Counting Calories, Not Nutrients

It is generally accepted that you need to know the proportions of BJU (proteins, fats and carbohydrates), and 30 kg will disappear in six months, as if they had never happened. But not everything is so simple. The calorie content of foods may vary depending on how they are prepared. Calories in one product can vary depending on the method of preparation and even the method of cutting.

Nutrients are biologically active elements involved in the life of the body. They are divided into micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates). There are many of them, and each has its own task in maintaining health. It is enough to identify what the body lacks in order to fill in the gaps. In words, everything sounds simple, but in reality there are some nuances that should be taken into account when calculating nutrients.

What are calories

A calorie is a unit of measure for energy. 1 calorie is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Usually energy is measured in joules, but when it comes to food, about its value, we use a different unit of measurement - calories.

At the same time, energy is not only consumed by us, but also spent. If you eat a large amount of high-calorie foods, the energy received from them will be used up in the process of physical activity, and the rest will be stored in the body in the form of subcutaneous fat.

On average, 1 gram of protein (fish, meat) and 1 gram of carbohydrate (cereals) contains approximately 4.1 kcal, and 1 gram of any fat (for example, olive oil) contains about 9.3 kcal.

Obviously, in order to lose weight, you need to consume food of such a calorie content and volume that will create an energy deficit in the body. Under such conditions, the body that needs it will begin to use what it has accumulated from its own resources, and this is both subcutaneous fat and muscles (therefore, it is important to give them a load).

When reading product labels, you should understand that the figures presented there are rather average, calculated without taking into account cooking and energy costs for digestion.

The number of calories in 100 grams of the same product, presented in different forms, can be different. What is it connected with?

• Culinary processing. Research at Harvard University has shown that when food is cooked by heat treatment, calories increase in it.

• Molecular features. For example, potatoes will have different caloric content when cold and hot, this is influenced by resistant starch, which serves as food for bacteria in a cold product.

Interestingly, there are no proteins, no fats, no carbohydrates in alcohol, but there are calories: 1 gram of pure alcohol accounts for 7 kcal.

The food we eat is mostly processed by the digestive organs, but not all. In this regard, all people are individual, for each of us the process of assimilation of food takes place in its own way. It depends on the health of the digestive tract, and on metabolism, and on the method of cooking.

4 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Count Calories

Calorie counting has become for many one of the ways to control the amount of food consumed and their own weight. However, nutritionists, endocrinologists, nutritionists of the new generation oppose this. Why?

1. Wrong preferences. Often people from two products with approximately the same calorie content choose more harmful. For example, 100 grams of cake and 100 grams of nuts contain the same number of calories (plus/minus), but the cake is more delicious.

2. No fat in the diet. Wanting to lose weight, people often refuse fatty foods, not realizing that healthy fats are extremely important for our body. They affect the quality of the skin, hair, reproductive system and other bodily functions.

3. The lack of nutrients in the wrong products. It is important to remember that the diet must contain nutrients in the right amount, then you can lose weight without losing health.

4. "Empty" food, the calories of which are practically useless. Losing weight often prefer food that does not have the desired nutritional value, but contains a small number of calories. It is important to remember that healthy foods are filled with vitamins, minerals, the necessary amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Eating such food, a person feels full for a very short time, rather quickly he begins to feel hungry again. In addition, these products lack quality nutrients. The listed group of products is rich in empty carbohydrates and is not balanced with proteins and fats. This is the fastest way to accumulate fat.

Consider how food of the same calorie content can be completely different in its nutrient composition. Let's take two salads: Olivier and a salad of tomatoes, avocados, leafy greens, various seeds (pumpkin, linseed, sesame), poured with olive oil.

Both meals will contain about 350 calories - quite normal for a snack. However, are they of the same value? Of course no! The second snack option is much healthier. Avocados are healthy fats, as well as vitamins A, C, E and B6, tryptophan, folic acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. Greens - fiber, tomatoes - vitamin K, iodine, fiber. Seeds – zinc, selenium, copper, chromium, omega-3 fatty acids.

Nutrient Description

Nutrients are biologically significant elements that the human body needs to function properly. They are divided into micronutrients and macronutrients. For us, they are indispensable, because they are not produced in the body, but enter it with food. A person can only stay healthy if he receives all the substances he needs on a regular basis.

1. Macronutrients

   Macronutrients are substances that provide the body with energy. A balanced diet, in which all macronutrients are present, allows the human body to function normally. Thanks to them, the synthesis of hormones, enzymes and other elements that ensure adequate development and growth of the body occurs.

   These include:

   • proteins;

   • fats;

   • carbohydrates.

   In addition, water is a macronutrient. Our body consists of water by 55-65%, respectively, it is in dire need of it. On average, a person should drink from 1.5 to 2.5 liters of water per day.

    

2. Micronutrients

   Micronutrients are substances that come with food or special supplements in microdoses.

   These include:

   • vitamins;

   • minerals.

   Despite the small amounts of micronutrients that come with food, they have a huge impact on the body, and without them you can easily get a whole bunch of ailments. Consider, for example, calcium. Deficiency of this mineral underlies 147 diseases. This also applies to other micronutrients.

So that the body does not experience stress, you need to monitor the quantity and quality of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals that come to us from food, that is, it is important to count nutrients, not calories. Their deficiency provokes diseases and all sorts of addictions such as cravings for sweets or fatty foods.

Energy Consumption Formula

Let's take a closer look at these 3 components.

• Energy that arrived (Ep)

The only source of energy for the body is food, namely: proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

However, not all food is digested in the human body. It depends on the degree and method of cooking, on how thoroughly a person chews, how well his digestive enzymes work, and so on.

BJU, which were nevertheless assimilated, are distributed as follows:

• 1 gram of protein gives 4 kcal when broken down

• 1 gram of carbohydrates - 4 kcal

• 1 gram of fat - 7.5 kcal

• 1 gram of alcohol - 7 kcal

These sources of energy are in our formula Ep.

• What energy is spent on (Er)

After the food is digested and the nutrients are absorbed, they are broken down into energy, which is either used by the body to perform various tasks, or stored.

There are three main items of human energy consumption:

• The cost of maintaining life is the basic metabolism.

• Digestion costs.

• Expenses for physical activity, which is divided into training and non-training.

The energy consumption for maintaining life is the largest and amounts to approximately 60-70% of all energy that has entered the human body. This energy is spent, for example, on breathing, blood circulation, maintaining body temperature, cell growth and regeneration.

The cost of digestion is the amount of energy that the body needs to digest the incoming food. This is the second largest item of energy expenditure and is 10-20%.

Finally, the third part of energy expenditure is the expenditure on maintaining activity (mental, physical).

Several formulas are used to calculate the number of calories needed per day, the most popular of which is the MifflinSt formula. Jeor. She looks like this:

Physical activity coefficient:

1 - low physical activity;

1.3 - average physical activity;

1.5 - high physical activity.

Is it possible to lose weight without counting calories?

Yes, sure. However, this requires the so-called metabolic flexibility, that is, the ability of the body to easily switch from one source of energy to another, while effectively using the one that is available. In addition, it is the ability to quickly destroy fat reserves without stress and hunger.

What happens if your body does not have this quality, or rather the entire metabolic process is disturbed:

• the body has reserves of fat, but they are not burned due to the often occurring feeling of hunger;

• frequent carbohydrate intake leads to the fact that there is a lot of glucose in the blood, which the body is not able to get rid of, and this leads to serious fluctuations in sugar levels;

• the fats eaten are stored by the body, which cannot burn them.

If the answer to both questions is "no", you probably have a metabolic problem.

With a balanced diet, a person may not think about snacking for up to 5-6 hours between meals. At this time, the level of insulin, which rises when eating, returns to normal, and the body begins to fight fat reserves, which is facilitated by glucagon.

3 Interesting Experiments Showing the Benefits of Nutrient Counting

Scientists continue to study micro- and macronutrients, namely: which of them are the most significant for the body, the excess of which can lead to problems, how to combine products so that they bring maximum benefit to a person.

There is an opinion about the high efficiency of separate nutrition, which consists in taking products of different composition separately from each other. For example, meat (proteins) is separate from rice (carbs). The pioneer of this approach was a British fitness instructor who proved the benefits of protein foods and demonstrated that carbohydrate-rich foods have a negative effect on the body. How exactly did he do it?

The instructor conducted three experiments that were based on a high-calorie diet. First, he consumed food rich in protein and fiber, with a total calorie content of 5000 kcal. Grains (complex carbohydrates) were responsible for carbohydrates, and Omega 3 was responsible for fats. The result was amazing: fat mass decreased by 2.5%, muscle mass increased by 800 grams, body weight decreased by 2.5 kilograms in three weeks.

Then the coach ate fast food with the same calorie content (hamburgers, french fries, cola). As a result, his weight increased by 9 kilograms in three weeks due to fat, despite the fact that the researcher did not stop training.

The last experiment was based on a keto diet: carbohydrates in any form were excluded from the diet, but various fats were added. After three weeks, the weight has not changed.

From all this, we can conclude that the calories of food are not as important as the nutrients that it contains.

3 options for getting out of a situation when you don’t want to count anything

Not everyone is ready to count calories and nutrients. If you want to change your weight, the easiest way is to contact a nutritionist or nutritionist who can create a competent diet that covers all the needs of your body. Thanks to this, you can easily lose about 2-4 kilograms per month, which is the best indicator.

At first, the food will have to be weighed according to the recommendations of a specialist, but after a while you will be able to determine by eye how much of the product you need to eat. In addition, we often hear that the portion size should be the size of a fist, which is very convenient for beginners. Let's see what other secrets exist in this area.

1. plate rule

   The ideal type of plate is as follows: half of it is occupied by vegetables and fruits, which are a source of fiber and dietary fiber, one quarter is protein products (meat, fish, poultry, seafood, cottage cheese) and another quarter is carbohydrates (cereals, pasta, potatoes, bread ).

2. hand rule

   Using the palm of your hand, you can measure the amount of various foods that you need to eat. For example:

   • protein food should be the size of a palm without fingers, of a similar size and thickness;

   • a serving of vegetables and fruits should be the size of a fist, and in total you need to eat 500 grams of vegetables and fruits per day (if you are losing weight, exclude potatoes, grapes, bananas, persimmons and other starchy vegetables and sweet fruits);

   • the volume of a portion of cereals (cereals, pasta) - one that fits in the palm of your hand (a handful), as an alternative, a couple of slices of bread (without yeast) are suitable;

   • a portion of fats (oils, nuts, avocados, etc.) should be the size of a thumb: nuts - about 30 grams per day, vegetable oil - one tablespoon.

3. Food delivery services

   The now popular services for the delivery of ready-made food or products for subsequent cooking can become a lifesaver for many. Choose the kits that are right for you. This is especially handy:

   • those who do not want or cannot cook on their own (including women on maternity leave, people who are busy with a career);

   • those who want to quickly get in the right physical shape;

   • those who want to understand how to eat right and enter this rhythm.

5 final weight loss tips

So, let's sum up. What should I do to lose weight and achieve a stable weight.

1. Keep track of your stress levels

   Remember that stress is the cause of many diseases, it affects the increase in cortisol and adrenaline levels, which in turn slow down metabolism (affect circadian hormones, carbohydrate metabolism and thyroid function). To avoid such consequences, control your emotional state: good sleep, hobbies, walks, meditation, rest will help you.

2. Check the quality of your diet

   Eating healthy foods and counting nutrients is not a one-time weight loss campaign. If you want to be healthy and slim, you will have to completely revise your diet. Proper nutrition should become a part of your life. It is important to choose the option that is comfortable for you and suits your body (keto diet, Mediterranean, etc.).

3. Listen to yourself

   Eat intuitively, pay attention to how your body reacts to certain foods. Eat only when you feel really hungry (physiological hunger), because hunger can also be emotional.

   How to distinguish physical hunger from emotional?

   Physiological hunger:

   • Develops gradually.

   • Comes a few hours after the last meal.

   • Disappears when saturated.

   • Can be satisfied with different types of food.

   • Eating in this state leads to a feeling of satisfaction.

   Emotional hunger:

   • Occurs suddenly.

   • Not related to time, may occur immediately after eating.

   • Does not go away when saturated, I want something else.

   • Eating in this state causes feelings of guilt.

4. Watch what you eat for breakfast

   Try to eat more protein and healthy fats during this time. They saturate for a long time and contribute to the production of glucagon, which contributes to the destruction of fat reserves. If your first meal consists of carbohydrate foods, you run the risk of providing yourself with a strong rise in insulin in the blood, since in the morning the pancreas is not ready for such bursts of insulin, and, most likely, excess glucose will go to the fat depot. We already know what this leads to - difficulties in losing weight and a quickly emerging feeling of hunger.

    

5. Watch your digestion

   How the body reacts to meals is an indicator of our health. If you are worried about bloating, heartburn, constipation, etc. - This is a signal from the gastrointestinal system that there are problems. Perhaps in some of its departments there is inflammation or a specific organ does not work well, creating a cascade of negative reactions from the entire digestive system. Here it is worth seeing a doctor and solving the problem in stages: compose a health-improving diet, administer the necessary medications.

Consequences of obsessing over calorie counting

Constantly thinking about the calorie content of foods can lead you to orthorexia - a nervous breakdown, which is precisely the fact that a person gets hung up on counting these numbers and proper nutrition. And any stress is increased cortisol and difficulty in losing weight. Do you want to become slim? Keep calm!

It is impossible to calculate everything, and each organism has its own needs. Genes, hormones, metabolism, the state of the microbiome - all this affects the absorption of food. Just aim for the right diet without complicated calculations and exercise at your own pace.

Of course, if you are just starting out on your nutrition journey, it makes sense to keep track of nutrients and calories to understand the system. But you will quickly figure out what's what, and then there will no longer be a need to do this. Over time, it will become clear which products and in what volumes give saturation, energy and lightness in the body.