Weight Loss: Calories

With all the training programmes and exercises out there, ultimately the end result will be reflected by the calories you consume. Calories are what food consists and what fuels our bodies throughout the day. Near enough all food and most drinks will consist of some form of calorie content.

You may have seen before the recommended daily intake of calories for both men and women. Men typically are expected to consume around 2500 calories and 2000 for women. These are average figures and set a guideline, however these numbers will vary depending on a number of factors, including, weight, height and activity level etc.

Calories and weight

As everything you eat consist of calories, they are the ultimate factor to gaining or losing weight. In simple terms its all about calories in vs calories out.

If you are burning more than what you consume you will put yourself in a caloric deficit, in turn this will result in weight loss. On the other hand, if you consume more than you burn, these excess calories will be stored as fat and lead to weight gain if not utilised.

Calculating calories -

In order to lose or gain weight you need to know how much you should actually be consuming. There are multiple calculators out there online that will require basic information such as your weight and height alongside your goal and they will give you a figure for maintenance calories.

Maintenance calories is the figure that you would hit in order to maintain your current weight in relation to your daily activity level, as said before this will vary from person to person. Once you know this figure, it will allow you to work out how much more or less you should be consuming depending on your goal.

A great app to use in order to count and track your calories, as well as other macro nutrients is 'My Fitness Pal'. This app has a free and paid version depending how in depth you want to go. I personally use the free version which works great.

Cutting calories

Cutting calories and putting yourself in a deficit isn't easy, especially if you are used to eating high amounts. However, if you're looking to lose weight, it is a necessary step to take.

There are several different ways to make it easier to reduce your caloric intake which I will list below.

Start small -

Some people will jump into a weight loss journey by taking a drastic cut to what they eat and starve themselves. Not only is this unhealthy for your body it can be counter productive as it can result in your metabolism slowing down and also create fatigue making you unable to work out as effectively.

Instead start with small cuts and changes, perhaps 10 - 20 percent of your maintenance calories allowing your body to adapt and get used to this intake.

Little and often -

Making meals and eating little and often is a great way to almost trick yourself to eating less. Eating smaller quantities will reduce the caloric intake per meal/snack, but also will keep your metabolism ticking over on a consistent basis. By eating more often in some sense you will feel as if you are eating more than you would eating two or three large bulky meals.

Substitution -

Substitutions is all about making a healthier and calculated decision on what you eat. You can do it with snacks and you main meals. A simple example would be rather than having a chocolate bar full of sugar with your lunch, swap it out for a less calorie dense cereal bar - Yes its not as tasty but this is where discipline will play a large part.

You can also make smaller changes such as reduced fat options, and less refined sugar throughout your diet plan.

The internet is full of recipes out there now for healthier alternatives which can be just as delicious as the less healthy option. Have a play around with some ideas and try new things out.

Increasing Calories

If you’re goal is to actually increase your weight, a calorie surplus is something you should consider.

Increasing calories can often be seen as a much easier process and straight away you may fall off track by consuming a high quantity of foods which offer little nutritional benefit but have a high calorie count. However, by doing this, you’re prone to increasing your fat percentage much faster as appose to building quality muscle mass.

Eating high amounts of sugary and starchy foods may also impact your energy levels, leaving you feeling fatigued due to lack of regulation of blood sugars and your body having to constantly digest food.

More effective ways of putting yourself in a calorie surplus, include:

Liquid Calories -

One of the easiest ways to increase your calorie intake is through liquid calories, I'm talking Mass gainers, protein shakes and smoothies. Eating all the time with such large quantities can become boring and a chore so this was a great way to boost your intake without having physically to eat anything.

Portion Size -

It may seem obvious but may be overlooked. Increasing your portion size of meals is increasing the amount of calories you consume. However, like you do with cutting calories, start small. You don't want to stodge yourself eating excessive amounts as it may just make you feel fatigued and ill.

Digestion is a highly demanding job for your body, so eating large portions on a consistent basis is going to make you body work overtime for digesting that food. Because of this I would note to leave up to two hours between you last meal and you training session.- This will allow the blood flow to be concentrated on your muscles rather than your stomach.