“Watch Your Calories”.
“That Food Has Too Much Calories In It”.
You don’t have to have a personal trainer, or dietician to have heard, or come across these expressions–whether it be through media, friends & family, or associates. The word ‘calories’ is popular amongst the millions world-wide who engage in the health, fitness & directly associated industries: sport, fashion, travel/tourism, entertainment, and so on. And particularly for those with the desire of, or who are actively on the journey of:
- Body composition change (body fat loss or gain; lean tissue loss or gain).
- Overall weight change (loss or gain).
Calories is of primary focus.
But why are calories so important?
And, if weight change & body compositional change are products of calories consumed, or burned (metabolized through respiration), why is it that it’s much harder for some to experience this change in weight & body composition; as well as to sustain these body changes for a long term period?
In this blog post, we delve into the 3 main categories of calories, aimed towards helping you better understand calories, and how these 3 main categories of calories are processed in your body, towards the sustenance of your life/ function; and change in your body shape & appearance.
This blog post builds on your foundation understanding of bodyfat & weight loss as concepts, in similarities & differences. For a refresher, or reminder, we urge you to re-visit our blog post specific for this, by clicking the link
https://joinobfitness.com/lose-weight-or-lose-body-fat-the-similarities-the-differences-the-challenges/
What Are Calories?
Calorie can be understood as the unit of energy released when our bodies break down food, or breakdown their storage equivalents in cellular tissues (fat, liver, muscle), for metabolic functions (metabolic waste removal, contraction of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles, etc.,). Depending on the source (from food consumed) of calorie, the amount of energy your body receives will vary.
The 3 main sources of calories are: Oil & Fats, Carbohydrates & Protein.
Per gram:
- Oil & Fats yield approximately 9 calories.
- Carbohydrates yield approximately 4 calories.
- Protein yield approximately 4 calories.
It’s important to note that ethanol (alcohol–another popular source of food globally) yield approximately 7 calories per gram.
As you can see, oil & fat yields the highest amount of calories per gram consumed. This is why the advice of ‘eat less fat per meal’, in support of weight loss & bodyfat loss, dominate popular fitness & dietary programs alike; and is often vocalized by doctors, dieticians, personal trainers, and other similar professionals worldwide.
How Are Calories Processed In Our Bodies?
To make available the energy from food following digestion, there needs to be the assistance of organelles (mitochondria), enzymes, micronutrients (metals–such as iron), oxygen, blood circulation., all just to name a few. It’s important to mention that just because carbohydrates & proteins yield less than half the calories of fat in a gram, does not mean that ‘watching your intake of these macronutrients’ doesn’t hold true (whether for bodyfat loss & weight loss; bodyfat gain & weight gain; human performance; or health in general).
If Weight Change & Bodyfat Change Are Premised On Calories, Why Are They So Difficult to Achieve & Sustain?
The complexity of this reality for many globally, rests on the broad sciences of human nutrition, human genetics & human physiology, human psychology; environment & epidemiology; and their interconnectivity and significance towards human body compositional change and overall health, function & performance. Through this mention it is highlighted that the loss or gain of bodyfat and weight, as well as their sustained change in our bodies, is more than:
- The counting of calories.
- The elimination or addition of food(s) and/or food groups in our diet.
- The amount of calories burned.
- meal preparation practices.
- food combinations.
It also supports the reality & fact of our individual uniqueness, and why no one solution will work for any two individuals, whether it be over the short term or long term. This is why working with multiple professionals are important (doctors, fitness professionals, dietary professionals, psychology professionals, public health).
And this is why your continuous learning is important.
“Your Sustainable Fitness Partner”.
About The Author
Oshane Bryant: BSc Geology, Geography Minor; ACE CPT since 2012; Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Accelerator Graduate-2018 cohort; KUKIBO Martial Arts & Self Defense, Senior Instructor; OB Fitness Founder & Managing Director.
