Calories?

[ender7x77]

I began dieting last week, but I feel as though if I were to be more educated in the area of biochemistry than perhaps I would know the proper foods to consume in order to achieve a great diet. My concerns are mostly of what calories, which I know doesn't necessarily fit under biochemistry, but my following questions will. Anyways, I understand that calories is food energy, which creates my state of confusion, for I'm under the impression that energy is good for us, which without it we would die. How by reducing food energy am I to lose weight? What would be considered a healthy level of calories?

 

Now, to biochemistry. Obviously, I want to cut down own my carbohydrates (lipids, starches, sugars, and proteins), but what areas does one reduce most. What is necessary in order to achieve the diet I desire. As for now, my diet consist of a lot of cellulose such as salads, bran cereal, and vegeatable soups, and I'm eating pasta's (another source of fibre), and chicken for my source of protein, which I hear much healthier than pork and beef.

 

Anyways, I know this is a lot to ask, but I'm very curious and in need of assistance for my diet is based on my vestige knowledge of carbohydrates. Thanks!

[Bluenoise]

I began dieting last week, but I feel as though if I were to be more educated in the area of biochemistry than perhaps I would know the proper foods to consume in order to achieve a great diet. My concerns are mostly of what calories, which I know doesn't necessarily fit under biochemistry, but my following questions will. Anyways, I understand that calories is food energy, which creates my state of confusion, for I'm under the impression that energy is good for us, which without it we would die. How by reducing food energy am I to lose weight? What would be considered a healthy level of calories?

 

When your body gets more energy or calories than it needs it stores these as fat. The accumulation of fat is what makes you gain weight.

The reverse is true as well. When you take in less calories than you need you're body converts the fat into energy that it needs to function and you loose weight.

 

Now, to biochemistry. Obviously, I want to cut down own my carbohydrates (lipids, starches, sugars, and proteins), but what areas does one reduce most. What is necessary in order to achieve the diet I desire. As for now, my diet consist of a lot of cellulose such as salads, bran cereal, and vegeatable soups, and I'm eating pasta's (another source of fibre), and chicken for my source of protein, which I hear much healthier than pork and beef.

 

Only starches and sugars are carbohydrates. Lipids are fats, and proteins are well proteins. All are a source of calories however.

 

Fat contains the most calories per gram. And tends to be denser as well. So eating what appears to be a little fat adds far more calories than an amount of protein or typical carbohydrates that would produce the same filling effect.

 

However you must intake all 3 sources of calories to be healthy as they are used by your body for other unique purposes independant of energy.

 

Actually pasta doesn't really contain much fibre. However cellulose is fibre, so you are probably getting alot in your vegies and cereal. Fibre is very useful for weight loss as it provides almost no energy, and is very filling.

 

None of the foods that you mentioned contain any significant fat. That is very unhealthy, and can cause serious food cravings. I recomend cooking your chicken or veggeis with at least a little fat (olive/veg oils).

 

Pasta is extreemly high in carbohydrates and calories, it is very easy to eat to much of it and get fat. You might want to try substituting it with something else, like a couple slices of whole grain bread. Or try measuring out your pasta so you don't consume to much. Aim for maybe 300 - 500 calories worth.

 

I'd recomend counting your calories for a few days it will really help you understand how much you're consuming.

 

I can't tell you what you're calorie requirements are as I would have to know your age, sex, weight and height to give a good estimate.

however a typical range is 1500 - 2500. A petite female would be ~1500 and a large male would be ~2500.

[ender7x77]

Thanks a lot Bluenoise...you are always very helpful. I understand that in order to achieve my desire diet that I must incorporate some fats as you had suggested to create a 'balanced diet'. I guess my lack of fats are what have been causing my massive food cravings though my goal to lose weight has out weighed these immense desires. Good old biology, sorry to have seemed oblivious towards fats, which by you pointing out the importance of calories I was able to connect. Low calorie counts would most likely trigger lipogensis in order to compensate for glucose deficiency, which is to say that it would convert glycogen to glucose (am i right?).

 

Anyways, I think I have been balancing my pasta (my mistake...pasta is a starch, but I have been getting whole wheat pasta which somewhat validates my statement still). I acknowledge that it is high in calories; much higher than things I would have assumed to have been. I'm trying to get around it, but my aversion towards vegetables makes this diet very difficult. If it helps any the information you said that would be required of you to make accurate assumptions are that I'm 19, 5ft5, and 145 pounds.

 

As for what I've been eating daily: ceral bran, some fruit, and then dinner (mostly concoctions comprised of chicken and vegetables with pasta thrown in it every now and then). Thanks for patience and consistent insightfullness.

 

PS - I'm from Wasaga Beach... a few hours from Hamilton. Hello, fellow Canadian!

[Bluenoise]

Right on!! I love wasaga beach I used to go there every summer when I was a kid!!

 

Umm not quite lipogenesis is the creation of fat.

Glycogen is an energy storage method for carbs. Glycogen is stored in the the liver and can be quickly converted to glucose when needed. It's not very significant when It comes to most weightloss. It's more of a bodily mechanism to maintain a proper glucose balance in the blood and for short term glucose storage.

 

Yes whole wheat pasta has alot of fibre in it, and is excellent for you. Sorry my bad. Very few people eat it, so I made the natural assumption that you didn't.

 

I'd guess that you likely require 2000-2300 calories. The lower if your femal and higher if your male. Sorry I can't tell by your name... But this can still vary greatly depending on your activity level, metabolism, body frame (slim, medium, large).

 

The diet you describe sounds very optimal for weight loss. Actually you might be consuming to few calories. If you don't eat enough your body will compensate by slowing your metabolism. Which is very harmfull to weightloss as that will greatly decrease the amount of calories you burn. Plus eating to little doesn't reinforce balanced eating and you'll likely have a hard time keeping off any weight lost. Weight loss typically has to be gradual to have a chance of keeping it off, and to do it healthy. 1-2 pounds a week is the max typically recomended. A helpfull method to keep metabolism up is to have light snacs between meals. Like an apple lets say.

 

I'd suggest making sure you are eating at the very least 1700 calories a day. Plus eat fruit like apples is great at controlling food cravings and the sugar in them is used very slowly by your body, so you don't get cravings as easily. Many starchy foods will cause a quick influx of glucose into the blood. This ups insulin levels drastically resulting in a quick removal of the glucose. So while they provide a very instant satisfaction, this quickly fades and you are hungry again very quickly. It can be hard to tell which foods do what. But typically fruits and veggies are a safe bet. Not bananas though.

 

To tell you the truth You don't sound like you have much to loose. 19 5,5" 145 you'd do much better with regular exercise than a serious diet. Plus just having muscle burns more calories just by being there, even when you don't use it, so you can eat more.

 

Here you should probably try a website such as http://www.calorie-count.com/

to calculate your expenditure, how much to consume etc...

 

I've about said all I really know on the subject.

[ender7x77]

Thanks a lot!!! Didn't know banana's were frowned upon or perhaps I read too much into that. Thanks for anwser my biggest question as to whether or not too little calories was healthy because I just assumed when I started that eating less lead to a healthier diet. I tend to eat fruit throughout the day, but a lot of it was bananas so I'll try to eat more apples, and strawberries, kewies, and such. Thanks for your help! Until my next questions I guess..lol..take care.

[swansont]

What's the problem with bananas?

[Bluenoise]

What's the problem with bananas?

 

Lol their not so bad. They just don't satisfy for very long for the amount of calories they have. They're very healthy though. I probably should have just kept my mouth shut lol.

 

It's just that for a peice of fruit they're incredibly high in calories and most of that is in rather quick acting sugars. Kinda like a candy bar to be frank.

On the other hand they do contain lots of other healthy nutrients. They're just not what you're looking for when you're on a diet.

[ender7x77]

Well, thanks for the tip. Apples it is! Hopefully the other fruits I mentioned don't fall under the category of the banana.