Automobiles use gasoline to get the ENERGY they need to move. Your body uses (metabolizes or burns) food to get the energy it needs to power every move you make. The amount of energy produced by metabolizing food is measured in terms of something we call calories. So as an example, a banana that has 105 calories will produce 105 calories of energy that your body can use for work.
But you take in calories from different types of nutrients:
* One gram of carbohydrate provides four calories of energy.
* One gram of protein provides four calories of energy.
* One gram of alcohol provides seven calories of energy.
* One gram of fat provides nine calories of energy.
The reality is that all food provides calories, and all calories provide energy. HOWEVER, not all calories come with extra benefits such as amino acids, fatty acids, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Some foods contain something called EMPTY CALORIES. This term has nothing to do with the calorie's energy potential. It describes what you can think of as NAKED CALORIES, or one with no extra benefits. The best-known empty-calorie foods are table sugar and ethanol (the kind of alcohol found in beer and wine). On their own, sugar and ethanol give you energy but provide no nutrients.
Be cautious of people who tell you that "calories don't count" or that "some calories count less than others". They are usually trying to convince you to follow a diet that concentrates on one kind of food or nutrient to the exclusion of most others. One common example is the HIGH-PROTEIN DIET.
The high-protein diet basically says to cut back on, or even eliminate, foods that contain carbohydrates. This diet follows the assumption that since muscle tissue is mostly protein, any protein you eat will go straight from your stomach to your muscles, while everything else turns to fat. Or put another way, this diet says that you can indulge yourself with protein foods until your eyes bug out, because no matter how many calories you get, they'll all be protein calories and they'll all end up in your muscles, not on your stomach or hips.
Wouldn't it be nice if that were the case? The problem is, it isn't the case. The truth is that all calories, regardless of where they come from, give you energy. If you take in more calories (energy) than you spend each day, you'll gain weight. If you take in less calories than you use up, you'll lose weight. This nutrition rule applies to everyone.
So now that you have a better understanding of calories, you might be asking yourself "How many calories do I need?" Think of your calorie (or energy) requirements as a bank account. You make deposits when you consume calories. You make withdrawals when your body spends energy on work.
The amount of energy you withdraw each day depends on two things:
(1) The energy (calories) you need when your body is at rest; and
(2) The energy (calories) you need when you are actively working.
To keep your energy account in balance, you need to take in enough calories each day to cover your withdrawals.
NOTE: As a general rule, an average man burns more calories than an average woman because his body is larger and has more muscle. As an example, a man who weighs 150 pounds can consume about 10% more calories than a woman who weighs 150 pounds and still not gain weight.
You may not realize that your body burns calories when it is at rest, but it does. Your heart beats. Your lungs expand and contract. Your intestines digest food. Your liver processes nutrients. Your glands secrete hormones. Your muscles flex. Cells send electrical impulses back and forth among themselves, and your brain continually signals to every part of your body.
The energy that your resting body uses to do all of this is called your RESTING ENERGY EXPENDITURE or your BASAL METABOLISM, and it accounts for 60% to 70% of all the energy you need each day. There are unique formulas that will allow you to calculate your resting energy expenditure and are based on age and gender. Feel free to send me a message if you would like the specific formula that applies to you.
Your second largest chunk of energy is the energy you withdraw to spend on physical work. That includes everything from brushing your teeth in the morning to working out in the gym.
So your total energy requirement (the number of calories you need each day) is your resting energy expenditure plus the calories required to cover the amount of work you do.
Lets address the calories required to cover the amount of work that is done, or the second part. Here's approximately how many calories a 155 pound person would use in an hour's worth of different kinds of work:
Activity / Calories: (for a 155 pound person)
Sleeping / 65
Reading / 74
Sitting / 74
Standing / 84
Driving / 149
Ironing /158
Washing Dishes / 158
Shopping / 167
Cooking / 186
Housework / 205
Bowling / 214
Dancing (ballroom slow) / 214
Golf (cart) / 242
Volleyball (recreation) / 242
Weight lifting (general) / 242
Bicycling (leisure) / 279
Mopping / 316
Washing Car / 316
Gardening / 381
Hiking / 419
Dancing (aerobic, modern) / 419
Aerobics (low impact) / 428
Golf (carry clubs) / 428
Swimming (moderate) / 428
Tennis (singles) / 428
Weight lifting (vigorous) / 428
Aerobics (high impact) / 493
Jogging / 493
Rowing Machine (moderate) / 493
Stair Step Machine / 493
Stationary Bike (moderate / 493
Walking (up stairs) / 567
Bicycling (mountain) / 595
Bicycling (12-14 mph) / 614
Rope Jumping / 707
Running (6 mph) / 707
Elliptical Trainer / 800
With these numbers, let's now take a look at an example that calculates TOTAL ENERGY REQUIREMENT. Remember Total Energy Requirement (TER) = Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) + Work-Related Activity (WRA). Let's shorten that up in an equation.
TER = REE + WRA
Our example is going to involve a 45-year old male. Let's look first at his RESTING ENERGY EXPENDITURE. To determine the number of calories a 45-year old male would need when resting, we need to calculate it from the equation:
REE (45-year old male) = (11.6 x [weight in kilograms]) + 879
NOTE: This is a known equation based on age and gender.
Assuming this male weighed 168 lbs, and noting that 1 kilogram (kg) = 2.2 lbs, his weight in kilograms would be 168 lbs/(2.2 lbs/kg) = 76.36 kg. Plugging this value into our equation for REE above would yield:
REE (45-year old male) = (11.6 x [76.36]) + 879 = 1,765 CALORIES
NOTE: This is the amount of calories needed and burned daily by the 45-year old male when he is at rest.
Next, we need to calculate the WORK-RELATED ACTIVITY for the 45-year old male on a given day. Let's assume this male did the following work:
* Walked around two hours total at work and home = 167 calories/hour x 2 hours = 334 calories
* Jogged one hour = 493 calories/hour x 1 hour = 493 calories
So based on the activities performed that day, the 45-year old male would need:
WRA (45-year old male) = 334 + 493 = 827 CALORIES
So the TOTAL ENERGY REQUIREMENT would be:
TER = REE + WRA = 1,765 + 827 = 2,592 CALORIES
This is the Total Energy Requirement needed by the 45-year old male that day in order to maintain weight.
Now, as far as the BREAKDOWN OF CALORIES in a person's diet, the majority of top researchers and scientists in the industry recommend a breakdown that consists of 40% to 60% healthy carbohydrate, 20% to 30% healthy protein, and 20% to 30% healthy fat.
If you are deviating from this breakdown regularly, you are not in BALANCE. To verify whether you are in balance, run an experiment on your diet. For one week, write down what you eat on a daily basis, along with the time you eat and the nutrition information such as the number of grams of carbohydrate, protein, and fat in each meal. For each day you logged your meals, calculate the percentage breakdown between carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Then verify it falls into the range I just mentioned. If it doesn't, start making modifications to your diet so that it does fall into range. And really, you want to strive to achieve balance with every meal every day. But start by looking at the breakdown each day for a week. Make adjustments if necessary, and remember to eat healthy carbohydrate, healthy protein, and healthy fat. And remember, it's not about perfection. Strive for progress.
I hope this gives you a better understanding of calories and how to construct your diet. Now, the next part is up to you--putting this information to good use!
If you have any questions about anything discussed in this week's article, please don't hesitate to send me a message. Have a happy and healthy week!
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