The VALUE of your Calories
When it comes to weight loss, we all seem to understand that you need to be at a calorie deficit in order to accomplish your weight loss goals. What’s not as often discussed, is that the calories you choose matter.
“But Jackie, a calorie is a calorie no matter what!!”
From a superficial perspective, that statement is true but I would like to argue that the value of your calories matters just as much (if not more) than the total amount of calories you consume.
Let’s start with some basic understanding. Food is fuel. Food is our bodies energy source and the way to measure how much fuel our body is getting is through calories.
Calories are the unit of measure to determine how much energy our body gets.
In order to lose weight, you need to consume less calories than you burn off in a day. There are safe ways to do this that allow you to continue to have energy, prevent you from experiencing diet brain fog, and ensure the weight loss you experience is fat loss instead of water loss.
The way to do this is to make smart choices regarding the types of calories you consume. 100 calories of cake is going to provide you with a very different outcome than 100 calories of broccoli. PS those portion sizes look much different too!
Cake will provide you with no nutritional value whereas broccoli is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Broccoli is also a complex carbohydrate therefore it takes longer to digest, and as a result keeps you full for longer periods of time and doesn’t spike your blood sugars. Cake on the other hand is a simple carbohydrate therefore it is quick to digest which will give you a quick burst of energy (sugar high) and then the expected energy crash followed by feeling hungry soon after eating it!
Let’s continue with another example shall we…
100 calorie wheat thins vs an apple with natural peanut butter. 100 calorie packs are tricky right?! I mean they are all portioned out for you so you know that what is in that little pack is for sure 100 calories but remember that the value of your calories matters.
Let’s break it down.
100 calorie pack of wheat thins is 100 calories (MIND BLOWN… kidding) but in that 100 calories is high fructose corn syrup and other preservatives (they got to keep their shelf life) essentially containing no real nutritional value.
Apples with natural peanut butter are slightly higher in calories than your 100 calorie wheat thins (about 183 calories) however apples are high in fiber, and pack full of vitamins, nutrient, and minerals. Peanut butter also provides you with healthy fats and protein. This powerful combination keeps your blood sugar steady and keeps you feeling full for longer. The extra 83 calories is totally worth it.
Now, I am not saying that you can’t ever eat the cake or enjoy some of the not so good for you foods but don’t fool yourself in this diet culture mania that you can continue to eat this way the majority of the time. Plus eating to fuel your body is for more than just weight loss. This is the foundation for life long health.
When paying attention to your calories, it’s really important to be mindful that the calories you put in are ones of high value to help you reach your goals! Before you go, can we let you in on a little secret? Our nutrition plan here at Shift does not have you even counting calories! Nope (who wants to count calories for the rest of their life anyways?), we do all that work for you so that you can focus on fueling your body with real foods that help you reach your goals and maintain for a life time after!
When you are ready to make the SHIFT! Give us call, shoot us an email, or head to our facebook page and shoot us a message!
Written by Jackie Giese, Fitness Nutrition Specialist
