Do Calories Turn To Fat?

Until a few years ago, the energy value of a food and the belief that calories turn into fat were the focus of weight loss diets. The energy balance was almost the only parameter to assess.

Today we know that this is not the only aspect to take into account. The type of food we eat, the main nutrients that they provide us, how our hormonal system responds or the time we spend between meals are other aspects that also have an important impact on our body composition.  

What are calories and what happens when we overdo it?

Calories are a measure that we use to assess the amount of energy a food provides us. Calories provide the body with the fuel it needs to perform its vital functions and create structure.  

After digesting food,   the energy they contain is released and used by the different cells. Anything that is not used at the moment is stored for later use:

• The first energy store in our body is the muscles and the liver; there it is stored in the form of glycogen.
• The other form of energy reserve is adipocytes or fat cells, in which energy that we do not use is accumulated in the form of lipids.

That is why we say that calories become fat, because when we exceed the immediate needs of our body, the excess energy is stored in the form of fat.

However, a high percentage of adipose tissue can be detrimental to health as it is related to the appearance of metabolic problems, among others.

Beyond calories: other aspects to consider

Calories are one of the determining factors when we talk about diet and weight gain or loss. In reality, what we value is that intake and expenditure are balanced. But there are other aspects   that also come into play and are related to each other. Among them we find the following:

Nutritional composition of foods

Calories do not act in the body in the same way if they come from different macronutrients. For example, proteins have a great satiating capacity and a greater thermogenic effect than fats or carbohydrates.

On the other hand, depending on the general composition of our daily diet, some metabolic routes or others are activated. And this ends up also affecting the way we metabolize calories and how they turn into fat.

Final calories that are absorbed

We must bear in mind that sometimes we do not absorb the total energy that a food gives us. There are factors that influence this aspect, such as the type of cooking that the food has undergone or the state of our intestinal flora.  

Hormonal aspects

Calories give us energy, but the way we process and use all this energy is regulated by hormones. Any influence on our hormonal system will end up modifying the way we use and store calories.  

Satiating effect of food

Not all foods fill us in the same way. The predominant nutrient of a meal or the way it is prepared will make us feel more or less satiated when we eat it.

When the stomach is full   it sends signals to the brain that make it understand that we should no longer eat. Therefore, the total calories ingested should be more or less the same at the end of each meal.  

Calories turn to fat: it’s also a question of quality

When we want to face a weight loss diet or we want to gain weight, we tend to focus almost exclusively on the amount of calories we eat. Although this may be necessary on these specific occasions, we cannot forget about the quality of the calories. 

The same amount of calories will not have the same effect on our body if it comes from one type of food or another. It is important   assess the type of foods that are part of the diet. Today we know that highly processed foods are directly related to:

• Increased risk of obesity.
• Arterial hypertension.
• Metabolic problems
• High LDL cholesterol, among others.

For this reason, it is advisable to have an adequate eating pattern in which fresh and little processed foods predominate, such as fruits, legumes, vegetables, whole grains, eggs, etc. Likewise, we must consume prepared dishes, snacks, cookies or pastries very occasionally.

If we base our diet on the foods of the first group, its impact on metabolism, satiety or the thermal effect will be much more balanced than if we eat more than the second. This way, excess calories won’t turn into fat so easily. In the long run, it will be a benefit to our health.  

A calorie deficit is unhealthy

So far we have seen how, sometimes, excess calories turn into fat, which can be harmful for us.  

However, reducing your calorie intake  too much is not healthy either. This is usually done because of the fear of ending up storing those that we do not burn at the moment, but it is not recommended.

An insufficient energy supply also means a lack of other   basic nutrients that our body needs to function and build structures, such as vitamins, minerals or proteins. This can lead, in turn, to mood problems, lack of concentration and lack of energy, among others.

In addition, in the long term and against what might seem logical, it can end up producing weight and fat gain. This is because the body becomes very sparing in the face of scarcity. By not detecting the entry of food, he becomes reluctant to shed accumulated fat in order to maintain some energy reserves.  

Calories turn to fat but more factors influence

It is necessary to stop thinking only in terms of calories and start thinking about the quality of the food we eat, its nutritional composition or how we cook and eat it.

In addition, it must be taken into account that all those aspects that have an influence on our hormonal system, such as exercise, sleep or stress, also have an impact on the way our body processes and stores calories.