The Truth About Calories (& how to actually lose weight)

We’re surrounded by calories every where we go. But does counting calories ACTUALLY work? Will it help you lose weight? Should you be counting my calories?

Let's get into it.

What is a calorie?

In the most simple terms, it’s a unit of energy.

In the context of nutrition, kilo calories or kilo cals are used to describe the energy content of foods.

You can think of calories as a way of keeping track of the body’s energy budget.

A healthy balance is one where you put in about the same amount as you use.

If you consistently are in an energy surplus, so you are consuming more than you use, you’ll put on weight. And if you’re consistently in an energy deficit, the opposite happens and you’ll lose weight.

Before we get into the calories in equals calories out equation, you might of heard that different macronutrients provide a different amount of calories.

First let's break down the macronutrients.

There’s 3. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Let’s start with the most important one:

Protein

The word actually comes from the greek word proteios which means primary.

Proteins are essential for building and repairing tissues, producing enzymes, and supporting various bodily functions. They provide 4 calories per gram.

Animal proteins are more complete, meaning that that they contain the 9 essential amino acids that you need from your diet.

There’s 20 different amino acids that can combine in various ways to form different proteins in the body. Out of the 20, 9 are essential meaning that the body can’t produce them on its own. Examples include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products.

You then have plant Proteins which includes Legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. These provide protein as well but they may be incomplete in terms of certain amino acids.

Carbohydrates

Carbs re a major source of energy for the body. They provide 4 calories per gram.

Carbs are classified into two main types based on their structure:

You get simple carbs - these are made up of one or two sugar units and are quickly digested. Think sugar, honey and fruit.

They provide a rapid energy boost but can lead to blood sugar spikes.

And then there’s complex carbs which comprise of longer chains of sugar molecules. These take longer to digest and provide sustained energy. They also contain tend to contain fibre, which supports digestion.

Think whole grains like oats and brown rice, and things like legumes, and starchy veg.

Fats

Fats are concentrated sources of energy and support various bodily functions, including hormone production, cell membrane structure, and vitamin absorption.

They provide 9 calories per gram so the most out of the 3 macronutrients.

You can also categorise fats.

There’s saturated fats which are found in animal products and some plant oils.

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and they’re associated with an increased risk of heart disease and should be consumed in moderation.

Then there’s monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats are found in things like olive oil, avocados, and nuts.

Polyunsaturated Fats include Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for heart health and your body can’t make these nutrients on it’s own.

You can find them in oily fish, vegetable oils and nuts.

You also get trans fats but these are quite unhealthy and are found in fried foods and takeaways.

Recently I’ve tried to go on a calorie deficit and lose fat whilst trying to maintain muscle.

I was doing all the right things, tracking what I was eating, training regularly, having a high protein diet, weighing myself every morning and I was using a fitness tracker as well.

I’ve done a video on the one - link below:

Also remember these fitness trackers can overestimate your calorie expenditure.

So, I had planned a weight loss of 500 grams per week over the course of 12 weeks to get me from 90 kilos to 84 kilos.

Around 8-9 weeks into the cut I felt my progress was slowing down.

I wasn’t losing the same amount of weight as I was at the start of the cut, even though I was tracking everything.

So, why could this be? Why was my progress waning? Let’s get into it.

If you've tried to do the same and lose weight or even build muscle, you've probably noticed that it's not always a straightforward process.

The amount of weight you lose or gain doesn't always match up with the expected results based on your calorie intake and expenditure.

And because of this, some people claim that the concept of "calories in/calories out" is flawed and doesn’t work.

I think the confusion arises from people focusing too much on the "calories in" part and not giving enough attention to the "calories out" bit. To understand this better, let's break down the idea of "calories in/calories out."

The “calories in" part relates to what you eat and drink and the calories out part is what you burn as energy through exercise and your body’s metabolic functions.

The balance between the calories you take in and the calories you burn determines changes in your energy stores.

For example, if you consume more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight over time. If you burn more calories than you consume, you'll lose weight over time.

This seems quite simple, right? All you have to do is eat less to lose weight and eat more to gain weight.

But it’s a bit more nuanced than that unfortunately.

The complexity arises from the "calories out" part of the equation.

Understanding "calories out" involves a few key components that determine your total daily energy expenditure or TDEE.

It represents the total number of calories your body burns in a day, taking into account all of your activities and functions.

We’ll go into the main components now.

The first is your Resting Metabolic Rate.

Also known as basal metabolic rate or BMR, this is the energy your body expends while at rest, just to maintain basic functions like breathing, circulating blood around the body, and regulating body temperature.

BMR accounts for a significant portion of your total daily energy expenditure (usually around 60-70%).

You then have the thermic Effect of Food or TEF, which represents the energy required for digesting, absorbing, and processing the nutrients from the food you eat.

TEF usually contributes around 5-10% of your daily energy expenditure.

Interestingly, different nutrients have varying TEF values, with protein generally requiring more energy for digestion than carbs or fats.

Protein has a TEF of 20-30%, meaning that 20-30% of ingested energy is spent digesting, absorbing and metabolising the remaining food.

Let’s say you ate food that was 100 calories and consisted of protein only. Your net would be around 70-80 calories.

Carbs TEF is around 5-10% so if you had a 100 calories of carbs, you’ll net 90-95 calories. Fats have 0-3% TEF.

You then have Physical Activity, which comprises of exercise activity and non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT.

They’re differentiated based on intent.

Exercise activity or EA consists of includes planned physical activities like exercise, workouts, and sports.

The intensity, duration, and type of activity all influence the calories burned.

Physical activity can vary greatly from person to person and contributes around 10-15% of your daily energy expenditure.

NEAT on the other hand encompasses all the energy expended from activities that aren't structured exercise, such as walking, fidgeting, doing the dishes and me moving my hands.

NEAT is highly variable and can contribute significantly to your total energy expenditure. Sedentary individuals may have a NEAT contribution around 15%, while highly active individuals can have NEAT levels as high as 50%.

There are other things like environmental factors, so for instance your body may burn more calories to maintain core temperature in colder conditions.

You also have age and gender which plays a role and generally, your metabolic rate tends to decrease with age due to changes in muscle mass and hormonal shifts.

Ok so that essentially summarises the aspects of total daily energy expenditure which is the "calories out" part of the equation.

Going back to my fat loss mission - I wanted to create a calorie deficit. But like I said, it can be a bit more complicated than that.

This is because if you create a calorie deficit, all of these components I’ve just spoken about are affected, leading to changes in the calories you burn.

Your energy status influences each component of TDEE.

So I wanted to lose around half a kilo or a pound of body fat each week, which is roughly equivalent to 3500 calories.

To achieve this over the course of a week, I started a diet with a 500-calorie daily deficit. This should, in theory, lead to a steady loss of about 500g per week. However, as the weeks passed, I encountered metabolic adaptation.

Which is also known as adaptive thermogenesis.

This is where your body responds to changes in calorie intake by adjusting its energy expenditure to maintain a stable weight.

So in my example, I was consuming fewer calories than I needed, therefore creating a calorie deficit, and my body responded by reducing it’s overall energy expenditure.

It does this through several ways. A key factor is a reduction in your BMR. As you lose weight there is physically less of you meaning that your body burns fewer calories at rest.

Also with a calorie deficit, the thermic effect of the food you eat will also decrease.

You also get a reduction in your EA so exercise activity but this difference is probably negligible. This is because over the course of a week, there’s 168 hours, if you train for an hour every day that’s still 161 hours a week spent not exercising or 96%.

Most of your metabolic adaptation comes from NEAT.

When you're in a calorie deficit, you might naturally feel more fatigued or less inclined to engage in physical activities.

I know this first hand. You become really lethargic especially after gym sessions.

You move less. And this reduction in NEAT, can further decrease your overall energy expenditure. Your body adapts.

And because of these adaptive responses, what started as a 500-calorie daily deficit might not be a deficit a few months time.

Instead of consistently losing a pound of body weight per week, your actual rate of weight loss might slow down.

This can be frustrating and confusing, especially if you're diligently tracking your food intake and staying active like I was.

I remember being on zoom calls with my friend discussing the weight loss and I felt I had really plateaued. My example highlights the importance of not solely focusing on "calories in" but also considering the various factors that contribute to "calories out."

To achieve your weight loss or fitness goals effectively, you need to approach the equation holistically.

As your body adapts, you might need to periodically reassess your calorie intake, exercise routine, and other lifestyle factors to maintain a meaningful calorie deficit.

Or you might want to gradually decrease your calorie intake rather than jump straight in and drop by 500 calories a day like I did.

So how can you offset metabolic adaptation?

You target the NEAT aspect.

Someone that works on their feet all day will expend more calories than someone who is chair bound all day.

Move more.

Take the stairs.

Get a standing desk.

Stretch.

The key takeaway is that "calories in/calories out" still holds true, but it's important to consider both sides of the equation and make adjustments as needed to maintain the deficit or surplus for your goals.

You should also ignore anyone that downplays the importance of calories, they usually have something to sell you.

They’ll usually use the argument that calorie counting is not accurate and therefore shouldn’t be used.

Now let’s talk about the main point in their argument.

Accuracy refers to how close a measurement or calculation is to the true or actual value.

In the context of calorie counting, accuracy means that the recorded number of calories closely matches the actual number of calories in the food or beverage you consume.

Interestingly, in restaurants, the calorie info usually provided has an error margin of 20-50% because this depends on the food portions you get.

On top of this, the calorie content of the foods you eat are not totally accurate either, companies are allowed 20% error margin in their products.

So that 200 calorie snack might be 160 calories or 240 calories.

Also, people's metabolism, digestion, and nutrient absorption can vary, affecting how efficiently calories are utilised.

Based on this argument calorie counting is unreliable and you shouldn’t count calories then? Here’s where this argument falls on its head.

Imagine you're managing your monthly expenses to stay within your budget.

Your budget represents the amount of money you have available, and you want to ensure that you're spending wisely and not overspending too much.

Calorie counting is like tracking your expenses to make sure you're staying within your budget.

You list all your expenses, from rent and shopping to bills and social things.

This helps you see where your money is going and make adjustments if you're getting close to your budget limit.

Similarly, calorie counting involves listing the calories you consume to see where your energy intake is going and making adjustments if you're getting close to your daily limit.

However, just as unexpected expenses might pop up like a spontaneous holiday or car troubles and impact your budget, variations in portion sizes or inaccuracies in food labels can impact your calorie counting accuracy.

Now, would you stop tracking your expenses altogether just because you might encounter the occasional surprise bill.

Of course not.

Tracking your expenses gives you valuable insights into your spending habits and helps you make informed choices.

Likewise, calorie counting provides insights into your eating habits and helps you make conscious decisions about your energy intake and make sure you're making balanced food choices.

It's a tool to ensure you're aligning your consumption with your goals, whether that's maintaining a balanced diet or working towards weight loss.

Just as you might use your internet banking app to keep tabs on your expenses and get an overview of your financial health, technology and apps can assist you in calorie counting.

Plus, like you might make adjustments to your budget based on your financial goals, you can adjust your calorie intake based on your health and wellness objectives.

So just as tracking your expenses helps you manage your finances, calorie counting helps you manage your energy intake.

Just because it’s not 100% accurate doesn’t mean it’s obsolete.

Calorie counting should be regarded as a tool to improve your habits and behaviours around food.

Once you have a grasp of what you’re eating today, you can calculate what you need to eat to be in a calorie deficit.

And that is how you lose weight.

I count calories pretty much most days and I have a healthy relationship with food.

I actually love food.

It helps me understand the calories, macros, and micronutrients I ingest. You get to know how much food your body needs. Sometimes I track my foods until my evening meal and then just freestyle.

And eventually, after a period of tracking your calories you might understand your requirements better and you’re able to make more informed choices about the foods you eat.

At this point you might stop keeping track.

And that’s ok too.

How do you count calories?

I use MyFitnessPal. It’s free, you can scan food labels and make custom meals and things. You can set targets for your macros and it’s easy to track.

It also helps you understand portion control better, so if eventually you stop counting calories, you can make it less likely to overeat.

So should you go on a diet and count your calories?

To answer the first part of the question. All diets have the same basic mechanism which is to make you be in calorie deficit.

Most diets don’t actually work. Not because the strategy isn’t sound. But because people fail to adhere to them for the long term. If your goal is weight loss and you’re serious about making healthier lifestyle changes.

Then I would ask yourself this:

• Can I do this forever?
• Is this method sustainable for me?

If not, then maybe you should rethink your approach.

As for the second part of the question.

If you don’t incorporate a tool like calorie counting then you probably won’t lose weight.

Because how can you understand energy balance or portion control if you aren't tracking your calories?

What gets measured gets managed.

Remember, it should be used as a tool to encourage you to make healthier and more informed choices.

And yes, exercise is also important. But you shouldn’t exercise just to lose weight.

You need to drop your calories for that.

You should exercise for your health.

Incorporating both exercise and diet strategies is more powerful method than just using one in isolation.

A quote from a great

Have an awesome day,

Z

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