Calories, Fat & Exercise

Health, Fitness & Nutrition


A lot of importance is put on the amount of fat we have in our diet and food manufactures have given us just about anything we could possibly ask for in food, with everything in low fat from crisps to low fat yogurts and fat free cakes and biscuits. But don’t be fooled into thinking that just because it says low fat on the label that you can eat as much of the item as you desire.

Fat has more calories per gram than does carbohydrates and protein so by eating less fat we do lose weight but eating a large bowl of low fat yogurt of ice cream can have the same amount of calories as eating a full fat small chocolate chip muffin.

So therefore we should remember that we must still control the portion size of food even if the label claims to be low fat or even non fat. Studies have shown that our calorie intake over the last couple of years has increased while the amount of fat we have in our diets has decreased.

It is easy to be misled into thinking that just because the food claims to be fat free then it must be better for us if we are on a diet, but if you were to choose low fat honey on a muffin instead of butter then you would perhaps be surprised to find out that the low fat honey would be 90 calories while the butter only 50.

Good nutrition however is more than just being conscious of the amount of calories that are consumed, it is also important to take into account vitamins and nutrients.

Highly engineered foods such as fat replaces and bulking agents more commonly used by body builders often lack the essential nutrients and minerals which are needed in our daily diet to help keep our bodies healthy.

Nutrition for sports

Those participating in sports on a regular basis need there bodies to be perfectly tuned and in good shape, this can only be achieved by getting proper nutritional needs, which includes vitamins and minerals.

It is essential that they are able to maintain there body weight without too much fluctuation because without proper nutrition and right food even the most vigorous training routines won’t be enough to keep you in peak physical condition.

A healthy diet consists of eating a varied diet that can supply vitamins, protein, carbohydrates and minerals. The amount of food you need will depend on factors such as your age, sex, and weight and activity level.

Increased physical activity will require that you have more calories per day and a smaller athlete will require less calories than a larger one for the larger built athlete for more energy will be required to move the body over the same distance.

Also more calories are burnt in practice sessions than in actual competition because a more vigorous workout is usually done in training for the build up to competition.