Calorie balance during weight loss , Sometimes, instead of losing weight, you gain weight. Sometimes, instead of maintaining, you lose weight. Sometimes you lose weight faster, sometimes slower. In this article we will look at the topic of calorie balance and why it happens that although in theory one thing has to happen, sometimes it happens quite differently. Such discrepancies between theory and practice make many people think that calorie balance “does not work.”
You may have heard that our body is not such a simple machine and does not succumb to certain physical laws as that of thermodynamics. In fact, calorie balance works very well, but its performance depends on various factors. But let’s start from the beginning to make sure we’re all on the same page.
Table of Contents
What exactly is a calorie balance?
For those of you who are hearing this term for the first time, the theory is simple. Every day, our body expends a certain amount of energy, which is generally measured in units of calories. In addition to consuming a certain amount of calories, we also get them through the food and beverages we consume. The theory of caloric balance states that:
- if we get more calories than we expend, our body will store excess energy and our total weight will increase. This is called excess calories;
- if we get less calories than we expend, our body will use its stored energy to feed all its processes and from there our total weight will decrease. This is called a calorie deficit;
- accordingly, if we expend exactly as many calories as we get, our weight will not change and we will be in a calorie balance. It is also called neutral calorie balance.
Sounds simple, right? Let’s dig a little deeper.
The rule of 3500 kcal
Another “rule” that revolves around the theory of caloric balance is the “rule of 3500 kcal”. It is one of the basic rules that people try to follow in order to lose weight, but it is often used in weight gain accounts. The rule in question states that:
If a person wants to lose weight at a rate of about 450 grams every 7 days, for this period he must create a caloric deficit of 3500 kcal.
Very often, however, although we eat a specific amount of calories and in theory our weight must change at a specific rate, in practice very often, not to say almost always, something else happens. For example, we impose a caloric deficit of 500 kcal per day, which leads to a total weekly deficit of 3500 kcal, which means that at the end of these 7 days we must have lost half a kilogram. After a week, however, we get on the scales and it turns out that instead of losing weight, we gained weight. Or instead of losing a pound, we lost a pound and a half.
Of course, there is panic and confusion, and the calorie balance theory is struck out as ineffective and untrue. The theory is correct and the caloric balance has been proven to work and fundamentally hundreds of times in the literature (1). What escapes many people are a few important things that we will look at below, and you will finally learn how to apply these things in your daily life.
Source of the rule for 3500 kcal
Let’s start by looking at where this rule actually comes from. The original source is the work of Dr. Max Wishnofski from as far back as 1958 (2). In his scientific publication, Wishnofski mentioned that 1 pound (~ 454 grams) of adipose tissue contains about 87% fat, which is equivalent to about 395 grams in absolute value. Since, according to Wishnofski’s work, 1 gram of fat has a caloric value of 9.5 kcal, the calculations show that 1 pound or 454 g of adipose tissue is equal to ~ 3750 kcal (395 * 9.5). And here are two main problems.
Problems №1
On the one hand, the problem is the discrepancy in the final value due to the fact that nowadays we believe that 1 gram of fat is equal to 9 kcal, not 9.5 kcal. We do this for pure convenience, but it also changes the results we should expect.
Problems №2
The more serious problem is that when people lose weight and create a caloric deficit of 3500 kcal, they expect to lose roughly 0.45 kg in the next 7 days, which in turn means that they expect all the weight lost to be in the form of fat. tissue. Remember, however, that in the work of Wishnovski 3500 kcal supply us with body fat. However, all other tissues in the body must also be taken into account.
Factors influencing the change in our weight
The change in our total weight is mainly influenced by the changes in the following 5 things:
adipose tissue;
muscle tissue;
liquids;
glycogen (the form in which carbohydrates are stored in our body);
residual food in our intestines.
Different tissues and substances have different caloric value.
- For fat we have already mentioned that 0.45 kg is equal to ~ 3500 kcal and many people automatically assume that other tissues have this energy value.
- However, muscle tissue delivers only ~ 600-700 kcal for every 0.45 kg of weight.
- Water has no caloric value.
- Glycogen provides us with about 4 kcal of stored energy for every 1 g, and most people have stored about 300-400 g of glycogen (1200-1600 kcal). Separately, each 1 g of glycogen retains ~ 3-4 g of water.
- And last but not least, is the residual food in our intestines, which, by definition, does not supply us with any energy, unless it is absorbed, it can also affect the change in our weight.
When we create a caloric deficit of 3500 kcal, it is important where our body will get them and which of the listed tissues and substances will decrease.
If, theoretically, the lost weight is entirely from adipose tissue, then yes, 3500 kcal deficiency will lead to weight loss of 0.45 kg in 1 week. However, if, theoretically, the lost weight is entirely of muscle tissue, then this deficit will lead to weight loss of 2-3 kg (3500 / (600-700 x 2.22)). Accordingly, at different ratios of lost muscle and fat tissue, the weight lost on a weekly basis with a deficit of 3500 kcal can vary significantly. If we add the loss of glycogen and water to the examples, things get even more complicated.
For example, if we suddenly switch from consuming moderate or high amounts of carbohydrates to no consumption, our weight can drop by 2-3 kilograms even if we are in a neutral calorie balance. This is because when we consume less carbohydrates and the levels of glycogen and water in the body are less. If we are calorie deficient, but for several consecutive days we have very high levels of stress in everyday life, this made us eat a large pizza, which is very rich in salt and carbohydrates, and because of the combination of high levels of cortisol and sodium in the body as nothing we can hold 2-3 kg of water. That is, we are both in deficit and need to lose weight and gain weight.
There may also be a discrepancy in excess calories.
Depending on the factors listed, we can gain weight at a much faster or slower pace than our accounts show.
Last but not least, there are other factors that influence, such as adaptive thermogenesis, which is a complex of specific adaptations of our body that occur both during calorie deficit and during calorie excess. You can see for yourself that the theory of calorie balance is true, but it is much more complex than most people think and many factors affect the change in our weight. In fact, we can never know exactly how much fat, muscle, glycogen, water, etc. we will lose or gain. At least not outside the lab environment.
How to apply what we have learned about Calorie balance during weight loss ?
Okay, let me give you some advice on how to apply everything said so far in your own practice.
Tip №1: Do not jump to conclusions
You can see for yourself that many factors affect our weight, so:
Do not jump to conclusions based on a single scale measurement.
If the measurement does not show what you expect, take a deep breath, inhale and exhale several times, and move on with the process you are following without changing anything. If the result is repeated the next time, then you may consider changing something.
Tip №2: Measure yourself more often
Related to the previous tip, if you measure more often during the week, say 3-4 times, at the end of each week you can take the average of all measurements. This will significantly reduce the error that occurs from the natural change in our weight, which can occur even on a daily basis.
Tip №3: Slow weight loss is not a bad thing, it is even preferable
As you already know, losing weight fast is not necessarily a good thing, especially if it occurs with a relatively small calorie deficit. This may be a sign that you are losing more muscle tissue at the expense of less body fat, which is something we definitely don’t want and should try to avoid at all costs. Of course, this may be a sign that you have lost more water, for example, but in general, slow weight loss is quality weight loss.
A reasonable and recommended rate of weight loss and weight loss for most people is about 0.5 to 1% of your current total weight per week.
That is, if you weigh 100 kg, 0.5 to 1 kg per week is okay and this will minimize muscle loss.
Tip №4: Every calorie counts when we talk about Calorie balance during weight loss
And last but not least – do not neglect the calorie balance. Although it works complicated, it still works. Despite all the ambiguities around it, this remains perhaps the best way to predict what will happen to our total weight and to be able to intentionally and relatively safely tilt the scales in one direction or another. If counting calories is part of your daily routine, remember that very calorie counts. Yes, even that tiny cookie you thought your body wouldn’t notice.
Sources used for Calorie balance during weight loss :
- Hall KD, Heymsfield SB, Kemnitz JW, Klein S, Schoeller DA, Speakman JR. Energy balance and its components: implications for body weight regulation. Am J Clin Nutr [Internet]. 2012 Apr 1 [cited 2019 Apr 18];95(4):989–94. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/95/4/989/4576902
- Caloric Equivalents of Gained or Lost Weight | The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition | Oxford Academic [Internet]. [cited 2020 May 18]. Available from: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/6/5/542/4729975
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