Calorie Surplus vs Deficit
First, I’ll get a few definitions out of the way. But, if you know what a Calorie is, and the difference between a surplus and deficit. Skip ahead to “Types of Energy”.
· Calorie
o The calorie is a unit of energy widely used in nutrition.
o For historical reasons, two main definitions of calorie are in wide use. The small calorie or gram calorie (usually denoted cal) is the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
o The large calorie, food calorie, or kilocalorie (Cal or kcal) is the amount of heat needed to cause the same increase in one kilogram of water. Thus, 1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 1000 calorie (cal). By convention the large calorie is often written Calorie (with a capital C) to distinguish from the smaller unit, and this is familiar usage in technical publications (what we typically see).
o In most countries, labels of industrialized food products are required to indicate the nutritional energy value in (kilo or large) calories per serving or per weight.
· Surplus
o An amount of something left over when requirements have been met; an excess of production or supply over demand.
o More than what is needed or used; excess.
· Deficit
o The amount by which something, especially a sum of money, is too small.
o Less than what is needed.
· Calorie Surplus
o When we consume more calories than we need each day. This creates a calorie surplus or calorie excess, your body is taking in more Calories (energy) then it needs.
o This leads to weight gain as the extra energy gets stored as fat.
· Calorie Deficit
o If your body doesn't get the calories it needs to perform all of its necessary functions, you create a calorie deficit. When you create a calorie deficit, your body gets energy or fuel from stored fat.
o This leads to weight loss as the extra energy needed to perform tasks of daily living, I.e. Eating, breathing, walking, and our internal functions.
· Types of Energy (Macros)
o Macronutrients are the ENERGY that our body uses to perform functions of daily living.
o As we said before, calories are the unit of energy that our body uses to perform functions of daily living, where those calories come from matters! Our Macronutrients include;
o Protein
§ 4 calories per gram
o Carbohydrates
§ 4 calories per gram
§ Simple vs Complex
o Fats
§ 9 calories per gram
§ Saturated vs Unsaturated
§ Omega 3, 6 and 9
o Alcohol
§ 7 calories per gram
· Macro breakdown
o A calorie is a calorie; but where those calories come from matters (distance analogy). If you compare the macronutrients (and micronutrients) of 100 calories of potato chips vs 100 calories of broccoli, they are going to very different! But, it’s still only 100 calories in each.
o The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that the average population should break down their macronutrient intake into the following ratios:
o Carbohydrates (55-75% of caloric intake)
o Protein (10-15% of caloric intake)
o Fat (15-30% of caloric intake)
o The more active you are, especially with resistance (strength) training, the more protein that you will require to build muscle
o Typically 1x to 1.5x your lean body mass (or goal bodyweight) in grams of Protein. I.e. someone who weighs 200lbs and is 160lbs of lean mass would aim for 160 grams of Protein per day (with activity!)
o No single Macro breakdown is the best for everyone, and each athlete will benefit from different breakdowns as well
o Sample athlete’s macro breakdown:
§ Carbs – 45-65%
§ Protein – 15-35%
§ Fats – 20-30%
o There are several useful methods for Macronutrient/Calorie breakdown such as Carb or Calorie cycling, If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM), Intermittent Fasting, Flexible Dieting, and more which we will touch on another day.
· As an example of demonstrating how to count your macros using the WHO’s guidelines and assuming that you were ingesting 2500 calories per day with your macros set to 55% carbohydrates, 15% proteins, and 30% fats, you could determine the following:
o 2500 cals * 0.55 = 1375 cals. 1375 cals/4 cals per gram = ~344g of carbohydrates
o 2500 cals * 0.15 = 375 cals. 375 cals/4 cals per gram = ~94g of protein
o 2500 calories * 0.30 = 750 cals. 750 cals/9 cals per gram = ~83g of fats
· How to create a Calorie Deficit or Surplus
o What are your goals?
§ Weight loss, gain, or maintenance?
o Are you tracking? And, if so, how are you tracking?
§ Apps/website
§ Weighing with a scale
§ Hand portions
§ Calories or Macros?
o 500 calories per day or 3500 calories per week, surplus or deficit, will lead to approximately 1lb a week; for gaining or losing.
o Eat less food!
§ Portion control
§ Stop at 80% full
§ Eat slower and more mindfully
o Get more active!
§ The more active you are the more calories you burn. Making it easier to be in a calorie deficit.
· If tracking all macros is too difficult, try this;
o Track just Calories and Protein
§ Hit your protein goal and stay within your Calories
Happy Tracking!
Your friend in Health & Fitness,
Coach Sean
· Link to PN Nutrition Calculator
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrition-calculator
· Other macro calculator
https://healthyeater.com/flexible-dieting-calculator
References:
Bailey, R. (2019, December 9). Counting Macros: Easy as 1... 2... 3! Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://fullscript.com/blog/counting-macros
Frey, M. (2018, October 27). Creating a Calorie Deficit in Your Diet Is Important for Weight Loss. Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://www.verywellfit.com/what-is-a-calorie-deficit-3495538
Macro Calculator. (2019, November 6). Retrieved from https://healthyeater.com/flexible-dieting-calculator
The ultimate calorie, portion, and macro calculator. (2019, November 18). Retrieved from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/nutrition-calculator
Wikipedia. (2019, December 24). Calorie. Retrieved December 24, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie
