There is no greater myth that has been perpetuated than, eat less calories than you use to lose weight. In its simplicity, this sounds true. However, we have made this too simple. Here's a question for you: If all that matters is calories, would it be just as good to eat 1,500 calories of chocolate chips cookies as it would be to consume 1,500 calories of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables?
I remember when I was in high school chemistry class the teacher had us take a potato chip and burn it. Though it took a few seconds, the chip burst into flames and disintegrated. The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate The First Law of Thermodynamics. You are probably going to hear more about this in the news in due time, as there is a video on YouTube called Sugar: The Bitter Truth! (short version). I wrote about The First Law of Thermodynamics in a book called The Power of Champions back in 2004 (article title- "Burn Fat by Eating More").
A calorie is nothing more than a measurement of heat. As a matter of fact, by definition, it is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water to 1 °C. That's all it is, nothing more. You can have two foods of the same caloric content, but how they breakdown and their nutrient value can vary greatly.
I remember when I was in high school chemistry class the teacher had us take a potato chip and burn it. Though it took a few seconds, the chip burst into flames and disintegrated. The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate The First Law of Thermodynamics. You are probably going to hear more about this in the news in due time, as there is a video on YouTube called Sugar: The Bitter Truth! (short version). I wrote about The First Law of Thermodynamics in a book called The Power of Champions back in 2004 (article title- "Burn Fat by Eating More").
The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed – only converted from one form to another. When we eat food, you are basically transforming food into energy for your body. In order to do that, we use energy to break down food. Kind of ironic, isn’t it? We measure this energy in kilocalories, or to make it simple, just calories.
Not all calories are the same
We can’t argue that 1 calorie doesn’t equal 1 calorie. It does. That’s like asking, “What weighs more, a ton of feathers or a ton of bricks?” They both weigh the same, but there are a lot more feathers than bricks. Once again though, the amount of energy that is needed to breakdown different foods that have the same amount of energy can vary greatly.
To give you an example, I want you to think of the difference between burning a piece of cardboard and a piece of wood. Imagine that they are equal in the amount of “calories” they have. Which would burn faster, the cardboard or the piece of wood? Even though they both have the same amount of energy, the cardboard would burn much faster. Why? Because the amount of energy required to break down the cardboard (for various reasons) does not have to be as great. It simply breaks down easier!
Just like the potato chip I mentioned earlier, it burned up quickly. Try taking a piece of raw broccoli and doing the same thing; you would have to hold the flame to it. (Please don’t try this, just take my word for it). Compare the potato chip to the broccoli – which do you think will digest faster?
Understanding the Thermic Effect of Food
This process is called the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). TEF is the amount of energy needed to digest, absorb, transport, and store food. In other words, you use a certain amount of calories in digestion alone. The amount of calories you use on average is approximately 10% of calories ingested. However, proteins and fiber can be greater than that. Eating a lean chicken breast can be as high as 25%. In other words, for every 100 calories in the chicken breast, you could use 25 calories in digestion alone. On the other hand, if you eat high glycemic carbohydrates, like a cookie, it can almost be nil.
Eat Less – Destroy your Metabolism
Unfortunately, you have been led to believe that depriving yourself of food (that is calories) will optimize our weight loss efforts. We hear this from weight-loss centers, infomercials, and magazine articles from so called fitness celebrities and the like. Weight loss might initially be achieved, but weight is nothing more than gravity pulling an object toward Earth. Most of the initial weight you lose is water and food in the digestive tract (that gets eliminated during dieting or fasting). Once you begin decreasing carbohydrate energy, you begin utilizing proteins as a source of energy (the hormone cortisol allows this to happen). By eating less, it’s really not fat you’re losing but muscle! (Read MYTH: Lose 10 pounds in 10 Days.) Your body is stressed and not getting enough energy, so your hormones will begin to also shift in a manner to decrease your metabolism. As this happens, you’re also losing muscle which causes weight loss, but slows down your metabolism as well. The end result is that you gain the weight back! Read my article - MYTH: Eat Less to Lose Weight!
Going back to Physics!
If you were burning wood in a fireplace and the wood starts to go down, what happens to the fire? The fire starts to disappear. It loses heat! So, what do you have to do to get the fire burning again? Answer: add more wood right! If you add too much wood though, while the fire is down, you will stifle the fire. This is how many people eat. If you eat this way, you may not even have a fire to stifle.
Eat often – Eat Light- Lose Weight the Right Way!
Now, what does that really mean? It means you need to eat regularly throughout the day to keep burning calories efficiently. This is called supportive eating, as opposed to going on a diet! By eating regular meals throughout the day (starting with breakfast) you are constantly providing fuel to your metabolism, your body. This keeps your thermogenic engine burning. This is also where you heard about the “eat every 3 to 4 hours”. However, you still have to eat the right kinds of foods with the right consistency. Remember, not all calories are the same.
Caloric Deficit should come from Exercise
If you want to lose weight, yes, you need to use more calories than you ingest. However, this must be achieved through exercise, not diet alone. You need a certain amount of calories to maintain your body's basic needs (known as resting metabolic rate). By doing so, you will not use muscle as a source of energy. Through exercise, you rev up your metabolism by doing it and through Excess Post Oxygen Consumption (the immediate effect) and through physiological changes in hormones and cellular change (the chronic effect). Just make sure your exercise is vigorous. Read MYTH: Exercise is Easy! By doing vigorous exercise, over time you will create a higher set-point metabolism. If you don't believe this, just ask Michael Phelps - NYPost article on Michael Phelps diet. Vigorous exercisers eat more and stay lean!
Okay... I hope my argument makes sense. If not, I will keep trying. Just know that it's not just about calories in and calories out if you want to lose weight and KEEP it off. You still have to eat the right kind of food, eat regularly though out the day, and exercise.
Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach
If you want to lose weight, yes, you need to use more calories than you ingest. However, this must be achieved through exercise, not diet alone. You need a certain amount of calories to maintain your body's basic needs (known as resting metabolic rate). By doing so, you will not use muscle as a source of energy. Through exercise, you rev up your metabolism by doing it and through Excess Post Oxygen Consumption (the immediate effect) and through physiological changes in hormones and cellular change (the chronic effect). Just make sure your exercise is vigorous. Read MYTH: Exercise is Easy! By doing vigorous exercise, over time you will create a higher set-point metabolism. If you don't believe this, just ask Michael Phelps - NYPost article on Michael Phelps diet. Vigorous exercisers eat more and stay lean!
Okay... I hope my argument makes sense. If not, I will keep trying. Just know that it's not just about calories in and calories out if you want to lose weight and KEEP it off. You still have to eat the right kind of food, eat regularly though out the day, and exercise.
written by:
Kelly Huggins, A-CPT
Exercise Science, B.S.
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