Oils and Their Impact on Weight Loss By Gary Rothbart

There are many types of oils that people consume. Some have health benefits while others do not. As a rule, most oils contain approximately 120 calories per tablespoon. That is a lot of calories. If the goal is to lose weight, avoiding oils or using a limited amount should be considered. Most people do not realize the amount of dietary oil they are consuming on a regular basis. It is easy to add three to four tablespoons to salad dressing, resulting in 360-480 calories being added to your meal. Add that to other food products that are being consumed and your daily caloric intake from different oils can significantly impact your ability to lose weight.

There are many oils that are harmful to a person’s health and should be completely avoided. Hydrogenated oils are probably the worst possible product that a person can consume. I refer to this item as “poison.” This common part of our food chain causes many serious health issues. Hydrogenated oils are oils that are heated and, as a result, turn into what is more commonly known as trans-fatty acids. This type of fat is the most dangerous because it sticks to your arteries and, as a result, can causes severe and life altering problems. These oils are found in many food products such as baked goods, cereals, dried soups, crackers, potato chips, chocolate bars, snack foods, many health and nutrition bars, just to name a few. You should do everything possible to avoid this product.

You must be careful and think about the ways in which these companies try to fool people. An example of this is granola bars/health bars that large food companies produce. If you read the ingredient list, you will see that most contain poor quality oils. The same practice applies to most energy/protein bars on the market. Most of these bars contain poor quality oils and in many instances a combination of more than one of these harmful oils. My advice is to read labels and be very careful to avoid these harmful oils whenever possible. They will lead to poor health and have a negative impact on your ability to lose weight.