Not All Calories Are Created Equal!

When will these so-called "experts" in our field figure this out? If I hear one more time: "You burn X amount of calories per day, so if you eat 200 calories less you will lose weight." You know, they did get one thing potentially right - you will likely lose weight, most of it being muscle.

Let's say you burn about 2000 calories day. If your food program consisted of 1800 calories a day, you should lose weight, right?!?

If the average cookie is 250 calories, do you really think your diet can consist of 6 cookies a day and you'll still lose weight? Come on people ... it's not that simple!

First off, let's look at our basic macronutrients:
§ Protein 4Kcal (calories) per gram
§ Carbs 4Kcal per gram
§ Alcohol 7Kcal per gram
§ Fat 9Kcal per gram

Do you think these are digested and stored equally? NOPE. It takes energy to get energy.

If you were to eat 100 calories of each of those basic macronutrients, how many calories do you actually absorb (use and store) out of those 100 calories once they're broken down?

§ Protein takes about 25-30% of its total calorie content to process, you absorb a net of 70-75 calories out of 100
§ Carbs about 10-15% to process, a net of 85-90 calories
§ Fat about 3% to process, a net of 97 calories

Right off the bat, you can see that THESE CALORIES ARE NOT EQUAL!

For illustrative purposes, let's compare an "all-cookie diet" versus an "all-chicken" diet. NOTE: Neither would be healthy or balanced. (Sidenote: Google "balanced diet" - all you'll find is conflicting and vague information. There is no true, universal, widely-accepted definition of a balanced diet. A balanced diet should be based on your individual needs and body composition.)

§ Cookies: 1500 calories, mostly carbs and fat = net about 1335 calories
§ Chicken: 1500 calories mostly protein = net 1125 calories

There's a 200-calorie difference per day - that's a difference of 1400 calories per week or 5600 calories per month!


Now here is a topic that is NEVER discussed: HORMONAL RESPONSE to food consumption. Anything ingested is considered a drug, and drugs create responses.

§ Carbs cause the pancreas to release insulin = storage of calories (storage will take place either in the liver, muscles, or fat cells)
§ Protein causes the pancreas to release glucagon = release (burn) of calories

So then why does everyone focus on calories, counting, how much this, how much that? I believe it's something that everyone can relate to - simple and straightforward. It's just like when someone comes to buy training. The first thing they ask is "How much does it cost?" They want to know because money is something they can understand - a common denominator. Sometimes, potential clients will ask about cost to determine if they're getting a "good deal." But you can't compare apples and oranges. Other programs might not take measurements, usually just use machines, don't explain foam rolling, don't do a functional movement screen, don't cover nutrition at any point, and may not be led by fully-credentialed and certified trainers. Problem: the value doesn't exist, yet OUR COMPANY is being compared to another based on money alone, not VALUE or RESULTS ... it's just a common denominator. The same happens with calories. Unfortunately, IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE!

I'm not going to delve into this too much, but the assumption that mostly EVERYONE is making, is that everything you eat is absorbed.

Imagine that you're just getting over being sick. You had to take some antibiotics to get healthy, and in the process destroyed all the GOOD healthy bacteria that are necessary for digestion and absorption. Compare this person lacking healthy bacteria vs. someone who has been taking supplements and food that promote healthy bacteria. They are not getting the same calories and nutrients out of the food. Here's another way to look at it. Two kids are in a class, identical in every way. One is blindfolded and has earplugs in during class the other has no restraints of any sort. After 12 weeks of school, do you think they walk away with the same knowledge? NOPE.

Consider this:

Michael Phelps was eating 12,000Kcal/day. How did he not turn into an anchor?

Before we answer that question, let's first do some math... 165lbs. His resting metabolic rate (RMR) was probably somewhere around 2000Kcal/day. Competitive swimming burns about 860Kcal/hr.

§ 6 hours of swimming per day = 5,160Kcal/day
§ RMR + 6 hours swimming = 7,160Kcal burned each day
§ 12,000Kcal/day eaten - 7,160Kcal/day burned = 4,840Kcal surplus

It takes roughly 3,500 calories to equal one pound of fat. Since there was a surplus of calories, why didn't he gain about one pound a day?

It had a lot to do with that swimming in cold water stimulates brown fat cells, plus Phelps took cold baths to help with muscle recovery. Your body doesn't like to be cold and it costs ENERGY or CALORIES to heat it back up. Just like if your house is cold, you don't heat it up for free, it costs money. Well, in the body, it costs calories. It also had a lot to do with E.PO.C. and Recovery, but that is another blog in itself!

If only all calories were created equal, more "experts" would know what the heck is going on. QUALITY OF FOOD AND EXERCISE is far more critical. Need I say more?

Advanced Body Solutions is Charlotte North Carolinas premiere Personal Training company. Advanced Body Solutions specializes in weight loss, fat loss, toning and losing those last couple pounds. Make sure to follow us on our twitter and youtube accounts for more up to date information. You can also visit our website at www.eastcoastabs.com and sign up for our Free Ebooks, Tips and Newsletters. If you are interested in taking us for a test drive, make sure to sign up for your Complimentary Body Diagnostic, Body Fat Test, Health Analysis Report and 30 minute workout!

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