cal-or-ies

Here is the best definition I could find for the word calories:


Okay, out of all seriousness, calories are little buggers. They restrict the foods I can eat, make my workouts longer & harder and well, determine if I am going to lose this weight! So, what exactly is a calorie?

cal·o·rie
(kl-r)
n.
1. Abbr. cal Any of several
approximately equal units of heat, each measured as the quantity of heat
required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C from a standard
initial temperature, especially from 3.98°C, 14.5°C, or 19.5°C, at 1 atmosphere
pressure. Also called gram calorie, small calorie.

Come again? The definition of a calorie can seem a bit, confusing? So, what is important to know about calories and how it will affect weight loss and in the future, weight maintenance.

I have found that there are two numbers that are imperative to understand while on the journey of weight loss. The first is my BMR. BMR stands for basal metabolic rate. This number is the number of calories that your body needs to function at the most basic level {it is what you would burn if you laid in bed all day}. It is easy to find a BMR calculator online, or for all you mathematicians out there, here is the formula:

Women: 655 + (4.35 x weight in lbs) + (4.7 X height in inches) - (4.7 X age in years)

Men: 66 + (6.23 x weight in lbs) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

{Yeah, just google BMR calculator}

My BMR is 1602 calories. This is what I could eat if I wanted to be lazy all day and maintain my weight.

So, what is my calorie intake goal if I want to lose weight?

Next, I went to myfitnesspal.com. It calculated my net calorie consumed number {this is how many calories I can eat - how many calories I burn}. Given my height, weight and age, it gave me a total of 1270 calories per day, burning 2,320 calories per week, 386 per day. If I add the 386 calories to my net total, it gives me a grand total of 1656 calories per day {pretty close to my BMR, right?}

Are you still with me? So, with all this mumble jumble and if I round numbers to make it easier, I can eat about 1600 calories per day, as long as I burn a minimum of 400 calories during exercise.

Why did I rant on and on about calories? Well, that is the ONLY way to lose weight! There are no magic pills or shots. Diets do not work. There is no magical drink or super power food. It is all about CALORIES! Jillian Michaels said,

"It's mostly true that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. The difference between eating 1,500 calories of Oreo's and eating 1,500 calories of chicken is fairly minimal in terms of actual weight gain...."

Obviously there is a little more to it when you're looking to get into the best shape of your life and understanding metabolic rates and macronutrients. But after all this calorie talk, I think I need a brain break.

I have been trying to avoid doing a food journal but I don't think that is an option anymore.

Healthy Wishes,

Alex