Not all calories are same

I am a shameless hypocrite.

Weird.

I will tell you the reason for accepting being a hypocrite, but let’s recap the last chapter first.

• You can either increase ‘calories out’ or lower ‘calories in’ to burn more fat
• Exercise does not burn many calories
• Walk around a lot to increase your NEAT

So, we good on the calories out part? Walk around more, try to hit 10k steps every day and you will be doing good for your health and weight loss journey.

Right.

Now, let’s get to the main part - Calories In. This is where most of the mistakes and pitfalls happen. Often people remain confused about it.

Every day, you hear a different opinion about weight loss food. A few years back, fat was the villain but now you see people dipping butter in their coffee for fat loss. They call it a bulletproof coffee. I am serious.

Thinking about trying it? DON'T DO IT. It’s a pathetic, awful tasting, high calories drink.

#But how did it even become popular when it looks so weird?

Because people are stupid and Media knows how to cash in on their stupidity ( not subtle at all ).
A person comes with a logic which has a selective scientific basis and people go bonkers about it. Selective because they don’t talk about the research which does not support the logic. Only the ones which suit their logic.

The reason for it is; people are always looking for the quickest way to lose fat.

Looking around for the next magical pill or drink. Some magic which will melt off their fat without any effort.

And marketing/ supplements companies know this very well. They bring out weird stuff which looks so scientific and magical that people spend $$$ on it.

The bulletproof coffee I was talking about? It has it’s own blog, own supplement line and is available in tetra packs too.

But you, yes you, don’t fall for these marketing gimmicks.

You know the only thing that matters is your total calories. Create a calories deficit by decreasing your calories intake or increasing your calories burnt.

Eat less than you burn and you are sure to lose weight. Nothing else matters.

But is it only about the total calories?

Ah, You got me. This is where I have to accept my hypocrisy.

##Chapter 4 - Not all calories are same

You heard me say, be in a calories deficit to lose fat. Your total calories matter, nothing else.

But other things matter too.

From a weight loss perspective and as well for your general health and physique.Once you have created the calories deficit, deciding the type of food should be the main focus.

Assuming you are still in calories deficit, let’s take a dive deeper into the dieting world.

Your body has its certain requirements to keep your organs healthy and functioning well. We call them the Macros.

The Macros is the umbrella term for 3 ( actually 4) type of food our body requires and are the main constituents of a meal :

#1- Protein

You must be living under the rock if you haven’t heard about it. It’s the essential component required to build the muscles. It is a must in any diet plan. Yet, most of us eat an inadequate amount of it every day.

#2- Fats

Call it a villain or not, It is an essential component for your body, especially for your hormonal health. You need to consume healthy fats to keep your body functioning properly.

#3- Carbohydrates

From a scientific view, they are not essential since your body produces it in-house, it is required for keeping energy levels high.

The fourth macro is alcohol but it does not serve any purpose to your body so not discussing in detail about it here.

Any meal you consume, it will have either or all the above macros.

So how much should I take of each every day?

Time to bring out your pen and paper because we are going to do some calculations.

Taking the most important one first :

Protein:

Remember : 1 gm of protein = 4 calories

Ideally, you should be consuming total daily protein = 1.6-2.2 g/ kg of your body weight. If you are trying to put on muscle or increase weight, you can go for a lower range of 1.4-1.8g/kg of body weight.

Some common food items high in protein would be eggs, chicken breast, lentils, fish, soy chunks.

Fats:

1 gm fats = 9 calories

For your general health, at least 20% of your total calories should come from healthy fats like fish oil, vegetable oil, egg yolk, nuts etc.

Carbohydrates:

1 gm of carbohydrate = 4 calories Once you have calculated the right quantity of protein and fats you should be consuming, the remaining calories should come from carbohydrates.

Some high carbohydrates rich food - rice, chapati, bread, vegetables, fruits, sugar, ice-cream, cakes etc.

#Example

Let me give you an example of how to do the calculations for yourself.

Say, your weight is 80 kg and total calories required to be in a deficit is 2000 calories.

• Protein : 1.6-2.2 g/kg = 130 - 180 g daily protein = 520 - 720 calories from protein
• Fats : 25-35% of total calories ( 2000) = 500-700 calories = 55 - 80 gm fat per day.

Assuming least quantity of protein and fats :

• Carbohydrates : Remaining calories = 2000 - 520 - 500 = 800 calories = 200 g/ day

So your total intake should be 2000 calories and P:F:C = 130:55:200 g / day

This is the most simplified calculations that can be done to get started with your fat loss journey.

If you look closely, there is a huge range of values for protein: 130 - 180 g.

Which one should you go for?

Should you eat 25% or 35% of total calories from fats?

The answer depends on a lot of factors and only an expert or coach can answer it.

It needs an understanding of your body and psychology.

So, don’t over complicate yourself. Pick any value for now in that range which you can stick with. If 130 gm seem doable for you, then take 130 gm of protein. If you can go higher, go higher to 180 gm. Remember, if you cannot stick with it, doing it for 2-3 days is worthless. Rather find your comfort zone and make a diet plan which is sustainable for you.

Side Note - To measure your food and macros, you can use apps like Healthifyme and MyFitnessPal.

Wrapping it up with some updates from my side :

I am trying to increase my steps every day and currently hitting 7.5k. Right now, I am taking less than 1000 calories every day to experiment on the limits of my body. I have been stable with my weight for 4-5 months now. So, trying the new diet to test how low can I go on my body fat %.

If you want to check my journey, I will be posting about it regularly on my Instagram handle.

Tell me what’s going with you?

How is this course helping you out or if you have any suggestions to improve it, please write it to me.

I am reading everything.

Talk soon, -Calories Queen