When exercising how does the body distinguish which calorie to burn off?
Fragmoss
Posts: 66 Member
I have a question:
In the add exercise label we may input our exercise. This then shows how many calories we burned, thus adding the "free" calories to out diet plan. Like, if I would normally stay at 1200 calories, but I exercised and gained a bonus of 175 calories. Thus, I have that 175 extra (unconsumed) calorie. So if I already ate 1000 calories of my 1200 allotted calories. This would give me 375 calories I could potentially eat and still stay on track. This I get, what I don't understand is this:
If I use those 375 calories yet to eat in a way that's unhealthy. A food loaded with sugar or fat. How does the human body distinguish between already *good* calories still in my body and then the add bonus *bad* calories I would now ingest into my body?
Does one cancel out the other?
Are some calories slower to process, burn?
I hope I worded this in a comprehensive way.
Thank you for any feedback.
In the add exercise label we may input our exercise. This then shows how many calories we burned, thus adding the "free" calories to out diet plan. Like, if I would normally stay at 1200 calories, but I exercised and gained a bonus of 175 calories. Thus, I have that 175 extra (unconsumed) calorie. So if I already ate 1000 calories of my 1200 allotted calories. This would give me 375 calories I could potentially eat and still stay on track. This I get, what I don't understand is this:
If I use those 375 calories yet to eat in a way that's unhealthy. A food loaded with sugar or fat. How does the human body distinguish between already *good* calories still in my body and then the add bonus *bad* calories I would now ingest into my body?
Does one cancel out the other?
Are some calories slower to process, burn?
I hope I worded this in a comprehensive way.
Thank you for any feedback.
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Replies
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A calorie is a calorie is a calorie to the human body. What food it came from doesn't matter.0
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A carb is a carb. The body can not tell the difference. IIFYM baby!
Carbs metabolize easier than fats and protein. Carbs are you best source of energy. That's the only difference as far as calories go.0 -
If I use those 375 calories yet to eat in a way that's unhealthy. A food loaded with sugar or fat. How does the human body distinguish between already *good* calorie still in my body and then the add bonus *bad* calories I would now ingest into my body?
Calories are neither good nor bad...They just are.
If you have 375 calories to eat, and you eat 375 calories, then all is well on the calorie-counting front.
Now when you talk about the macro- and micro- nutrient breakdown of those calories, that is an entirely different conversation.
Most people suggest hitting recommended minimums for protein and dietary fat, and then filling out your diet with whatever macro combo works best for you. For micro- nutrients, I think most people find that as long as they eat a varied diet with an emphasis on whole foods, they tend to work themselves out without fretting too much.
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think of calories like gas in your car. The car doesn't care what gas station the fuel came from. If you put in 5L of gas here and 5L of gas there, it just knows it has 10L of gas to burn. It won't burn one 5L before the other.0
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Thanks, I'm about 80% carbs 10% protein and 10% fat, also a vegan. I don't get my carbs from breads or pastas. Mainly root veggies & greens.0
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Biochemically and physiologically, fats are the best source of energy (ATP) in the body. But that's a detail, because the above posters are correct in that a calorie is a calorie. Exercise doesn't prefer one calorie that you ate over another.0
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To be more sciencey (but very general and not particularly precise), your muscles will burn the energy store within them (glycogen) first, then use blood sugar (glucose) when that is consumed, (blood sugar is harvested from or built out of the stuff you eat) and finally will go to your stored body fat when all the food energy is used up.
There's no preference given to 'good' or 'bad' foods by your body, because it's all just food.
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How about if a person eats 1200 calories but all of the food is crap foods? Where are the nutrient's, minerals? So a person could be skinny but very unhealthy?0
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I would love for someone to eat all of their fat from trans fat (the processed stuff) and let me know how they feel within a few days.0
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How about if a person eats 1200 calories but all of the food is crap foods? Where are the nutrient's, minerals? So a person could be skinny are very unhealthy?
Even "crap foods" have some nutrients and minerals. But yes, being skinny doesn't mean that you are healthy. Skinny people can also get ill.0 -
How about if a person eats 1200 calories but all of the food is crap foods? Where are the nutrient's, minerals? So a person could be skinny are very unhealthy?
If a person eats at a calorie deficit, they will lose weight. If you don't get decent nutrition, you will eventually (after some time) be malnourished and end up with beriberi or scurvy or some other malnutrition disease.
The "twinkie diet" (NOT A REAL DIET, JUST AN EXPERIMENT) was when a guy ate at a deficit, but consumed nothing but twinkies to show that what you ate made less of a difference than how much. I'm sure he'd have been sick as a dog before too long, but he still lost weight. Also, he'd be starving all the time since twinkies are all just fast burning simple carbs.0 -
If I understand correctly, the body will use whatever calories are available from eaten foods first. When it runs out of those, it turns to fat stores. That's why you want to be at an overall deficit (which the 1200 calories plus 175 from exercise does for you).
As far as what kind of foods the calories came from, the body doesn't care, at least for energy purposes. Of course, you want to get a balance of macro nutrients and all the necessary micronutrients for overall good health. But as far as the body's energy use, it doesn't matter where the calories come from. (And even for overall health, a few treats are fine, too)0 -
Ah thank you!TheopolisAmbroiseIII wrote: »To be more sciencey (but very general and not particularly precise), your muscles will burn the energy store within them (glycogen) first, then use blood sugar (glucose) when that is consumed, (blood sugar is harvested from or built out of the stuff you eat) and finally will go to your stored body fat when all the food energy is used up.
There's no preference given to 'good' or 'bad' foods by your body, because it's all just food.
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TrailBlazzinMN wrote: »I would love for someone to eat all of their fat from trans fat (the processed stuff) and let me know how they feel within a few days.
In a few days? Doubt they'd notice anything unless, in order to do that, they drastically changed everything they ate. But then it wouldn't be due to the trans-fats.
Trans-fats are a longer-term risk factor.0 -
It's all chemicals to the body. There's sugar (glucose), but not good sugar and bad sugar.
Generally speaking, when called upon to release energy for exercise, the body uses the most efficient (in terms of speed and energy required to execute) processes first. Typically, glycogen stores go first. Carbs get broken into glucose. Metabolizing fat is a pretty efficient process (and is, after all, fat's purpose). Protein is broken into amino acids, and if the body doesn't need amino acids (or if the body runs out of other fuel), it would process those for energy. Each macronutrient has it's own pathways for generating energy.
Also generally speaking, the body will use first what it is least able to store. E.g. alcohol--that takes metabolic priority over everything else. If you've eaten lots of carbs and fat, the carbs will metabolize first. The whole "low fat" nonsense of the 60's and 70's was sort of predicated on the false notion that any dietary fat will be stored, but truthfully, how much fat get stored is completely dependent on the overall energy equation (CICO). I.e., if you eat tons of carbs, the body will store the little fat you do eat until carbs are processed, but if you eat few carbs and tons of fat, the body will metabolize fat because it is what it has.
Not sure if that addresses your Q.0 -
TrailBlazzinMN wrote: »I would love for someone to eat all of their fat from trans fat (the processed stuff) and let me know how they feel within a few days.
In a few days? Doubt they'd notice anything unless, in order to do that, they drastically changed everything they ate. But then it wouldn't be due to the trans-fats.
Trans-fats are a longer-term risk factor.
Doubt it hardly scientific. Eat 50g of trans fat in one day. Do it. I dare you.
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And what else would have to go along with those 50g of trans-fats? What am I realistically going to eat to get 50g of trans-fats in a day?TrailBlazzinMN wrote: »TrailBlazzinMN wrote: »I would love for someone to eat all of their fat from trans fat (the processed stuff) and let me know how they feel within a few days.
In a few days? Doubt they'd notice anything unless, in order to do that, they drastically changed everything they ate. But then it wouldn't be due to the trans-fats.
Trans-fats are a longer-term risk factor.
Doubt it hardly scientific. Eat 50g of trans fat in one day. Do it. I dare you.
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A calorie is a calorie is a calorie to the human body. What food it came from doesn't matter.It's all chemicals to the body. There's sugar (glucose), but not good sugar and bad sugar.
Generally speaking, when called upon to release energy for exercise, the body uses the most efficient (in terms of speed and energy required to execute) processes first. Typically, glycogen stores go first. Carbs get broken into glucose. Metabolizing fat is a pretty efficient process (and is, after all, fat's purpose). Protein is broken into amino acids, and if the body doesn't use those (or if the body doesn't have enough fuel), it would process those for duel. Each macronutrient has it's own pathways for generating energy.
Also generally speaking, the body will use first what it is least able to store. E.g. alcohol--that takes metabolic priority over everything else. If you've eaten lots of carbs and fat, the carbs will metabolize first. The whole "low fat" nonsense of the 60's and 70's was sort of predicated on the false notion that any dietary fat will be stored, but truthfully, how much fat get stored is completely dependent on the overall energy equation (CICO). I.e., if you eat tons of carbs, the body will store the little fat you do eat until carbs are processed, but if you eat few carbs and tons of fat, the body will metabolize what it had.
Not sure if that addresses your Q.
It did and thanks! I'm on a course of 1.0 to 2.0 lbs per week weight loss. I also am not looking for a particular clothing size but more my "feel good size" my highest weight was 240lbs I'm 5'3" and 54. This past new year I went vegan. In the beginning of June I started out at 177. I weighed in 2 days ago at 157.8 if I were to say were I'd like to end up at weight wise, that would be 133-140. Anything over the 140 I feel sluggish.
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