Study: Cutting Fat Fastest Way to Big Weight Loss
Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Onion with Bloom Sauce (Photo: Eat This, Not That!)
Indulgent. Delicious. Sinful. Essential.
The new season of Scandal? Nope, we’re talking about something even more provocative than Kerry Washington’s trembling lips. We’re talking about fat. From butter to bacon, fat makes any food taste more delicious. But a new study says that cutting down on dietary fat—not carbs, as so many diet experts advise—is the fastest and most effective way to lose weight.
In the study, obese people who were eating 2,700 calories a day cut ⅓ of their calories, either by reducing fat or by reducing carbs. After six days on their new diets, the fat-fighters lost 80 percent more weight than the carb-cutters, even though both groups were eating the exact same number of calories.
But reducing dietary fat, especially harmful trans and saturated fat, isn’t always easy, especially when our most popular chain restaurants love to slather it on like an overprotective parent with a bottle of sunscreen. To help you avoid the fat trap, the editors of Eat This, Not That! braved the deep fryers to uncover the unhealthiest, most fat-laden foods in America. Read the findings below, and don’t miss our new FREE Special Report about where to eat to stay slim: 20 Healthiest Chain Restaurants–Ranked!
#9 FATTIEST FOOD: Uno Pizzeria & Grill Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
1,220 calories, 81 g fat, 38 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 550 mg sodium, 106 g sugar
That’s the fat equivalent of: More than 20 pats of butter!
A giant Reese’s-like peanut butter cup with a giant scoop of ice cream on top, this is an unjust dessert no matter how many people you might share it with. The insane levels of fat—more than a day’s worth—are made worse by an even crazier 106 grams of sugar. That’s more than what you’d find in 40 Hershey’s Kisses and nearly 5 times the World Health Organization’s daily recommendation. Somehow, it has even more fat than Uno’s other decadent menu item, one they call the “Ridiculously Awesome, Insanely Large Chocolate Cake.” Instead, to satisfy your sweet tooth, try the new fruit that tastes like chocolate pudding, one of our 8 New, Secret Superfoods for Weight Loss!
Eat This Instead:
Mini Hot Chocolate Brownie Sundae
320 calories, 16 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 170 mg sodium, 34 g sugar
#8 FATTIEST FOOD: Uno Pizzeria & Grill Deep Dish Mac & Cheese
1,690 calories, 105 g fat, 57 g saturated fat, 0.5 g trans fat, 3,590 mg sodium
That’s the fat equivalent of: More than 28 thick-cut slices of bacon!
Yes, Uno’s again. And it won’t be the last time you see them on this list. Consider that a serving of neon-orange Kraft Macaroni & Cheese made with milk and margarine is about 400 calories and 19 grams of fat, and you realize that you’d have to eat that for dinner for four straight days just to equal Uno’s calorie counts. If you hanker for a hunk of cheese, the Baked Stuffed Spinoccoli is a chicken dish filled with feta, mozzarella, vegetables and flavorful spices that saves you nearly 75 grams of fat.
Eat This Instead:
Baked Stuffed Spinoccoli with Whole Grain Brown Rice and Roasted Vegetable Side Dishes
620 calories, 24.5 g fat, 7.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 1,700 mg sodium
#7 FATTIEST FOOD: Carrabba’s Italian Grill Calamari with Spicy Italian Peppers and Lemon Butter (regular size)
1,506 calories, 126 g fat, 53 g saturated fat, 8 g trans, 2,130 mg sodium
That’s the fat equivalent of: 15 McDonald’s Hamburgers!
Wait a minute: Isn’t calamari seafood? Shouldn’t that be lean and healthy? Carrabba’s tortures this squid the way SpongeBob tortures Squidward, rolling it in bread and deep-frying it in trans fats. The American Heart Association wants you to eliminate trans fats altogether, but at the high end, you should have no more than 2 grams in a single day. This appetizer (we repeat: APPETIZER!) delivers triple the total fat and four times the trans fat in an all-out arterial assault. (Speaking of creatures from the fat lagoon, click here to discover the startling reason why Tilapia is Worse Than Bacon.)
Eat This Instead:
Arancini
433 calories, 22 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 2,439 mg sodium
#6 FATTIEST FOOD: On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos
2030 calories, 134 g fat, 27 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 3,830 mg sodium
That’s the fat equivalent of: More Than 3 Whoppers!
Run from the Border. Even the World’s Most Interesting Man wouldn’t have the nerve to enjoy Dos XX in the form of these fish tacos. He’d probably opt to save 145 grams of fat by ordering the Chicken Fajitas. Then he’d disappear with your date. (See where your favorite brew ranks in our headline-making list of How to Lose 10 Pounds at Chipotle!)
Eat This Instead:
Chicken Fajitas
340 calories, 16 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 1,340 mg sodium
#5 FATTIEST FOOD: Chili’s Grill & Bar Beef Bacon Ranch Quesadilla
1,800 calories, 135 g fat, 46 g saturated fat, 0.5 g trans fat, 3,980 mg sodium
That’s the fat equivalent of: 54 Kraft 2% Milk American Cheese Slices!
This is a Mexican food, but in English, “bacon ranch beef quesadilla” roughly translates to “fatty fat fat-fat.” Bacon and beef are self-explanatory; ranch dressing is fat-based; and quesadillas have a double hit of the stuff, from both the cheese and the flour tortilla. Safer options at Chili’s can be found on their Southwest Pairings menu. And if you do indulge, detox after with our brand-new weight loss plan. Test panelists lost up to 10 pounds in just one week on The 7-Day Flat-Belly Tea Diet and Cleanse!
Eat This Instead:
Fresh Tex Lighter Choices 6 oz Sirloin with Grilled Avocado
410 calories, 20 g fat, 5 saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 1,730 mg sodium
#4 FATTIEST FOOD: On the Border Firecracker Stuffed Jalapenos with Salsa Ranch
1,900 calories, 138 g fat, 35 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 5,760 mg sodium
That’s the fat equivalent of: 15 scoops of Baskin Robbins Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream!
The results of stuffing anything with a firecracker are self-evident—or will be once you step on a scale. To prevent the explosion, pass up these flying fingers of fat and stick with the heart-healthy guac.
Eat This Instead:
Chips and Salsa with a Side of Guacamole
485 calories, 26 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 550 mg sodium
#3 FATTIEST FOOD: Houlihan’s Wings & Things Appetizer Combo
2,333 calories, 146 g fat, 51 g saturated fat, 0 trans fat, 4,236 mg sodium
That’s the fat equivalent of: Over 4 cups of Tostitos spinach dip!
We’re not sure what the “Things” are, but they’re not good things. This app launches your evening with more than a day’s worth of calories, and more than two day’s worth of fat and sodium. Oh, and you haven’t even ordered dinner yet. (“Things” aren’t the grossest food you may be eating. That’d be a “natural” flavoring made from the tail-end of a, well, find out in our 8 Foods That Should Have Warning Labels.)
Eat This Instead:
Salsa Cruda Bruschetta
619 calories, 44 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 0 trans fat, 822 mg sodium
(Photo: Eat This, Not That!)
#2 FATTIEST FOOD: Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Onion with Bloom Sauce
1,954 calories, 155 g fat, 56 g saturated fat, 7.4 g trans fat, 3,841 mg sodium
That’s the fat equivalent of: almost 8 ½ slices of Domino’s Brooklyn-Style Buffalo Chicken pizza!
It should really be called the Wiltin’ Onion for its 2 ½ shotglasses worth of oils, primarily the inflammation-promoting omega-6 type. Even if—even if—you share this meal with three friends, each of you is getting about a day’s worth of fat and nearly as many calories as a Big Mac.
Eat This Instead:
Coconut Shrimp
637 calories, 35 g fat, 18 g saturated fat, 1.6 g trans fat, 1,241 mg sodium
(Photo: Eat This, Not That!)
#1 FATTIEST FOOD: Uno Pizzeria & Grill Individual Size Deep Dish Chicago Classic Pizza
2,300 calories, 164 g fat, 53 g saturated fat, 1 g trans fat, 4,910 mg sodium
That’s the fat equivalent of: 4 ½ Whoppers!
As a general rule, “personal pies” are like “personal ads”—they’re places you go when you want to get into trouble. Nowhere is that more true than at Uno, where even their “individual” sizes are far better shared. No wonder Uno’s makes our all-new list of The Best and Worst Pizzas!
Eat This Instead:
Roasted Eggplant, Spinach and Feta Traditional Crust Flatbread
880 calories, 32 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 1,500 mg sodium
DON’T MISS THE 7 AMAZING THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU GIVE UP SODA! CLICK HERE!
STRIP AWAY BELLY FAT and lose up to 16 pounds in just 14 days—while eating the foods you love—with these secrets from Zero Belly Diet!
More From Eat This, Not That!
9 Health Foods That Aren’t Worth the Money
This Common Oil Can Make You Gain More Weight Than Sugar
