What Is A Calorie? Understand The Basics of Energy

We all know that calories are in food, but what is a calorie really? And what makes them so important?

Calories are the most fundamental part of eating a well-balanced diet because they fuel everything you do.

If you don't understand the value of a calorie, you don't understand health.

Do you prefer videos? Watch my video on what a calorie is here

You need to know about calories!

What is a Calorie?

A calorie is simply a unit of heat energy. Technically:

• 1 Calorie = the amount of energy needed to raise 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

Your body uses this heat energy to fuel everything you do.

Calories are the fuel for your body. Just like gas is to your car. And like gas, you can get different qualities of it.

Calories work the same way; all food has calories, but some calories will make you feel and perform drastically better than others.

How calories get used is based on your metabolism, which has 4 parts.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to sustain life. This includes breathing and beating your heart.

So if you sat still and did not move for an entire day, this would be the amount of energy your body needs to do that.

This amount of energy is influenced by your:

• Age

• Sex

• Body Weight

• Muscle Mass

As you get older, gain or lose muscle, and gain or lose weight, this number will change.

Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT)

Your EAT is the amount of energy your body uses when exercising. This number is very difficult to measure because it changes based on the type of activity you're doing and your experience doing it.

This accounts for 15-30% of the total calories you use daily.

Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

Your NEAT is the amount of energy you use doing movements that aren't exercising. This includes:

• Moving your hands while talking

• Typing

• Twitching

• Fidgeting

This accounts for 15-30% of the total calories you use daily.

Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

TEF is the amount of energy your body needs to break down the foods you eat to get the nutrients from them.

• For every calorie of protein you eat, your body will use 0.2-0.3 calories to digest it.

• For every calorie of carbohydrates you eat, your body will use 0.05-0.1 calories to digest it.

• For every calorie of fat you eat, your body will use 0.03 calories to digest it.

  
  

This accounts for 8-15% of the total calories you use daily.

What's Your Metabolism?

Your metabolism= BMR+EAT+NEAT+TEF

Because of this, the idea that someone has a slow or fast metabolism is a myth in the absence of illness.

It's just a matter of the energy you use in each area.

Most people who believe they have a slow metabolism are actually underestimating how little they move or overestimating how little they eat. People who believe they have a fast metabolism underestimate how much they move and overestimate how much they eat.

How To Value A Calorie

Since calories are just a measure of energy, the calorie itself is the same. But some calories contain different nutrients than others. How you value a calorie will depend on the nutrients that you need. For example:

• If your goal is to build muscle, you will likely value calories with more protein.

• If you're an endurance athlete, you will likely value calories from carbohydrates more.

• If your goal is overall health, you'll likely value calories higher in protein and fiber.

How you value the calories you eat will depend on your goals.

Should You Count Calories?

Calorie counting is generally not necessary. Tracking in the short term can be a good way to help you learn about food. But using it as a restrictive tool is generally an unhealthy practice long term.

The better approach?

Focus on the quality of your food:

• Lean Proteins

• Fruits and Vegetables

• Whole Grains

• Healthy Fats

Tracking is a great tool, but shouldn't become your personality.

What About Calories and Weight Loss?

Even if you’re eating “healthy,” you might not see weight loss. That’s because:

• You might be eating more calories than you think

• Your NEAT or EAT may have gone down

• You’re not getting enough protein or fiber to stay full

There are a couple of reasons this may happen, which I have outlined in this article

Final Thoughts

Understanding calories is important because it gives you more power to make better choices, but focusing on general good practices like eating protein and vegetables is the more important part.

Prefer learning via video? Watch my breakdown of calories here

Have questions? Comment below or DM me on Instagram