Do calories matter?
In short answer - yes!
And here’s why…
When it comes to nutrition the calories you consume will ultimately determine whether or not your goal of losing fat will be successful. If you wish to lose weight then you have to burn more calories than you’ve taken in. This is the basic principle behind losing fat.
Calories are also the determining factor as to why slow and steady wins the race. Those who manage their calories carefully and consistently over a span of time, will come out ahead of those who do not!
Calories are the basic aspect of maintaining your health, especially when it comes to your diet.
Many people see fat loss as an easy or simple task, but in reality, it’s not. At the end of the day, you have to burn more calories than you consume. It’s how you accomplish this feat that makes this process difficult (and sometimes complex).
However, there are a few things you will need to know and understand.
CALORIE DEFICIT
To put it simply, this is where you consume less calories than you burn in day-to-day life. If you want to lose fat, you’ll need to be in a calorie deficit, this can either be done via eating less, moving more, or a combination of both.
MAINTENANCE CALORIES
This is where we base your calories so that you can consume enough energy to maintain your weight and also sustain adequate nutrition. It’s important to understand that the amount of energy we require on a daily basis can change pretty drastically from person to person… It occurs when you burn the same amount of calories as you consume.
CALORIE SURPLUS
A calorie surplus is required during a gaining phase. This requires you to consume more calories than you expend each day.
So What Are Calories?
Calories are the measurement of the amount of energy in an item of food or drink.
This is the amount of energy that will be available to provide fuel to maintain normal day-to-day functions once the food has been consumed and digested. Fuelling the body correctly will enable us to exercise at optimal levels.
Depending on where the source of the calories comes from depends on the structure of nutrients: fiber, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
The 3 main sources we get calories from are Proteins, Fats, and Carbohydrates.
Protein contains 4 kcals per gram
Fats contain 9 kcals per gram
Carbohydrates contain 4 kcals per gram
Alcohol contains 7 kcals per gram
A calorie is a unit of energy. So when we look at an individual’s calorie intake, it really is a numbers game. This is where we can talk about calories in (what we consume) vs calories out (what we use) being the determining factor in how we can help to change your body.
