Energy Balance: Calories In = Calories Out
The key to successful long-term weight maintenance is actually quite simple?energy in must equal energy out.
In other words, energy balance is achieved when the amount of energy you consume equals what your body needs to fuel its daily activities.
Just as gasoline is necessary to run a car, food provides the body the fuel it needs to function.
Food energy is measured in kilocalories. Technically, a kilocalorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.
In more practical terms, a kilocalorie is a measure of the amount of energy a food contains. Although a "kilocalorie" is the official measure of food energy, the term "calorie" is commonly used on food labels to represent a kilocalorie.
The amount of calories a food contains is based on the composition of the food. Foods are composed of two main types of nutrients?macronutrients and micronutrients. The macronutrients are needed in larger amounts in the diet and include carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
The micronutrients are needed in much smaller quantities and include the vitamins and minerals. Only the macronutrients can be used by the body for energy. The amount of calories each macronutrient provides varies based on the nutrient:
Carbohydrate:
Protein:
Fat:
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4 calories per gram
4 calories per gram
9 calories per gram
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The one other food substance that contains energy is alcohol. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram, providing almost as much calories per gram as fat!
Alcohol is not considered a "macronutrient" because it is not essential for survival.
Although the Nutrition Facts label lists the total calories in a food product, many times this information is overlooked when the packaging states it is reduced fat, low-fat, or fat-free.
A common misconception is that if you only eat low-fat or fat-free foods, you are guaranteed to lose weight. It is not uncommon for fat-free foods to replace the fat calories with carbohydrate (simple sugar) calories. Fats provide a smooth texture and enhance the flavor of foods.
Some of those "fat qualities" can be simulated by adding more sugar to the product. So, if you don"t pay attention to the Nutrition Facts label, the fat-free food may end up having as much or more calories per serving than the higher-fat version of the food product. For example, compare the two Nutrition Facts labels below. The one on the left is the regular product and the one on the right is the fat-free version:
Not only would one serving of the fat-free food have more calories than the original version, but because it is "fat-free" you may feel free to eat two servings instead of one; thus tripling the total calories consumed!
One should always check the Nutrition Facts label when buying fat-free or reduced-fat foods. The Nutrition Facts label will tell you how many calories are contained in each serving of the food product. There are many excellent reduced-fat and fat-free food choices to choose from. Just remember to check the food label to make sure you are actually reducing your caloric intake and do not double-up on the servings consumed just because the food is "fat-free."
Too many calories, whether from carbohydrates, protein, or fat will lead to weight gain. In order to lose and/or maintain a healthy weight, it is important to eat a balanced and varied
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