FITNESS TIPS
All About Calories
Calories.
What are calories? A calorie is considered in scientific terms one unit of
energy. This energy is used to walk, talk, breathe, sleep, stretch or run. All
activities burn calories. The human body exerts its energy by using calories it
receives from food and drink. Often when we speak of calories we associate the
term with dieting and weight loss.
In
general terms, foods contain calories. We may see them described in other terms
such as a carbohydrate, fat, protein or even alcohol. These terms are measured
in units called grams. So the basic building block of each gram is a defined
number of calories.
-
1 gram of carbohydrates
contain four (4) calories
-
1 gram of protein contains
four (4) calories
-
1 gram of alcohol contains
seven (7) calories
-
1 gram of fat contains nine
(9) calories
While
you eat, food is broken down inside your stomach and metabolised into your
blood stream. It is either used and burned up efficiently through activity or
stored in our cells, and if not used fat cells are created. A total of 3,500
stored calories equates to 2 pounds (0.5kg) of body fat! In order to lose that
2 pounds of fat, we have to burn up 3,500 calories in exercise, activities or
in small daily calorie deficits to remove it. It sounds a little easier than it
actually is.
Your
body needs a certain amount of calories in order to maintain itself properly.
The act of breathing, walking, running, sleeping and talking all burn a certain
amount of calories. This rate is called the Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR as it’s
also known. Everybody’s BMR is different and is calculated differently for both
men and women.
Contrary
to what many people think, your body does burn calories (not as many) when it
is at rest (sleeping), as this is the time your body heals and repairs itself
from the daily stresses of life. This healing process is when your body grows
stronger and healthier. Which is why good nutrition and sufficient sleep is
vital for a healthy body.
All
physical activities such as jogging, walking, cycling and many more help to
burn calories. The more physical exercise you get, the more calories you will
burn. If you are keeping your body in shape by eating right and working off the
excess calories through exercise you will keep your metabolic rate higher and
continue to burn fat long after the exercising is done. It will also help your
body burn excess fat more efficiently when at rest.
If
you consume more calories than you use you will put on weight. If you burn off
the same as you consume you will maintain your current weight, and if you burn
more than you consume you will lose weight.
I
always maintain that you can eat anything you like within moderation, but as
you can see from the examples below, if you go out for a drink or off to a
braai, how quickly you can consume more than your required calorie intake. If
you do this on a regular basis then you
will put on weight.
If
you want to start losing some of those extra kilos start exercising and eat a
nutritionally balanced diet. Remember every 3,500 of stored calories that you
burn through exercise equates to losing 2 pounds (0.5kg) of stored body fat.
Before
starting any new diet of exercise program you should first consult with either
your General Practitioner or your Physician.
David
Cross
Examples of popular food and drink and their calorie
content:
Glass of
Champagne
(120ml) – 89kcal
Glass of medium white wine (120ml) – 89kcal
Shot of vodka (25ml) – 55kcal
Can of lager (550ml) – 221kcal
Bagel (85g) – 216kcal
Crusty white roll (50g) – 140kcal
Digestive biscuit (15g) – 74kcal
Slice white bread (37g) – 84kcal
Slice wholemeal bread (37g) – 79kcal
Rasher bacon (25g) – 64kcal
Beef sausage (60g) – 151kcal
Roasted chicken breast with skin (100g) – 171kcal
Skinless chicken breast (100g) – 115kcal
Fillet steak – (100g) – 270kcal
Lamb chop (100g) – 246kcal
Pork chop (100g) – 260kcal
Butter (10g) – 74kcal
Big Mac – 492kcal
Quarter Pounder with Cheese – 515kcal
McDonalds Fries medium – 207kcal
KFC Drumstick – 201kcal
KFC Fries medium – 294kcal
Source
referencing Ultimate Sports Nutrition, Calorie Counter UK
Calorie
figures are approximate and may differ slightly