What are Calories

Most of you already know this but for those of you who don't or simply need an easy way to wrap your head around what calories are here is an easy explanation that helped me understand. 

Calories are units of energy, this is why there is no exact way (or any way at all) to measure pounds/weight in calories! 

Don't believe me?

The word is 3500 calories = 1 pound of fat

this is WRONG

If you burn 3500 calories in one day you will not lose a pound of fat, you might be a pound lighter (from peeing or not eating much that day) but it will not be from 1 pound of fat loss. 

BUT

you can lose a pound of fat from burning 3500 calories every day for a week if you only had like 1500 calories intake (I do not know if that is exact) so this is not to say burning 3500 calories won't help you lose fat, but 3500 calories DOES NOT EQUAL 1 pound of fat

so if you burn 3500 calories one day, don't expect to see 1 pounds worth of fat magically gone from your body. 

TIPS:

when you workout you BURN fat and USE calories / stored energy (i.e: fat)

so think of a few ways to

• burn lots of energy all at once (intense cardio / working out)

 or

• lots of ways to burn some energy throughout the day (cleaning / walking place to place)

THIS IS also why things like

• bouncing your legs when sitting
• bouncing on your tiptoes over and over when standing (as if to make yourself taller)
• moving around / fidgeting
• taking more trips instead of trying to do it all at once (taking 2 or 3 groceries in each trip instead of 6 or 7)

add up and help you lose weight! It is because you're body is using energy (it is ALWAYS using energy to breathe, keep your heart beating, use your brain, eat, sleep etc.) however little amount and once it goes through the energy stored in your liver for the day has to move on to fat reserves. 

so look up ways to make your body use more energy (i.e work harder) 

example: running makes your heart beat faster (therefore work harder) to pump enough blood for your muscles; your lungs require more oxygen for the large amount of blood being pumped through your body and your brain (because it is the thing telling your muscles to move, how to move and keeping you coordinated etc.)