Yogurt Make You Lose Weight

If you're loading up on fat-free Greek yogurt and cottage cheese to lose weight, you might want to reconsider: A growing body of research suggests that full-fat dairy products can help you maintain a healthy weight better than the skim variety. How could that be? Here are three major reasons fat-free dairy could be adding—not slashing—extra pounds. (Learn how to hack your gut bacteria for easier-than-ever weight loss!)

Seems counterintuitive, but it's true: The latest science says that high-fat dairy foods are no worse—and maybe even better—than low-fat dairy, explains Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, dean of Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy. It's true: Researchers recently analyzed 16 previously published studies on dairy fat and obesity. In 11 of those studies, people who ate more full-fat dairy were leaner and gained less weight over time than people who consumed less. In the other five studies, eating more dairy fat showed no link to weight gain and obesity whatsoever. There may be a number of reasons why, researchers say: Certain fatty acids in dairy fat could boost metabolism, or there might be some kind beneficial interplay between dairy fat and gut bacteria (those little bugs seem to play a big role in how much you weigh). It may also have to do with what dairy replaces: Habitually choosing full-fat dairy instead of starchy, sugary foods, like muffins or doughnuts, can result in weight loss, Mozaffarian explains. 

, those who consumed more non-fat and low-fat dairy ate significantly more carbs overall, while people who ate more full-fat dairy ate fewer carbs. Why? Because non-fat dairy products are lower in calories, explains Mozaffarian, our bodies might seek out those calories from other sources, like carbs. And if those carbs are coming from unhealthy sources, such as oversized bagels and sugary candy, you could gain weight. 

Is Greek Yogurt Healthy?

Eating fat makes you feel full and satisfied, so eating only non-fat dairy could leave you hungrier and more prone to overeating later on. There's a reason low-fat diets have been shown to be ineffective: They leave people hungry, and the plans tend to contain more sugar and carbs than moderate- to high-fat diets. True, the fat you're getting from dairy is saturated, the type many experts still say we should limit (other experts, however, say saturated fat is not harmful). But your average cup of full-fat yogurt isn't a fat bomb: Most popular brands of full-fat Greek yogurt have only 4 to 5 g of saturated fat per 6-oz serving. Compare that to a 6-oz serving of ground beef, which has 10 g of saturated fat. (FYI, the USDA's current recommended limit for sat fat is 20 g per day). 

The bottom line: Don't pick fat-free solely because you think it'll help you lose weight. If you prefer the taste of low-fat products and are already at a healthy weight, it's certainly OK to keep eating them. But if you've been craving the richness of full-fat dairy, swapping it into your healthy eating pattern shouldn't hurt—and could even be beneficial. While the science continues to grow, I recommend that people eat a mix of dairy every day, and choose low-fat or whole-fat based on their own personal preference, says Mozaffarian.

19 Best Ways to Lose Belly Fat for Good The Best Pre-Workout Snacks for Every Gym Routine 50 Low-Calorie Meals 12 Ways to Stop Your Stress Eating

How Probiotics Can Help You Lose Weight

Which Is Healthier: Chicken or Tofu? 14 Ways to Stop Eating After Dinner Is It Healthy to Eat Nuts Every Day? 30 Tasty Whole30-Friendly Breakfast Recipes

How to Lose Weight on Whole30 Without Going Insane Is There Such a Thing As a Perfect Day of Eating? Exactly What I Ate to Lose 60+ Pounds Keto Diet 101In fact, several diets center solely around yogurt, asserting that it’s key to helping you shed weight. Still, you may wonder how these claims stand up to scientific scrutiny.

This article explains everything you need to know about specific yogurt diets and whether this popular dairy product helps you lose weight.

Eating Yogurt At Night

One such diet, promoted by actress Jeannie Mai, was known as the Yoplait Yogurt Diet or Yoplait Light Two Week Tune Up. While Yoplait is no longer running the Two Week Tune Up, this popular yogurt diet claimed to help individuals lose 2–5 pounds (1–2.5 kg) over 14 days.

The diet reduced your calorie intake to just 1, 200 calories per day and recommended that you increase your physical activity by walking 30–40 minutes every day. Together, these factors result in a calorie deficit, which may help you lose weight (

Some proponents of the diet maintained that the focus on fat-free yogurt is also beneficial, claiming that the fat in other yogurts ups your body’s production of the stress hormone cortisol. This increase is thought to boost levels of anxiety and hunger.

Yogurt Can Help With Weight Loss If You Avoid These Mistakes

While research links higher cortisol levels to an increase in appetite and obesity risk, dietary fat has not been tied to a significant increase in cortisol levels (

In fact, fat-free yogurts like Yoplait Light are often higher in sugar, which has been shown to raise cortisol levels and hunger. Additionally, studies associate full fat dairy products with a reduced risk of obesity (

One study gave 104 women either the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up or a standard 1, 500- or 1, 700-calorie diet. After the first 2 weeks, those in the yogurt group had their daily calories increased to 1, 500 or 1, 700 for 10 weeks (11).

The Yogurt Diet: Weight Loss Fact Or Fiction?

Although women in the Yoplait group lost an average of 11 pounds (5 kg) over the 12-week study period, there was no significant difference in weight loss between the two groups (11).

These results suggest that weight loss from the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up was the result of cutting calories — not eating yogurt.

Nutritionist Ana Luque promotes an eating pattern called the Yogurt Diet in her book of the same name, which says that yogurt is the secret to losing weight and supporting overall health.

Reasons Yogurt Is A Perfect Weight Loss Food

Specifically, she declares that the probiotics in yogurt help treat obesity, lactose intolerance, digestive problems, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), allergies, diabetes, gum disease, yeast infections, slow metabolism, and ulcers.

While the author asserts that this diet helped her overcome digestive issues and lactose intolerance, there’s currently no evidence to support the effectiveness of her diet plan.

Summary Both Yoplait’s and Ana Luque’s yogurt diets are based on the notion that yogurt promotes weight loss. However, neither diet has been studied for its short- or long-term effectiveness, and the Yoplait diet, in particular, is packed with added sugar.

Reasons Why Greek Yogurt Is The Best Food For Weight Loss

Dairy yogurt is considered an excellent source of calcium, with 1 cup (245 grams) providing approximately 23% of the Daily Value (DV) (

Test-tube studies reveal that higher blood levels of calcium may reduce fat cell growth. Similarly, animal studies link calcium supplements to significant reductions in body weight and fat mass (

A study in 4, 733 people associated calcium supplements with significantly less weight gain over time in children, adolescents, adult men, premenopausal women, and adults with a healthy body mass index (BMI) (

High Fiber Foods To Help You Lose Weight​

However, the overall effect of the supplements was quite small. On average, those taking calcium gained 2.2 pounds (1 kg) less than those not taking the supplements (

A few other studies suggest that dietary or supplementary calcium may aid weight and fat loss in children, post-menopausal women with obesity, and men with type 2 diabetes (16,

One cup (245 grams) of yogurt boasts anywhere from 8 grams of protein in regular yogurt to 22 grams in Greek yogurt (

How To Lose 10 Pounds This Spring With A Healthy Meal Plan

However, this dairy product isn’t unique in its protein content. Foods like lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and soy are also excellent sources of protein (

Summary Yogurt is a good source of calcium, protein, and probiotics. While more studies on calcium and probiotics are necessary, its protein content may support weight loss.

Its nutrients aside, you may wonder what studies show about yogurt and weight loss. Notably, various ways of including it in your diet may change how it affects your weight.

Does Eating Yogurt Regularly Help You To Lose Weight?

In a 2-year study in 8, 516 adults, those who ate more than 7 servings of yogurt per week were less likely to have overweight or obesity than individuals who ate 2 or fewer servings per week (

Similarly, a study in 3, 440 people found that those who ate at least 3 servings of yogurt per week gained less weight and had smaller changes in waist circumference than those who ate less than 1 serving per week (

In a review of six randomized controlled trials — the gold standard of scientific research — only one study determined that yogurt had a significant effect on weight loss (

How To Lose 5 Pounds Eating Yogurt And Oatmeal Twice A Day

As such, while those who regularly consume yogurt may be less likely to have overweight or obesity, research doesn’t currently show that simply adding it to your diet aids weight loss.

One study gave 20 healthy women either 160 calories (6 ounces or 159 grams) of yogurt as an afternoon snack or the same number of calories from high fat crackers and chocolate (

When eating yogurt, the women reported feeling fuller for longer. Furthermore, they consumed an

P>why Greek Yogurt Helps You Lose Weight