How many grams of fat per day to lose weight? The average person thinks that fat is the enemy. But healthy fats are an important nutrient to survive and stay alive. The U.S Dietary guidelines of Americans recommends that 20 to 35 percent of your calories comes from fat.
According to the Mayo Clinic if you are on a 2000 calorie diet that is about 400 to 700 calories from fat per day. One gram equals 9 calories and that comes out to 44 to 78 grams per day.
The healthy fats that are unsaturated fats are avocado, nuts, olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, etc. Monosaturated fats and polysaturated fats are the two main types of unsaturated fats. Polysaturated fats are essential fats that your body needs but can’t make them. And this means you need to obtain them from your diet.

How many grams of fat per day to lose weight? Photo credit:iStock- JulijaDmitrijeva
The two main types of polysaturated fats are omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids. These fats help lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. The food sources of omega 3 fatty acids are salmon, mackerel, sardines, flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil, etc.
The bad fats are saturated fats and trans fats. This is found in red meat, cheese, cookies, ice creams, crackers, microwave popcorn, fried potatoes, sausages, bacon, whole milk, coconut oil, processed foods and baked goods.
Research studies have shown that a diet that is rich in saturated fats has been shown to raise cholesterol levels and can cause arterial blockages. Consuming trans fats can lead to a lot of unhealthy issues like impaired artery function, excess bellyfat, inflammation, insulin resistance, etc.
Some of the benefits of fat are the following:
- It is important for brain function, brain health and mood.
- It helps to regulate the production of reproductive and steroid hormones.
- It is a great secondary energy source besides carbs.
What fat does is it helps to keep you warm, insulates your organs and provides energy while you are in caloric deficit.
If your goal is to focus on a low-fat diet that you should be taking 30% of calories from fat or less.
On 1500 calories a day diet it would come out to 50 grams of fat per day.
On 2000 calories a day diet it would come out to 67 grams of fat per day.
On 2500 calories a day diet it would come out to 83 grams of fat per day.
The types of foods in Monounsaturated fats are:
- Pork
- Beef
- Avocados
- Pecans
- Almonds
- Peanuts
- Hazelnuts
The types of foods in Polyunsaturated fats are:
- Chia Seeds
- Flaxseeds
- Walnuts
- Salmons
- Sardines
- Mackerel
The types of foods are Saturated fats are:
- Coconut Oil
- Palm Oil
- Full Fat Yogurt
- Cheddar Cheese
The American Heart Association recommends only eating about 5 to 6% of your fat intake. So, if you are on a 2000 calorie a day diet that would come out to 13 grams of saturated fat.
The Bottom Line is if you consume the majority of your fat in unsaturated fat and if you consume about 30% of percent of it from your calories. Along with balancing out those nutrients with carbs and protein while having a caloric deficit, then you will lose weight.
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References
- U.S. Dietary Guidelines For Americans- https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/2015-2020_Dietary_Guidelines.pdf
- Mayo Clinic- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/fat-grams/faq-20058496
- American Heart Association- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/saturated-fats
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