Calories, Calories, Calories...

We get so lost in the world of “I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT” that we truly forget what a calorie even is. We eat less of them to lose weight, but what purpose does a calorie serve, anyway?

Let’s start here – a calorie basically refers to energy – energy you get from food, energy you burn from workouts

What do we use this energy for? Bodily functions, workouts, and basically EVERYTHING

That poop you just had, thanks to calories your digestive system was able to break down your food, absorb nutrients and get rid of the waste… YAY

That good night’s rest you just had? Thanks, calories, for keeping my brain clear and hormones balanced.

That thing you remembered from 5 days ago? Thanks, calories, for keeping my memory sharp.

Our bodies are BUILT around CALORIES. Your ORGANS are built around calories. Yes – your heart needs them, your liver, your kidneys, everything. Your body is made up of cells. Cells that produce energy in the form of ATP for ALL of our body's functions... energy we get from CALORIES.

So, regardless of whether or not you’re working out, your body NEEDS them for any and every little thing – not just workouts. Your body even needs them when you’re not moving at all. This is called your resting metabolic rate. This accounts for calories that your body needs for breathing, circulating blood, organ function, and basic neurological function. And.... it can be TESTED!

This particular test determines how many calories your body needs to just LAY THERE… ALL DAY. I actually had mine tested over a year ago. Before I give you my results, remember, I am shorter than most so, I’m probably going to need less calories than the person reading this. The larger the person, the more calories they will probably need. In most cases, at least. My test showed that I need 1239 calories just to lay there. This DOES NOT include just walking around the house or doing daily chores, and it definitely doesn’t include workouts.

So basically, my body needs 1239 calories for my organs and body to function properly. Now, add in daily routines, chores, walking around, you get somewhere around 1650 calories (estimated) just to live my life normally. Now what about if I work out? Now we’re at around 1900 calories. Crazy right?

And guess what? A couple of years before I took that test, I was that person that was just eating 1000-1100 calories because I wanted to just “get leaner”. I remember thinking, “damn, I workout for almost 2 hours per day and I’m only eating 1100 calories, and I’m STILL not seeing a difference!” If anything, I was going backwards at that point. I was eating 1000 calories, working out TWO HOURS per DAY, feeling like shit, performing like shit, feeling puffy, and feeling super foggy. And let’s keep in mind, my body needs 1239 just to lay there all day long… that’s HORRIBLE. I was literally killing myself.

We need to get past the mindset of – just eating less will make me lose weight. Remember that your body uses calories for literally everything... it uses it to SURVIVE. Before you go dropping your calories to ridiculous amounts like 1000 calories or even 1400 calories, be prepared to sacrifice important bodily function(s). You’ll be exhausted. You’re not going to sleep well. You won’t be pooping normal – sad day. And who knows what other organs will suffer. Stay away from coaches and programs that tell you that you just need to eat an absurdly low number of calories. That’s an eating disorder, not good nutrition. It’s possible to eat, enjoy what you’re eating, and drop body fat without starving yourself to death. I have clients doing it every day.