Ladies, have you ever heard of calories in and calories out? If you've ever tried to lose weight, this concept of calories in and out may be familiar. This concept is based on the idea that as long as we consume fewer calories than we burn, we will lose weight, and if we consume more calories than we burn, we will gain weight.
However, some people insist that the type of food consumed is much more important than the number of calories it contains, both in terms of weight management and long-term health. Therefore, this article will discuss whether the concept of calories in and calories out is really important – or maybe we should skip it?
Calories in and calories out model
The calories in and calories out model is based on the idea to maintain a stable weight; the number of calories we consume must match the number of calories we expend. "Calories in" refers to the calories you get from the food you eat, while "calories out" refers to the number of calories you burn. There are three main bodily processes that burn calories :
- Basic metabolism
The body uses most of the calories it gets from food to maintain basic functions, such as heart rate and breathing. This is commonly referred to as The Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
- Digestion
About 10-15% of the calories we consume are used for digestion. This is known as the thermal effect of food (TEF) and varies based on the food consumed.
- Physical activity
The leftover calories we get from diet are used for physical activity, both sports and daily activities such as walking, reading, and washing dishes.
When the number of calories obtained from food matches the number of calories burned to maintain metabolism, digestion, and physical activity, then body weight will tend to remain stable. Thus, the calories in and calories out models are correct. You need to have a calorie deficit to lose weight and a calorie surplus to gain weight.
Health is more than just calories in and calories out
Although the calorie in and calorie out models are important for weight management, not all calories have the same impact on health. This is because different foods have different effects on various processes in the body, regardless of their calorie content. Here are some examples of them:
- The Source of calories affects hormones and health
Different foods can affect the body's hormone levels in different ways. For example, there are different effects of glucose and fructose on the body. These two simple sugars provide the same number of calories per gram, but the body metabolizes them in very different ways.
Diets with too much-added fructose are linked to insulin resistance, increased blood sugar level, and higher levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) than diets using glucose. However, it is said that fruits containing natural fructose along with fiber and water do not have the same negative effect.
As another example, the type of fat present in food can have different effects on reproductive hormone levels. For example, a diet rich in polyunsaturated fats is thought to increase fertility in women. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat in the diet can also lower the risk of heart disease, although both types provide the same number of calories per gram.
- The types of food you eat affect how full you feel
Nutrient intake will affect hunger and satiety. For example, consuming 100 kcal of nuts will reduce hunger much more effectively than consuming 100 kcal of candy.
This is because foods rich in protein or fiber are more filling than foods containing these nutrients in lower amounts. So, sweets that are low in fiber and protein will keep you hungry and can make you overeat later on, reducing the chances that your "calories in will match calories out."
Another example is fructose tends to increase level of the hunger hormone ghrelin more than glucose. This is because fructose does not stimulate the satiety center in the brain in the same way as glucose, so we don't feel full after consuming fructose as we do when we consume glucose. Thus, consuming large amounts of processed foods that are rich in fructose but lacking in protein or fiber generally makes it more difficult to maintain an energy balance.
- Sources of calories have different effects on metabolism
The food consumed will have a different effect on the body's metabolism. For example, some foods require more energy to digest, absorb, or metabolize than others. The measure used to measure this work is called the thermic effect of food (TEF).
The higher the TEF, the more energy the food needs to metabolize. Protein has the highest TEF, while fat has the lowest TEF. This suggests that a high-protein diet requires more calories to be metabolized than a low-protein diet.
This is also the reason why consuming protein is often said to increase metabolism compared to eating carbohydrates or fat. However, when it comes to weight loss, dietary TEF is thought to have little effect on calorie balance.
The calories in and calories out model is important for weight management, but different foods can affect hormones, metabolism, hunger, and feelings of fullness differently, which in turn affects daily calorie intake. So, don't just focus on calorie counting, Ladies!
Also, read other interesting health articles only on Newfemme!
Source :
Petre, A. (2019). Does ‘Calories in vs. Calories out’ Really Matter? Healthline. [online].
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/calories-in-calories-out