Introduction To Nutrition Basics

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Open your memory and pour in the “must knows” for sound nutrition.  It might prolong your life!

This is an introduction which will help you navigate a series of post regaurding the “Nutrition Basics” which are broken down into lessons.  Upon completion of this brief intorduction proceed to lesson 1 by clicking on it below and then do so for all of the following lessons.  Enjoy and leave feedback, I’ll make my response a priority.

The nutritional information within is the standard guidelines recommended by the American Dietetic Association and can be found in the American Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guidelines Revised and Updated 3^rd edition. Rest assured I will provide you with a means of tailoring this information to your personal fitness goals of weight loss, gain, or management.

Proceed by clicking on lesson 1 “what is a calorie”

In less than 20 minutes you will understand the following:

Lesson 1: What is a calorie?

Lesson 2: How body fat is acquired and lost

Lesson 3: How many calories you should consume according to your goal

Lesson 4: Macronutrients: Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate

Lesson 5: Daily Water Intake

Lesson 1: What is a calorie?

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By definition a calorie is a quantity of food capable of producing such an amount of energy, but let’s keep it simple and to the point by saying a calorie is energy.  Therefore one calorie is one unit of energy.  Simple enough?  I think so.

What makes up a calorie?

I’m not certain if this is a common misconception, but just in case, allow me to say that a calorie is not a nutrient; however it is comprised of nutrients. In fact a calorie is comprised of 3 nutrients in their own class known as macronutrients.  These three macronutrients are those fad diets focus on.

• Protein
• Fat
• Carbohydrate

We will discuss the 3 primary macronutrients shortly; but first let’s discuss the calorie and its association with body fat by clicking on lesson 2 below.

Yes I know that was short but trust me and go with the flow.  After all, theres no need to make things more complicated than they really are!

Course Overview:

Introduction to Nutrition Basics

Lesson 1: What is a calorie?

Lesson 2: How body fat is acquired and lost

Lesson 3: How many calories you should consume according to your goal

Lesson 4: Macronutrients: Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate

Lesson 5: Daily Water Intake

Lesson 2: How body fat is acquired and lost

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From this point onward you are to step on that scale with pride!

Before we begin:

If your like the majority you dread walking on that scale and your likely asking why with pride?  Answer:  your going to work your “tail” off and the scale will usually show the results.  I know, I know, muscle weighs more than fat!  Yes this is true but if you are 15-200 pounds overweight that scale better drop.  So get on the scale at least once a week.  Anyhow lets learn how you acquired your excess body fat and how you will eliminate it.

Body Fat

Its quite simple…1 pound of body fat is equivalent to 3500 calories.

3500 calories = 1 pound of body fat

What exactly does this mean?  Lets read on

How is one pound of body fat acquired?

Let’s say you expend 1500 calories and consume 2000 calories every day, seven days a week.  If this were true you would have a caloric surplus of 500 a day or 3500 each week.

Intake – Expenditure = caloric deficit or surplus

Caloric intake = 2000                       Caloric expenditure = 1500

2000 – 1500 = 500 calorie surplus for the day

Now back up to the second line of this post, you will recall that 3500 calories is equivalent to one pound of body fat.  In this scenario you would gain one pound of body fat each week because your caloric consumption was exactly 3500 units greater than your expenditure.

500 calorie surplus X 7 days = 3500 calorie surplus for the week

How is body fat eliminated?

Conversely if you consume 1500 calories and expend 2000 daily, seven days a week, you will lose 1 pound of body fat because you are experiencing a caloric deficit or 500 calories each day and 3500 calories each week.

Intake – Expenditure = caloric deficit or surplus

Caloric intake = 1500                       Caloric expenditure = 2000

1500 – 2000 = -500 calorie deficit for the day

Okay, so now you are an expert on body fat reduction.  It really is that simple from a macro view; however from a micro view body fat reduction grows complex due to the body’s ability to adapt.  You are currently on lesson 2, proceed to lesson 3 by clicking it below.

Course Overview:

Introduction to Nutrition Basics

Lesson 1: What is a calorie?

Lesson 2: How body fat is acquired and lost

Lesson 3: How many calories you should consume according to your goal

Lesson 4: Macronutrients: Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate

Lesson 5: Daily Water Intake

Lesson 3: How many calories you should consume according to your goal

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Take me literally when I say “measure all servings of food with measuring cups, not with your eyeball!

How many calories should I consume is possibly the most common question. Before beginning you should have a pen, paper, and calculator or open a spread sheet for easy calculation. Understand that the formula I present here is not precise, it is merely an estimate.

Introduction:

There are 3 possible routs to travel when determining calorie consumption.  Rout one is weight management and the strategy is for your calorie consumption to equate to your calorie expenditure.  Rout two is to incur a deficit; therefore your consumption will be less than your expenditure resulting in weight loss.  Rout three is obviously for weight gain and consist of consuming more calories than expending.

There are 4 factors to consider when determining caloric needs:

1. Basic Energy Needs
2. Additional Calories for Daily Activities
3. Digestion
4. Your Goal

Step 1: Determine Your Basic Energy Needs

Basic energy needs is the energy your body requires if you were to lie in bed all day.  Basic energy needs are determined by multiplying your body weight by 10 if you are a woman and 11 if you are a man.

Males:                  Basic Energy Needs = Body Weight X 11

Females:              Basic Energy Needs = Body Weight X 10

Male Example:                  170 lbs X 11 = 1870 Basic Energy Needs in calories

Female Example:             140 lbs X 10 = 1400 Basic Energy Needs in calories

Step 2: Determine Your Additional Calories needed for Daily Activities

The additional calories needed for daily activities are determined by a ranking of your life style.  There are four rankings and your classification may vary day to day as does mine.

• Sedentary Lifestyle: consist of mainly sitting, driving a car, lying down, sleeping, standing, reading, typing, or other low intensity activities.  If you are stuck in front of a computer all day and drive to the office then it is likely you live a sedentary lifestyle
• Light Activity: consist of light exercise such as light office/house work, grocery shopping, and a few errands all of which last for no more than two hours
• Moderate Activity: heavy office/housework, gardening, dancing , or brisk walking (very little sitting)
• Very Active: consist of active physical sports, or in a labor intensive job such as construction work

When determining your lifestyle ranking factor in exercise separately.  Determining caloricburn can be a difficult task if you are without a heart rate monitor.  Click on the image ad to the right to find quality heart rate monitors at a prices slightly lower than the norm.  If you choose not to purchase a monitor then you can estimate you burn 300-500 calories for every hour of exercise.

Okay, by now you should have an idea where you rank, it is now time to find a multiplier for the upcoming formula.

• Sedentary Lifestyle: 20%
• Light Activity: 30%
• Moderate Activity: 40%
• Very Active: 50%

Do you recall your basic energy needs which was your body weight times 10 for females and 11 for males?  Okay now we must multiply your basic energy needs by your lifestyle ranking to determine your additional calorie needs for daily activities.

Basic Energy Needs X Life Style Ranking = Additional Calories For Activity

Male: 1870 BEN X 30% = 561 Additional Calories

Female: 1400 BEN X 30% = 420 Additional Calories

Okay, thus far we have determined two of the three caloric needs in a day.  We have:

Basic Energy Needs (BEN):

Male Example: 1870

Female Example: 1400

Additional Calories for Daily Activity (AC)

Male Example: 561

Female Example: 420

Let’s move on to the third and final calorie need.

Step 3: Determine Your Calories Needed For Digestion

I understand that the outcome in the formula for calories needed for digestion is minimal but please include it in your calculations.  You simply multiply your basic energy needs by 10% or .1

Male Example: 1870 X .1 = 187 Calories Needed For Digestion

Female Example: 1400 X .1 = 140 Calories Needed For Digestion

Step 4: Totals

Let’s add the basic energy needs, additional calories needed for daily activity, and calories needed for digestion together to get the total calories needed to maintain weight.  After this step we can determine what we will need to achieve weight loss and weight gain.  So lets add them together.

Male Example: 1870 + 561 + 187 = 2618

Female Example: 1400 + 420 + 140 = 1960

If you are exercising I recommend you factor that into your calculation only for the days you exerecise.  If you exercise at a low to medium intensity for one hour at a time then I esitmate you burn 200-300 calories and if you exercise at a high intensity then you may be burning as many as 500-600 calories.  If this is the case you need increase your intake by that amount for each day you exercise.

The total you have is an estimate of what you will need to maintain your current weight, now lets figure what it will take to gain or lose weight.

Step 5 (Final Step): Tailor Your Intake for Your Goal

Weight Loss:  It is safe to lose .5 – 2 pounds of body fat each week.  Remember that 1 pound of body fat is equivalent to 3500 calories and if you would like to lose 1 pound of body fat in one week you will need a weekly caloric deficit of 3500.  Three thousand five hundred divided by seven equals 500.  In this case you will need to reduce your daily caloric intake by 500 calories in order to lose 1 pound of body fat each week.  If we apply this to the two examples I have been using, the male would subtract 500 from 2618 and get a total of 2118 calories per day.  The female would subtract 500 from 1960 and get a total of 1460 calories per day.

Also note that according to the National Institute of Health Obesity Education Guidelines recommend the following intake reductions for weight loss:

BMI	Caloric Reduction Ranges
Greater than 35	500 – 1000 calories per day
Between 27 – 35	300 – 500 calories per day

If you need to determine your Body Mass Index (BMI) then use the calculator below.

Weight Gain: If your goal is to gain lean muscle mass and desire little to no body fat reduction then you should incur a caloric surplus of 500 – 1000 calories per day.  If we refer to the examples I have used throughout the course the male would add 500 to 2618 and get 3118 for the minimum and for the maximum you would add 1000 to 2618 and get 3618 calories per day.

The female would add 500 to 1960 and get 2460 for the minimum.  For the maximum you would add 1000 to 1960 and get 2960 calories per day.

Proceed by clicking on lesson 4.

Course Overview:

Introduction to Nutrition Basics

Lesson 1: What is a calorie?

Lesson 2: How body fat is acquired and lost

Lesson 3: How many calories you should consume according to your goal

Lesson 4: Macronutrients: Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate

Lesson 5: Daily Water Intake

Lesson 4: Macronutrients: Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate

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How many of each macronutrient should I consume?

Protein: one gram of protein equals 4 calories. A minimum of 10% and as much as 35% of your calories should come from protein.

Fat: one gram of fat equals 9 calories. A minimum of 20% and as much as 35% of your calories should come from fat.

Carbohydrate: one gram of carbohydrate equals 4 calories.  A minimum of 45% and as much as 65% of your calories should come from carbohydrate.

Macronutrient	Calorie per gram	% of caloric make up
Protein	4	10 – 35%
Fat	9	20 – 35%
Carbohydrate	4	45 – 65%

Formulas:

X = macronutrient           C = calories per gram of the macronutrient

% = the percentage of the caloric make up you chose to go with that is within the recommended range

I = Daily Caloric Intake (for example the male in my examples consumes 2618 calories to maintain his weight)

Lets apply the male example of 2618 calories for maintaining weight and plug in the variables for each macronutrient

Now you likely are wondering what percentage is right for you.  It’s going to be next to impossible for anyone to hit their goal precisely but you should shoot for something relatively close.  DO NOT FIXATE TO HEAVILLY ON IT.  Just be aware of your needs.

For my clients I recommend 35% protein, 20% fat, and 45% carbohydrate simply because they are conducting resistance training with me 3 days a week and need the protein to build and repair the muscle tissue we challenge during the exercises.  Feel free to distribute your calories the same as shown but if you have a disease, deficiencies, or any other issues then I encourage you to consult your doctor prior to any changes.

Before I move on to “water.”  Allow me to highlight one thing:  Do not attempt to lose weight by eliminating one or more of the three macronutrients.  This is dangerous and unnecessary.

Proceed by clicking on lesson 5

Course Overview:

Introduction to Nutrition Basics

Lesson 1: What is a calorie?

Lesson 2: How body fat is acquired and lost

Lesson 3: How many calories you should consume according to your goal

Lesson 4: Macronutrients: Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate

Lesson 5: Daily Water Intake

Lesson 5: Daily Water Intake

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How much water should I consume?

Males should consume on average 125 ounces per day and females should consume on average 91 ounces per day.

The other factors:

Yes that is a lot of water considering there are 128 ounces in a gallon of water; however if you factor in the water that is in the food you consume the water you drink will be lower than the actuall number.  There is no precise way of determining this nor is it worthy of discussing.  I recommend you sip on water every 10 minutes and be sure to carry a bottle on you at all times.  I prefer and recommend you buy a 32 ounce bottle and refill it 3-4 times a day; however if you frequent the airport this may be an unreasonable expectation given you are not allowed to board with liquids.

I have one more note on water.  If you are pregnant you should consume on average 101 ounces daily and if you are breast feeding you should consume 128 ounces daily.

If you are on a high fiber diet and feel constipated you may not have enough water to process the roughage.

The Function of Water:

• Every body cell, tissue, and organ, and almost every life sustaining body process, needs water to function.
• Water is the nutrient your body needs in the greatest amount.
• regulates your body temperature
• Transports nutrients and oxygen to your body cells and carries waste products away.
• Moistens body tissues such as those in your mouth, eyes, and nose.
• Water is the main part of every body fluid including blood, gastric (stomach) juice, saliva, amniotic fluid (for developing fetus), and urine.
• Softens stools, preventing constipation.
• Lubricates joints and cushion organs and tissues.
• without water you lose strength and endurance

Congratulations you have completed the Nutrition Basics course.  If you wish to learn about cardiorespiratory exercise I suggest you read my course titled cardiorespiratory training

Course Overview:

Introduction to Nutrition Basics

Lesson 1: What is a calorie?

Lesson 2: How body fat is acquired and lost

Lesson 3: How many calories you should consume according to your goal

Lesson 4: Macronutrients: Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate

Lesson 5: Daily Water Intake