29/03/2022
Diet - calories in vs calories out
This concept is based around the idea that if you are to eat less calories than your body burns per day (calorie deficit) you will lose weight. On the other side of the spectrum if you are to eat more calories than your body burns (calorie surplus), you will gain weight. You can also eat the same amount of calories as you burn per day to maintain weight (maintenance calories). To get an estimate of how many calories you burn per day, there are many online calculators you can use which use your age, weight, height and physical activity level in the equation.
Calories are basically a unit of measurement for energy. When it all comes down to it, fat is a stored form of energy and the way you stimulate your body to release that fat for energy is by creating an energy deficit where the amount of energy that is available from the food you’re eating is less than what your body requires the day. If that’s the case, then your body will break down its existing fat stores to obtain a source of energy. On the other hand, if the amount of available energy from the food you’re eating meets or exceeds the energy demands of your body, then your body has no incentive to break down its fat stores because the energy need is already being met.
That being said, this does not mean you can eat 200 calories of ice cream over 200 calories of chicken breast and expect the same result. The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the amount of energy it takes for your body to digest, absorb, and metabolise the food you eat. Certain food types such as protein and complex carbs have a higher thermic effect than fats or simple carbs because your body has to work harder to break it down, thus spending more energy and burning more calories.
