Successful weight loss is inseparable from calorie deficit, which is a prerequisite for weight loss from the perspective of energy conservation. Therefore, many friends always pay special attention to the number of calories in the food before consuming food, and even accurately calculate how many calories I have to eat every day. It is true that calorie gain and loss are very important points in the entire weight loss process, but when it comes to human digestion and absorption, the calorie thing becomes particularly complicated. Different foods will go through different biochemical pathways in the human body and are affected by many factors. The actual calorie intake at the end will be very different from the initial value. Today, let’s talk about whether it is necessary to count the food when losing weight, and how to correctly balance the calories.
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After reading this article, you will gain the following three aspects
Calories are not an accurate value
The effect of different ingredients of the same calorie on the human body
What attitude should I take on calories
Calories are not an accurate value
Our understanding of calories, including myself, started from nutrition or weight loss. A calorie was originally a unit of heat that was used to calculate the amount of heat required to raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius at 1 atmosphere of pressure. But later widely used in nutrition and fitness, 1 calorie is approximately equal to 4.186 joules (the international standard unit of energy is joules). But actually, calories are not an exact number.
First, Lab Data
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We usually say that 1g of carbohydrate or protein is equal to 4 kcal, and 1g of fat is about 9 kcal. These data are the calorie values calculated by burning dry food in the experiment. It has two problems: one is that it is calculated under relatively good experimental conditions in the laboratory environment, and the other is that the calculated value is also a relatively rough average value and not an accurate value. This will cause a deviation in the actual calculation of the calories of the ingredients of the ingredients. You’ll often find that the same ingredients are searched differently on different websites.
Second, thermal error is allowed
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows a 20% error in the nutrition label of food. In other words, if the nutrition label of hazelnuts in ingredients, 100g of hazelnuts is labeled as 600 kcal, then the actual The real calories may be 480 kcal or 720 kcal. As for the food products of many unknown small manufacturers, bulk weighing and measuring food, take-out food and fast food, etc., the calorie deviation may be larger. This is one of the reasons why it is not recommended to consume highly processed ingredients or try to cook at home during fat loss.
Third, many factors
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When you consume a certain food, the amount of calories your body can finally absorb is determined by many factors. For example, age, intestinal absorption and digestion ability, lean body mass ratio and body fat percentage, eating habits, exercise ability, own health, medication history, freshness of ingredients, cooking method, sleep status, and current mood Bad will affect how many calories are eventually absorbed and utilized, especially women are also affected by the menstrual cycle.
The impact of different ingredients with the same calories on the human body
After we realized that calories are not an accurate data from the objective conditions, let’s look at the selection of subjective ingredients. Look at the impact of different ingredients with the same calories on human metabolism. The difference in metabolic pathways also determines the difference in weight loss effect and the level of weight loss efficiency.
First, carbohydrates
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We consume most of the carbohydrates in our daily life. In layman’s terms, they are staple foods and fruits. After the two enter the human body, they will be converted into glucose and fructose. Glucose can enter muscle cells, liver cells, and fat cells to provide energy and metabolism to the body, while fructose is directly absorbed by the body and then enters the liver for rapid metabolism. When the human body ingests fructose, it will not stimulate the secretion of insulin too much, and its glycemic index is relatively low, and at the same time, it will stimulate the release of hunger hormones during the metabolic process, and it will not produce a feeling of satiety, so the fruit will not know it. Unconsciously increase the intake, which is why some people can eat fruit in a pot. Excessive fructose has negative effects on the human body, such as promoting fat synthesis, increasing the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver formation, insulin resistance and cardiovascular diseases. And the glucose in the staple food we eat affects insulin and other hormones in the body, which can make you feel full and stop eating.
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But different staple foods under the same calorie have different effects on the human body. In general, the quantity and quality of complex carbohydrates (such as brown rice, oats, sweet potatoes, corn, etc.) are higher than refined carbohydrates (steamed bread, rice, noodles and desserts, etc.) for the same calories. Quantitatively, the intake of more complex carbohydrates, due to its richer dietary fiber, makes the same volume of food more satiety; qualitatively, complex carbohydrates have relatively low glycemic index, and insulin secretion will not fluctuate greatly. , which is more conducive to the decomposition and oxidation of fat.
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This shows that even with the same calories , the choice of ingredients has a completely different impact on the body’s hormone levels and health. When losing weight, it is recommended to choose complex carbohydrates and consume fruits in moderation. Avoid excessive intake of fruit, and you should also reduce the consumption of various added sugars.
Second, protein
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Proteins of the same calorie are actually not very different, the only difference is the Protein Digestibility Adjusted Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). PDCAAS is a widely recognized and used metric that scores protein ingredients through a series of complex mathematical formulas. The scores of casein, egg, milk, whey protein and soy protein are all 1.0, beef is 0.92, and the scores of other plant proteins are all 0.75~0.25. Therefore, when choosing the same calorie protein food, animal protein is preferred. Of course, this is not to emphasize that egg milk is necessarily better than beef. From the perspective of protein absorption, the former is better, but the latter has more trace elements such as minerals needed by the human body.
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In addition, among the ingredients with the same calories during weight loss, more It is recommended to choose protein foods. Because protein ingredients not only have a strong sense of satiety, but also have a thermic effect of food. Food thermic effect refers to the energy expenditure that exceeds resting metabolism due to the occurrence of a few hours after a meal, also known as the special kinetic effect of food. We can simply understand it as the extra calorie consumption required to chew, digest, absorb and metabolize food. Generally speaking, the thermic effect of carbohydrate food is 5%~6% of the energy provided by the food itself, 4%~5% for fat, and 30%~40% for protein. Therefore, the intake of protein nutrients will consume more energy than other nutrients. Under the same calorie intake, a high-protein diet will be more conducive to weight loss.
Third, fat
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The same is fat, the calories are the same, but the feedback to the human body after ingestion is different. The negative impact of trans fatty acids on human health is obvious. Trans fatty acids can increase the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood, reduce the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and increase the body tissue. inflammatory response. At the same time, trans fatty acids can also contribute to obesity, changes in insulin sensitivity, and diabetes. Trans fatty acids are usually found in deep-processed foods, and when words such as margarine, margarine, non-dairy creamer, vegetable cream, hydrogenated vegetable oil, cocoa butter substitute, etc. contain trans fatty acids.
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and those with rich desaturation Fatty acids are beneficial to the human body. Among them, unsaturated fatty acids containing Omega-3 should be the main ones, such as salmon, egg yolks, nuts or deep-sea fish. Omega-3 fatty acids can not only adjust the balance of human hormone levels, reduce inflammation in the body, help improve insulin sensitivity, but also reduce the probability of obesity and diabetes. Therefore, when consuming the same calories of fat, unsaturated fatty acids are preferred.
What attitude should I have regarding calories
I have said so many questions about calories, it is estimated that many small partners will have such questions, whether calories are not important in the process of weight loss . In fact, calories are still important. Although not reliable, they still have reference value, and their consistency will be the decisive factor for success.
First, an estimate, but a good starting point
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Although the calorie value is a rough calorie deficit is still a prerequisite for weight loss. During weight loss, you need to use the calorie value to restrict your calorie intake throughout the day and know what your calorie deficit is. At the same time, to understand the calorie value of different ingredients, it is enough to have a general concept, and the goal is to better understand the structure of ingredients and select ingredients in a targeted manner.
Second, there is no need to The pursuit of perfection should pay more attention to the selection of ingredients
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No need to pursue The perfect diet is more about the sustainability of the diet structure. Because of the inaccuracy of calorie values and the complexity of human biochemical processes, there is no need to worry about whether to eat one or two hundred more calories every day or eat one less. Two hundred calories, you only need to know a general calorie value.In the process of losing weight, you should focus more on the selection and planning of ingredients. Under the same calorie condition, choose ingredients with better cost-effectiveness .
Third, keep tracking and improving your diet and behavior
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Although the calories are not accurate, with consistent operations, you will have a basic control over your overall diet and weight loss. After a period of After diet tracking, combined with your daily behavior and activities, you can observe your body changes, you can adjust the choice of ingredients, and then try to increase or decrease the total number of calories or adjust the intensity of exercise. Calorie numbers are not accurate, but once you have an initial baseline, you can continue to improve and work toward your goals.
Conclusion
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To lose weight this There is much more than just calorie intake and consumption. Total caloric intake, emotional stress, food choices, training, and sleep—all of these factors affect body composition. Calculating calories alone can only evaluate a diet in terms of quantity, not quality. Therefore, in order to lose weight successfully, it must be possible to achieve a balanced diet under the calorie deficit. The more you know about sports science, the more beneficial it will be to achieve your goals. In the end, we all hope that everyone can achieve their muscle-building and fat-loss goals in a more scientific way. Come on, everyone. Let’s encourage each other.