Some Fat Free Foods May Make Weight Loss More Difficult

Many people rely on fat free foods to lose weight; but do these low fat or fat free foods actually help in shedding extra calories? Your diet may conceal some nasty surprises. Even foods that sound healthy can be troublesome. Take that low fat dressing that you sprinkle on your salad, for instance.  It may contain high amount of calories in the form of sugar. Just because your food is labeled ‘low fat’ or ‘no fat’ does not mean it is healthier or it will help you lose calories. The truth is you may actually gain weight when you are eating foods that contain low fat content. Let us find out how….

Although reduced fat or low fat foods contain less amount of fat, it is important to keep in mind that they are not low in other ingredients. They are often high in sugar (in the form of corn fructose sugar), sodium, carbohydrates and artificial sweeteners. For example, the main ingredients in Kraft’s Fat Free Ranch Dressing are corn syrup, vinegar, high fructose corn syrup and water. So, in order to make the taste better, fat in the dressing is replaced by corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup, both of which contain high sugar content. Therefore, these substitute ingredients of fat are not just high in calories but also unhealthy, leading to several health disorders.

In most cases, low fat snacks are just as high in calories as the regular kind. For example, in the case of chocolate cookies, manufacturers remove the fat ingredients and replace them with sugar, which is again a high calorie ingredient.

Diet foods are replaced with artificial sweeteners like Splenda and Aspartame, which are zero in calories. Now, when you eat snacks containing artificial sweeteners, your body undergoes certain changes in biochemistry that lead to weight gain. Several studies have found that artificial sweeteners stimulate your appetite, increase your craving for carbs and stimulate fat storage, thereby leading to weight gain.

Another reason why fat free foods actually lead to weight gain is overeating. Many people believe that fat free foods contain less calories than the regular ones and tend to overeat. When your mind is ingrained with the fact that low fat foods are less fattening, you will eat double or triple.

Just remember, fats give texture and flavor to the foods. When you remove fat from food, you add starch, extra sugar or salt in order to boost its flavor, thereby making the food more processed and unhealthy. The secret to losing belly fat is burning more calories than you consume. This can be done by eating all your food groups in moderation and including physical activity in your lifestyle.

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