Sometimes I like to just go back to the basics and drop knowledge on you because knowledge has power when used properly.
So let’s break it down! A calorie is a unit of energy equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram (g) of water by 1 degree Celsius. Calories are the amount of energy you consume on a daily basis and then burn for energy to be alive, to workout, to breathe and move and everything in between.
In the simplest terms, depending on how much you eat in a day and how much you move will determine if you are gaining, maintaining or losing weight.
If you eat more than you burn you’ll gain weight, if you eat around the same you’ll maintain, if you eat less then you’ll lose weight.
The calories you consume from food are broken down into 3 macronutrients. Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates. The ratio of these calories in your diet will largely impact what kind of weight you will gain or lose, what kind of energy you have, how you feel, perform and recover.
Each type of macro has its own calorie content per gram of weight. Protein has 4 calories for every gram, Carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram and Fats have 9 calories per gram.
Calorie density, or energy density, is the number of calories per weight or volume of food. Compare, for example, 100 g of romaine lettuce, which contains about 17 calories, with the same amount of unsalted butter, which contains 717 calories, The lettuce would have low calorie density, while the butter would have high calorie density.
Energy density depends on the macronutrients in a food (fat, with 9 calories per gram, is more dense than protein and carbohydrates, which both have 4 calories per gram) as well as the water content. As its water content increases, a food’s calorie density decreases.
Knowing and understanding what a calorie is and what it takes to burn is the beginning of understanding how to control those things in your life.
I can tell you most people eat too much move too little and thats only the beginning of the equation.
We will break down each macro in upcoming newsletters stay tuned!
COACH DANIEL