Yeah, we’re talking about the most dreaded “c” word in the English language…the calorie. What is it? How is it measured? What do we do with it? What happens if we consume too many? How will we know if we have consumed to many? Aaaaahhhhh, the horror!
First of all, a calorie is actually a kilocalorie. What?!?!? When you see that your favorite gum has 5 calories, it means that it actually has anywhere from 4500 to 5499 calories and would raise 1 kilogram of water by about 5 degrees Celsius by burning. In case you didn’t know, our stomachs and small intestines do not burn our food by combustion, but by acids, enzymes, and bacteria breaking the chemical bonds of the molecules in our food to extract the energy we refer to as calories. Whew! That’s a lot to digest.
I just skimmed the September 2013 issue of Scientific American. There is an article on pages 57-59 by Rob Dunn titled “Everything You Know About Calories Is Wrong”. It is interesting, and wrongly titled. Not everything you know is wrong. If you eat too many calories your body will store those extra calories in our fat cells. You already knew this. There are approximately 9 calories in a gram of fat, and 4 each in a gram of protein or carbohydrates. By the way, 7 calories in a gram of ethyl alcohol, try not to get too drunk too often. It’s bad for your liver and waistline. And you probably already knew that fats, carbohydrates, and proteins are macronutrients and their respective caloric values.
What Dunn does say is that the current means by which caloric value is determined is antiquated and that while better formulas are being worked on the actual caloric value of a food is a very difficult thing to measure. Is it a processed food or is it a whole food? Is it raw or cooked? Has the plant developed a mechanism to make its seeds or nuts more difficult to digest? How acidic is your stomach? Do you have an adequate number of enzymes to help break down molecules? And, then what sizes are the colonies of bacteria in your digestive tract? All of these factors and more effect the actual number of calories you consume.
When I sit down with a client to discuss weight loss, basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a consideration in how many calories are to be consumed. So are activity level and exercise intensity. Weight loss is still burning more calories than you consume. So when a caloric value is determined to help the client lose weight. I caution my client to weigh once a week in the same way every time. After 2-3 weeks we will have a better idea as to whether that caloric intake is too little, too much or just right. Why can it take 3 weeks? The client will have kept a very accurate food journal and exercise diary. By comparing the calories consumed versus the calories burned we will know how much weight “should” have been lost versus the actual weight difference. If the expected is less than the actual then my client can add a few extra calories to the intake. If the expected is more than the actual, well, more calorie cuts will be necessary. If the expected and the actual are the same, then we got lucky or did something wrong the first time around.
We still know that burning 3500 kilocalories results in the loss of 1 pound. Wow! That is a lot! That means on average a 500 kilocalorie deficit must be created each day to lose 1 pound per week. Deficits are best created by cutting intake (diet) and increasing output (exercise). You can choose just one method, but that is much harder to accomplish.
My point is that your intake and output are not exact. The calories are an estimate, that is why I don’t recommend frequent weigh-ins. Once a week to make sure you are staying where you want to be or losing what you need to lose. Adjustments can be made accordingly if your weight isn’t where it needs to be.
Finally, weight is only one part of your overall health. In my opinion it is at best the fifth most important number you need to know. First would be body fat percentage. Men need to keep it under 20% (6-13% for those who want to be athletic) and women need to keep it under 25% (13-20% for those who want to be athletic). Second is blood pressure. Third is cholesterol. And fourth is heart rate. Again that is my opinion. Your doctor may have other numbers that you individually need to be more concerned about.
Work on your body fat percentage and you will find your right weight. Remember, I want to help you achieve your “fine”. If you have questions, please ask me. Until next time…
fromfat2fine 