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What is a calorie? I know I’m supposed to watch them, count them and
live by them. But how can I really get a grip on calories if I don’t
understand them.

-Calorically Confused

Dear Calorically Confused,

Great question! Scientifically speaking, a calorie is the amount of
heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree
Celsius. A Calorie (capital C) is the unit of heat needed to boost the
temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C, which is also referred to
as kilocalorie, kilogram calorie, or food energy. All you need to
know, however, is that to maintain your current weight, your Calories
“in” must equal your Calories “out.” This is also referred to as
energy balance. If you are looking to lose weight, then it’s the
opposite, your Calories “out” must be greater than your Calories “in.”

There are three ways your body burns Calories, and contrary to popular
belief, most of it doesn’t happen in the gym. The majority of the
Calories you consume (a whopping 50 to 70 percent) are burned via your
Basal Metabolism, also known as the energy your body needs to do basic
functions, like breathing. The second is physical activity (walking to
your car, lifting weights at the gym) and the third is the Thermal
Effect of Food, which refers to the amount of Calories that are used
just to process the food you eat.

If you are trying to lose weight, remember that 3500 Calories is equal
to one pound of fat. So do the math and you can figure out how many
Calories you need to be eating.

You can Read more from Jessica on her Blog Whole Grain Grub
Have more questions? Ask Jessica

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