How Fat Loss Works - Episode 1: Energy Balance

Summary

The video script introduces a new series on fat loss, emphasizing a scientific approach. The host, with a background in biochemistry and nutritional sciences, explains the concept of energy balance, or 'calories in, calories out'. They discuss the components of energy output, including basal metabolic rate, non-exercise activity, exercise activity, and the thermic effect of food. The script debunks myths about calorie counting, highlighting the importance of macronutrient composition and its impact on energy expenditure. The host also addresses the variability of maintenance calories and the need to adjust calorie intake or exercise to continue losing weight.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The presenter has a BS in biochemistry and a PhD in nutritional sciences, providing a strong educational background for discussing fat loss.
• 🔄 The concept of 'calories in versus calories out' is discussed, emphasizing that energy balance is key for weight management.
• ⚖️ Energy balance involves comparing energy input (calories consumed) with energy output (calories expended) to determine weight change.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Energy output includes Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), Exercise Activity (EA), and Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).
• 🍽️ BMR accounts for about 60% of daily calorie expenditure and is the energy required to maintain basic bodily functions.
• 🚶‍♂️ NEAT refers to the energy burned through daily activities and movements that are not structured exercise.
• 🏃‍♂️ EA is the energy expended during intentional exercise activities.
• 🍲 TEF is about 10% of daily energy output and represents the energy required to digest, absorb, and metabolize food.
• 🌟 The macronutrient composition of the diet can affect TEF, with protein and fiber having a higher thermic effect compared to carbohydrates and fats.
• ⚠️ Even if one is in a calorie deficit, it's possible not to lose weight if the deficit is not significant enough or if metabolic changes occur over time.
• 🔄 Maintenance and deficit calories are not fixed; they can change due to factors like metabolic adaptation and changes in NEAT and BMR.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the new series mentioned in the script?

The main focus of the new series is to teach viewers about how to lose fat effectively, providing tools and explaining the science behind fat loss.

Why is the presenter's approach to fat loss different from others?

The presenter's approach is different because they have a background in biochemistry and nutritional sciences, allowing them to explain fat loss from both a general and a scientific perspective.

What is the concept of 'energy balance' as discussed in the script?

Energy balance refers to the equilibrium between energy input (calories consumed) and energy output (calories expended). If input equals output, weight is maintained; if output is greater, weight is lost; if input is greater, weight is gained.

What are the components of energy output mentioned in the script?

The components of energy output include basal metabolic rate (BMR), non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), exercise activity (EA), and the thermic effect of food (TEF).

How does the basal metabolic rate (BMR) contribute to daily calorie expenditure?

BMR contributes to about 60% of the daily calorie expenditure and represents the energy required to maintain basic bodily functions like organ function and brain activity at rest.

What is the thermic effect of food (TEF) and how does it relate to fat loss?

TEF is the energy required to digest, absorb, and metabolize food, accounting for about 10% of daily energy expenditure. It can be slightly modified and affects fat loss because higher protein and fiber intakes increase TEF.

Why might a high-protein, high-fiber diet lead to more weight and fat loss compared to other diets at the same calorie intake?

A high-protein, high-fiber diet can lead to more weight and fat loss because it increases thermogenesis and TEF, requiring more energy to metabolize the food, thus creating a greater negative energy balance.

Can someone lose weight without creating a calorie deficit?

No, according to the script, any diet works by creating a calorie deficit. Without a calorie deficit, weight loss will not occur.

What happens to maintenance calories and energy expenditure when someone is on a diet for an extended period?

Over time, maintenance calories and energy expenditure can decrease due to changes in NEAT, BMR, metabolic adaptation, and efficiency in exercise activity, which can slow down weight loss.

How can one continue to lose body fat after reaching a plateau during a diet?

To continue losing body fat after a plateau, one can either increase exercise activity or further decrease energy intake to create a new calorie deficit.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Introduction to Fat Loss Series

The speaker introduces a new series on fat loss, emphasizing the uniqueness of their approach due to their background in biochemistry and nutritional sciences. They aim to provide tools and educate on the science behind fat loss. The first episode focuses on energy balance, often misunderstood as 'calories in versus calories out.' The speaker clarifies that energy balance is about the equilibrium between energy input (calories consumed) and energy output (calories expended), which includes basal metabolic rate (BMR), non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), exercise activity (EA), and the thermic effect of food (TEF). The speaker explains that to lose fat, one must create a negative energy balance by either increasing output or decreasing input.

05:01

🔄 Understanding Energy Balance and Macronutrients

This paragraph delves deeper into the concept of energy balance, emphasizing that while it's about calories in and out, the 'out' part is complex and can be influenced by the macronutrient composition of one's diet. The speaker discusses the thermic effect of food (TEF), explaining how different macronutrients—protein, carbohydrates, and fats—have varying effects on TEF. They clarify that a high-protein, high-fiber diet can lead to more weight and fat loss at the same calorie intake due to increased thermogenesis. However, they caution against the misconception that one can eat unlimited amounts of protein and fiber without consequences, using a tax analogy to explain that these macronutrients are not entirely 'free' and can still contribute to body fat if overconsumed.

10:02

📉 The Dynamic Nature of Maintenance and Deficit Calories

The speaker addresses the misconception that calories in versus calories out is a myth by explaining that while it's a fundamental principle, the actual numbers can be influenced by individual metabolic responses and the types of food consumed. They discuss how reported calorie counts on food labels can be inaccurate, potentially leading to over or underestimation of calorie intake. The paragraph also touches on the dynamic nature of maintenance calories, which can change over time as a result of dieting, leading to a decrease in metabolic rate and a need to adjust calorie intake or activity levels to continue losing weight.

15:05

🏋️‍♂️ Adjusting Exercise and Caloric Intake for Continued Fat Loss

In the final paragraph, the speaker discusses the need to adjust exercise and caloric intake as one progresses in their fat loss journey. They explain that as the body adapts to a diet, metabolic changes occur, which can reduce the effectiveness of the initial calorie deficit. To continue losing fat, one may need to increase exercise or further decrease caloric intake. The speaker concludes by inviting viewers to engage with the content, ask questions, and look forward to future episodes that will delve into the specifics of modifying exercise and diet for effective fat loss.

Keywords

💡Fat Loss

Fat loss refers to the process of reducing the amount of fat stored in the body. In the video, the speaker is launching a series focused on this topic, emphasizing that their approach will be distinct by providing tools and education on the underlying biochemistry and physiology of how the body loses fat. The video aims to demystify common misconceptions and provide a scientific basis for effective fat loss strategies.

💡Energy Balance

Energy balance is a concept that describes the state where the total energy consumed equals the total energy expended. The video discusses this concept as a fundamental principle of weight management, where a positive balance leads to weight gain, a negative balance to weight loss, and a neutral balance to weight maintenance. The speaker uses the analogy of a scale to explain how increasing energy output or decreasing energy input can tip the balance towards weight loss.

💡Calories In, Calories Out

This phrase is often used to describe the basic principle of weight management, suggesting that weight loss occurs when calories burned exceed calories consumed. The video challenges the oversimplification of this idea, arguing that the relationship between calories and weight loss is more complex, involving factors like the thermic effect of food and the body's metabolic adaptations.

💡Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

BMR is the number of calories the body needs to maintain basic physiological functions at rest. In the video, the speaker explains that BMR accounts for about 60% of daily calorie expenditure and is a key component of the energy balance equation. Understanding BMR is crucial for setting realistic expectations for weight loss and adjusting caloric intake.

💡Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)

NEAT refers to the energy expended during everyday activities that are not structured exercise. The video mentions NEAT as a modifiable component of energy output, which includes activities like fidgeting, walking, and other day-to-day movements. The speaker suggests that increasing NEAT can contribute to a negative energy balance and thus aid in fat loss.

💡Exercise Activity (EA)

EA is the energy expended during structured physical exercise. The video emphasizes that increasing EA through regular exercise is a way to boost energy output and create a calorie deficit, which is essential for fat loss. The speaker also touches on how the body can become more efficient at exercise over time, which can affect the calories burned during workouts.

💡Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

TEF is the energy required to digest, absorb, and metabolize the food we eat, which accounts for about 10% of daily energy expenditure. The video explains that a higher protein and fiber intake can increase TEF, thus contributing to a higher overall energy expenditure and potentially facilitating weight loss.

💡Macronutrient Composition

Macronutrient composition refers to the proportion of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in one's diet. The video discusses how the macronutrient makeup can influence weight loss efforts, particularly through its impact on TEF. The speaker argues that a high-protein, high-fiber diet can enhance thermogenesis and metabolic efficiency, supporting fat loss.

💡Metabolic Adaptation

Metabolic adaptation is the body's response to changes in energy intake and expenditure, which can involve下调ing BMR and altering energy efficiency during activities. The video explains that as individuals lose weight and diet, their bodies may adapt by becoming more efficient at conserving energy, which can slow weight loss progress. Understanding and addressing metabolic adaptation is crucial for long-term weight management.

💡Maintenance Calories

Maintenance calories are the number of calories needed to maintain one's current body weight without gaining or losing. The video clarifies that this number is not static and can change as the body adapts to weight loss efforts. The speaker emphasizes the importance of reevaluating and adjusting maintenance calories as part of an ongoing weight loss strategy.

Highlights

Introduction to a new series on fat loss with a unique approach.

Presenter's credentials: BS in biochemistry and PhD in nutritional sciences.

Explanation of energy balance as the foundation for fat loss.

Discussion on the misconceptions surrounding 'calories in, calories out'.

Definition of energy input and its role in weight maintenance.

Importance of basal metabolic rate (BMR) in energy expenditure.

The role of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) in daily energy output.

Exercise activity (EA) as a modifiable factor in energy output.

Thermic effect of food (TEF) and its impact on daily energy expenditure.

The necessity of a calorie deficit for fat loss and the methods to achieve it.

The impact of macronutrient composition on the thermic effect of food.

Why high-protein, high-fiber diets can lead to more fat loss at the same calorie intake.

The limitations of online calculators and the importance of individualized calorie needs.

The myth of calories in versus calories out and the complexity of the equation.

The role of protein and fiber in creating a caloric cushion for fat storage.

The variability of maintenance calories and the need for adjustments over time.

The body's metabolic adaptation and its effect on energy expenditure during dieting.

Anticipatory teaser for the next episode focusing on exercise and energy intake modifications.

Transcripts

[Music]

hey guys I have something I'm really

excited about I'm starting up a new

series on how to lose fat all right

is it click baby enough for you I know

there's a bunch of these out there but

mine is gonna be way different than

anybody else's for a few reasons

one I'm gonna give you all the tools and

actually teach you about how fat loss

works all right and I have the

background either BS in biochemistry I'm

a PhD in nutritional sciences not only

can I explain it to a general point of

view but I can also get you guys into

the actual biochemistry and physiology

of how fat loss works now we're gonna

start broad for our first episode we're

going to talk about energy balance and

you may have also heard of this as

calories in calories out and there's a

very popular movement now to kind of

debunk calories in versus calories out

so let's talk about what energy balance

actually is it's a balance just like it

sounds so if we have our balance here we

have energy input versus energy output

if those two are the same if your energy

input is the same as your output you'll

maintain your weight if your energy

output is greater than your energy input

you will lose weight and if your energy

input is greater than your energy output

you will gain weight let's talk about

all of them so your energy input is

quite simply how many calories you

consume per day okay that's it that's

the long and short as far as your energy

output this includes your basal

metabolic rate so your basal metabolic

rate is essentially how many calories

you expend so calories are a unit of

measurement of heat okay they're a unit

of measurement of energy and so when we

talk about calories we're talking about

energy we're talking about how much

energy something requires so we talked

about basal metabolic rate that is the

amount of energy it

takes basically to keep the lights on

all right this is what you burn just to

keep your organs functioning your brain

working your body so when they measure

this you're basically immobile laying

down and you're not moving but you're

not asleep

that's your basal metabolic rate and for

most people that accounts for about 60%

of the amount of calories you expend

every day next on our list is meat and

meat is basically non non exercise

activity okay so that's like what I'm

doing right now I'm up I'm moving around

I'm waving my hands around I'm talking

on expending energy doing those things

but I'm not specifically exercising you

could also put this in the category of

like light walking maybe not like a

brisk walk but just kind of walking you

do day-to-day those sorts of things so

just moving around going through your

day-to-day tasks that's neat and then EA

is exercise activity so that's the

amount of activity or out amount of

energy you expend doing your daily

exercise and then you have TEF which is

the thermic effect of food and the

thermic effect of food is about 10% of

your daily caloric output for your daily

energy output okay and that's slightly

modifiable we'll talk more about that

here in a little bit but if we want to

lose fat this side has to exceed this

side and if we do that if we either

there's two ways we can do this we

either increase our output or we

decrease our input or both which is what

most people do they do exercise they do

cardio and they decrease their calories

when they're trying to lose fat and what

happens is when you do this you start to

tip this so now that we're if we're

increasing our exercise

and we're decreasing our calorie in

court we start to go like this because

[Music]

it is weighted more towards output okay

now your BMR not super modifiable it

does modify a little bit we'll talk

about that a bit neat very modifiable

exercise very modifiable TF slightly

modifiable okay

what your biggest control is is your

calories in your energy input so if you

say drop if you're at maintenance and

we'll talk about that in a minute if

you're at your maintenance calories

where you are not gaining and not losing

weight on the overall because everybody

fluctuates day to day but on the whole

if you're maintaining your weight if you

then drop a thousand calories out of

your diet you're going to be in a

negative energy balance because your

input is going down so even if R even if

our output did not go up if your energy

goes down you tip this scale and you

start to lose weight now you can also do

this you don't have to decrease your

energy right if we have an actual scale

if we increase our activity by an hour a

day this goes up and we start to lose

okay just like any scale if you have a

weights if you have an actual scale if

you put more to one side versus the

other it will start to tilt okay so that

is how we are creating this difference

is your calorie balance or your energy

balance so this difference of where

these are is your energy balance and so

if we were at maintenance we drop a

thousand calories out we're in a

thousand calorie deficit now what I want

to make very clear when we talk about

calories calories in versus calories out

a lot of people believe that this has

been

because for example there's research

data that shows if you eat a

high-protein high-fiber diet at the same

total calorie intake you actually lose

more weight and lose more fat that's not

a huge amount more but it is significant

ok well why is that if it's really

calories in versus calories out well

remember that while it is calories in

versus calories out the calories out

portion of that equation is not

straightforward it's complicated and

even the calories in is to a certain

extent I'll talk about that in a second

but let's look at exactly what we talked

about earlier thermic effect of food ok

if we eat if we increase our protein

intake if we're talking now I'm not

talking about somebody who eats a

high-protein diet if you're already

eating a high-protein diet just adding a

ton more protein isn't gonna do this but

if you're somebody who eats you know 60

70 grams of protein a day and you go up

to 150 200 you're gonna get a greater

increase in what we call thermogenesis

that is because the metabolism of

protein requires energy

ok protein is about 30% great are the

protein has about a 30% effect on TEF

carbohydrate is about 6 to 8% I

apologize

I keep wanting to put the wrong letter

on there

[Music]

and then fad is about two to three

percent okay I'll get into this stuff a

little bit later one of our later

episodes but so we and then fiber fiber

actually is about the same as protein so

if you're eating a high-protein

high-fiber diet and you're if you're

keeping your calories the same so if you

eat 2,000 calories but one person is

eating 200 grams of protein a day and

the other person is eating 100 grams of

protein a day and the person need 200

grams protein day is also eating 40

grams of fiber versus the other person

eating 15 grams of fiber you're getting

a much greater effect on TIA

and so your TEF goes up you have to

expend more calories to get calories out

of the foods that you are consuming and

so that tips this more towards negative

calorie balance that doesn't mean that

calories in versus calories out is a

myth it just means that the calories

outside of things can be affected by the

macro nutrient composition of your diet

that you choose now I've also had people

say well I was eating in a calorie

deficit and I didn't lose weight if you

were eating if you were eating in a

certain level and you didn't lose weight

by definition it was not a calorie

deficit by definition it doesn't matter

what calculator told you online it

doesn't matter what your doctor told you

it doesn't matter what a magazine

article told you that is not a calorie

deficit for you keep in mind all these

equations online like harris-benedict

the Muller equation catch McArdle

they're all just estimations of what

your maintenance calories should be so

you can figure out what your maintenance

calories are by one of these equations

subtract a certain amount of calories

from it and maybe not lose weight

because for you and your individual

metabolism it may not be a calorie

deficit but any diet out there works by

creating a calorie deficit keto works by

creating a calorie deficit you're

cutting out an entire food group and

when you're not eating any carbohydrate

it can be difficult to overeat now it

can't be done if you're eating

quote-unquote clean you're eating high

fiber high protein your volumous foods

it's easier to reduce total calories so

any of these diets work through creating

a calorie deficit okay and if you aren't

creating that deficit then you're not

going to lose weight now calories in is

also a little bit complicated as well

because even though it says a certain

amount of calories on the side of a

label or certain lot of protein carbs

and fats those labels have a lot of air

in them up to 10 to 20 percent so you

may be thinking that you're eating 2,000

calories a day and you actually could be

eating 2200 or 1,800 that can make a

difference okay so the calories in so

you can see if you are choosing if you

were thinking you were consuming 22 or

20 mm which are actually eating 2200 and

you're choosing low fiber low protein

diet if you switched to a diet that for

whatever reason the labels on the side

of the food were a little more accurate

and you're eating higher fiber higher

protein now you may start losing weight

that's why many people think that

calories in versus calories out is a

myth because they did what they thought

was a calorie deficit and didn't lose

weight but it wasn't a calorie deficit

now a lot of people will take this and

run too far with it they'll say well you

can eat as much protein and fiber as you

want you don't have to count or clean

foods you don't have to count that's not

true okay every protein you don't get

something for nothing

protein is harder the stores fat but it

doesn't mean it can't be

now while protein can be stored as fat

it is difficult there's a lot of steps

between protein intake and being stored

what's more likely is if you're over

consuming protein that's going to create

a caloric cushion for those carbs and

fats you eat to be stored as fat so

that's what's more likely but it is

harder okay and it does have a 30%

effect on TEF compared to two or three

percent for fat six or eight percent for

carbohydrate so it's much greater same

thing with fiber but they're not free

okay let me give an example maybe many

of you will understand all right tax

write-offs tax deductions a lot of times

we hear from people who don't know what

they're talking about that you just

spend more money in your business

because you need tax deductions well you

should spend more money you should spend

money on things you need for your

business and write those off but you

shouldn't just create expenses out of

nowhere we give you an example if you

made 100k in a year all right after

expenses and you paid taxes on that

that's usually about 30% tax rate so

that's 30k of taxes you subtract that

their net after-tax 70k

and that extra tax is $70,000 all right

no let's say we decide to create twenty

thousand dollars of expenses because we

don't want to pay tax on a hundred

thousand dollars so we have 80k after

expenses and we pay thirty percent tax

on that now it might be a little bit

lower in fact let's say it's lower let's

say it's twenty five percent so you bump

down a tax bracket that would be 20k in

taxes okay so you paid less tax you only

paid twenty thousand but guess what your

net is now 60 K so yeah you pay less tax

you also made less money you also had

less money to take home because you

creating expenses

it's like robbing Peter to pay Paul okay

it's similar with protein and fiber

they're not free okay the tax is still

gonna come due on those calories now are

you paying less so are you paying less

here then if those expenses were a

personal expense that works after tax

absolutely so if you can make up

something a business expense compared to

a personal expense it's better okay

because you're not gonna pay tax on it

on that money but it's not a great idea

to just creating expenses out of nowhere

all right now I'm sure there's some

accountants out there with crazy

methodology that they're gonna say I'm

actually an idiot but for the purposes

of this it just it makes sense the so

with protein you know you can eat 500

grams of protein a day but if you're

just eating that because you feel like

it's free you're still gonna be prone to

storing body fat

now you're going to store as much body

fat as if you were overeating 500 grams

of carbohydrate

but you can still store body fat and

that's the main point so one other thing

I want to talk about is that maintenance

calories and deficit calories they can

change okay they can change over time

this is not set in stone your

maintenance calories can change if

you've ever done a diet you have

probably noticed that after a few weeks

or a few months you're eating a certain

level of calories you stop losing weight

nothing magic happened what happened was

your NEET which is very very modifiable

up to 500 calories a day modifiable went

down your BMR went down okay

because lean body mass and fat mass may

go down and those can decrease BMR Plus

metabolic adaptation you're a thermic

effect of food goes down because your

body gets more adept at extracting

calories from the food you eat

and typically exercise activity goes

down and you may say wait wait wait I'm

doing more cardio now well assuming you

kept it the same your body actually gets

more efficient as you're as you're

dieting your body works to get more

efficient so you don't starve so the

hour of cardio you do your body actually

burns less calories because it gets more

efficient at doing that activity and not

burning as many calories to help keep

you from starving okay so all these

things are going down BMR and NEET

probably the biggest two that go down in

terms of your total daily caloric output

but if these are going down well so

originally if we reduced calories what

we had was if we reduced calories this

went down output went up and we lost

body fat but if these start going down

what happens is this goes down energy

intake may not go up it doesn't go up

but it pushes it back to balance

okay so overtime of dieting this is

pushing you back to homeostasis ie your

maintenance calories and now you're not

losing weight again so your maintenance

calories is not a set in stone number

it's a sliding scale so now what do you

do since you're here well you have to

either increase your exercise activity

or you have to decrease your energy

intake again okay

so in the next video we're going to talk

about how can you modify your exercise

how can you modify your energy intake in

order to keep losing body fat guys if

you have any questions about this please

leave a comment below like and share

subscribe if you liked it and I'm really

looking forward to doing more of this

series and showing you guys the nuts and

bolts and the fine details of how to

lose fat and also how to keep it off

alright guys looking forward to next

episode I'll see you then