Camilla Akerberg on why you should eat fat supplements

When it comes to losing weight, it’s been said that cutting out everything from fats to carbs are almost always the first steps we should take.

It’s a dieting myth that has long been rejected by personal trainer Camilla Akerberg, who recently revealed that consuming fat can actually help you lose weight.

But don’t go eating pints of ice cream and baskets of fries just yet.

The fat that Camilla is talking about is actually Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a fatty acid that is naturally found in beef and dairy. 

The fat that Camilla is talking about is actually Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), a fatty acid that is naturally found in beef and dairy

CLA can also be taken in supplement form and is made from chemically altering vegetable oils, Camilla revealed on her blog. 

‘Several studies have shown that CLA indeed can help you lose fat through several different anti-obesity mechanisms, like aid with decreasing calorie consumption, increasing fat burning, stimulating fat breakdown in the body, and inhibiting storage of fat in the body,’ she wrote. 

‘CLA has been shown to help with fat loss, improving body composition, and even building lean muscle mass.’

Camilla noted that several studies show CLA can help with decreasing calorie consumption and increasing fat burning when taken in supplementary form 

Camilla also noted that ‘numerous studies’ show that CLA even lowers the risk of a number of diseases.

In 2004 the Scandinavian Clinical Research Group found that CLA could prevent heart disease and several types of cancer, lead researcher Jean-Michel Gaullier told WebMD. 

Studies also showed that CLA appeared to enhance the immune system. 

She said CLA has also been proven to ‘help with fat loss, improving body composition, and even building lean muscle mass’

Camilla also noted that ‘numerous studies’ show that CLA even lowers the risk of a number of diseases and boosts metabolic health 

But volunteers with the study also had changes in certain heart disease risk factors. 

While Gaullier noted that there were insignificant changes in cholesterol and blood sugar levels, other researchers believed the findings warranted further investigation.

And Camilla likewise pointed out that some studies found that CLA had no effect at all on some subjects.

‘Studies indicate some negative effects of overconsumption like inflammation, insulin resistance, and lowering the good cholestrol HDL,’ she added.   

But Camilla noted that most studies supported CLA’s ‘fat burning properties’. 

Camilla recently shared the real reasons why people tend to not lose weight, revealing that the biggest problem was often not eating enough while exercising a lot 

One of the most common mistakes, Camilla explained, is simply not eating enough and exercising a lot

‘And numerous studies have also shown that CLA helps improve metabolic health,’ she added.  

Camilla recently shared the real reasons why people tend to not lose weight, revealing that the biggest problem was often not eating enough while exercising a lot. 

‘This seems to be a common perception of what you need to do to lose weight. No no no. Getting leaner, and certainly not maintaining leanness, is NOT about not eating,’ Camilla, 27, wrote on her blog. 

‘It’s about eating the right nutrition in the right amounts that suits your body in its current state at that specific time, your activity level and your goal.’

‘Your metabolism will slow down and your hormones that tell your body to burn fat will drop. Due to hormonal changes you may also lose the ability to feel full,’ Camilla said

Avoiding carbs is also a common mistake people make, with Camilla warning people not to avoid any food group entirely

Eating too little often throws hormones out of balance and as a result, the metabolism will slow. 

‘Your metabolism will slow down and your hormones that tell your body to burn fat will drop. Due to hormonal changes you may also lose the ability to feel full,’ Camilla said. 

To prevent this from happening, Camilla recommends eating nutritious foods, never skipping meals and starting the day with a nutritious, 300-500 calorie breakfast.

Alternatively, eating too many calories will slow down your weight loss so Camilla recommends tracking calories and macros for a while to understand what and how much you’re putting in your body. 

Avoiding carbs is also a common mistake people make, with Camilla warning people not to avoid any food group entirely. 

‘If you eat zero carbs the body will turn amino acids- your muscles- into glucose (carbs) to fuel the brain,’ Camilla said 

Finally, Camilla says following the same diet as a ‘ripped’ friend or idol will likely not work

‘Whilst lowering your carbohydrate intake can aid you lose weight, cutting down on any one food group remarkably (fat-free or no-carb diets) will leave you short on nutrients that your body needs,’ Camilla said. 

‘If you eat zero carbs the body will turn amino acids- your muscles- into glucose (carbs) to fuel the brain.’

This leads to all kinds of uncomfortable side effects including lethargy and loss of strength.

Instead, Camilla recommends staying away from processed carbs and enjoying good ones like sweet potato and wholegrains.