Decreasing dietary and body fat

Trying to lose weight, whether it is for necessary health purposes or just to feel a little more comfortable in your clothes, can be quite a frustrating task. The difficulty often comes in when one wants to be instantly thinner. Losing weight needs to be a gradual and controlled chain of events.
 
Being overweight puts you at a greater risk for many chronic diseases with this risk increasing the more overweight you become. Many people only become aware of this problem once it arises. It is thus necessary to become sensitive to your body’s physical changes and needs.
Consider reducing the fat content of your diet
Fats and oils are high in kilojoules and should be limited, especially for overweight individuals. However, fats are an essential part of the diet and eating too little fat can also be detrimental. As a general guideline it is recommended that 25-30% of your daily energy should come from your fat intake. Some fats are more destructive than others and these are the ones that we should be careful consuming too much of. It is important to become aware of what the food you are eating contains. Learning how to read labels should become a high priority. By just referring to the label, one can soon help to boost your nutritional intake. Many foods can be very misleading. Phrases such as "reduced fat" or "90% fat free" can suddenly gain new meaning if when you consult the nutritional information. For a food to be considered "low fat", it should contain less than 3g fat per 100g. "Fat free" foods should contain less than 0.5g fat per 100g.
Tips to decrease the fat in your diet

• Limit the hidden or invisible fats that are found in food such as biscuits, pastries, snack foods, fast foods, dairy products and processed meats, ice cream, chocolates.

• Trim the visible fat from meats. Remove the skin from the chicken and try to eat fish more often.

• Use low fat milk products.

• Avoid frying foods and try to replace frying with grilling, baking or roasting on an oven rack that allows for excess fat to drip off the food. Try some stir-fry meals.

• Choose fish canned in brine rather than oil. If you do buy fish in oil, drain the oil off before you use it.

• Use less margarine or butter on breads, especially when using it together with other sandwich spreads.

There are no quick, easy solutions to weight loss so be aware of all the claims of products on the market. By making just a few adaptations to your daily routine such as including a good dose of physical activity and a healthy touch to what you eat, you will be able to initiate a fitter, healthier and leaner existence.

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