What the heck even is a "calorie?"

Well whatever it is, you won't have to worry about it with Flourish Pancakes. When you use their mix, you get high protein, low sugar, and more full. If you're interested click on the link, the image below, or use my code for 10% off at checkout.

Now, enough promos, onto the truth about calories.... duh duh duh!

So calories...what the heck is a calorie

If you've been interested in getting in shape or changing your weight for some time, you've probably come across this phrase.

You may even have an idea of what a calorie is. It's that thing on the back of the food box that tells me how fat I'll get from eating it.

But in all seriousness, a calorie is a way to measure energy. The original derivation of calories is a bit complex, and if you're not into physics or chem, it's probably not necessary for you to understand.

For any STEM buffs, I'll put a link to it for you.

The Calories on food packaging represent what is known as a kilocalorie. It is technically equivalent to the amount of energy required to heat one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius.

For us that doesn't mean much, so we're just going to get into what a calorie means for you relatively.

Why Calories Matter

The calories in food are how we receive energy. We need energy to do anything from jogging, eating, painting, filing taxes, working out, and just being alive. In fact, being alive burns most of our calories. If you want to see how many you need to eat per day just to maintain existence, check this out. As with everything, it's important to experiment and adjust as needed. This is based on the average, and you may need more or less to maintain/gain/lose weight/muscle/fat.

So, when it comes to what your goals are, knowing the calories matters.

Losing Weight

Usually when someone says they want to "tone" and "lose weight" what they mean is they want to put on muscle and lose fat.

Luckily, this is a doable thing!

When you've never lifted weights consistently before, it is totally possible to put on muscle while cutting fat.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Eat less than you burn, usually around 200-1000 calories per day less. It's recommended that you start in about a 350-550 calorie deficit so you can slowly lose the weight and it will mostly come from fat and not muscle. The reason is, the body can only use a certain amount of fat for fuel at a time, and if you create a deficit that is too much for your body to withdraw from the fat stores, you'll have to start pulling it from muscle, which we don't want

2. Eat at least 0.7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Why 0.7? Most fitness influencers will tell you to eat 1 gram per pound of bodyweight, which can be difficult at first. The studies vary on this, but 0.7-1.5 g/lb seems to be a good ballpark estimate for supporting muscle growth. It also has the added benefit of keeping you fuller longer. This is discussed in my article on How to eat to get in shape.

3. Lift weights, and get some sleep

Gaining Weight

If you want to put on some muscle, you need to eat more than you burn. Generally it is recommended you eat about 150-305 calories above your maintenance to do so.

Same principles apply as losing weight, eat high protein, balanced foods, and things you tend to enjoy.

Getting Help

If all this still seems like a lot, it can be helpful to have someone guide you through the process while you're starting out. That's where our 1-1 Coaching comes in.

Most gyms charge up to $100 dollars per hour for personal training.

With me, you can get the full coaching experience on our site for just 50 dollars per month!

If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, go to the our PLANS AND PRICING page on the menu.

If you're still unsure, you can contact me under the contact tab, or dm me @fittwithmaddie on Instagram. I try and get back to everyone who reaches out.

Getting started isn't easy, but it's worth it. Fitness carries over to all aspects of your life, and once you realize you can do hard things, it builds a confidence nobody can take away from you!