Budgeting Your Calories: Understanding Your Body's Energy Expenses

I'm sure you've heard the term "caloric expenditure" thrown around in conversations about health and wellness but what does it really mean, and why should you care? Where every calorie counts, understanding your body's energy expenditure is the key to unlocking your ultimate health and wellness potential. In this week's newsletter, we're discussing caloric expenditure, understanding its definition, its importance in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and different methods to calculate it.

Defining Caloric Expenditure:

Caloric expenditure, also known as energy expenditure, is the total number of calories your body burns in a day. It's like your body's very own energy bill, except instead of paying with cash, you pay with calories.

It involves the energy required for basic bodily functions, such as breathing, digestion, and maintaining body temperature, as well as the energy used during physical activity. Understanding it can help you make informed decisions about your nutrition and exercise routine. There are four main components to caloric expenditure:

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This is the energy your body uses just to keep you alive, like breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining your body temperature. It's like the base fee on your energy bill, covering the essentials.
2. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): This is the energy your body uses to digest, absorb, and store the food you eat. Think of it as the "processing fee" on your energy bill.
3. Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT): This is the energy you burn through physical activities like running, lifting weights, or doing the Griddy. It's like the random fee on your energy bill, covering all the fun stuff.
4. Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): This is the energy you burn through non-exercise activities like fidgeting, walking to the fridge, or playing air guitar. It's like the "miscellaneous fee" on your energy bill, covering all the little things that don't add up.

The Importance of Understanding Caloric Expenditure:

Whether it's weight loss, weight gain, or maintaining your current weight, knowing your caloric expenditure is important for achieving your health goals. This can also help you make more informed food choices and develop a balanced, sustainable approach to your nutrition.

For weight loss, you'll need to create a caloric deficit, which means burning more calories than you consume. For weight gain, you'll need to create a caloric surplus, which means consuming more calories than you burn. And for weight maintenance, you'll need to balance your caloric intake with your caloric expenditure. Understanding this can help you fuel your body with the right amount of nutrients to support your daily activities.

Calculating Caloric Expenditure:

To calculate your daily caloric expenditure, you'll need to consider all four components mentioned above. Remember, these calculations are just estimates, and your actual caloric expenditure may vary based on factors like body composition, genetics, and individual metabolism. However, you can calculate your expenditure using the following methods:

• Mifflin-St Jeor Equation: This is considered the most accurate equation for estimating BMR. The formula for men is: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 5. For women, the formula is: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161.
• Harris-Benedict Equation: This is another commonly used method to estimate BMR. The formula for men is: BMR = (13.75 × weight in kg) + (5 × height in cm) - (6.75 × age in years) + 66. For women, the formula is: BMR = (9.56 × weight in kg) + (1.85 × height in cm) - (4.68 × age in years) + 655.
• Katch-McArdle Formula: This formula is more accurate for those who have a lean body composition. The formula is: BMR = 370 + (21.6 × lean body mass in kg). Lean body mass can be estimated using body fat percentage and total body weight.

Once you have calculated your BMR, you can multiply it by an activity factor to estimate your total daily caloric expenditure:

1. ?Sedentary (little to no exercise): BMR × 1.2
2. Lightly active (1-3 days of exercise per week): BMR × 1.375
3. Moderately active (3-5 days of exercise per week): BMR × 1.55
4. Very active (6-7 days of exercise per week): BMR × 1.725
5. Extra active (intense exercise and physically demanding job): BMR × 1.9

Tips for Monitoring Your Caloric Expenditure Throughout the Day:

1. Plan ahead: The most obvious tip. Being prepared helps you stay organized, avoid unnecessary stress (which can lead to emotional eating), and make the most of your time.
2. Keep a food diary: Write down everything you eat and drink, including portion sizes and nutritional information. I recommend using a calorie-tracking app. There are numerous apps available that can help you log your food intake and calculate your daily caloric expenditure based on your activity level. Learn more here:
3. Wear a fitness tracker: Invest in a tracker. Many fitness trackers and smartwatches can estimate your caloric expenditure based on your heart rate, movement, and other factors. I previously covered fitness trackers here:
4. Incorporate physical activity: Look for opportunities to move more throughout the day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Engage in regular physical activity, (both cardiovascular and resistance training), to increase your caloric expenditure. Building muscle can increase your BMR, helping you burn more calories even when you're not exercising.
5. Find an accountability partner: The more family and friends that know about your goals the better. Telling people about your goals keeps you accountable. I can assure the bigger the goal, the more help you’re going to need to be successful. Never be shy about speaking what you care about into existence
6. Manage your stress: Chronic stress can impact your caloric expenditure and lead to unhealthy eating habits. Practice stress management techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga, to help keep your stress levels in check. Learn more about managing stress here:
7. Stay hydrated: By now we should all know how I feel about water haha. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can help you feel more energetic and support your body's natural processes, including caloric expenditure.
8. Eat a balanced diet:?Prioritize nutrient-dense foods focusing on eating whole, unprocessed foods that are nutrient dense. Be sure to avoid crash diets. Rapid weight loss through extreme calorie restriction can lead to a decrease in your caloric expenditure and make it harder to maintain a healthy weight in the long run.
9. Work with a professional: If you're struggling to reach your health goals or have concerns about your caloric expenditure, consider working with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, your primary care manager or personal trainer.
10. Be consistent and stay patient: Monitor your caloric expenditure regularly and make adjustments to your diet and exercise routine as needed. Consistency is key to achieving and maintaining your health and wellness goals. Remember that achieving your health goals takes time and effort. Be patient and don't be too hard on yourself if you slip up occasionally. It takes time to see results, so don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate changes.

Now that you're armed with the knowledge and tips to monitor your caloric expenditure, you're well on your way to achieving your health goals. Understanding and monitoring your caloric expenditure is an important piece to the puzzle of achieving your health goals.

By considering your basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of food, exercise activity thermogenesis, and non-exercise activity thermogenesis, you can get a better idea of how many calories you burn each day. Remember to set realistic goals, prioritize nutrient-dense foods, stay hydrated, and practice mindful eating. Don't forget to incorporate strength training, celebrate the non-scale victories and seek professional help if needed. Stay healthy my friends!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. The nutritional information suggested is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition you currently have. Always consult with your primary care team or a qualified healthcare professional before making any dietary changes, especially if you have a specific medical condition, are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or are under the age of 18. Thank you :)

Additional Resources for Continued Education:

1. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): This organization provides reliable information on various aspects of health, including nutrition and physical activity. Their website offers resources on understanding caloric expenditure and its role in weight management.
2. American Council on Exercise (ACE): ACE is a trusted source for fitness professionals and enthusiasts alike. Their website and publications often include articles and guides on caloric expenditure, exercise physiology, and strategies for optimizing energy balance.
3. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: As the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers evidence-based information on nutrition, metabolism, and energy balance. Their resources can help you better understand how caloric expenditure contributes to overall health and weight management.
4. PubMed: PubMed is a database of peer-reviewed biomedical literature maintained by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). By searching for research articles and reviews on caloric expenditure, metabolism, and related topics, you can access scientific studies and findings from experts in the field.
5. Exercise Physiology Textbooks: Textbooks on exercise physiology, such as "Exercise Physiology: Nutrition, Energy, and Human Performance" by William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, and Victor L. Katch, provide comprehensive coverage of topics related to caloric expenditure, energy metabolism, and the physiological responses to exercise.
6. "Energy Balance and Body Composition" by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM): https://blog.nasm.org/fitness/energy-balance-and-body-composition This article provides a comprehensive overview of the concept of energy balance and its relationship to body composition, including an explanation of how the body expends energy through various processes.
7. "Energy Expenditure: Understanding BMR, TDEE, and NEAT" by Precision Nutrition: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/energy-expenditure-101 This article breaks down the different components of energy expenditure, including basal metabolic rate (BMR), total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), and non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), and explains how they contribute to overall caloric expenditure.
8. "The Science of Energy Expenditure: Understanding the Role of Metabolism and Physical Activity in Weight Management" by the American Council on Exercise (ACE): https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/5008/the-science-of-energy-expenditure-understanding-the-role-of-metabolism-and-physical-activity-in-weight-management/ This article discusses the role of metabolism and physical activity in energy expenditure and weight management, and provides practical tips for increasing daily caloric expenditure.
9. "Energy Expenditure: How to Calculate and Increase Daily Calorie Burn" by Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/energy-expenditure This article explains the concept of energy expenditure and provides a step-by-step guide for calculating daily caloric expenditure, as well as tips for increasing daily calorie burn through diet and exercise.
10. "Calories Burned Calculator" by the Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calories/itt-20402399 This interactive tool allows users to estimate their daily caloric expenditure based on factors such as age, weight, height, and activity level, and provides information on how to adjust daily caloric intake and expenditure to achieve weight loss or maintenance goals.