Weight Loss Blog

Calories and Energy

A calorie is a measurement of the energy contained in food.
Different foods contain different amounts of calories.
Proteins and carbohydrates contain approximately 4 calories per gram, and fats 9 calories. Fats are obviously the most efficient fuel when it comes to caloric density, but this also makes them undesirable if you are on a low-calorie program for fat reduction.

If you take in more calories than the body can burn off, the excess is stored as fat (adipose cells) distributed throughout the body. It doesn't matter whether the excess is protein, carbohydrate, or fat-the body breaks it down and stores it against a time when the body will require more energy than provided by food intake. At this point, the fat in the adipose cells will be retrieved and metabolized to make up the difference.

If your body has all of the nutrients it needs to function optimally, and if you are eating at least the maximum quantity of the various foods required at any given time by your digestive and energy-producing systems, fat gain and fat loss is a matter of simple arithmetic:

* Eating 3,500 calories more than you need = 1 pound gained

* Eating 3,500 calories less than you need = 1 pound lost

But most diets unfortunately do not take these factors into consideration, and therefore a number of undesirable things can happen:

1. The body can begin to metabolize muscle tissue
2. The body's ability to metabolize fat can be impaired.
3. Various vitamin or mineral deficiencies can occur.
4. The energy output of the body can be impaired.
5. A number of physical and psychological symptoms can be experienced.

Because of the possibility that these problems can occur, any diet regimen (whether for gain or loss) has to take into account the body's need for certain nutritional minimums and for a relative balance of various foods in the daily food intake.

Just as we can reduce our calories per week, we can also increase our energy expenditure (increase exercise, both cardio and weight training), and increase our calorie consumption. I recommend morning cardio as the best time to do it. This has a two fold effect of increasing metabolism through exercise and thermogenics. Eating more and exercising more is a healthier way to burn fat.

Tags: Energy Boost, Boost Your Energy, Protein

Calories and Energy
was posted by Rob @ 6/26/2006 10:54:00 AM | Discuss this post or any other in my Weight Loss Forum

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