With so much noise on the internet about nutrition, it’s confusing.  There’s a lot of conflicting information, misleading ads, and unrealistic promises. So what’s true? Education yourself with an understanding of the basicis so you can decide for yourself.

 

 

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism is the combination of anabolic (building up) and catabolic (breaking down) processes. These processes happen constantly in all of your cells.

 

What is Nutrition?

Nutrition in the process of taking in food for growth and repair (anabolic).

 

What is a Diet?

A diet is the food and drink regularly consumed or a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly as to reduce one’s weight.

 

Going on a diet means restricting calories in order to create a calorie deficit (taking in less calories than your body burns in a day). The calories you burn all day can be broken down into three categories:

 

• RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) or BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): the least amount of calories you need to stay alive. RMR accounts for about 60-70% of total calories burned in a day.

 

• TEF (Thermic Effect of Food): the energy you expend eating and digesting food. TEF accounts for about 10% of total calories burned. Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs and fat, because your body burns more calories eating, breaking down, converting, and storing protein than you do when you eat fat or carbohydrates. This one of the reasons why eating more protein is important when weight-loss is your goal.

 

• TEE (Thermic Effect of Exercise): the amount of calories burned working out. TEE accounts for about 15-30% of total calories burned based on exercise type, duration, and intensity.

 

To determine how many calories you burn daily, first calculate your RMR by converting your body weight in pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2. For women, multiply body weight in kg by .9 and for men, multiply by 1. Multiply the result by 24. That’s your RMR. Next, divided your RMR by .7 and .6 to get the range of calories you burn daily.

Ex) For a 150lb female:
150 ÷ 2.2 = 68kg
68 x .9= 61 x 24= 1464 daily RMR
1464 ÷ .7 and .6= 2091 and 2440
A 150lb female burns approximately 2091-2440 kcal/day.

 

Use an online calorie tracker, like My Fitness Pal, to see how many calories you take in daily.  If your weight holds steady (up to 5lb fluctuation is normal for women), your current diet maintains your weight. If you want to make changes to your weight, you need to make changes to your diet.

 

Metabolism Misconceptions: 

I had a client whose log wasn’t very full and the entries were foods like chicken wings and soda even though weight loss was her goal.  She told me she thought healthy food didn’t have calories and she had to log only the bad stuff.  I had another client who was surprised when I showed her her total daily calorie expenditure. She thought she burned only the 200-300 calories she burned during exercise and movement.

 

What is a Calorie?

A calorie is shorthand for kilocalorie (kcal). One Kilocalorie is the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1° C (1.8° F). A calorie is a measurement of energy. You take in energy with the food you eat and you burn energy 24 hours a day to stay alive and to move.  Energy not used is stored as fat. Calories are not bad, they are energy.  What you decided to do with that energy once you take it in is up to you.

 

What questions do you have about nutrition and metabolism? Post them in the comments below. 

 

Alicia Cross is a Certified Personal Trainer, Wellness Coach, and Yoga Instructor with more than 15 years’ experience working with clients in classes and one-on-one.  She is a yogi, meditator, vegan, and lifter of heavy things. If you’re ready to discover the strength and peace that comes from within, email Alicia@AliciaCrossTraining.com.

 

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