Does milk really melt fat like a magic elixir? What kind of milk helps a dieter drop pounds faster, full fat or skim milk?
Milk is perhaps one of the more controversial foods regularly brought to the meal. It is a staple of childhood. It is full of vitamins and minerals. It is a great source of dietary protein. One the flip side it is also full of fat. To this end skim and low fat milk offerings have been made available to the diet-conscious populace. Instead of quieting the milk controversy this has only served to kick it up another notch.
Weight Loss and Milk – Pros and Cons
Some are firmly pro-whole fat, organic, just-as-nature-intended-milk. Others are against the ingestion of milk in any form. Then there are the average middle of the road types who drink what they drink in whatever fat quantity they like until they get a cholesterol test which spurs the move to skim milk.
The issue only gets murkier when taking current advertisement campaigns into account. According to accurate and published medical studies people who drink milk are generally thinner with more lean muscle mass. For those whose goal is the attainment of a thinner body with lean muscle mass milk is a proven ally. In these studies those subjects who ate or drank three servings of dairy daily lost the most weight. Not just any random fat stores were lost; drinking milk as part of a diet plan seemed to target that ever problematic spare tire area around the middle.
He Said, She Said
With all this propaganda who is right? What should the earnest dieter do? If weight loss is really the goal then the first thing that needs to happen is to simmer down and keep it simple. Starting at the beginning, before real weight loss can become permanent, lifestyle change needs to become permanent.
Drinking milk of any kind might aid the body in sloughing off body weight. Drinking whole milk is a great choice to get the protein needed for building lots of muscle mass. Any fat content of milk increases the good cholesterol levels while lowering or at least stabilizing bad, although skim milk is the real cholesterol champion of the group.
When it comes to milk and dieting, then any milk or even products made from milk like cheese will help regardless of fat content. Where the fat content makes any real difference is as it applies to calorie count. Full fat milk has more calories per serving than skim milk does.
The Happy Medium
To use milk’s weight loss benefits to their fullest potential calorie count must be the main consideration. If the three servings of milk per day are accompanied by a dozen chocolate chip cookies then the weight loss benefits of milk consumption are cancelled out. Likewise if full fat milk and its bulkier calorie count propels your daily calorie totals skyward it is not the best weight loss choice. This does not give license to quaff thirst with gallons of skim milk either, because the calories will accumulate.
Milk is a weight loss help, but there is no magic fat content formulation which outshines another when the dieter keeps their eyes on the best weight loss tool of all: calorie intake and output.
Other Dietary Changes You Can Make
If you're looking to completely overhaul your diet on your weight loss journey, there are some other changes you can and should make to help yourself out. Of course, always make changes in conversation with your doctor or with a nutritional specialist. They will be able to help you tailor a diet plan to suit your individual needs.
Gaining more protein in your diet is always a good thing. You can most efficiently and effectively do this by eating lean meats, such as chicken and turkey. The great thing about these meats is that they're very versatile. Turkey especially often gets underappreciated; it isn't just for Thanksgiving!
You don't have to give up beef on your weight loss journey. Aim for leaner beef instead of fattier cuts. When buying ground beef, look for the leanest possible meat you can find. This is generally going to be either 93/7 or 94/6. Rarely will you find any ground beef leaner than this. Keep in mind that super lean cuts of beef will need just a little bit more seasoning to really have great flavor.
You can't forget about drinking more water, either. Plenty of people do not drink nearly enough water every day. Being dehydrated is never a good thing. It will affect your body in so many ways. Aim to drink 8-10 glasses of water per day, so that your body is able to operate at its fullest potential. If you begin drinking the right amount of water each day, you'll be amazed at the differences in your body!
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