Calories In and Calories Out Theory, Is It Still Applicable in Body Weight Management?

Context is important

Conventional wisdom has taught us that if you want to lose weight you should cut calories intake. Most people still believe in the theory of calories in over calories out. Our bodies are not the same and a one size fits all model of weight management does not work. Our bodies will use calories from various types of food differently depending on what the body requires at that stage. For example, if you are under a lot of stress, your body will use calories differently compared to when you are recovering from an illness.

What if you want to manage your body weight by monitoring your calorie intake?

Remember that all calories are not created equal. A calorie from fats may not be the same as a calorie from carbohydrates or proteins. The use of these calories from various sources will depend on the state at which our bodies are during their consumption.

Asking yourself these questions will assist you in determining what your goal is regarding the use of calorie intake as a strategy to manage your weight:

• Do I just want to lose weight or body fat?
• Do I want to gain weight or just muscle?
• How much muscle do I want to put on and how fast?

Understanding the context at which your body uses calories is important in determining your goals on weight management. This context will further be affected by the following conditions:

• The quantity, types and frequency of meals that you consume
• Your immediate energy needs for either building, repairing or energizing your body
• The state of hormones in your body at that stage will also have a greater influence on the use of calories
• The way in which our bodies use fats, carbs and proteins, which differ from one individual to another.

Remember that the context is not the same every day. It can change at any time. If the use of calories by our bodies is so complex, the theory of counting calorie intake may not be useful for weight management. Therefore, different context will require a different plan of action in order to achieve the desired results. This will depend on whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscles. The only way we can change the context is by changing the way in which these metabolic processes (mentioned above) work through changing what and when we eat.

GT Taylor is a nutrition expert with more than 20 years.
http://WWW.NUTRITIONINSPORTTIPS.COM

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