Article by IFBB Pro LeslieRae Newton

Dieting is a daunting task. Cutting calories and fat and carbohydrates can get confusing. Too much or too little of any type of calorie can throw off a whole diet. It is easy too stigmatize all fats and carbohydrates as bad, but truth is you need them both to be successful in losing fat.

Not all fats are the same. in fact, there are several different kinds.

*Healthy Fats
1. Monounsaturated fat: Olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds
2. Polyunsaturated fat: Vegetable oils (such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy, and cottonseed oils), nuts, and seeds.
3. Omega-3 fatty acids: Fatty, cold-water fish (such as salmon, mackerel, and herring), flaxseeds, flax oil, and walnuts.

*Unhealthy Fats
1. Saturated fat: Animal products (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard, and butter) and coconut, palm, and other tropical oils.
2. Trans fat: Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, commercial baked goods, (such as crackers, cookies, and cakes), fried foods (such as doughnuts and french fries), shortening, and margarine.
3. Dietary cholesterol: Animal products (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard, and butter).

Then you have Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. MCT oil is a special type of fat. The body generally doesn't recognize MCT oil as a fat at all and uses it for energy. MCT oil isn't inclined to hang around or get stored as body fat. Unlike most fats, which are made up of fatty acids linked together in relatively long chains, MCT's, by definition, consist of shorter (medium-length) chains. This structure accounts for the ability of MCT's to stimulate metabolism and increase body temperature. MCT's also have slightly fewer calories per gram than regular fat, though not by much (8.3 calories per gram for MCT's and about nine for regular fat).

Often bodybuilders, athletes, and fitness/figure competitors will supplement with MCT oil during their contest prep. It gives your body the benefits of fats (energy, organ health and function, and helps hair/skin/nails to keep their health) without the storage. MCT oil is also linked to preserving muscle amss during fat loss (particularly during low-carb dieting).

Sci-fit and Univeral Nutrition are two great companies who produce MCT oil supplements.