The Adler Blog

Since Shape Up Club is a calorie tracking service, we thought it might be a good idea to talk about calories as such.

So is a calorie simply a calorie, regardless where it comes from?

On the surface, yes. A calorie measures the amount of energy needed to increase the temperature of one liter of water by one degree Celsius. The caloric balance does matter. If you eat too much of any food you will gain adipose tissue ( body fat).

So does it make a difference where the calories come from?

It does indeed, since a calorie derived from protein is having a much different effect on your body than a calorie taking in from carbohydrates

Consider the following: from 100 calories of protein, twenty-four to thirty calories are needed to digest the food; yet, carbohydrates use only seven calories and fats only use three calories. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF) and you can see how it is helpful when dieting. The TEF is also raised if you eat every two to three hours since your body does more digestive work.

In addition, protein is a hunger suppressant and controls insulin much better than carbohydrates do. Protein also puts the body in an anabolic (muscle building) state and keeps your metabolism going.

Now you understand the meaning of protein, which comes from the Greek word proteas, which stands for “the one” or “the first”.

A successful diet comes also down to nutrient breakdown, which is essentially the manipulation of the macronutrients according to your goals.

A suitable nutrient breakdown is just as important as your caloric intake, and it will be the difference between a person achieving nothing and a person achieving amazing results. If you wish to lose weight, you must decrease the number of energy providing calories, which are either the fats or the carbohydrates but never reduce your protein.

The truth is that everyone is different and reacts in a different way to each macronutrient. I recommend starting with a basic 40% protein/40% carbohydrates/20% fats diet and check your results after four weeks. If it is not working you might be carbohydrate sensitive and higher protein/lower carbohydrate approach would be better for you.

Then there is satiety. In my opinion, the most successful diet is the one you can stick to. If carbohydrates help you curb your hunger best, try the Zone diet for instance. If you are like most people and consuming even a moderate amount of carbohydrates makes you ravenous (I’ve caught myself many times rifling through the fridge at night) you will be better off with a higher protein and fat approach since your insulin levels will be more even and you won’t be starving. Carbohydrates are very easy to eat and taste good, which is why most people overeat in them. This then leads to wild insulin swings, moodiness and fat storage as the end result. Try to replace some of your calories from carbohydrates with protein, chances are that you will see a big change in your physique in a short amount of time.

There is also a chance that certain foods simply don’t work for you, they might bloat you, make you feel sluggish (baked goods often have that effect). You will have to go through the list of foods that you consume regularly and eliminate them one by one in order to find the perfect combination for you.

Lastly, variety is key. The body becomes inefficient when it’s always fed the same foods, so make sure you rotate your sources for protein, carbohydrates, and fats often.

Till next time

Scott and Maik