Calories Defined and Function
Simply defined, calories are units of energy the body needs for all vital functioning. That means our body is constantly burning calories sitting around watching TV, sleeping, eating or working out. Calorie demands change depending on what we are doing and more energy is required when we are hitting a hard workout for example. The food we eat supplies caloric energy to fuel our metabolic processes and ability to do all the things necessary to develop a healthy, tone and muscular body. Quality of calories is important and this article is not talking about eating more processed “junk” food, but consuming a good amount of lean proteins, healthy carbs and fat on a consistent basis. If you are serious about your fitness goals, consuming more “healthy” calories are going to play a large role in your success. Let’s take a closer look at why you should be eating more calories:
Sustain our Body at Rest
Calories don’t stop burning when the workout is done. Our body is working 24/7 and burning calories through digestive processes, keeping our hearts beating, lungs breathing and rebuilding muscle tissue. There is so much going on in our body we simply don’t think about and it’s essential to fuel up with quality “real” food to keep things functioning at optimal levels. One of the biggest diet mistakes is restricting calories and our body will respond with holding onto fat as energy stores to protect itself. You may be surprised to know most of our calories are burned during rest periods meaning not during a workout session. In fact, our resting metabolic rate (RMR) accounts for 60% of total calories burned throughout the day. Calorie Count online has a cool, free Calorie Burn Calculator to determine how many calories you actually need daily.
Calories turn into energy fueling our ability to complete hard workouts and then continue on to finish the inside job of tissue repair. This means not holding back when it comes to eating healthy food and providing the energy your body needs to create lean mass. When we place physical demands on our body it requires additional calories to sustain the work. Many people trying to gain muscle make the diet mistake of cutting back the calories and not eating enough to support muscle growth. “Eating for Muscle” is a great article to reinforce the importance of why you need more calories! More »
Calories are essential for healthy metabolic function. Metabolism simply defined is the ability of the human body to make energy, grow and heal using chemical processes from the food and water we consume. If we are not eating enough calories our metabolism may be at risk of slowing down and not being an efficient fat burner. Too many people restrict food on crazy “fad” diets and over-exercise causing metabolic damage. Read the following article on “When We Cause Metabolic Damage and How to Fix It” and avoid slowing your metabolism while working on fitness goals. More »
Calories are essential for weight loss. It is important to understand how many calories you need before you can implement a caloric deficit for weight loss. Otherwise you are taking a shot in the dark and probably not eating enough causing your body to hold onto precious fat stores for reserve. Our Weight Loss Expert, Malia Frey, provides a great article on how to measure caloric intake for the body you want. More »
How Many Calories Do I Need Daily?
Calculating daily calories can feel overwhelming and ranges from person to person. Knowing your fitness goals will be a great place to start and understanding it will be essential to eat enough calories to accomplish what you want whether weight loss or muscle gain. Our Nutrition Expert, Shereen Lehman, MS, explains how to calculate your caloric needs using a simple formula and walks you through the steps of getting it right! More »
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