Do calories matter in weight loss?

CALORIES ARE undeniably mentioned everywhere you turn, from food labels to restaurant menus, recipe blogs, food tracking applications and even news headlines. All the talk about calories may have you wondering why they are so important.

Maybe you have a general understanding of what a calorie is, but you are unsure of how many you should consume in a single day. Every time you sit down to enjoy a meal, each food item and beverage contains energy locked away in chemical bonds.

Once the food or drink is ingested, it is metabolised or broken down by your body to release the stored energy. Your cells then capture and use this unleashed energy to fuel normal bodily functions necessary for survival. To measure the energy extracted and used from food and drinks, a unit called a calorie is used. In other words, a calorie is simply a standard unit for measuring energy.

CUTTING CALORIES

According to Dr Rivane Chybar Virgo, medical doctor and health and wellness coach, most people have been taught that losing weight is a matter of simple math, by cutting calories, specifically 3,500 calories, and you will lose a pound. However, as it turns out, experts, she said, are learning that this decades-old strategy is actually pretty misguided.

“Even with careful calorie calculations, it does not always yield results. How your body burns calories depends on a number of factors, including the type of food you eat, your body’s metabolism, and even the type of organisms living in your gut. You can eat the exact same number of calories as someone else, yet have very different outcomes when it comes to your weight,” Dr Chybar Virgo said.

Speaking at a recent weekly Health Talk Sunday Series presentation, she said it is important for the body to get the energy it needs to function effectively. If we eat more calories than the body needs, then these calories are stored and the end result is unwanted weight.

However, limiting calories will result in people feeling hungry, having less energy and feeling sluggish. Other effect includes low energy levels, nutrient deficiencies, a weakened immune system, constant hunger and irritability.

“Your body needs calories to function, your brain needs calories to think, and your heart need energy to pump blood all around your body. The body needs fuel for you to continue doing your daily activities and to keep you alive,” Dr Chybar Virgo said.

As a guide, an average man needs 2,500 calories, an average woman needs 2,000 calories per day. This could be different based on your age, weight, height, and how much physical activity you participate in.

It is time, she said, to take a different approach, by putting the emphasis on improving diet quality and making sustainable lifestyle improvements to achieve a healthy weight.

“Our bodies maintain a balance, so if you notice that your energy is way less than where it needs to be to function, it will go into starvation mode to preserve what it has as much as possible. It makes it harder to lose excess fat and it makes persons limit even more calories and push harder during work out. Both can cause damage to your health,” Dr Chybar Virgo said.

If counting calories is not a dependable way to manage your weight, what can you do to shed extra pounds? Dr Chybar Virgo recommends the following:

• FOCUS ON DIET QUALITY

When planning your meals, try to cut down on or eliminate processed foods, which can drive your body to consume more. Instead, focus on choosing unprocessed foods, including lean meats, whole grains, and lots of fruits and vegetables in their natural form.

• EXERCISE REGULARLY

Aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. Moderate exercise is done at a level where you can talk, but not sing. While any movement is better than nothing, work toward achieving a more vigorous level of exercise when you can.

• SLEEP SOUNDLY

Poor sleep quality can lead to weight gain, as can a sleep schedule that is out of sync with the body’s natural daily pattern, known as circadian rhythm. Your body wants to sleep at night and be awake during the day. The body gets perturbed when you disrupt its natural rhythm. The same is true if you are getting poor-quality sleep or not enough. A lack of sleep affects your weight in much the same way as hormonal shifts, making you want to eat more. So, addressing sleep problems with your doctor should be a priority.

• CHECK YOUR MEDICATIONS

Sometimes medication causes weight gain. Be aware if you start a new medication and you notice you’re putting on weight. Your doctor may be able to prescribe an alternative that doesn’t have the same side effect.

• REDUCE YOUR STRESS LEVELS

Stress, like poor sleep, can lead to weight gain. Controlling stress can help you keep excess pounds at bay.

As with other medical conditions, many people will need help from a doctor. Successful weight loss may require more than just diet and exercise. Some people may also need surgery to lose weight, so do not be afraid to seek help if you need it.

For more information on how to improve your weight loss, you can email healthtalksundays@gmail.com

SOURCE: Harvard Medical Review; Health Talk Sundays

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com