There are MANY thoughts on calories. Should you eat by way of counting calories or by WHAT you are eating?
So first off — what even is a calorie?
A calorie is just a unit of energy.
Like how we measure distance in miles or kilometers, we measure food energy in calories.
Your body needs energy for everything — breathing, walking, digesting, thinking, even just staying alive when you’re asleep.
You get that energy from food — all food. Broccoli, burgers, bananas, brownies. It’s all just energy.
Here’s where it starts to make sense.
Your body burns a certain number of calories each day — that’s your maintenance level.
If you eat more than that, you store the extra. Usually as fat.
If you eat less, your body pulls from stored energy — and that’s when you lose weight.
So in the simplest terms:
- More in than out? You gain weight.
- More out than in? You lose weight.
- Even in and out? You maintain.
That’s it.
That’s the math behind weight change. And it works whether your calories come from “clean” foods or not.
Now this is where people usually ask:
“But aren’t some foods healthier than others?”
And yes — absolutely.
Some foods give you more nutrients, help you feel full, or fuel your workouts better.
But when it comes specifically to body weight, the biggest factor isn’t what you’re eating — it’s how much.
You can gain weight eating “healthy” foods if you eat too many calories.
And you can lose weight eating “junk food” — as long as you’re in a calorie deficit.
It’s not good vs. bad food.
It’s energy in, energy out.
Here’s why this matters.
Let’s say you’re trying to lose weight, and you’ve been eating clean: grilled chicken, brown rice, kale smoothies. But nothing’s changing. Want to know why?
CLICK HERE to watch the video to find out the rest of the story about calories.
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