The curious case of calories

There might be some food items that you are avoiding because they have a lot of calories. As more and more people become image conscious, we get to hear a lot discussion and debate on the topic. Despite the upswing on calorie consciousness though, not all seem to be getting the facts right. For starters, there is no way anybody can avoid calories and what's more, they are not all that bad. Nutritionist and dietician Dr Usha Shah helps us get decode the myths.



What is a calorie?

Many people tend to be confused about the definition of calories itself. I have known some to associate it with fat alone but that couldn't be further from the truth. A calorie is simply a unit used to measure energy in our food. Calories in our diet come from fat, protein, carbohydrates, and alcohol. Carbohydrates and protein contain 4 calories per gram. Each gram of alcohol contains 7 calories whereas fat has a whopping 9 calories per gram. Indeed fat provides the most calories, which is a good thing when food is scarce, but not so good for people trying to lose weight, or at least not gain it. Vitamins, minerals and indigestible fiber, on the other hand, have no calories. The total amount of the energy stored in the food you are eating is represented by the calorie content of the food as indicated on its nutritional label.

How are calories used in the body?

Since calories are simply a measurement of energy, the real question is, "How does the body use energy?" Obviously, the body uses energy to perform all of its functions. Your body is capable of doing only two things with the calorie energy that it absorbs; it must either burn it or store it. When we eat food the calories that are in it can never disappear or be destroyed, they can only change form. When we eat them, calories are eventually transformed, or "burned," into the different types of energy that your body utilizes and produces each day.

So all calories are not bad?

Calories themselves are not bad. The problem is their overconsumption. It is when we consume more calories than our body's need that the excess ends up stored as body fat. A calorie is a calorie, whether it comes from carbohydrates or protein. But the source of calories does matter for a healthy lifestyle. For instance, while the 100 calories in a big bowl of a vegetable comes with lots of nutrients, the 100 calories from a piece of chocolate has no such advantage. We need to understand this difference. Calories accompanied by few nutrients are often called "empty" calories.

How many calories do I need in my diet?

Each person is different. The amount of calories needed depends on age, gender, height, weight, goals, body composition and metabolic rate. Also people whose work involves a lot of labor require more calories than those whose work is more desk-bound.

How effective is calorie counting as a method for weight loss?

Adding calories for eating and subtracting them for activities cannot always be carried out accurately, especially when there is no professional supervision.

Nevertheless after calculating the number of calories needed to maintain your weight, you can then determine the calories needed to lose weight. The standard rule is that each pound of body fat stores roughly 3500 calories. If you would like to lose 0.5 kg per week, you would need to create a calorie shortage of 3500 calories per week or 500 calories per day.

Though I'd say it's better to look at it over the course of the week. Even if you consume one or two high-calorie meals during the week, as long as you still have an overall 3,500-calorie deficit, you'll still lose weight.

Which foods contain large amounts of calories?

The number of calories in a food item depends on the quantity of carbohydrates, fats, protein, and alcohol. Ideally, we should consume foods with a relatively high number of nutrients per calorie like for example vegetables, fruits or other unprocessed food items. Otherwise, we are eating "empty calories". Soft drinks are a good example of empty-calorie foods. They supply the body with calories but very few nutrients.

Is it necessary to work out every day if you want to lose weight?

We have many cases where too much obsession with workouts has backfired. When people stop hitting the gym they inevitably put on a lot of weight. The fact is working out every single day for job holding adults is not only an unrealistic goal, but it's also unnecessary. Even if you are trying to lose some weight, strive for activity five days a week for at least 30 minutes. In the long run, this has proved to be beneficial. Aim to burn 1,250 to 3,000 calories a week depending on your goal.

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