What is a Calorie?

A measurement of the energy content of food.

The body needs calories as "fuel" to perform all of its functions, such as breathing, circulating the blood, and physical activity.

When a person is sick, their body may need extra calories to fight fever or other problems.

Estimating Daily Caloric Requirements

Your appetite can maintain your body weight naturally if you can listen to it.

Exercise helps this function and maintains lean body mass.

Weight Issues

Genetics accounts for 25%-40% of the variance in body composition among individuals.

Only 2% of cases of over-fatness is caused by a gland problem.

Baby fat- # of fat cells at 1 and 2 years old remains the same. It’s just harder to keep them small as you age.

Weight Issues Continued

Dieting- 40% of all women and 25% of men are on a diet at any one time.

Research suggests that 50% of dieters will regain all of their weight within 2 years and only 5% will permanently keep the weight off.

Set Point Theory- your body’s natural desired body weight. You may be able to alter with exercise.

Weight Control

If energy intake is greater than energy expenditure the body will

store the remaining calories as fat.

Components of energy expenditure

Basal metabolic rate (60-70%) Physical activity (20-30%) Dietary induced thermogenesis (10%)

Figuring your energy needs

Step 1

Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 10 for women and by 11 for men.

Weight x ___= calories for basic needs or BMR

Step 2Figure your energy needs

for physical activitySedentary: Mainly

sittingLight activity: light

exercise for no more than 2 hours daily

Moderate: very little sitting

Very active: physical sports

Figuring your energy needs Step 2 cont.Multiply your basic

energy needs (in step 1) by the percent that matches your activity level:

Sedentary-20%Light activity-30%Moderate-40%Very active-50%

BMR x ____% activity=

______calories for physical activity

Figuring your energy needs

Step 3

Figure energy for digestion and absorbing nutrients.

Add your calories for basic needs and calories for physical activity, then multiply the total by 10%.

BMR____ + cals for activity____ x .10=____

Energy for digestion and absorbing =______

Figuring your energy needs

Add all three figures and you will have your approximate total energy needs per day.

Growing bodies need slightly more calories.

How many cals/grams of carbs? Calories per day x 60%= calories from carbohydrates per day. Carbohydrate calories/4kcal/gram= grams needed per day. Athletes need approximately 3-5 grams of carbs per pound of body

weight. Most athletes need 300-500 extra per day.How many cals/grams of

protein? Total calories per day x 10-15%= calories from protein per day.

Protein calories/4kcal/gram= grams needed per day.

2000 x .15 = 300 protein calories 300/4 kcal/gram = 75 grams per day