Day 39: Formula for Health
We often think in black and white formulas when it comes to food.
Calorie in - calorie out = net calories gained or lost
Some people compute every calorie they consume and the number of calories they burn during exercise. Yet, not everyone has sustainable results and success when it comes to dieting.
If the equation was that simple, how come we can’t seem to figure out how to attain our perfect figure?
In the Exercise Physiology course that I attended in Stanford, I learned that it’s not that simple.
The calories that we use are dependent on many factors:
1) Resting metabolic rate (RMR) - This is responsible for about 60-70% of our energy expenditure. We burn calories differently to maintain cellular work, breathing, circulation, bodily processes, and so on. Some people have a high metabolism, and others low, depending on hormonal factors, genetics, and even more importantly, the amount of muscle mass. Muscles are metabolically active parts of our body that constantly burn calories. This is why muscle training and exercise are essential. If our muscles are nil and not trained to work, sadly, our metabolic rate will also be low. Instead of glucose being converted to glycogen and stored in muscles for energy use, it gets converted to fat for future use. Interestingly, the people who regularly work out and exercise have fat cells located near the muscles, while those who do not exercise have fat cells dispersed randomly throughout the body. Training through exercise shapes the body’s anatomy and physiology. Age will also affect the RMR. Due to hormonal changes and muscle mass, a grandfather may have a lower RMR than his grandson.
2) Thermic effect of a meal - whenever we eat, we also use energy to digest, absorb, and metabolize the food. This accounts for about 8-10% of our energy expenditure. The more complex the food to digest, the more energy is required. Chewing food will require more energy than drinking a smoothie. Fiber-rich food will need more effort to digest than cookies and cakes. Not only will you spend more energy breaking down highly-fibrous food, but you also absorb less, and your gut will move faster to get it out of your body as compared to high-sugared drinks and highly-refined foods.
3) Thermic effect of activity - when you constantly move, your body burns more calories. Imagine how much calorie a boy burns when he is constantly sleeping, or a girl who is constantly running, or a man who is constantly walking. Each will be burning calories differently even if they consume the same amount of food.
An interesting caveat about calorie restriction is that the body will learn to adapt so that when you eat less, the body compensates by lowering its metabolic rate to conserve energy. This will explain why some people tend to regain their weight when they starve themselves and go on a restrictive diet. It is much more sustainable to eat a healthy amount of nutrient-dense food that supports your activity. You will not gain weight if you choose the right type of food.
The type of food that you choose will affect your appetite, the insulin response of your body, your hunger and satiety, the amount of calories that your body absorbs, and the amount of energy that you spend to process the food.
One study compared two groups of people based on caloric intake and activity.
- Group 1 ate 25% fewer calories
- Group 2 ate 12.5% fewer calories and increased their activity by 12.5%
The results revealed that Group 2 had more health benefits due to improved insulin activity, decreased blood pressure, and LDL (bad) cholesterol. These benefits were not observed in Group 1.
So if you want to be healthy, and be fit for the long haul, don’t focus on weight loss alone but aim for weight management where most of your weight will be from muscle and not fat. You can only do this by physical activity and moving those muscles.
Now, before you jump on the treadmill or indoor bike, make sure you are ready for this type of activity.
Is your heart ready? Are your blood vessels able to manage the change in activity?
Click on the link below to assess whether your body is ready for exercise. If you have an existing medical condition, the following links will guide you on safely starting an exercise program.
The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for everyone (PAR-Q+)
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8nNEOm7XQnQANDg
Electronic Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination (ePARmed-X+)
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vL7xcxF6zRkNoy
Calorie in - calorie out = net calories gained or lost
Some people compute every calorie they consume and the number of calories they burn during exercise. Yet, not everyone has sustainable results and success when it comes to dieting.
If the equation was that simple, how come we can’t seem to figure out how to attain our perfect figure?
In the Exercise Physiology course that I attended in Stanford, I learned that it’s not that simple.
The calories that we use are dependent on many factors:
1) Resting metabolic rate (RMR) - This is responsible for about 60-70% of our energy expenditure. We burn calories differently to maintain cellular work, breathing, circulation, bodily processes, and so on. Some people have a high metabolism, and others low, depending on hormonal factors, genetics, and even more importantly, the amount of muscle mass. Muscles are metabolically active parts of our body that constantly burn calories. This is why muscle training and exercise are essential. If our muscles are nil and not trained to work, sadly, our metabolic rate will also be low. Instead of glucose being converted to glycogen and stored in muscles for energy use, it gets converted to fat for future use. Interestingly, the people who regularly work out and exercise have fat cells located near the muscles, while those who do not exercise have fat cells dispersed randomly throughout the body. Training through exercise shapes the body’s anatomy and physiology. Age will also affect the RMR. Due to hormonal changes and muscle mass, a grandfather may have a lower RMR than his grandson.
2) Thermic effect of a meal - whenever we eat, we also use energy to digest, absorb, and metabolize the food. This accounts for about 8-10% of our energy expenditure. The more complex the food to digest, the more energy is required. Chewing food will require more energy than drinking a smoothie. Fiber-rich food will need more effort to digest than cookies and cakes. Not only will you spend more energy breaking down highly-fibrous food, but you also absorb less, and your gut will move faster to get it out of your body as compared to high-sugared drinks and highly-refined foods.
3) Thermic effect of activity - when you constantly move, your body burns more calories. Imagine how much calorie a boy burns when he is constantly sleeping, or a girl who is constantly running, or a man who is constantly walking. Each will be burning calories differently even if they consume the same amount of food.
An interesting caveat about calorie restriction is that the body will learn to adapt so that when you eat less, the body compensates by lowering its metabolic rate to conserve energy. This will explain why some people tend to regain their weight when they starve themselves and go on a restrictive diet. It is much more sustainable to eat a healthy amount of nutrient-dense food that supports your activity. You will not gain weight if you choose the right type of food.
The type of food that you choose will affect your appetite, the insulin response of your body, your hunger and satiety, the amount of calories that your body absorbs, and the amount of energy that you spend to process the food.
One study compared two groups of people based on caloric intake and activity.
- Group 1 ate 25% fewer calories
- Group 2 ate 12.5% fewer calories and increased their activity by 12.5%
The results revealed that Group 2 had more health benefits due to improved insulin activity, decreased blood pressure, and LDL (bad) cholesterol. These benefits were not observed in Group 1.
So if you want to be healthy, and be fit for the long haul, don’t focus on weight loss alone but aim for weight management where most of your weight will be from muscle and not fat. You can only do this by physical activity and moving those muscles.
Now, before you jump on the treadmill or indoor bike, make sure you are ready for this type of activity.
Is your heart ready? Are your blood vessels able to manage the change in activity?
Click on the link below to assess whether your body is ready for exercise. If you have an existing medical condition, the following links will guide you on safely starting an exercise program.
The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for everyone (PAR-Q+)
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8nNEOm7XQnQANDg
Electronic Physical Activity Readiness Medical Examination (ePARmed-X+)
https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0vL7xcxF6zRkNoy