How Understanding Calorie Intake Can Help You Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals
March 22, 2023
Calorie critters
Today’s article is all about calories. Specifically, calories in. But what even are calories?
You may have heard that calories are those devious little critters that sneak into your wardrobe at night and stitch your clothes a little bit tighter.
Unfortunately, it’s not the calories….it’s how many of them we eat that do that!
Calories are simply a unit of energy (1). It’s a way of measuring the amount of energy that is in our food and how much energy we are burning. Calories are a useful way of counting the amount of energy that we’re consuming the same way you measure anything else; pounds or dollars to count money, kilos or stones to measure weight. Calories are simply just another way of measuring, but for energy consumption. If we didn’t have a means of measurement, it would be very difficult to actually know whether we’re over or under consuming what our bodies need. We need to have some weight loss accountability measures.
If you were to search online how many calories do you need, you would find various different sources, including the NHS website, that a woman needs 2000 calories, and a man needs 2500 calories (1).
However, these are only ballpark figures. They are averages – and nobody is average. So, what does this mean for you?
We’re all different
Well, first things first, everyone’s daily calorie needs are going to be different from the next person. For some people it may be a little more, some a little less. A basic rule is that the bigger the body, the more fuel it will need. Smaller bodies use less energy (2). Now, other factors will influence this, such as body composition. The more muscle tissue we have, the more calories we are able to burn (2).
Our fat stores, unfortunately, do not burn anything like as much energy as our muscles do, therefore the more muscle we have, the bigger need for energy, therefore, the more calories we burn.
But how do the calories we eat make us gain weight? By consuming more than we are burning.
Evolutionary backfire
Our bodies are looking out for us and storing the surplus for later. This evolutionary survival process that is trying to assist us for times of hardship is actually what’s causing us to develop excess fat on our bodies.
Our body fat is just an energy storage facility, like the logs you might save to put on the fire.
We cannot just create fat from nothing. If there is no surplus of energy, there is no way of adding to our fat stores – it cannot come from nothing.
The Law of Conservation of Energy, which you may remember from school, states “energy can neither be created nor destroyed – only converted from one form to another” (3). If we apply this to calories, when our bodies don’t need to use all the energy from the food we’ve eaten, it will store it for later as fat deposits (1). If there’s not been enough going in, then we are in a calorie deficit, and our bodies will draw upon the stored energy from fat cells (4). This is why a calorie deficit is so important for fat loss.
Without one, all our earlier stored energy never gets used, compounding with new unused energy stores, leading to excess fat.
We do have to be careful with calorie deficits, however. Cutting calories too much can have a detrimental effect on daily functioning (5).
Converting fat stores into glucose takes significantly longer than converting glycogen stores (stored glucose in the muscle) (6). Then fatigue can occur and severely impact our commitments to leading a healthy lifestyle (5). This is why we ideally need to make sure we are properly fuelled with carbs before your workouts.
Otherwise, it will feel like working out through treacle due to not being able to convert fat stores quickly enough.
Those damn weak-ends
It’s very easy to forget about trying to lose weight, especially when we’re stressed and caught up with life, to pay attention to how much we’re eating and drinking.
It’s very easy to think, well I’m not eating that much, so I don’t understand why I’m putting on weight. Now we know we need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. But perhaps we don’t want to count the calories as we’ll feel like we’re judging ourselves over the amount of calories we see going in, and maybe we don’t really want to know.
Or we might decide to follow a formal diet plan or have some one to one weight loss coaching and we end up losing weight.
Now, even though you’re not counting calories, someone else has done the work for you, putting you in a calorie deficit and, therefore, you lose weight. It doesn’t matter what diet you follow, you will only lose weight if you are taking in less energy than you are burning.
However, the days we’re not trying to lose weight, or the days we overindulge and so decide not to count calories, are where it can get tricky. We don’t want to know. But by hiding from it, we won’t know how much we’re overdoing it by.
This is when we really need to pay attention to how much energy is going in.
Think of it like shopping with a contactless card without checking prices. A little bit here, a little bit there and before you know it, you’ve massively overspent.
The same applies with food and not knowing what you’re eating.
It’s not just about counting calories on specific days when we’re trying to achieve a deficit, but recording what you’re eating on the days you’re not actively trying to lose weight.
This will enable you to see just how much energy is going in.
Once you know your current intake, based on what you normally do, you can make much more informed decisions about how much to eat.
It’s not about ridiculing or judging ourselves but seeing just how many calories we’re consuming. It allows us to be more aware of the reason why we might have put a couple pounds on that week, as on the weekend we might have consumed way more than we thought.
When we are consuming foods that are very energy dense, especially those ultra tasty, but ultra processed foods, it’s doesn’t take much to hit several thousand calories.
But if we’re not counting calories, how would we even know? It’s so easy to say, ‘well I don’t eat that much’, but eating very energy dense foods, even a small volume can add up to a substantial amount of calories in a very short space of time.
That’s why, if you really want to understand why you’re putting on weight/not losing any, just track exactly what you’re currently doing. Don’t put a limit on it, don’t set yourself a calorie goal, just track what you’re currently eating and get to know how your body works.
Get to know how much energy you’re actually taking in
The chances are, you probably end up taking in a bit less if you’re monitoring it simply because you’re paying more attention. And it’s hard for us as humans not alter our behaviour once we shine a big spotlight on it. But my suggestion would be to just see how much energy you are actually consuming. See what is adds up to. And make sure you include the days you least want to track, like the weekend, as those are the most important days to track as it brings home just how much is going on in terms of overconsumption.
Now with this, there is a danger of beating ourselves up knowing how much we’re over-consuming. To avoid this, we can try and step outside of that and tell ourselves that this is to better understand our situation to help achieve our weight loss journey. It’s not a personal judgement. Knowledge is power.
Don’t judge, just look at the facts
The same way we wouldn’t tell someone who was really struggling with their money not to watch what they are spending, it’s not helpful to tell someone struggling to lose weight to not to count their calories or not pay attention to how much they are eating.
We would tell them the opposite to see exactly where their money is going; then they can see where they can start making savings. The same principle absolutely applies to calorie counting and weight loss.
Take the judgement out of it and just look at the cold, hard facts. Watch how much energy is going in, figure out where can you start making savings, and use that as the place to start.
Therefore, counting calories is encouraged simply because it raises our awareness, no matter the diet program we follow. If we’re not aware of how much energy is going in, we’re learning nothing about what we’re eating and what our bodies actually need.
Even if you are following a diet programme that has already done the calorie counting for you, maybe spend a few days observing how many calories are going in from the programmed meals. This will show you the deficit your body needs to lose weight. The more knowledge you have, the more power you have over what you’re going to do. Remove the judgement and look at things objectively because, ultimately, its extremely difficult to manage our weight in the world we live in.
Food takes up too big a part of our lives
It’s not surprising it’s so difficult with the bombardment of food adverts everywhere. If you live in a town or city, even villages, you can get takeaways delivered within 20 minutes from whatever food outlet you like. Food is, unfortunately, a far too big a part of our lives than is healthy for us. To succeed with weight loss we need to find a way of living in this world. We need to still be able to enjoy our food and be sociable but without damaging our health in the process. Learning how much energy we’re taking in can really make all the difference. That’s why I suggest you try counting your calorie intake without setting a goal and just see what happens.
Now consistency really is the key. What often happens is we’re really contained during the week sticking to our calorie goal, say 1500 a day, following it religiously. The weekend hits and here comes a couple takeaways. This completely wipes out the calorie deficit we created in the week. We may have even ended in a surplus for the week. When we don’t count calories at the weekend, we think it won’t matter, but it really does matter. When we refuse to count our overindulgent weekends, we are self-sabotaging our own success. If we continue doing this, not being consistent with our energy intake, we will consistently overeat without realising it.
The perfect balance to aim for
Another thing to bear in mind is the quality of what we’re eating. We want to make sure we’re getting good, nutritious food. The positive is when we’re eating nutrient rich food, they tend to be lower in calories. This means we can eat a greater volume of food and be more likely to be within our daily calorie goal.
The ideal to aim for is best value between the amount of energy you’re consuming, the quality of that energy, but also making sure you actually enjoy what you’re eating. There’s no point wasting calories on foods we don’t like!
A very important thing to remember is that we can eat the healthiest diet in the world. But if we’re still eating too many calories, because we’re still eating a lot of it, we’re still not going to lose much, if any, weight. It’s about getting that balance right between those three: the amount, the quality and the enjoyment of your chosen calories.
What you can do…
So, to leave you with one thought – try that little exercise on yourself. Count your calories without setting a limit. Just look at what you normally eat. That includes snacking. That includes late night tasty treats. You think that one biscuit every time you pass the tin doesn’t count, but it really does when you add them up. When we use the monetary comparison again, ‘take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves’ – same applies here. Think about it.
Count your calories, even on the days you really don’t want to – they’re the most important. Keep an eye on the situation with your weight. See if it’s stable, then you know if what your eating is working for your goal. If your weight is going down, you know you’re in a deficit.
If your weight is going up, then you need to look at where you can make some savings in your day.
You may realise you eat more than you think on days you’re not trying to lose weight. So rather than looking at calorie calculators online, figure out your own body and see what calories help you hit your ideal weight.
With thanks to contributing author James Jones, BSc (Hons) Psychology (1st class), PT (L3)
Claire Jones is a multi-award-winning Sustainable Weight Loss Coach, Mentor, Therapist, Speaker and Author of the popular book “How To Eat Less”. She helps people learn how to manage their weight well for life.
With a career background of over 25 years spanning the NHS, HM Prison Service, and the UK Fire Service, she had seen first-hand what happens when people don’t look after their health, and had a natural desire to help and to serve those in need.
However, it was after overcoming decades of yo-yo dieting and learning how to look after her own health, that she found a particularly unique way to be of service. She realised she had found an effective, unique and sustainable solution to the weight loss and regain cycles that so many go through, that cripples their confidence and holds them back from the lives they really want.
She is known for her relatable, down-to-earth manner and for helping her clients finally crack the code to their healthy weight and happiest selves.
References and Further Reading
1) Understanding Calories – NHS website (2019).
- “The amount of energy in an item of food or drink is measured in calories / when we eat and drink more calories than we use up, our bodies store the excess as body fat / the average man needs around 2500kcal (10, 500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight, for an average woman that figure is around 2000kcal (8400kJ)”
- https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/managing-your-weight/understanding-calories/.
2) Control of energy expenditure in humans – Westerterp, K. R. (2016).
- “Energy expenditure in humans is determined by body size and body composition, environment and behavior. A larger body, especially a larger fat-free mass, requires more maintenance and thus induces a higher basal metabolic rate or resting energy expenditure”
- https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2016237#:~:text=Energy%20expenditure%20in%20humans%20is,rate%20or%20resting%20energy%20expenditure.
3) Energy Education: Law of conservation of energy – The University of Calgary.
- “the law of conservation of energy states that energycan neither be created nor destroyed – only converted from one form of energy to another”
- https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Law_of_conservation_of_energy#:~:text=The%20law%20of%20conservation%20of,it’s%20added%20from%20the%20outside.
4) What is a calorie deficit? – Biddulph, M. (2022).
- “It puts you into a ‘catabolic’ state, when the body is breaking down muscle and fat for energy”
- https://www.livescience.com/what-is-a-calorie-deficit .
5) What are the signs you’re not eating enough? – Kandola, A. (2019)
- “When someone is undereating, they are consuming fewer calories than their body needs to function correctly. This can have a severe impact on energy levels, causing feelings of physical tiredness and mental fatigue, which may impair a person’s daily functioning”
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322157#nine-signs-and-symptoms-of-undereating.
6) Comments on metabolic needs for glucose and the role of gluconeogenesis – Brosnan, J. T. (1999).
- “Carbohydrate has two important advantages, over fat, as a metabolic fuel; it is the only fuel that can produce ATP in the absence of oxygen, and more ATP is produced per O2 consumed when glucose is oxidized, compared with when fat is oxidized”
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10365987/#:~:text=Carbohydrate%20has%20two%20important%20advantages,with%20when%20fat%20is%20oxidized.
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