It is important that you gain insight into how nutrition works when it comes to losing weight and to find some kind of balance. One calorie is not the same as another. You get your calories from proteins, fats and carbohydrates. However, the calories in these foods are processed differently in your body. When counting calories, it is not just about the amount, but also about which calories you exactly consume. All calories in these foods provide energy, but they all have a different influence on your body. It is important to be aware of this.
Calories from carbohydrates
For example, carbohydrates are found in almost all meals of the day and are therefore often known for their source of energy. Carbohydrates are basically starches and sugars. You will mainly find them in the following foods: potatoes, pasta, rice, bread and of course all sweet manufactured foods (cookies/candy). Certain carbohydrates are converted into glucose in your body. Your cells can convert this glucose into energy. The glucose enters the cell because insulin is produced. Only once the glucose has entered the cell is it converted into energy. The more glucose there is in your bloodstream, the more insulin your body produces. If your diet consists largely of carbohydrates, your blood sugar level rises very quickly and your pancreas therefore produces a lot of insulin. The high insulin value causes a substance in your body to be blocked. This substance is called HSL. This is a hormone that ensures that fats are burned. So in other words: when consuming (many) carbohydrates, no fat will be burned and the excess glucose is also stored as body fat.
Converted to fructose
Other types of carbohydrates that enter your body can be converted into fructose. Fructose does not affect the increase in insulin levels as glucose does. In contrast, only a select number of cells can convert fructose into energy. Because the fructose is not always burned immediately, it is converted into bad cholesterol, among other things. This can cause blockages in the blood vessels, resulting in cardiovascular disease. Fructose also has no influence on your feeling of hunger. Because fructose does not make the feeling of hunger go away, it can lead to overconsumption of food. In addition, fructose can also easily be converted into body fat.
Calories from fats
There are different types of fats: unsaturated (healthy) and saturated (unhealthy) fats. These can both be a source of energy. Saturated fats are less healthy and are found in, for example, cookies, chips and pastries. Saturated fats are known for their adverse health effects and are therefore omitted in this article. Unsaturated fats include almonds, cod, coconut oil, seeds and meat. Unsaturated fat increases good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol. In this way, unsaturated fat protects against cardiovascular disease. When converting unsaturated fats into energy, there are no side effects as there are with carbohydrates. Everything continues to function normally, which makes it seem that the body is made to burn fats. The problem is that fats have a bad name among many people. Nowadays the supermarkets are full of products that contain little fat, but a lot of sugar, so our calories are not consumed from fats but from carbohydrates.
Calories from proteins
Proteins are important for the growth, development and construction of hormones, enzymes and tissue such as skin and nails. Examples of proteins in food are meat, eggs, legumes and nuts. The body can convert amino acids from proteins into glucose. This often happens with an energy (glucose) shortage. In the event of an energy shortage, the body will only use proteins last. Glucose can also be converted by the body if you eat more protein than your body needs, these proteins can then be stored as fat. It is recommended to eat an average of 0.8 kilograms of protein per kilogram of body weight. It is important to consume enough proteins when you are trying to lose weight. Because protein satisfies you, you are less likely to get hungry again, which means you eat less.
‘Empty’ calories
You also have empty calories. These are the most harmful form of calories that come from carbohydrates. Think of white products such as white bread, white rice and pasta. These are foods that contain relatively many carbohydrates. These empty calories are so harmful because they contain little dietary fiber. Dietary fiber ensures that glucose and fructose are absorbed more slowly into the blood. If these are missing, the body will have more difficulty burning energy, meaning glucose and fructose will be more likely to be stored as body fat.
Liquid food
In addition, there are also liquid foods that contain empty calories. This includes soft drinks and alcohol. A glass of cola contains no dietary fiber, so you consume useless calories. The same applies to alcohol. In addition, drinking alcohol prevents the body from burning calories other than those contained in alcohol. Drinking alcohol converts an acid that your body burns before it burns other calories. If there is alcohol in the body, the process of fat burning is stopped. In other words: if you want to lose weight, alcohol is not a wise choice.
Conclusion
When counting calories, it is not only about the amount, but also about which calories you actually consume. When shopping, it is wise to pay attention to the nutritional values before you put something in your basket. Try to eat as much unsaturated fats and proteins as possible, this will give you a more satiated feeling. Of course you will always get some carbohydrates, as long as they are in small amounts such as from fruit and vegetables. Always avoid empty carbohydrate calories. For example, drink water and black coffee instead of cola. Don’t try to starve yourself, this always has the opposite effect. The minimum number of calories you should consume is 1200 for a woman and 1400 for a man. You should not fall below this. If you consistently eat too little, your body will get used to this. Fat burning then slows down. If you suddenly start eating (many) more calories, your body considers them unnecessary and stores them as fat. If you get hungry between meals, it is wise to simply eat something high in protein, such as a handful of almonds. This reduces the chance that you will reach for unhealthy snacks and you will last longer
