What is Calorie Counting?

What Is A Calorie?

When we talk about eating or exercising, we usually talk about calories. Menus for restaurants will list the amount of calories in each meal. The treadmills are able to show the amount calories consumed. Dieters keep track of calories daily at meals while others giddyly proclaim that calories aren't important on weekends.

But what is an calorie in the first place?

"The calorie is nothing more than a measurement, just like inches or kilowatts," says Lauri Wright as an assistant professor of nutritional science as well as dietetics of the University of North Florida and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "It just represents how much energy is contained in the food or how much energy is used by the body."

What's in a Calorie

When we talk about calories within our bodies and in our food , the issue is actually the kilogramcalories Wright says.

A calorie, often described as a small calorie is the quantity of energy required to heat 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. There are 1000 of these calories in a Kilocalorie or large calorie. It determines how much energy is to increase a kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius. From a scientific perspective as we're using the word "calorie" on nutrition labels or menus, and on calorie counters , they are in fact quoting kilocalories. (This article will use "calories" to refer to "kilocalories.")

Researchers can establish how much energy particular fuel or food contains by burning it in a device that is also known as a bomb calorimeter. The heat produced by the reaction will raise the temperature of the water that is in the device. the amount of temperature variation shows the amount of energy in the food according to Wright.

A bomb calorimeter. (Credit: MEDIAIMAG/Shutterstock)

Foods contain calories as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates, including sugars, are mainly found in fruit, vegetables and other grain products. Protein can be found in nuts, beans meat and legumes. And healthy fats come from the oils of plants, fruits and the fatty fish and vegetables.

Carbs and proteins both contain every 4 calories per gram. Meanwhile, fats are loaded with 9 calories per gram, Wright says. In order to generate energy, the organs convert these nutrients into glucose. Simple sugar is the fuel for all processes within the body.about:blank

But, not all the energy generated from these nutrients is of the same quality however. Our bodies were made to use carbohydrates as energy sources as per Wright. Carbohydrates are composed of many glucose molecules linked together, she explained, which our bodies are able to break into energy units easily broken down into smaller units. Proteins and fats however are converted to glucose. This implies that they are not as efficient in the body.

Wright uses the human body as an engine for a luxury vehicle. A car that is of high-end quality is generally made to run on premium gas, which has a higher amount of octane. If you pour regular gasoline into the tank , it continues to run, the engine will however, it will not run as smoothly. Similar is the case for our bodies. The engine can run well on carbohydrates, however not as efficiently on proteins and, more importantly, on fats.

This is why Wright claims that she along with other nutritionists aren't a fan of ketogenic diets. "Those ketones are alternate energy, so it's almost like putting leaded gasoline in your engine," Wright claims.

Proteins and fats also be utilized in the body, besides being an energy source Wright says. Proteins, as such, are ideal for building muscle or antibodies to fight illnesses. Healthy fats , such as omega-3 fatty acids as well as monounsaturated acids -- assist your body in absorbing vitamins and decrease the chance of developing heart diseases as well as diabetes type 2 according to the Mayo Clinic.

It is important to have your calories from various sources. (Credit: Ekaterina Kondratova/Shutterstock)

Counting Calories

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In general dietary guidelines suggest that an adult female consumes about 2,000 calories each day, and men over the age of 2,500, Wright says. These numbers are merely an estimate of calories required, the exact requirements vary between individuals, she adds. How much energy you require is determined by a range of factors, such as your activity level and age, along with size and height.

If you consume more calories than you can consume during the day, your body will convert the energy it's spent into muscle (short-term storage) or fat tissues (long-term storage). This is a defense mechanism when there's not enough food for your body. It will tap the stores of these stored fats to fuel itself. "The body once again is this amazing machine," Wright declares.

Consuming too much energy can result in weight gain and health issues. One of the main causes for overweight within the U.S., where obesity affects more than 93 million adults are foods that are a source of "empty calories." Soda is a prime example, Wright says. It's not a good source of nutrition and is loaded with calories. When you eat , it's important to get maximum value bang for your buck She suggests. Foods that supply calories as well as other nutrients like minerals, vitamins, proteins and fiber.

In the final analysis, calories aren't the enemy, Wright says. A lot of people trying to lose weight are obsessed by the number of calories, but really, you need to think about calories as a function of your individual energy requirements, she says.

If you're creating a list of calories or ignoring them they're just a way to measure energy. Making the most from that energy is yours to decide.