The burn what you eat philosophy on weight maintenance and weight loss is surprisingly accurate. It should guide decisions around your calorie intake count and energy expenditure amount for the day. It can help guide decisions as one attempts to navigate truth of trending diets. A calorie is a unit of energy. And the work that you do, exercise or physical activity, is how you use that unit of energy. Therefore, if you’re calorie intake is higher than your expenditure, you’ll inevitably gain weight. This is the case regardless of whether you eat too many pieces of celery or too many pieces of pizza. Likewise, if your energy expenditure is greater than what you consume each day, you’ll see weight loss. This weight loss can come from fat, muscle, water, or a combination of all three. Finally, when your calorie burn is the same as what you eat, you’re in a state of weight maintenance where you won’t see much change.
But, is counting calories really all you need to do to lose body fat? And, is a calorie just a calorie? Or do the different types of calories you consume each day make a difference? Lastly, what are the pros and cons of counting calories?
We’ll explore all three questions related to weight and calories here.
The law of energy conservation states that energy can only be transformed from one state to another–it cannot be created or destroyed. In the discussion of weight management, energy is measured as one calorie. Therefore, excess energy is stored as body fat or muscle tissue. Or, it’s expended through physical activity or bodily functions to stay alive. This means that any extra pounds you put on aren’t due to age, genetics, or a single type of carb alone. Excess body fat will not appear in the absence of extra calories. Likewise, when you eat fewer calories than you burn, you’ll be in an energy deficit and will lose weight.
So, ultimately, yes. Eating fewer calories will result in weight loss.
No. Calories can be any of the different macronutrients–protein, carbohydrates, fats, or alcohol. Each of these macronutrients play a different function within our body. Protein is the building blocks of life and are good for muscle repair, hair and nail growth, and more. It can also be used for energy when needed. But, carbs are the preferred source of energy. Our body functions the best when it uses carbohydrates for energy. Lastly, fat has almost double the amounts of calories per gram than that of protein and fat. It’s important, though. Certain functions of the brain rely on fat to function. We also need it for hormones and other mechanisms of the body. And, for weight loss, fat is important because it helps us feel fuller.
So, to lose body fat, you need to be in a negative calorie balance. It does NOT matter what type of calorie it is. However, different calories will fuel your body differently. Similarly, different calories will help you lose weight based on their type. For example, complex carbs that are high in fiber will help you feel fuller throughout the day. They’ll also break down in the body more slowly than simple carbs. This means you’ll have more energy to be active and fewer cravings. Both of these are helpful in losing weight. However, this type of calorie, by itself, does not MAKE you lose weight.
Therefore, when looking to lose weight, maintain body composition, or put on lean body mass, you should be selective about the types of foods you choose. But, knowing the value of calories in versus calories out will get you headed in the right direction.
Simply counting calories comes with pros and cons. This is especially true if you’re trying to lose body fat. If you’re trying to put on muscle tissue or are training for sports performance, it’s not as relevant. Here are the pros and cons of counting calories.
PROS:
CONS:
The whole “calories in, calories out” concept isn’t just a concept. You eat in order to provide yourself with the fuel you need to get through the day. If you don’t eat enough, you will struggle to get to the end of the day because you have exhausted your fuel reserves and are running on fumes. If you eat more than you burn up to use as fuel, it gets stored for later use. If you never end up dipping into your fuel stores, they just keep building up. This is why every single health and fitness related magazine, article, website, or blog that you read says the same thing: to lose fat, you need to burn more calories than you consume.
To maintain your current weight, you need to consume only those calories that you actually use in the course of a day.
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At Lionel you earn multiple certifications and specializations along the way. This means you can start working as a fitness and nutrition professional even before graduation day! And, with the help of financial aid, earning your exercise science degree is even more of a possibility.
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