What are calories for anyway?

Summary

In simple terms, calories equal energy. Anytime you take in food, your body converts it to fuel. Contrary to popular belief, calories are not only needed to power you through your workout. In fact, your body burns about ⅔ of your total calories consumed in a day for basic life processes, like digesting your lunch. The rest of those calories go towards powering your body through physical activity, even if it is as simple as walking to work. Balancing our energy throughout the day means consuming enough calories to counteract the calories used through these life processes and daily activities. The calorie needs of one person differ greatly from the calorie needs of another. Your six foot tall father may have different calorie needs than your five foot tall sister. Calories are also not created equal. Foods that are high in calories but don’t have a lot of good nutrients your body needs are often known as “empty” calories. That’s why it’s important to consume a variety of food sources into your diet to make sure your body is getting both the calories and nutrients it needs. Focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods to ensure you are living the happiest, healthiest life possible!. Moral of the story, calories are essential. Without them, our body wouldn’t be able to function. Food is fuel!

The Details

Nowadays, more and more people are trying to be “healthier” and as a result believe that decreasing their total calorie intake is the “healthier” option in terms of losing weight. But it’s important to understand that decreasing your calorie intake doesn’t necessarily mean “healthier”. Although it is true that decreasing your calorie intake can lead to weight loss, you need to understand your basic caloric needs as decreasing your calorie intake too low can lead to unintended consequences. The scientific definition of a calorie is the amount of energy it would take to raise one kilogram of water by one degree celsius. Calories are essential in keeping your body functioning so that you can reach your weight loss goals. Or maybe instead of trying to lose weight, you are trying to gain muscle. Again, calories are essential in having energy to fuel you through your workout. Calories are not something we should be afraid of, because without them, our bodies wouldn’t function properly. In our bodies, calories are converted to energy. Your basal metabolic rate is a term we use to refer to the energy needed to maintain life processes when at complete rest (i.e. no physical activity). This would be the amount of calories your body uses on a daily basis if you weren’t moving around at all. Essentially, about ⅔ of the calories we consume on a daily basis go towards these basic life processes. We even burn calories digesting the food we eat! Metabolism is something we refer to as the biochemical processes in which our body converts food into energy. This ⅔ fraction of calories consumed goes towards powering metabolic processes. The other ⅓ of the calories we burn on a daily basis comes from exercise and physical activity. Along with physical activity, your height, weight, sex, and body shape can all influence how many calories you need to consume on a daily basis. A healthy balance of calories comes when we eat as many calories as we use on a daily basis. This number varies from person to person, so it’s important to find out what this number means for you by talking with a professional. Without calories, the cells in our body would die and our organs wouldn’t be able to function properly. Calories allow you to walk to work in the morning. They allow you to go out with friends on a Friday night. And they allow you to sit at your desk during your work day. Calories are not something to be afraid of, but finding the right balance that works for you is something to keep in mind on your health journey!

Now we know that calories are extremely important in keeping our body functioning on a daily basis. So how does that apply to your personal weight loss or gain journey? Whether you are trying to lose or gain weight, it’s important to monitor your calorie intake. Your weight primarily depends on a combination of your calorie intake and your level of activity. Simply put, no matter what types of foods you are putting in your body, your overall calorie intake is going to determine your weight. Creating a calorie deficit can be tricky. Everyone’s basal metabolic rate is different depending on your weight, height, and gender. Typically, we say we are in a calorie deficit when we are expending more calories than we are taking in. Remember that your body naturally burns calories as a result of basic metabolic processes that provide us with energy to complete daily tasks. Estimated energy requirement (EER) refers to the average intake of calories you need on a daily basis to maintain energy balance. This number varies based on your activity level, weight, sex, and height. That being said, a common myth around calorie deficits is that you must be burning more calories through exercise than you are consuming. Most people aren’t aware of this EER number and therefore think that in order to lose weight, they must be burning more calories through exercise than they are taking in. This would be a false assumption as we know now that our body burns calories by simply resting. This method would leave you feeling unnourished and constantly energy deprived, and therefore is not a good tool in weight loss. Instead, a typical calorie deficit is consuming about 300-500 calories below your estimated energy requirement. Because calories allow your body to produce energy, anything below the 300-500 calorie range would cause you to feel lethargic and hungry all the time. Consuming too little calories can also lead to your basal metabolic rate slowing down as a coping mechanism by the body. Stick to 300-500 calories below your basal metabolic rate and you will reach your weight loss goals with some help from a professional! On the other hand, a calorie surplus is essentially when you take in more calories than you are expending on a daily basis. If you want to gain weight, you must be in a calorie surplus. Consuming more calories than your body is using on a daily basis would result in weight gain. Just remember, all calories are not created equal. You can be consuming enough calories a day and your body still might not be getting the essential macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals it needs to function. Make healthy food choices, and your body will thank you!

When it comes to creating a healthy diet for yourself, it’s important to know that not all calories are created equal. The macronutrients, including protein, carbohydrates, and fats all provide our body with energy. Protein and carbohydrates provide our bodies with 4 calories per gram each while each gram of fat provides our body with 9 calories. These macronutrients are essential to incorporate into your healthy diet as they are known as “energy-yielding” compounds. It is recommended to consume about 45-65% of your daily calorie intake from carbohydrates, 20-35% from fat, and 10-35% of your calories from protein.This means incorporating a variety of foods like meat, dairy products, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits into your diet. Micronutrients and water, on the other hand, do not provide our bodies with calories but are still essential for a variety of other reasons. A well-balanced diet would contain all essential macronutrients, micronutrients, and a sufficient amount of water. You’ve probably heard the term “empty calories” and wondered what it meant. Empty calories come from foods that are high in calories, but are not necessarily high in key macro and micronutrients. We also refer to foods that contain empty calories as being “energy-dense” meaning empty calories can provide our bodies with energy but have very little nutritional value. These types of foods may be lacking in fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins. Foods to be wary of that may be empty calories are soda, pastries, alcohol, and other types of junk or fast food. However, if you are just craving a soda or a sweet snack that isn’t to say not to listen to your body. Although we want most of our calories we eat on a daily basis to come from foods that are nutrient-dense and can provide our bodies with the fuel it needs, a portion of your daily calories can come from foods that are considered empty-calories. We refer to these calories as “discretionary” calories. If you have consumed healthy meals throughout the day that are balanced in protein, carbs, and fats and you are craving that late night sweet snack, the calories remaining for that day can be spent on these discretionary foods. Keep in mind that these calories are a choice, and you can choose what you want to eat with them. Some days, that may mean an apple after dinner, while other days that may mean a chocolate-chip cookie. And that is totally okay! It is important to listen to your body and honor your cravings. That being said, there are some types of empty calories to be wary of. Added sugars are sugars added to foods while they are being processed. Foods high in added sugars include candy, sodas, energy drinks, and desserts in general. It is recommended that we don’t consume more than 10% of our everyday calories from added sugars. Added sugar can have a variety of negative health effects including obesity and decreased brain function. In general, it is best to stay away from added sugars.

So how does all of these talk about calories translate into actually creating a healthy diet? We know that calories equal energy so our bodies need them in order to survive. Creating a well-balanced diet can be tricky for a lot of people. One rule I recommend trying is the 80-20 rule. 80% of the time try to focus on fueling your body with the macro and micronutrients it needs to function and feel good. The other 20% of the time, allow yourself to have the freedom to go out with friends or coworkers and grab dinner or a drink. In life, it’s all about creating balance and cultivating a healthy relationship with food. At the end of the day, nutrition is incredibly important, but the experiences you are cultivating with the people around you are more important. Take eating healthy and taking in a well balanced amount of calories as a way to make your body feel good and improve your life. If you are eating nutritious, nutrient-dense foods you will notice an improvement in mood and energy. Your body will be able to function in a way that allows you to perform your everyday tasks. Now that we’ve discussed the basics of what calories are and how our bodies use them let’s recap. Calories are converted to energy in our bodies. A calorie deficit (about 300-500 calories below your estimated energy expenditure which you can find by either going to a professional or using an online calculator) is key to losing weight. On the other hand, if you want to gain weight, a calorie surplus is necessary. We burn up to ⅔ of our daily calories consumed by simply living as our bodies use these calories for biochemical processes such as digestion. The other ⅓ of the calories we consume go towards fueling our body during exercise. We also learned that not all calories are created equal. Focus on including more whole foods in your diet that include the essential three macronutrients (proteins, carbs, and fats) and be wary of empty calories like foods with a lot of added sugar. All in all, calories are about balance to allow you to live the happiest and healthiest life possible. One essential takeaway is that food is fuel, so fuel your body with healthy, nutritious foods!