Lipids: Do Fats Help or Hurt Weight Loss?

Do you know how fat (lipids) fit into a healthy weight loss plan? Learn which ones will help you lose weight and which ones lead to obesity and cause disease.

This post is part of Breakaway Limit’s Ultimate Weight Loss Guide.

Are Lipids Bad For You?

There is a misconception that lipids, or fats, are the enemy when it comes to losing weight. But is this hostility towards fats justified?

Fats belong in a healthy diet and can actually help you lose weight, if consumed properly.

Still, too much fat is indeed bad for you, which can be said of all things.

For example, we previously discussed how excess carbs can affect weight loss. Nothing is truly “bad” until you have too much or too little of it.

We evolved to love fatty foods because they fill our energy reserves for times when food is scarce.

Unfortunately, the food industry abused this fact by adding more fat into foods to make them more addicting.

Due to the their contribution to the standard American diet (SAD) which is high in fatty foods, they are partially responsible for our growing waistlines.

Lipid’s Role in the Body

Nonetheless, fat is essential for our survival and should remain in our diets.

Our body stores fat in white adipose tissue (white fat) for future use. White fat is what most of us envision when we think of fat.

However, lipids also serve other vital functions in our body. If we removed the phospholipids that make up our cell membranes, we’d quickly turn into liquefied human goo.

The type of fat that you might be most interested in though, is brown adipose tissue (brown fat). Brown fat is responsible for thermogenesis, a process that breaks down lipids for heat energy that keeps you warm.

As you learned in Weight Loss Basics, energy use is closely related to weight loss. Because fats contain the most energy per gram (~9 calories), it’s the best molecule to both store and break down for energy. Meanwhile, the same amount sugar or protein only contain about 4 calories.

Types of Fat in Food

Just as there are different types of carbohydrates, there are different types of lipids.

Saturated fats get their name from their molecular structure. They are saturated with hydrogen atoms, which make them straight. This allows saturated fat molecules to easily pile up on each other and condense into a solid at room temperature.

Unsaturated fats are missing some hydrogen atoms, giving them their bent shape. The bent molecules have a harder time forming a solid than saturated fat, making them fluid.

For a long time, we believed saturated (solid) fats clogged arteries and increased the risk of heart disease. However, recent studies failed to establish a link.

Although the data is inconclusive, it’s still a good idea to follow your health provider’s recommendations. Most recommend consuming more fatty fish and other oily plants like nuts, seeds, and avocados over red meat.

The Fat That Kills

Unfortunately, there is one type of fat that will make you obese and can lead to an early death.

Trans fats are the worst type of fat, increasing inflammation and risk of heart disease.

Food manufacturers produce them artificially by introducing hydrogen into vegetable oil. This gives them their name: partially hydrogenated oils.

While trans fats are unsaturated (not fully hydrogenated), they are solid like saturated fats.

This prevented oil leakage in foods and reduced the use of “harmful” saturated fats.

But at the end of the day, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are unnatural. Our bodies aren’t familiar with breaking down and getting rid of trans fats. This results in chronic inflammation and slows down weight loss.

As a result, the FDA has banned trans fats ^[1]. They may still remain in some products until January 1, 2021, so watch out for any “partially hydrogenated” ingredients in your food!

Common food products that may contain trans fats include margarine and vegetable shortening.

If you want a natural, plant-based alternative, turn to coconut or palm oil. Both of these plant oils contain saturated fats, making them solid at room temperature.

How to Consume Fat To Burn Fat

By now, you should be familiar with the different kinds of fat, but how exactly does fat help you lose fat?

Fat increases satiety ^[2], making it a good choice to help you stay full. By replacing simple carbohydrates which promote hunger, fat will instead reduce it.

But be mindful of where your fat intake comes from, because not all fats are equal.

Paradoxically, french fries (which contain oil) actually rank lower in satiety than a plain baked potato. For weight loss, the baked potato helps you consume less.

In addition, fats can form free radicals when exposed to high levels of heat (through deep frying), light, or oxygen.

Free radicals increase inflammation and oxidative stress ^[3], which lead to weight gain and obesity. Other health consequences include DNA damage, premature aging, and possibly cancer.

Fortunately, there are oils that can counter oxidative stress and inflammation.

Plant based oils like olive oil contain Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), an antioxidant that protects you from oxidative stress. Meanwhile, fish contain omega-3 fatty acids which reduce inflammation and improve heart health.

Unfortunately, studies using fish oil and vitamin E supplements don’t show the same results. Stick to the natural food sources to reap the health benefits.

Also stay away from soybean oil, which is linked to obesity and can cause negative metabolic and inflammatory changes in the body ^[4]

My personal recommendation for those who want to lose weight? Stick to healthy oils from plants, fish, nuts, and seeds to satisfy your hunger.