Calorie Balance Definition (learn how to keep your weight healthy)

 

 

“Energy” is a broader concept than the word “calories.” 

But when speaking about body energy, we use the word “calories” instead of the word “energy” simply because they are interchangeable and with similar meaning.

The calorie balance definition is the balance of calories consumed through your diet compared to calories burned by physical activity. Everything that you eat and drink is energy IN. While the energy burned through your daily activity is energy OUT

You body burn a particular number of calories just by breathing and digesting food. You also burn a specific number of calories (energy OUT) through your daily habits.For example, children burn calories by activities like running, watching TV, reading, and even laughing. Adults burn calories at all through any human activity such as working, walking to the bus station, shopping, but also by eating, learning, events(social life), sex, etc.

An essential part of maintaining energy balance is the volume of energy OUT – the physical activity that you make every day. Thus, people who are living more actively burn more energy (calories) than those who are not as physically active.

 

How the Calorie Surplus and Calorie Deficit Determined Your Weight State

 

The consistent calorie surplus is the main cause of extra weight gain. The consistent calorie deficit is usually the main cause of successful weight loss.

 

 Calorie Deficit=Weight Loss 

Even though the food that you consume will be used mostly for energy, the rest of it, which is not used, will get stored in the form of glycogen or body fat in the body. 

For example, if someone has filled glycogen levels(high blood sugar), due to too many carbs in his diet, then the excess glucose starts to being transformed and stored into a form of body fat.

But in fact, this stored fat from meals does not make us fat. Rather, the surpluses of it do. 

And what does this mean?

If the fat accumulated from meals leaves stored, then you will gain weight since the body isn’t being given enough time and ways to burn the stored fat for energy. 

If you do give the body the required time and means to burn this fat, through a specific diet, intensive exercising, or by fasting, then you create a calorie DEFICIT. Because you aren’t eating so much, your calories “IN” are less than calories “OUT.” Thus, your body will use mainly your body fat stores as a source of fuel by which to supply itself with energy and in that way, you will aid weight loss.

 

Calorie Surplus=Weight Gain

Well, when you are in a surplus, you are in the opposite situation.

Since you are over-eating constantly and especially if that becomes a steady and firm day-to-day behavior, your body switches totally in storing fat mode.  So, you will keep the fat from meals untouched while adding more and more fat via the SURPLUS of calories. Make sense?

So just because you store fat from the meals doesn’t mean by itself that it makes you fat. Rather, the stored fat from meals makes you fat if they stay stored and not spent.

Just create a deficit by less eating and more sport activities so that you can burn the exes fat, and you’re good. 

 

Know Your Numbers to Reach Your Weight Goal

 

How can you lose or gain weight if you do not know how much you are eating?

Usually, people tend to eat more rather than eat less. Well, it is valuable to assume that if you are looking to lose weight, you need to eat less. But what is less? Less of what? Therefore, it is smart to know your numbers because this will help you assess what is going on.

Understanding calories “IN” and calories “OUT” is a way that can help you develop a perception of what’s going on. Things like of what food contains what and how much, tracking, and counting calories are not so needed, but it sure will help a lot.

In general, everyone aims to achieve and keep a healthy weight to guarantee yourself better health and more satisfying life quality.

But a healthy weight depends on what is your healthy weight goal, which leads me to my next point.

 

What is Your Healthy Weight Goal?

 

Your goal is to keep the same weight status – you need the same amount of energy IN (consumed calories) and energy OUT (burned calories) along with keeping it over time.

 

Your goal is to gain weight– you need MORE IN(calories) than OUT (the what you burn)

 

Your goal is to lose weight – you need MORE OUT(calories) than IN

 

Balancing your IN and OUT energy will not work for you if you make it only from time to time. 

To stay with a healthy weight for the long term would be great to maintain this balance over time.

Here’s why you should look at the Calorie Requirement chart below to get an insight into how many calories (energy  IN) you need daily.

This calorie requirement chart gives an idea of the amounts of calories needed to maintain energy balance and healthy weight for the different genders and age groups depending on levels of physical activity.

 

		ACTIVITY LEVEL
GENDER	AGE	SEDENTARY	MODERATELY  ACTIVE	ACTIVE
Child	2-3	1,000	1,000 – 1,400	1,000 – 1,400
Female	4 – 8	1,200	1,400 – 1,600	1,400 – 1,800
Female	9-13	1,600	1,600 – 2,000	1,800 – 2,000
Female	14-18	1,800	2,000	2,400
Female	19-30	2,000	2,000 – 2,200	2,400
Female	31-50	1,800	2,000	2,200
Female	51+	1,600	1,800	2,000 – 2,200
Male	4-8	1,400	1,400 – 1,600	1,600 – 2,000
Male	9-13	1,800	1,800 – 2,200	2,000 – 2,600
Male	14-18	2,200	2,400 – 2,800	2,800 – 3,200
Male	19-30	2,400	2,600 – 2,800	3,000
Male	31-50	2,200	2,400 – 2,600	2,800 – 3,000
Male	51+	2,000	2,200 – 2,400	2,400 – 2,800

 

Sedentary means a life routine that includes only light physical activity, such as correlated with the usual day-to-day way of living. Examples include: work at a desk like the writing, reading, studying, sitting or lying down while watching TV, etc.

 

Moderately active is when your physical activity equivalent to about 1.5 to 3 miles per day, slowly walking, in addition to the light physical activity.

 

An active lifestyle means when in addition to the light physical activity add physical activity related to walking higher than 3 miles per day but faster (at 3 to 4 miles per hour).

 

The calorie ranges shown related to the needs of different ages within the group. Typically, for children and teenagers, more calories are needed, while for adults, fewer calories required with aging.

 

How to Energy Balance in Real Life

 

Think of it as balancing of your energy “budget.”

For instance, in a situation where you and your family will be going to a party and for sure will eat more calorie-density foods than usual. You need to eat fewer calories for a few days before so that it balances out.

Or, another way is to increase your physical activities for the few days before or after the party, so that way you can burn off the further energy(calories).

The same is the rule for your kids. For example, if they’ll be going to a birthday party and eating ice cream and cake—or other foods high in trans fat and added sugar—help them balance their calories the day before or after, by convincing them and insist on performing of more physical activities.

Here’s how to apply the energy balance in real life.

Attention!!! You need to consider that eating only 150 calories more per day than you burn may result in an extra 5 pounds over six months, which means a gain of 10 pounds a year.

If you want to avoid this weight gain, or you aim to lose the extra weight, you can either diminish your energy IN or raise your energy OUT.

Now you understand that calorie balance definition is simply the energy control through healthy diet choices along with precisely selected for your daily sports activities Indeed, doing both is the best way for successful healthy weight maintaining.

 

Here are some examples of how to cut 150 calories(energy IN):

 

• Instead of a 12-ounce soda choose to drink water
• Always order a small portion of French fries instead of a medium, or large, or best would be to replace it with a salad with dressing on the side instead.
• Eat an egg-white omelet (with the proteins of three eggs), instead of whole eggs
• Chose the tuna canned in water, instead of oil

 

Here how to burn 150 calories (energy OUT):

 

• Walk two miles at a good pace
• Get on with homework like gardening, raking leaves, etc.)
• Regularly go for a bike ride
• Dance with your friends and family