Do we need to eat Salad to lose fat??

Salads have long been associated with any nutritional program to aid fat loss. In fact, some ‘Personal Trainers’ live and die by that sword. And while if you eat salads ALL the time you would probably lose some body fat, is it the be all and end all of fat loss??

The answer, simply put, is no. It is not the be all and end all of fat loss.

The majority of salads are low in calories (some are surprisingly high due to sauces etc), meaning they can complement a good fat loss nutritional program, but even though they can be useful, they are not essential.

This is because the magical term, calorie deficit is the king when it comes to fat loss. There will be people who say it’s not that simple, and they would be right, it isn’t that simple, but to begin with, if you get the essentials in terms of achieving a calorie deficit, then you will be well on the way to burning body fat.

So why are salads considered good for fat loss?

As I mentioned above, salads tend to be low in calories, meaning if you eat salads regularly, you will have more chance to stay within the calorie deficit we need to burn body fat. But who on earth wants to eat salads all day? I for one, do not! So, my approach is to find a good balance. Yes, ‘balance’. That other commonly used term when it comes to diet and nutrition. And as commonly as it is used, its 100% about balance.

The balance

Finding the balance may seem easy, but it takes time and patience to find what works for you. If you feel you can eat just 1 chocolate bar each day, and stop at just the 1 bar, then you are well on your way to achieving a good balance of healthy food and ‘junk’ foods. But the problem is stopping at just the 1. Usually when we eat a food such as chocolate, it releases hormones that make us want to eat more and more. It takes practice to be able to manage and control this feeling.

You can find room to fit in chocolate or crisps, cakes and pizza into a fat loss nutritional program, but it takes practice, and you need to make sure you stay within those calories.

That’s the vital aspect.

So, while salads can help in your quest for fat loss, they are not pivotal. They are not 100% needed. If you don’t like salad, that’s cool. Find a way that works for you, and you’ll never ‘diet’ again in your life.

How can you stay within a caloric deficit?

Well, in order to do this effectively, you need to track your calories. And you can do this via numerous apps and methods. Yes, initially it may seem like a chore, but if you’re serious about fat loss, this is a sacrifice you need to make. And once you have got to grips with it, it will be easy to track and see what may need adjusting in order to achieve fat loss.

Salads aside, healthy eating will be a large part of a fat loss nutritional program, but don’t deprive yourself of foods that you love. Just be sensible with how much you eat.