The Truth About Fats: Why You Need Fats for Bodybuilding Gains and Weight Loss

Different Types of Fats

As I mentioned above, not all fats are the same. This is a mistake that people often make when they hear the word fats. I used to think the same way until I realized that there are different kinds of fats. The main fats that we must be concerned with when either decreasing body fat or attempting to increase lean muscle mass are listed below:

Fat Type #1: Saturated Fats

This type of fat is indeed the reason why many stereotype fats as being bad! These fats are mostly found in animal meats and they do not yield the best health benefits as they are connected to a host of diseases. These fats can cause high triglyceride levels and are not as healthy as other fats. Some saturated fats are needed for hormonal production and should not be cut out completely from your diet.

How to Obtain These Fats:
These are mainly found in chicken, eggs, steak, or pork chops. Having 1 or 2 whole eggs a day will provide you with all of the saturated fats that your body needs.

Fat Type #2: Monounsaturated Fats

These are the good fats that have a positive effect on your body. They help to keep cholesterol and blood pressure down. They are much better than saturated fats as they are not linked to any diseases. Overall it is a good fat to consume and can help with muscle recovery after a work out.

How to Obtain These Fats:
They come from virgin oil, canola oil, and peanut oil.

Fat Type #3: Polyunsaturated Fats

These fats are also good for you and do not have an effect on cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fats are high in omega-3 fatty acids which cannot be produced naturally by the body. They instead are essential and must be taken by the body through diet or supplementation. They help your body prevent fat storage and speed up muscle recovery. Also, polystaurated fats have Omega 6 in them. This is another essential fatty acid which is good for muscle recovery and a good anti-inflammatory for after a work out.

How to Obtain These Fats:
These fats are found in fish oils, flaxseed oils, vegetable oils, such as corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil. Taking Omega-3 fatty acids either through an oil, pill, or as a salad dressing are typically ways in which this fatty acid can be consumed. Omega-6 is found in eggs, poultry, margarines, and vegetable oils so there is no real need to take it as a supplement unless you do not consume those foods regularly.

Fat Type #4: Trans fats (A.K.A. trans fatty acids)

Other things on nutrition labels to look out for when you are interested in decreasing body fat and weight loss are trans fatty acids. This particular fat is often left unmentioned and I feel there is a need to let others understand exactly what it is and how it affects our bodies.

Trans fatty acids are produced by the partial hydrogenation (addition of hydrogen atoms) of vegetable oils and help foods have a longer shelf life. These fats also allow foods to taste better. If trans fatty acids are consumed regularly, they can increase the risk of raising your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and even lowering your HDL (good) cholesterol levels. In addition, these fats can wreck havoc on your insulin sensitivity and may also cause one to have hardened arteries and other health problems with their hearts.

How to Obtain These Fats:
Some foods that contain trans fatty acids are margarine, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, and pastries.

Conclusion:

So now you know that in order to achieve successful weight loss, increase your levels of fitness as well as bodybuilding results, you need to increase you intake of good fats which are mono and polyunsaturated fat sources. Take 2-3 Tablespoons of these oils per day and watch your bodybuilding gains soar!

About the Author

Anthony Alayon is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer and Bodybuilding Champion with over 10 years of bodybuilding experience and multiple articles and e-books targeted to all the teenagers out there who are just starting out their bodybuilding journey and to regular people who just want to lose weight and achieve higher levels of fitness. You can visit Anthony Alayon's website at: http://www.fatextinction.com.