your dairy. Most of your fat should be the unsaturated variety, such as in olive oil.
I don't think the skim milk is wasted calories.

 

[KaraCooks]

About 20%-30% of your diet should come from healthy fats.

There's no reason you shouldn't include low-fat or reduced-fat dairy in your regular eating.

 

[Tamago]

Some vegetables such as spinach and broccoli have a good amount of calcium in them also..and nuts, avocados etc are also good sources of healthy fats. I'd still go with skim milk though, yogurt is great too..dairy is your friend

 

[clever_plant]

Hmm... as already noted around a fourth of your energy intake should be from fat. Now there are basically three sorts of fat... ok four... the really evil, the somewhat evil, and the two aparently nice ones that everyone disagrees on which is nicer

The short story is that the only really evil sort of fat that everyone should avoid (fat loss or not) is transfat, the rest isn't going to kill you if you are loosing weight due to your diet. Also fat is actually very filling afaik so along with some protein it can make you feel really full. I know that if I have smaller bowl of oatmeal with youghurt on top it makes me MUCH fuller than a huge bowl of oatmeal (same amount of calories) and for longer..

The fat type in dairy isn't particularly healthy... as far as I know it is saturated fat but.. like.. don't sweat it... get your calcium. If you are eating a healthy varied diet and moving about a little, getting your calcium is pretty important, especially if you are female (I have no idea if you are) to keep your bones healthy throughout life, and some dairy fat isn't gonna kill you or ruin your diet

 

[shorexline]

thanks so much everyone. Thankfully there are not a lot of trans fats foods available in Canada. I actually think they are illegal?

 

[clever_plant]

several countries have begun phasing out trans fat foods through legislation over the last couple of years so thats quite possible. Canada started back in.. 2005 or something like that but I think you're still fighting it over there due to the lack of willingness of the food industry to cut trans fats.

 

[summer123]

It may be OK for you to cut your calcium intake now but be careful as you can end up with oseroperosis. Your unlikely to really notice it until you hit your 40s when you will likely end up wheelchair bound after a minor knock to your spine breaks your back and as your bones are in such poor condition they do not repair, you end up disabled for life.

When you hit your late 20s your body starts to decay, bones which had been building up until then stop growing, stop building. Its from then your body is depending on a healthy foundation (ie what you have been feeding it all the previous years) by the time its gotten to 40 your going to begin the menopause within the next 10-15 years, your bones will have begun already to decay. The more calcium you can put into them before you hit 30 the less likely you are to have brittle bones when you hit 40.

If you have brittle bones (osteoperosis) its not good. Once your bones break, it can take a very long time to heal, not like when a kid or someone in their 20s breaks a leg and it takes a few months, it takes much longer, and even iron plates. Its painful, uncomfortable and will prevent you from being able to exercise properly. You will be at risk of being overweight as a result or if weight is still an issue to you then, not eating very much at all.

Trust me its the last thing you want.

I have seen/known many people who have osteoperosis, its not in any way good. Its so simple to add in some milk every day- just add it to waht you already eat eg breakfast have milk with cereal or porridge, or after a workout have a plain yogurt and fruit (milk is actually very good for your body after a workout). Although green veg has calcium in it the quality is not the same and it takes much much more of it to get the same effects.

Please really try to eat healthy foods- your eating 1600kcals of what if you can't include calcium in it? I used to eat 1060kcals a day (I was anorexic at the time) even the I was able to get in some milk everyday! Its not impossible and is a good thing to include.