Counting Calories, Diet, Energy Expenditure & Modern Life
From the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
Counting Calories
Each pound of fat your body stores represents 3,500 calories of unused energy. In order to lose one pound, you would have to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories by either taking in 3,500 less calories over a period of time than you need or doing 3,500 calories worth of exercise. It is recommended that no more than two pounds (7,000 calories) be lost per week for lasting weight loss.
Adding 15 minutes of moderate exercise, say walking one mile, to your daily schedule will use up 100 extra calories per day. (Your body uses approximately 100 calories of energy to walk one mile, depending on your body weight.) Maintaining this schedule would result in an extra 700 calories per week used up, or a loss of about 10 pounds in one year, assuming your food intake stays the same. To look at energy balance another way, just one extra slice of bread or one extra soft drink a day – or any other food that contains approximately 100 calories – can add up to ten extra pounds in a year if the amount of physical activity you do does not increase.
lf you already have a lean figure and want to keep it you should exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet that provides enough calories to make up for the energy you expend. If you wish to gain weight you should exercise regularly and increase the number of calories you consume until you reach your desired weight. Exercise will help ensure that the weight you gain will be lean muscle mass, not extra fat.
The Diet Connection
A balanced diet should be part of any weight control plan. A diet high in complex carbohydrates and moderate in protein and fat will complement an exercise program. It should include enough calories to satisfy your daily nutrient requirements and include the proper number of servings per day from the "basic four food groups": vegetables and fruits (4 servings), breads and cereals (4 servings), milk and milk products (2 – 4 depending on age) and meats and fish (2).
Experts recommend that your daily intake not fall below 1200 calories unless you are under a doctor’s supervision. Also, weekly weight loss should not exceed two pounds.
Remarkable claims have been made for a variety of "crash" diets and diet pills. And some of these very restricted diets do result in noticeable weight loss in a short time. Much of this loss is water and such a loss is quickly regained when normal food and liquid intake is resumed. These diet plans are often expensive and may be dangerous. Moreover, they do not emphasize lifestyle changes that will help you maintain your desired weight. Dieting alone will result in a loss of valuable body tissue such as muscle mass in addition to a loss in fat.
How Many Calories
The estimates for number of calories (energy) used during a physical activity are based on experiments that measure the amount of oxygen consumed during a specific bout of exercise for a certain body weight.
The energy costs of activities that require you to move your own body weight, such as walking or jogging, are greater for heavier people since they have more weight to move. For example, a person weighing 150 pounds would use more calories jogging one mile than a person jogging alongside who weighs 115 pounds. Always check to see what body weight is referred to in caloric expenditure charts you use.
Energy Expenditure Chart
A. Sedentary Activities
Energy Costs
Cals/Hour*
Lying down or sleeping
90
Sitting quietly
84
Sitting and writing, card
playing, etc.
114
B. Moderate Activities
(150-350)
Bicycling (5 mph)
174
Canoeing (2.5 mph)
174
Dancing (Ballroom)
210
Golf (2-some, carrying clubs)
324
Horseback riding (sitting to trot)
246
Light housework, cleaning, etc.
246
Swimming (crawl, 20 yards/min)
288
Tennis (recreational doubles)
312
Volleyball (recreational)
264
Walking (2 mph)
198
C. Vigorous Activities
More than 350
Aerobic Dancing
546
Basketball (recreational)
450
Bicycling (13 mph)
612
Circuit weight training
756
Football (touch, vigorous)
498
Ice Skating (9 mph)
384
Racquetball
588
Roller Skating (9 mph)
384
Jogging (10 minute mile, 6 mph)
654
Scrubbing Floors
440
Swimming (crawl, 45 yards/min)
522
Tennis (recreational singles)
450
X-country Skiing ( 5 mph)
690
*Hourly estimates based on values calculated for calories burned per minute for a 150 pound (68 kg) person.
*(Sources: "William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch, Victor L. Katch, "Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance" (2nd edition), Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1986; Melvin H. Williams, "Nutrition for Fitness and Sport," William C. Brown Company Publishers, Dubuque, 1983.)
Exercise and Modern Living
One thing is certain. Most people do not get enough exercise in their ordinary routines. All of the advances of modern technology – from electric can openers to power steering – have made life easier, more comfortable and much less physically demanding. Yet our bodies need activity, especially if they are carrying around too much fat. Satisfying this need requires a definite plan, and a commitment. There are two main ways to increase the number of calories you expend:
- Start a regular exercise program if you do not have one already.
- Increase the amount of physical activity in your daily routine.
The best way to control your weight is a combination of the above. The sum total of calories used over time will help regulate your weight as well as keep you physically fit.
