Not losing weight? Find out how the Thermic effect of food affects Weight loss

Your body doesn't just burn calories during exercise; it does it during digestion too. This is called the thermic effect.

The thermic effect of food is the caloric cost of digesting the macronutrients in your diet.

There is not an “exact” percentage on the thermic effect of the different macronutrients, because research does show slight variations. Below are approximates of how much it takes your bodies energy to burn the various macronutrients.

§ Protein: 20-35% of calories burned through processing

§ Carbohydrates: 5-15% of calories burned through processing

§ Fats: 0-5% of calories burned through processing

So what this means-

The most common problem I see when I look at someone's food log is low protein- Women should be between .5 to 1 gram of protein per lb. of bodyweight- More depending on their activity level. Men need between .8-2 grams per pound which is also dependent on activity level and specific goals.

Example: You eat 200 calories worth of protein, your body will use between 40 and 70 of them in digestion. If you eat 200 calories worth of fat your body will use between 0 and 10 of those calories during digestion. If you eat 200 calories worth of carbohydrates your body will use between 10-30 of those calories during digestion.

As you can see there is quite a difference in the thermic effect of protein vs carbohydrate- If you eat 200 calories of protein and 200 calories of carbohydrates the end result/thermic effect is not the same- Now let’s add that up over a week/month/year!

This can make a huge difference in how much weight you gain or lose! What happens to the “extra” calories then? The “leftover calories” will be saved for energy and if they aren't used well that becomes stored fat. Does this mean stop eating fat/ carbohydrates? No... it means stay balanced- If you have a job or lifestyle that you are sedentary you will not need as many carbohydrates/fat  or calories than a person with an active job and lifestyle.

 Activity is based NOT  just on workouts but also on what you do all day- If you have a sedentary job or lifestyle and work out 1 hour a day and that is the only thing you did for activity that day it isn't necessarily much activity overall so it's important to take that into consideration as well when trying to lose weight.

Tips- Evaluate your lifestyle and overall daily activity- Get up and move as much as you can during the day. Getting up every hour or two and walking around for 5 minutes adds up very quickly!

Eat enough protein!

Stick to non-processed foods and complex carbohydrates.(examples- oats, sweet potatoes, WHOLE grains, vegetables)

 Simple carbs (processed cereals, think white foods, candy, soda, or fruit juice) are best utilized post workout to replenish glycogen stores. Stick to healthier simple carbohydrates such as fruit/rice cakes versus reaching for junk food!