One of the biggest misconceptions about diets is that if you cut fat from your meals completely, you won’t gain any more fat. The truth behind this myth is some fats, certain types called good fats, can be beneficial to your body in many ways and actually aid in weight loss.

According to University of Oregon Health Center nutritionist Jessica Wilson, “We have essential fatty acids our body and brain need to function, our omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.” She also explained the difference between good, unsaturated fats and bad, saturated fats — and how each affect our diet.

Good, unsaturated fats are soft at room temperature, like avocados and nuts. Bad, saturated fats are solid at room temperature, like butter or bacon grease.

“When we can replace saturated fats with unsaturated, the outcomes for better health have been shown,” she said.

According to a four-week study by the Menzies School of Health Research, “Substituting dietary saturated with unsaturated fat, predominantly monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), can induce a small but significant loss of body weight and fat mass without a significant change in total energy or fat intake.” This means replacing bad fats with good ones can actually help aid in weight loss without affecting other aspects of health.

According to Wilson, for the typical, healthy college student, the nutrient that causes weight gain the most is alcohol.

“Our metabolism of alcohol happens in the liver, and while our body is trying to rid itself of the poison, it is no longer able to metabolize all of the Pita Pit or Dough Co. that you’re eating late at night,” she said. “So opposed to metabolizing it for energy, we store it for a later time as fat.”

Following alcohol, she explained eating too much of any nutrient, such as protein or carbohydrates, will cause the body to store it as fat. The types of food individuals eat are important because eating less complex and satisfying meals can lead to a more rapid hunger response or overeating.

“Cutting fat from the diet will be an easier way to cut calories from the diet,” Wilson said, “because fat has a lot more calories per gram, but we are also cutting a lot of the satisfaction from our foods so we are more likely to eat more of them.”