Energy In vs. Energy Out, Nutrition 101

This post is inspired by the amount of misinformation there is online about energy balance (ie, how much we eat versus how much we burn). Although I am not a nutritionist, I have studied nutritional science through Precision Nutritions #PN1 course and wanted to share some learnings with you. Alongside the textbook, I have had countless real-life conversations where some statements go a little something like this...

"I want to lose weight but it just won't come off!"
"I workout every day and I never see any progress."
"I completed my apple watch rings, but it's never hard to do that!"

To this, my first response is: I FEEL YOU! I hear you. I am you and I get it! But, do you notice what's wrong with these statements? There is no plan and no acknowledgement of what it takes to get to the goal. Success comes from a plan and consistent execution.

Most accurately, weight loss is a science. This post today is not centred around losing weight, rather defining what energy balance means and how to best manipulate it to achieve your goals.

Energy Balance - the relationship between energy taken IN from food and energy expended OUT through metabolism and activity. Energy balance is a fundamental law of thermodynamics:

If we take in more energy than we excrete > we gain

If we take in less energy than we excrete < we lose

If we take in the same amount of energy than we excrete = weight stays the same

For example, if you eat 2000 calories a day, and burn 2500, you are fundamentally on track to lose weight on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, it is not this simple. Continue reading to learn about factors which influence each calorie in vs. out.

This is true regardless of the macronutrient composition. Remember the documentary SuperSize me? Morgan Spurlock eats McDonalds every meal for 30 days. He ends up gaining weight because he was ingesting 5000+ calories (units of energy) per day, well over the average consumption for a man of his age/height. Nearly everybody would gain weight eating this many calories, regardless if it's McDonald's or home cooked meals. This may seem obvious but I want to further break down the science of your diet and why the macronutrient profile is so important.

How do we measure energy? CALORIES! Here are some rule of thumbs:

1g of fat = 9kcals

1g of carbs = 4kcals

1g of protein = 4kcals

1g of alcohol = 7kcals

The food we eat contains potential energy. When our body breaks it down through digestion, we release energy to our body so we can do things.

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as the above quotes state. Absolutely, if you are eating in a deficit you should lose weight, but that doesn't mean what occurs in between "energy in" and "energy out" is simple, and here's why:

Energy balance can be influenced by a ton of biopsychosocial factors:

Energy in can be affected by things such as:

- The types of foods we eat

- How those foods are cooked and prepared

- How efficiently and effectively we digest and absorb those foods

- Our hunger, appetite and satiety signals

- Our sleep, recovery and stress levels

- Our psychology and mindset

- Our emotions

- Environmental cues

- Cultural practices around eating

Energy out can be affected by:

- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

- Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)

- Thermogenesis

- Thermic effect of food

- Exercise and purposeful movement

- Tissue healing and growth

- Non-exercise movement

- Excretion

- Sleep, recovery and stress

- Hormones

- Genetics

This lengthy list proves how difficult it is to understand energy balance and calculate to an exact science. So many factors go into our foods and diets that we cannot simply say "eat 500 calories less per day to lose 1lb per week". It is a good rule of thumb, however can be largely inaccurate for some people. For example, maybe you're having a stressful week at work, working longer hours than normal and thus nutrition and water intake has sufferred. You may not be eating more but your hormones change and your body enters "fight or flight" mode.

So, why am I telling you this?

My goal since day one is to provide clients and followers with the knowledge on how to continue to live a balanced lifest

yle, with or without me.

Knowledge is independence. Knowledge is power.

As well, nutrition is 95% of the equation. If you invest a small amount of time to better understand the foods you are putting in your body and why, it will pay dividends on your journey towards a healthy life.

Get the idea out of your head that the only thing that's stopping you from obtaining your goals is "I just need to workout more", or "I'll cut out all carbs". Changes happen gradually. Over time your body adapts and needs more change. Our bodies are also extremely impressive. Challenge yourself to set new targets and develop a path to get there.

Informative and accurate resources may be harder to find but they definitely exist. If you are a beginner on this journey, I suggest to ask yourself these 5 questions:

1. What is my goal? Make it specific. Explain exactly what you want from this process and read it back out loud.

2. What am I ready to change? Make a list (red/yellow/green) of things you are ready and willing to change at this moment. Keep updating this list as you progress.

3. What am I doing right now that makes me feel good? Can I do more of it?

4. What am I doing right now that makes me feel bad? Can I change it?

5. Can I do this alone? I recommend calling in family or friends for support. Hiring a nutrition professional or someone else you can speak to about these big changes may also be of benefit!

Remember, your journey is your own, no one else's. Stop comparing. You will learn how to embrace the journey. The less you fight with your ego the easier this process will be. This is for you, take control of your life.