Technically, eating any source of calories, including fat, will stall fat loss to some degree. As you eat more calories (from fat, carbs, and/or protein), you will hinder your fat loss more and more until you reach a calorie surplus (i.e., you eat more calories than your body needs to maintain its weight). Once you are in a calorie surplus, you will start to gain fat.
The fastest way to lose fat is by consuming no calories at all. However, along with the rapid fat loss that this dietary strategy evokes, you will also lose muscle mass and become dehydrated and deficient in vitamins and minerals.
On top of that, the weight that is lost during fasting (or severe calorie restriction) is much more likely to be regained once that person returns to their normal way of eating. In other words, prolonged fasting turns into starvation and is the unhealthiest and least sustainable way to lose weight. The best practice is to stay in a 10-30% calorie deficit of your daily needs.
According to the current research, the healthiest way to lose weight seems to be:
- Maintaining a sustained calorie deficit that allows you to lose weight at the rate of at least 1 to 2 pounds per week.
- Meeting your calorie needs with micronutrient dense foods like eggs, vegetables, seafood, meat, etc.
By eating in this way, you will be able to achieve sustained weight loss and maintain optimal health and vitality at the same time.
If you’d like to learn more about this topic, check out our article on weight loss: