GOQii

Blog

  • HOME
  • HEALTHY LIVING
  • FITNESS
  • HEALTHY RECIPES
  • USER STORIES
  • KARMA
  • BUY GOQii

August 27, 2018 By Disha Jhamb 8 Comments

HOW CALORIES REALLY COUNT?

timthumb

CALORIE- a term that haunts many of us …And Counting Calories was one such thing that drove me crazy in the last 2 years. Somehow I always felt and many of you will agree, that, all the tasty and delicious food of the world has tons of calories, whereas the ones which we don’t find tasty, has fewer..

Two years back when I started my weight loss journey, my greatest difficulty was keeping a count of calories all the time. But then, it seemed to be the only option to lose weight. I was told that my calorie intake should be between 1200 cal- 1500 cal. Left with no choice, I did that for quite some time. Opting for low calorie food, staying hungry, doing cardio but sadly, the result was minor weight loss with pain in my knees, low energy levels and pale skin.

I was unable to understand the reason for so many health problems.  I was eating a healthy low cal diet (which seemed to be healthy then), was doing 45 min of cardio followed by strength training. Hence, I started reading about calories and weight loss. But, all my reading led to more confusion and I finally decided to do a course in nutrition. And that is when my understanding about being fit and healthy started to evolve. My studies made me identify  the areas where I was lacking. I was so conscious of calories but was not paying any attention to food and its quality.

Calorie is just a unit of measurement for energy content. It tells us how much energy we get by burning the food. And I realized that I should keep the definition of it as it is in my mind, and not make it  the focal point of my fitness journey. Carbohydrates contain between 3 and 4 kcal per gram; proteins are about the same; fats contain approximately 9 kcal per gram. I was of the mindset that for weight loss to happen, I have to decrease the intake of calories and increase the output by staying physically active. But, things are not as simple as they appear.  There is much more needed for correct weight loss to happen and to have a lean and fit body. And that much more is NUTRITION. From where these calories are coming is something that matters the most. For example – if a person consumes 1200 calories from processed food and the other consumes 1200 calories from  balanced diet which has carbs, proteins , fats and fiber … which one do you think will experience weight gain ? The answer is known to all of us- obviously the one consuming  calories from  processed food. So yes, 1200 calories matters but, what matters the most is- what these calories do in and to our bodies and from where these calories are coming i.e. the quality of the food. Eating fewer and fewer calories does not result in better weight loss. When our body senses an energy deficit, it slows its metabolism by reducing the output of important hormones.

 I have stopped counting calories now.  My eating pattern has totally changed. My focus is in making my every meal more nutritious and balanced with the right combination of carbohydrates , fats , proteins and fiber..  I have been focusing on what my body tells me. I eat if I feel hungry because my body needs food then. I still want to look a certain way. I want to be healthy, lean and fit. But, at the same time, I do not want to harm myself in any way by not taking care of the nutrition part of food. I am confident about myself now, I know the weight loss is going to be slow but that does not matter to me anymore.  Weight is just a number and no weighing scale can judge or tell me my fitness in terms of numbers.  It’s me who can feel it. I know that what I am eating now is certainly having more number of calories  than earlier but now, these calories are coming from the food that my body needs.

Thanks to my diet, I feel energetic throughout the day, my stamina for running has improved. I don’t feel any joint pain and I am sure I will soon be running a marathon, (something that I have always wanted to do)

❮❮ Previous Post
Next Post ❯ ❯

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    January 11, 2016 at 3:26 pm

    Hi,

    I read your post. It was interesting. Could you tell me what all did you start eating? As in your breakfast, lunch, dinner. I am still struggling with the best foods to eat for weight loss.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Anusha S says

      February 5, 2016 at 1:26 pm

      Hey, I start my day with a teaspoon of flax seeds with warm water ..followed by a fruit after 15 min. I don’t skip any of my meal and make sure to have variety in breakfast like poha, upma, idli..I try to have a fresh fruit smoothie with nuts in it for 2- 3 days in a week. Lunch is again with salads and curd always. I workout in the evenings, so I take care of my pre and post workout snack. Usually, I take a fruit 20 min before workout and post workout I try to have either egg sandwich or paneer sandwich, it keeps varying. I love water so I stay hydrated all the time. I do a water detox for 2 days in a week.

      Reply
  2. Gunjan says

    January 11, 2016 at 5:43 pm

    Hi disha, good work dear. M also facing same problem after my delivery. Now I know who should I contact for dis. Keep up the good work .

    Reply
    • Anusha S says

      February 4, 2016 at 10:34 pm

      A lactating mother should have a diet rich in legumes, green leafy vegetables, eggs, whole grain cereal, whole wheat bread or pasta, low-fat dairy products, brown rice …They should have at least 2 – 3 servings of fruits daily so as to get sufficient amount of vitamin c along with the other benefits of fruits. It’s very important to have a nutritious diet so as to prevent problems like low calcium levels etc.

      Reply
  3. Ranabir Gupta says

    January 12, 2016 at 11:04 am

    Disha, what’s your dietary advice for over 50’s who are not so much looking to lose weight (assuming they are reasonably ok in terms of weight) but looking to preserve/build STRENGTH and STAMINA for endurance and sports WHILE NOT opening themselves up to undue health risks due to a biased diet. To clarify – a young athlete may be advised to have some extra protein after exercise, or perhaps carbo-load before an endurance event. Would the same type of advice apply to an over-50?

    Reply
    • Anusha S says

      February 4, 2016 at 10:33 pm

      My advice for the people who are above 50 years of age is to have a balanced eating plan. More emphasizes should be on fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, fish, beans, seeds and nuts…Sodium and sugar intake should be limited. Make sure to have proper pre and post workout snack… A balanced diet can help to prevent and control diseases like hypertension, osteoporosis along with active lifestyle.

      Reply
  4. Sadia Sana says

    January 12, 2016 at 11:16 am

    It has exactly the point. By eating certain food we can burn the calories that food provides us. Apart from the calories that are involuntarily burned by body by its metabolism which are very few in number….

    Reply
  5. Praveen koganti says

    January 12, 2016 at 3:20 pm

    Awesome Disha….u have mentioned in simple words about how to stay fit. Also gained knowledge from your previous blog of how to reduce your calories and stay fit. Thanks for sharing valuable words….

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search

Recent Posts

  • Quick Indoor Workout To Keep You Active!
  • Rice and Pasta Substitutes For A Healthier You!
  • Light and White Skin Patches? All You Need to Know About Vitiligo!
  • Healthy Eating: Oats Sprouts and Vegetable Uttapam
  • How Sitting For Long Hours Can Shorten Your Life

Stay Updated

Archives

  • June 2022 (27)
  • May 2022 (31)
  • April 2022 (30)
  • March 2022 (31)
  • February 2022 (28)
  • January 2022 (31)
  • December 2021 (31)
  • November 2021 (29)
  • October 2021 (29)
  • September 2021 (24)
  • August 2021 (28)
  • July 2021 (24)
  • June 2021 (26)
  • May 2021 (18)
  • April 2021 (21)
  • March 2021 (23)
  • February 2021 (18)
  • January 2021 (13)
  • December 2020 (11)
  • November 2020 (7)
  • October 2020 (13)
  • September 2020 (12)
  • August 2020 (13)
  • July 2020 (11)
  • June 2020 (11)
  • May 2020 (13)
  • April 2020 (16)
  • March 2020 (15)
  • February 2020 (9)
  • January 2020 (8)
  • December 2019 (9)
  • November 2019 (12)
  • October 2019 (13)
  • September 2019 (10)
  • August 2019 (13)
  • July 2019 (17)
  • June 2019 (14)
  • May 2019 (15)
  • April 2019 (17)
  • March 2019 (17)
  • February 2019 (20)
  • January 2019 (22)
  • December 2018 (13)
  • November 2018 (10)
  • October 2018 (12)
  • September 2018 (13)
  • August 2018 (23)
  • July 2018 (15)
  • June 2018 (23)
  • May 2018 (16)
  • April 2018 (24)
  • March 2018 (18)
  • February 2018 (14)
  • January 2018 (20)
  • December 2017 (14)
  • November 2017 (28)
  • October 2017 (21)
  • September 2017 (22)
  • August 2017 (9)
  • July 2017 (11)
  • June 2017 (13)
  • May 2017 (14)
  • April 2017 (9)
  • March 2017 (6)
  • February 2017 (7)
  • January 2017 (11)
  • December 2016 (10)
  • November 2016 (8)
  • October 2016 (9)
  • September 2016 (7)
  • August 2016 (12)
  • July 2016 (11)
  • June 2016 (10)
  • May 2016 (12)
  • April 2016 (17)
  • March 2016 (18)
  • February 2016 (8)
  • January 2016 (7)
  • December 2015 (5)
  • November 2015 (10)
  • October 2015 (8)
  • September 2015 (10)
  • August 2015 (14)
  • July 2015 (11)
  • June 2015 (14)
  • May 2015 (9)
  • April 2015 (13)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (6)
  • January 2015 (12)
  • December 2014 (14)
  • November 2014 (11)
  • October 2014 (6)
  • September 2014 (14)
  • August 2014 (14)
  • July 2014 (7)
  • June 2014 (3)
  • May 2014 (8)
  • April 2014 (5)
Devesh Srivastava

Devesh Srivastava Lowers His HbA1c from 6.7 to 5.8 With GOQii

Have you ever suffered from a cold or fever and thought to yourself that you can manage this? In fact, there’s a good chance that with some medication and rest, the symptoms of a cold or fever have subsided. But, when you deal with issues such as Diabetes and … [Read More...]

Achal Agarwal

Achal Agarwal Loses 37kg, Reverses Lifestyle Diseases & Gets Healthier With GOQii

When we think of weight loss, the first thing that comes to mind is to eat less and exercise. Theoretically, this is the right way to go about it. But, this is not as easy as it sounds. It requires a great level of determination and willpower. However, once the decision to succeed is made, […]

Ruta Pandya

How Ruta Pandya Managed Ulcerous Colitis & Arthritis With Lifestyle Changes

We’ve always spoken about how you can manage lifestyle diseases with minor tweaks to your habits. But sometimes, it isn’t enough. Especially when one condition leads to another. Our player Ruta Pandya suffered from a condition called Ulcerous Colitis and a series of other medical issues which she battled for years. After fighting an uphill […]

Suneeta Mane

Suneeta Mane Goes From Stagnant To Unstoppable!

Health conditions arising out of lifestyle or hormonal imbalances can seem like a death sentence. These health conditions not only affect your wellbeing but also your mental health and it can seem like a bottomless hole you can’t crawl out of. But that’s not true. If you are determined, you can not only crawl out […]

  • HOME
  • HEALTHY LIVING
  • FITNESS
  • HEALTHY RECIPES
  • USER STORIES
  • KARMA
  • BUY GOQii

Copyright ©2016 GOQii