The average adult eats close to one million calories a year. Despite this huge number, most healthy people are able to maintain a relatively constant body weight over years and decades without much conscious effort. When “calories in” equals “calories out,” a state of energy balance is achieved and body weight remains constant.
Energy balance is driven by a common law of physics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy must be either used or stored. When “calories in” is less than “calories out,” a state of negative energy balance occurs and body weight decreases. In contrast, when “calories in” is greater than “calories out,” a state of positive energy balance occurs and body weight increases. Overweight is the end result of a mismatch between “calories in” and “calories out,” that is produced by multiple, interrelated causes including genetic, cultural, and hormonal factors.
Just like your Strength Training Plan, Flexibility Plan, and Energy System Training Plan, you need to be proactive about your about your “calories in,” and create a Meal Plan. Having the proper Meal Plan in place will ensure that you maximize energy, lose fat, gain lean mass, and save time and money.
Starting a Meal Plan begins with the basics, the number of meals per day. Having five to six meals per day means that you will have something to eat every 2 ½ to 3 hours. When you eat regularly and often your body adapts to such a schedule and then becomes a more efficient calorie burning machine. In addition, eating frequently keeps you from overeating. If you know that you are going to have something in a couple of hours, you’ll be less likely to overeat and be less likely to be extremely hungry.
One of the many reasons why people don’t eat well is because they don’t plan ahead. They allow their body to get to a certain stage of hunger where poor decisions are made on the quality and quantity of food, so they end up devouring whatever they can grab. Stressing out over where and when to eat is unhealthy, a problem made worse by the junk that is inevitably consumed in such a state. As a result you end up increasing body fat and decreasing lean mass.
Eating well, like working out properly, is a matter of understanding a few concepts and then implementing them. If you have a proper Meal Plan in place, you’ll find that eating healthy is less stressful, less expensive, and more enjoyable.
The Energy Balance Equation“Calories In”Food provides calories (energy) for the body in the form of carbohydrate, protein,
alcohol and fat. Any calories from food that are not used immediately for energy
production are stored. Each source of calories is unique in the way it is used and
stored by the body.
Carbohydrate is usually the main source of energy for the body. Carbohydrate contains four calories per gram. Carbohydrate is stored in the body as glycogen. The body can only store limited amounts of carbohydrate as glycogen.
Protein is used by the body to build and maintain body tissue and to regulate body processes. Protein also contains approximately four calories per gram, but protein is rarely used by the body for energy. Like carbohydrate, the body can only store limited amounts of protein.
Alcohol, although not a major source of energy for the body, contains seven calories per gram. When alcohol in consumed, it is immediately used as fuel and is not stored in the body. Alcohol may contribute to the storage of fat by causing fat that is eaten to be stored rather than used as fuel.
Fat is the most calorie-dense of the nutrients. It contains nine calories per gram. Body fat is the preferred way to store energy. Unlike carbohydrate and protein, the body is very efficient at storing the fat you eat as body fat. The body has an almost unlimited capacity to store fat.
“Calories Out”Counting the calories provided by the food you eat tells you your “calories in,”
But to balance your energy you also need to know your “calories out.” The body
Uses (or burns) calories in three ways:
Thermo Effect of Food
The body uses calories to digest, absorb, transport, and store food. This process
is called the thermic effect of food. Typically, the thermic effect of food represents
only about 10 percent of the “calories out.” However, the precise number of
calories used to process the food you eat is primarily influenced by the type of
food you eat. The thermic effect is higher for protein and carbohydrates than for
fat. That is one reason why it is much easier to gain weight from excess calories form fat than from excess calories from carbohydrates. Eating a low fat diet is important for weight loss and weight management.
Physical Activity
The body uses calories for physical activity. Physical activity includes exercise as well as all other activity that uses muscles for movement, including fidgeting. Because most physical activity is voluntary (you choose to be active or sedentary), it is the most variable part of “calories out” in the energy equation. The number of calories burned during physical activity and exercise varies from individual to individual and form day to day. Calories for physical activity may represent less that 20 percent of “calories out” for a sedentary person or more that 30 percent of “calories out” for someone who is very physically active. Calories for physical activity depend upon the type of activity, intensity (how hard you exert yourself), and duration (minutes) of the exercise.
Resting Metabolism
The body uses calories to sustain life. Resting metabolism provides the energy the body needs for pumping blood through the body, inhaling and exhaling air, maintaining body temperature, sending and receiving nerve impulses, thinking, and making important chemicals in the cells. Resting metabolism occurs in a continual process throughout 24 hours a day and remains relatively constant over time. Resting metabolism is the largest component (typically 60 to 70 percent) of “calories out” in the energy equation.
The Good, the Bad, and the In-BetweenGood Fats
Oils and Sprays:
Canola oil, Canola spray, Enova oil, Fish oil capsules, Flaxseed oil, I Cant Believe Its Not Butter Spray, Olive oil (Extra virgin), Olive oil spray (Extra virgin)
Vegetables:
Avocados
Seeds:
Pumpkin, Sunflower
Nuts:
Almonds, Cashews, Macadamias, Pecans, Walnuts
Neutral Legumes:
Natural peanut butter, Peanuts
Bad
Dairy Products:
Butter, Cream, Ice cream (Regular, Full-fat), Margarine, Milk (Whole)
Oils:
Lard (Crisco, etc.)
Good Proteins
Fish:
Anchovies, Calamari, Cod, Flounder, Grouper, Halibut, Mackerel, Mahi Mahi, Salmon (Wild, not farmed-raised), Sardines, Swordfish, Tuna (Canned in water), Tuna steak or sushi
Shellfish:
Clams / Muscles, Crab, Lobster, Oysters, Shrimp / Prawns
Poultry:
Chicken (Skinless), Ground Turkey (Extra – Lean), Turkey Breast
Meat:
Buffalo, Filet Mignon, Flank Steak, Ground Beef (93% Lean), Ham (96% Fat-Free), London Broil, Pork Loin (Lean), Top and Bottom Round, Venison
Legumes:
Black Beans
Dairy Products:
Cheeses (Less Than 2% Fat), Egg Beaters, Egg Whites, Milk (Fat – Free, Skim), Yogurt (Low – Fat, Low – Sugar)
Neutral
Poultry:
Chicken (With Skin), Ground Turkey (85% - 90% Lean)
Meat:
Ground Beef (85% - 90% Lean), Roast Beef
Legumes (Eaten Alone):
Chickpeas, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Pinto Beans
Dairy Products:
Cottage Cheese (1% and 2% Fat), Frozen Yogurt (Low – Fat, Low Sugar), Ice cream (Low – Fat / Fat – Free, Low – Sugar), Milk (1% and 2% Fat), Whole Eggs, Yogurt (Whole milk)
Bad
Meat:
Beef (Heavily Marbled), Ground Beef (Regular Fat), NY Strip, T-Bone
Dairy Products:
Cheeses (Double or Triple-Cream, such as Brie and Camembert), Milk (Whole)
Good CarbohydratesBreads:
Pumpernickel, Rye, Sourdough
Cereals:
Cheerios, Kashi, Oatmeal (Slow – Cooking, not instant)
Starches:
Brown Rice, Couscous, Quinoa
Root Vegetables:
Beets, Sweet Potatoes, Yams
Green Vegetables:
Asparagus, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cucumber, Field Greens, Green Beans, Romaine Lettuce, Snap Peas, Spinach
Other Vegetables:
Bell Peppers, Carrots, Celery, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Squash, Tomatoes
Fruit:
Apples (Green), Blackberries, Cantaloupe, Cherries, Grapefruit, Grapes (Red), Honeydew, Kiwifruit, Mangoes, Oranges (Whole), Papaya, Peaches, Plums, Pomegranates, Raspberries, Strawberries, Watermelon
NeutralBreads and Baked Goods:
Bread (Whole Wheat), Muffins (Oat or Whole Wheat), Tortillas (Whole Wheat)
Cereals:
Corn Based Cereals (All), Rice Based Cereals (All)
Starches:
Egg Noodles, Pancakes (Nonenriched / Whole Wheat, Buckwheat, or Sourdough – No / Low – Sugar Syrup), Pasta (Whole Wheat or Vegetable)
Root Vegetables:
Potatoes (Baked)
Other Vegetables:
Iceberg Lettuce, Yellow Squash, Zucchini
Fruit:
Dates
Snacks:
English Muffins (Sourdough), Rice Cakes, Wheat Crackers
Bad Baked Goods:
Bagels, Cakes, Cookies, Doughnuts, English Muffins (Most Types), White Bread
Cereals:
Sugary Cereals
Dairy Products:
Frozen Yogurt (With Sugar), Ice Cream
Snacks / Treats:
Dried Fruit, French Fries, Granola Bars, Potato Chips, Trail Mix
Salads:
Coleslaw, Creamy Seafood Salad, Potato Salad
