"Lower Calories = Lower Weight"
Unfortunately it is Not that Simple
"I've been on this diet for 2 weeks, I haven't lost any weight, and I feel miserable". If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that or similar phrases, I would be writing this article on my yacht in the south of France.
As you know, the main objective I have with this Blog is to help those struggling with weight loss to gain knowledge on this sometimes complex subject. If you’re one of the many people who
have unsuccessfully tried to lose weight,
developing a better understanding of metabolism may help you
identify the causes of your lack of success. Since metabolism is complex
topic, it requires a series of articles rather than just one big one.
Today, we’ll take a look at what most people think of as the simple
answer to metabolism – calories in and calories out. We’ll look at why
it can be more complicated than simple math.
The Caloric Balance Equation
The caloric balance equation follows a scientific fact: energy cannot be created or destroyed. That means if we add more energy to our body, something must be done with it. With diet and energy expenditure, energy can be measured in calories. In theory, if an individual burns 2500 calories in a given day, and consumes 2500 calories, he or she will maintain weight. The Center for Disease Control says “If you are gaining weight, you are eating more calories than your body is using. You will store these extra calories as fat and you’ll gain weight.” (1) Unfortunately, in reading that statement people are lead to believe, "OK, so if I dramatically reduce my caloric intake, I dramatically lose weight". In fact, we can easily measure how many calories we burn at rest and during exercise, and make some assumptions about what we burn through daily activity. Theoretically, we can also measure how many calories we consume through food. However, our bodies are not simple machines, which is why there’s a lot more to the equation than just how many calories we eat and how many calories we burn.
The Caloric Balance Equation
The caloric balance equation follows a scientific fact: energy cannot be created or destroyed. That means if we add more energy to our body, something must be done with it. With diet and energy expenditure, energy can be measured in calories. In theory, if an individual burns 2500 calories in a given day, and consumes 2500 calories, he or she will maintain weight. The Center for Disease Control says “If you are gaining weight, you are eating more calories than your body is using. You will store these extra calories as fat and you’ll gain weight.” (1) Unfortunately, in reading that statement people are lead to believe, "OK, so if I dramatically reduce my caloric intake, I dramatically lose weight". In fact, we can easily measure how many calories we burn at rest and during exercise, and make some assumptions about what we burn through daily activity. Theoretically, we can also measure how many calories we consume through food. However, our bodies are not simple machines, which is why there’s a lot more to the equation than just how many calories we eat and how many calories we burn.
The calorie balance equation states that when the total calories we burn equal the total calories we eat,
body weight is maintained. When it is tipped toward more calories burned
we lose weight. When it is tipped toward more calories consumed, we
gain weight. This theory simplifies our metabolism as being resting
metabolic rate (the calories we burn when at total rest), the calories
we burn from our daily activities and lifestyle (calories we burn doing
what we do every day), the additional calories we burn from exercise,
and the thermic effect of food (the calories burned in digestion).
However, there is more to metabolism than a simple equation.
Calories are Not Created Equal
Calories are Not Created Equal
When it comes to food, the caloric value
on the label is not equal to the caloric value of the food once it’s in
our body. In some ways, the foods we eat act like drugs. They can
positively or negatively impact our metabolism depending on what they’re
made of. Carbohydrates, protein and fat can affect certain hormones in
our body. Carbohydrates, regardless of their type, are converted to
sugar in our body and stimulate the release of insulin, a hormone that
shuts down the ability to burn fat. That’s not to say they are bad, but
the excessive amounts the average person eats can have an impact on the
ability to manage weight. Evidence also suggests people can become
addicted to certain foods based on how their brains respond to them.
These foods, typically high in processed carbohydrates and fat, stimulate
the brain in a similar way to addictive drugs.(2) Knowing this, it’s no
wonder people can feel helpless to the way some foods seem to control
them.
Protein, carbohydrate and fat also
require varying amounts of energy just to break them down. This is
called the thremic effect of food. As an example, protein requires four
to six times as much energy to break it down as fat and carbohydrate,
which is why higher protein diets work so well for weight management.
That means that the 100 calories worth of chicken breast is going to
result in far fewer available calories than the 100 calories worth of
pretzels someone could eat.
Getting Started: Keep it Simple
If weight management isn’t as simple as measuring calories in and out, is it even worth the effort to track it? Absolutely! One of the most eye-opening experiences you may have is getting your resting metabolic rate measured (also called a CaloriePoint Assessment). The reason it is so significant is that it provides a good benchmark to understand the number of calories you burn in a given day. You might be surprised to find it’s less than you think. Once you know what you burn, you can also log your intake in a journal. You’ll easily see how close you’re getting to your suggested intake. Of course, there’s MUCH more to weight management than just the total calories, but it’s an interesting place to start. If you’re eating far more than you should, you’ll know you need to make some modifications. If you’re eating far less and you’re not losing weight, than you need to take a good look at where your calories are coming from. As you’ll see in future articles, there are many reasons this could be.
Getting Started: Keep it Simple
If weight management isn’t as simple as measuring calories in and out, is it even worth the effort to track it? Absolutely! One of the most eye-opening experiences you may have is getting your resting metabolic rate measured (also called a CaloriePoint Assessment). The reason it is so significant is that it provides a good benchmark to understand the number of calories you burn in a given day. You might be surprised to find it’s less than you think. Once you know what you burn, you can also log your intake in a journal. You’ll easily see how close you’re getting to your suggested intake. Of course, there’s MUCH more to weight management than just the total calories, but it’s an interesting place to start. If you’re eating far more than you should, you’ll know you need to make some modifications. If you’re eating far less and you’re not losing weight, than you need to take a good look at where your calories are coming from. As you’ll see in future articles, there are many reasons this could be.
Aside from understanding how much energy
your body burns each day, the simple CaloriePoint Assesment can also help you to see if you fall far below or above other people in your same age group with a
similar build. Being well below normal levels can be an indication of
hypothyroidism, adrenal fatigue, depression or other factors. Being well
above normal may not be ideal either, as it can be a sign of stress or
anxiety, hyperthyroidism, or other metabolic issues. Some issues can be
discussed with a dietitian, but others may require the
assistance of a medical doctor.
One final benefit of completing the
CaloriePoint is to gain an understanding of the fuel your body burns at
rest. While your resting metabolic rate is assessed, your respiratory
quotient (RQ) is measured. Your RQ shows how much fat versus
carbohydrate is burned at rest. The lower your respiratory quotient is,
the more fat you burn at rest. It’s been shown that a lower RQ is
associated with greater success losing weight.(3)
Summary
As we’ve discussed, for many of us weight cannot be managed simply by measuring the calories we put in our mouth and the calories we burn. However, in order to identify if there is something else awry in your metabolism, you can start by measuring these energy values. If you’ve been trying to lose weight for some time, and are eating less than your body requires, there are other answers.
Summary
As we’ve discussed, for many of us weight cannot be managed simply by measuring the calories we put in our mouth and the calories we burn. However, in order to identify if there is something else awry in your metabolism, you can start by measuring these energy values. If you’ve been trying to lose weight for some time, and are eating less than your body requires, there are other answers.
Thank you.
John
Cardinal
Copyright Healthy Weight Loss for
Life 2012
References:
- CDC. Balancing Calories. CDC Healthy Weight online resource center. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/calories/index.html
- Adam RC, Epel E. Stress, eating and the reward system. Physiol & Behav. 2007;91(4):449-458
- Barwell N, Malkova D. Leggate M, Gill J. Individual responsiveness to exercise-induced fat loss is associated with change in resting substrate utilization. Metabolism. 2009;58(9):1320-1328
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