Are all calories the same?

Gaining weight, losing weight or simply maintaining weight requires that you control your calorie intake. Our body gets its energy from calories found within food. When you eat too much, you gain weight. When you restrict your intake, you lose weight. When it comes to weight balance, all calories are the same. When it comes to overall health, picking the right foods will lead to a healthier life.

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Calorie Balance

Managing your weight requires that you control your intake of overall calories. First you need to estimate how many calories your body uses each day by using the calorie calculator. Next, you need to monitor your calorie intake so that you eat the proper amount of calories based on your goals: losing, gaining or maintaining weight. Strictly speaking on weight balance, the type of calorie doesn't make a difference. If you eat 2,000 calories of junk versus 2,000 calories of healthy foods, the effects on your weight will be the same.

Good vs. Bad Calories

Our body gets calories from three main sources; fats, carbohydrates and proteins. While one calorie from a healthy food will provide the same amount of energy as one calorie from an unhealthy food, they will have different effects on the body. Whether you're trying to gain, lose or maintain your weight, you need to maximize your intake of healthy calories while minimizing your intake of unhealthy ones.

Fats

There are three main types of fats; saturated, unsaturated and trans fats. Saturated and trans fats are the unhealthy kind while unsaturated are healthy. Saturated and trans fat can increase your cholesterol levels which can lead to heart disease and strokes. Sources of saturated fats include animal products such as milk, butter, cheese and meats. Sources of trans fats include any food with hydrogenated vegetable oil as an ingredient. Unsaturated fats lower your cholesterol levels which can prevent heart disease and strokes. Sources of unsaturated fats include vegetable oils, nuts avocados, olives and seafood.

Carbohydrates

Carbs are the body's main source of energy and lately, have gotten some bad publicity. There is nothing wrong with carbs. Carbs don't make you gain weight, excessive calories do. Just as there are good and bad fats, there are also good and bad carbs. Carbs are made up of sugar molecules. The more sugar molecules are linked together, the more complex the carb becomes. The two main types of carbs are simple and complex.

Simple carbs are unhealthy. They are digested and absorbed very quickly leaving you hungry soon after eating them. This will increase your overall calorie intake causing unwanted weight gain. Sources of simple carbs include fruit juices, sodas, baked goods (doughnuts, muffins, cookies) and energy drinks. You should limit your intake of simple carbs to before, during and after a workout. Complex carbs are healthy. They are digested and absorbed very slowly which keeps you full and prevents cravings. This slow digestion will help lower your calorie intake which will aid your weight loss goals. Sources of complex carbs include legumes, vegetables, brown rice and 100% whole grain products (bread, pasta).

Proteins

Proteins are made up of amino acids. There are some amino acids that the body can make, and others that it can't. If the body can make the amino acid, it is called non-essential. If it can't make the amino acid, it is called essential. There are two types of protein; complete and incomplete. If a protein contains all of the essential amino acids, it is complete. If it lacks one or more of the essential amino acids, it is called an incomplete protein.

The body uses proteins to build tissue including muscle. To build and repair tissue, your body needs all of the essential amino acids. Unfortunately, complete proteins are sometimes found in unhealthy foods such as meat and dairy products. These animal products are high in saturated fats which can increase your cholesterol. Try to get your complete proteins from sources that are low in saturated fat such as seafood, low-fat dairy and egg whites. Incomplete proteins, as long as they come from a wide variety of foods, can be utilized by the body to build and repair tissue.

The End

Are all calories the same? Yes and no. They are the same in the sense that all calories, no matter the source, provide the same amount of energy to the body. You can get fat by eating an excessive amount of healthy calories just as you can lose weight by eating a restricted amount of unhealthy calories. Though the number of calories you eat controls how much you weigh, they will not necessarily contribute to your long term health. By eating the right amount of good calories, you will improve your overall health and remain at a healthy weight.