Here is a basic and simplistic summary of energy balance/role of calories – this is a high level and summarized version of what is a deeply complex topic!
- Food/fluids give us energy to stay alive and function on a day-to-day basis.
- This energy is measured (in this instance) in calories.
- Depending on height, weight, age, activity levels (and other stuff!) we can estimate a person’s metabolic rate (how efficiently they use or “burn” calories) and roughly how many calories they need to carry out their daily activities: this is their metabolic rate.
- THIS IS ALWAYS AN ESTIMATE!!! Without high tech scientific equipment and laboratory conditions, it is very difficult to calculate someone’s metabolic rate accurately.
Energy Balance
If you consume more calories than it is estimated you need (a calorie surplus), the additional calories are stored as body fat (unless you are a bodybuilder but this is a separate conversation!).
Eating in a surplus
You take in more calories than you need – this leads to increased body fat
Energy balance
You take in the number of calories that you need – this leads to maintenance of your current weight (or body fat)
Eating in a deficit
You take in fewer calories than you need – this leads to reduced body fat. Eating in a deficit for a short-term period can help you lose fat. Once you have achieved your fat-loss goals, you increase your calories to your maintenance estimation
Energy and macros
Carbohydrates and protein release approximately 4 kcal for every gram o fat releases 9 kcal for every gram
Alcohol releases 7 kcal for every gram
Weight Debate
Your weight is made up of so much more than fat – short-term fluctuation on the scales can be based on lots of things (water retention, menstrual cycle, inflammation, stress, hormones – the list goes on…). Focus on changing the excess energy stored as fat within your rather than focusing on changing body weight – this is a mindset shift we’ll work on together as “losing weight” is how we often talk about this in society. The focus is fat loss, rather than weight loss
It’s important to recognise that when we talk about weight management, we are actually referring to changing body fat, not weight (which will be a likely by-product of losing fat).
“DO I HAVE TO TRACK CALORIES FOREVER?”, I hear you ask…
To this, I say: “When you’re visiting a new place for the first time, you need to put the destination into your sat nav…. once you’ve been there countless times, you can find your way without it!”
Tracking calories and macros is a way to become aware of what you’re eating / drinking and how you can make changes to a) reduce body fat now and b) have a sustainable, healthy nutritional intake which will be long-term, unrestrictive and – most importantly, enjoyable!