What's up guys, Sean Nalewanyj, seannal.com, realscienceathletics.com.
And in this video today, we're talking about the subject of calories in versus calories
out when it comes to fat loss.
So is this an accurate model to go by or is it flawed and outdated science like some people
might say.
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So this is a pretty common back and forth debate that you'll see in YouTube comments
and all over social media, where someone will say that in order to lose fat, you need to
create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories than you burn.
And then someone else will argue back that, "No, calories don't matter because not all
calories are the same and depending on the quality of the calories you consume, your
body will process them differently."
So let's just clarify something here right off the bat as far as the terminology goes,
and that's that calories are constant units of energy.
So just like a kilometer measures distance, or pounds measure weight, calories measure
energy.
And so the reality is that a calorie is a calorie, no matter what food is contained
in.
There is no such thing as calorie quality in the absolute sense because all calories
are exactly the same since they're preset units of energy.
What people really mean to say here, or at least what I think they mean to say in most
cases, is that not all foods are the same and that your body will process different
foods differently depending on their nutrient profiles and their fiber content, which is
true.
So 250 calories worth of chicken and broccoli will have a different effect on health and
body composition, and we'll be processed differently in comparison to say 250 calories worth of
jelly beans.
The chicken and broccoli is going to be more micronutrient dense, higher in fiber, it will
provide protein for muscle recovery and growth, it will be more satiating, it'll have a higher
thermic effect.
So the calories are the same, but the food they're packaged up in is different and that
will affect how your body handles those calories once they're taken in.
So that's just something to keep in mind here because if someone tries to tell you that
not all calories are equal, or a calorie is not a calorie, then you all ready know right
there that they don't fully understand what they're talking about on this issue.
And then the second big error people make is that because certain foods are processed
differently within the body and can have differing effects on body composition and overall health,
they'll then make this massive leap into saying that calories don't matter and that calories
in versus calories out is somehow irrelevant.
Again, it is true that certain foods will have different effects within your body in
terms of how they affect overall fat loss, but the way that food quality impacts this,
is still primarily a result of how it influences net energy balance.
So it's still impacting the total calories your body is absorbing versus the total calories
that it's extending.
For example, protein has a higher thermic effect in comparison to carbohydrates or fats,
meaning that your body has to expend more calories in order to digest it.
So if you eat 100 calories worth of chicken versus 100 calories worth of sugar, your body
will have to burn more calories to digest the chicken, so it's literally affecting the
calories out portion of the equation.
The same thing goes for fiber.
If you eat a higher fiber diet, you actually end up absorbing a lower amount of calories
from your protein and fat intake.
And so in this case, the calories in portion of the equation as being affected.
So yes, the total calories you're consuming on paper is not the whole story because 100
calories worth of one food might act differently in your body versus 100 calories of another
food, but at the same time, keep in mind that the way those foods impact fat loss differently
once they're actually in your body is still by effecting the total calories your body
is absorbing versus how many it's expanding.
And so net energy balance is still the ultimate bottom line here.
And to say that calories don't matter or that calories in versus calories out is irrelevant,
it's just flat out incorrect.
When it all comes down to it, fat is a stored form of energy and the way you stimulate your
body to release that fat for energy is by creating an energy deficit where the amount
of energy that is available from the food you're eating is less than what your body
requires to fuel itself throughout the day.
If that's the case, then your body will break down its existing fat stores to obtain a source
of energy.
And on the other hand, if the amount of available energy from the food you're eating meets or
exceeds the energy demands of your body, then your body has no incentive to break down its
fat stores because the energy need is all ready being met.
So, all of what we've talked about so far is partly a confusion in terminology that
I wanted to clear up, and it's partly a basic misunderstanding of how calories in versus
calories out actually works.
But how do we tie this all together in the practical sense?
Well, first off, even if people who argue against calories in versus calories out or
using the wrong terminology in some cases, there is some truth to what they're saying.
Again, not all foods act the same way in the body.
And so 2000 calories on paper from one combination of foods will not necessarily produce the
same fat burning effect as 2000 calories on paper from a different combination.
However, and this is the important part, this is only true up to a limited degree.
In other words, you can only use "food quality" to positively influenced fat loss up to a
certain point.
And once you hit that point, then it really is just about managing your calories on paper.
So if your diet is really poorly structured, you're eating a low protein, low fiber, it's
centered around calorie dense, high fat, high sugar foods that don't fill you up, you aren't
weight training, and then you go ahead and fix those issues.
So you start basing your diet around minimally processed whole foods.
You're getting in at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily.
You start eating more vegetables and more high fiber foods.
You start weight training.
Yes, that alone will help you lose fat in the initial stages, probably without you even
needing to track your calories at all.
A lot of that is because you'll just be eating fewer calories by default, since less processed
foods tend to contain fewer calories relative to their volume, and it's also partly because
the overall composition of your diet is going to be more favorable.
That's because of the higher thermic effect of the protein, the fiber, possibly certain
hormonal adjustments from optimizing your micronutrient intake, and then if you start
weight training on top of that, more calories are going to be diverted to your muscle tissue
as well.
So in that sense, by simply improving your food quality, you end up losing fat.
However, once your diet is all ready relatively clean and it has that balanced macronutrient
breakdown in place, there's really not much else you can do in terms of manipulating food
quality to continue losing more fat.
The improvement in food quality will help you out at the start, but when your fat loss
eventually stalls, at that point it really is just about managing your calorie intake
versus your calorie expenditure on paper.
I think if it's all about eating and cleaning your fat loss plateaus, what do you do then?
You can only keep eating cleaner for so long before it isn't practical or before it isn't
even possible anymore.
So improving on your food choices is ultimately a game of diminishing returns until it eventually
has no return at all.
Now this doesn't necessarily mean you have to track every single calorie you eat 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
Though I do think most people should be tracking to some degree, at least in the beginning
stages, but the bottom line is that you do have to be in a calorie deficit to lose body
fat.
You do have to burn more calories than you consume overall.
And for most people, a good sweet spot to aim for is going to be about 300 to 500 calories
below maintenance per day.
So to sum up everything we've covered, both your calorie intake on paper and the quality
of the foods you eat, matter for fat loss, and certainly matter for overall health, for
gym performance, muscle growth, etc.
And you should focus on both.
It's not one or the other.
However, when it comes to the goal of losing body fat, it really ultimately does come down
to creating a calorie deficit within your body.
That calorie deficit can be partly influenced by your food choices in your macronutrient
breakdown, but this is only true up to a limited point.
And once you have a decent nutrient-rich whole food diet in place, calories in versus calories
out is still the name of the game no matter what, and that's where your focus should be
if you want to maximize your results over the longterm.
If you found the tips here helpful and you want to learn exactly how to bring this all
together in terms of an actual step-by-step eating plan, so the right amount of calories
you need, the macronutrient breakdown, recommended food choices and other details so that you
can lose fat and gain muscle as effectively as possible.
Then make sure to take my physique quiz over at quiz.seannal.com, because that'll get you
started with not just the proper nutrition plan, but also the proper training plan for
you based on your specific goals, body type and experience level.
You can click up here for that or use the link in the description box below.
When it comes to proper supplementation, you can also visit realscienceathletics.com to
check out my research-backed, no BS formulas to help fully streamline your program and
optimize your overall results.
The link for that is also in the description.
And as always, make sure to hit that like button, leave a comment down below and subscribe
if you haven't all ready, in order to stay in the loop on all of my latest content.
Thanks for watching guys, and I'll see in the next video.