How do calories work?

[ChristiMarie]

So 3,500 calories equal 1 lbs... right? How does it turn into that? How does raising your heart rate get rid of them? I know what you're supposed to do to lsoe weight and whatnot but how does it actualy work? What IS a calorie and how does it turn into fat?

Sorry if this question seems totally retarded. :(

[Billy]

http://home.howstuffworks.com/calorie.htm

;)

[Dunecune442]

Try and refrain from posting quick links and just paraphrase... links are useless if they dont understand.

First a calorie is a measure of energy. 1 calorie equals the amount needed to increase the temperature of one liter of water one degree farenheit.

Knowing this, calories are utilized by your body for all sorts of things like heart beat, walking, thinking, basic movement. Essential things you do all the time. Anything you do uses calories, because it is a form of energy.

When you have excess calories your body is designed to store, not dispose. In fact everything the body deems vital usually is horded. That is what a fat deposit is, its excess energy the body feels it can utilize another time, another day when it is needed.

Simply put more intake than usage = fat growth

Anything else?

[TNathe]

^ awsome explanation dude. I learned something today.

[ChristiMarie]

^ awsome explanation dude. I learned something today.

+1

God, I was expecting to get called a retard. Thanks!

[moldyhands]

+1

God, I was expecting to get called a retard. Thanks!
retard!!!!

[Billy]

Try and refrain from posting quick links and just paraphrase... links are useless if they dont understand.

:lol: I'll try and keep that in mind...

Did you check the link? It gave good information in a simple format. I didn't have the time to write out info like you did and figured they could say it better anyway. Information isn't useless if people read it.

I also don't see the point in taking to much time out of my day to paraphrase something that can be readily found elsewhere. I think it took ~45 seconds to find that information. Asking about personal opinions, experiences, etc is one thing. But when searching for facts...do some research.

[Dunecune442]

:lol: I'll try and keep that in mind...

Did you check the link? It gave good information in a simple format. I didn't have the time to write out info like you did and figured they could say it better anyway. Information isn't useless if people read it.


Information is useless if it cant be comprehended. Sometimes layman is the best language.

I did see the website, thats why I gave the "general" explanation. Theres a bit more, but thats the most need to know to lose weight/live healthy as well as have a basic understanding.

[Billy]

Information is useless if it cant be comprehended. Sometimes layman is the best language.

I did see the website, thats why I gave the "general" explanation. Theres a bit more, but thats the most need to know to lose weight/live healthy as well as have a basic understanding.
And now she's better for it...she got a quick answer and a more in-depth article, if she wants to read it. ;)

[ChristiMarie]

retard!!!!

I knew I could count on you to pee on my parade. :D

And now she's better for it...she got a quick answer and a more in-depth article, if she wants to read it. ;)

I read both. =)

[Epicman]

First a calorie is a measure of energy. 1 calorie equals the amount needed to increase the temperature of one liter of water one degree farenheit.


A slight correction to what you said taken from howstuffworks.com.


Specifically, a calorie is the amount of energy, or heat, it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). One calorie is equal to 4.184 joules, a common unit of energy used in the physical sciences.

[Frances]

Try and refrain from posting quick links and just paraphrase... links are useless if they dont understand.



Your paraphrase is useless too if they don't understand...

Anyway, your body needs about 1,400 calories a day to do everyday functions, like breathe, your heartbeat, all the processes that go on internally. Basically, if you layed on the couch all day, it would take 1,400 calories to accomplish that. Anything above that is used for the energy you use to walk, use muscles, etc.

If you exercise (and raise your heart beat fairly high), your body will release the energy stored in the fat deposits for you to use - thus losing weight.

[ChristiMarie]

Hmmm... why is it then if you eat less than 1000 calories a day it can make you gain weight? Patrick tells me all the time about something with starvation and your body grabbing hold of anything it can since it thinks it's starving. But if you use more calories than that just sitting on the couch, how does THAT make you gain weight? See, now I'm confused again. :|

[Jeff240sx]

Hmmm... why is it then if you eat less than 1000 calories a day it can make you gain weight? Patrick tells me all the time about something with starvation and your body grabbing hold of anything it can since it thinks it's starving. But if you use more calories than that just sitting on the couch, how does THAT make you gain weight? See, now I'm confused again. :|

That's because when you starve yourself, the body goes into hoarding mode, so whatever you do eat, the body hoards. Everything. Because it's used to having nothing for a while, and doesn't know when it will get fed next. So after a fast or something, once you start eating, you will gain nearly all the weight you lost back, and then some.
This is why you should eat 4-6 times a day. The body bases it's energy usage/storage based on past patterns, not future patterns. So after starving, it thinks it'll continue starving and hoard. But after being fed 4-6 times a day, it will use the food rather than store it, because it expects the food to come again and again.
Hmm.. hope that helped.
-Jeff

Edit: It's not the starving or laying on the couch that will make you gain weight in your example. It's the very next thing you eat that will make you gain weight.

[ChristiMarie]

That's because when you starve yourself, the body goes into hoarding mode, so whatever you do eat, the body hoards. Everything. Because it's used to having nothing for a while, and doesn't know when it will get fed next. So after a fast or something, once you start eating, you will gain nearly all the weight you lost back, and then some.
This is why you should eat 4-6 times a day. The body bases it's energy usage/storage based on past patterns, not future patterns. So after starving, it thinks it'll continue starving and hoard. But after being fed 4-6 times a day, it will use the food rather than store it, because it expects the food to come again and again.
Hmm.. hope that helped.
-Jeff

Edit: It's not the starving or laying on the couch that will make you gain weight in your example. It's the very next thing you eat that will make you gain weight.

oh. thanks.

[Master Blake]

That's because when you starve yourself, the body goes into hoarding mode, so whatever you do eat, the body hoards. Everything. Because it's used to having nothing for a while, and doesn't know when it will get fed next. So after a fast or something, once you start eating, you will gain nearly all the weight you lost back, and then some.
This is why you should eat 4-6 times a day. The body bases it's energy usage/storage based on past patterns, not future patterns. So after starving, it thinks it'll continue starving and hoard. But after being fed 4-6 times a day, it will use the food rather than store it, because it expects the food to come again and again.
Hmm.. hope that helped.
-Jeff

Edit: It's not the starving or laying on the couch that will make you gain weight in your example. It's the very next thing you eat that will make you gain weight.


How can it hoard something that is not there if you have a calorie deficit?

[Dunecune442]

It goes into starvation mode and tried so save all nutrients/energy. This results in fat deposits, its just a survival mode and it slows your metabolism so you require less energy to operate.