Basal Metabolic Rate
At certain times, a person’s basal metabolic rate may change and consequently calorie need is affected. During periods of illness or stress, the basal metabolic rate tends to slow down and fewer calories will be needed, but during pregnancy and while breastfeeding it speeds up. A pregnant woman needs about 300 calories more a day and a nursing mother an extra 500 calories.
Active people expend much more energy than sedentary individuals. Walking and gardening are two common activities that increase your body’s energy needs. A man who drives to work, has a sedentary job and spends most of his leisure time watching television will only need about 2200 calories, while an athlete in training burns up about 4000 to 5000 calories per day.
MAINTAINING BODY WEIGHT
Balancing the amount of energy you consume with the amount you expend is vital if you want to maintain your ideal body weight. If your diet is providing more calories than are being burned by your daily activities, the remainder will be stored by your body as fat, which may lead to obesity. But if your food intake is not fulfilling your energy requirements, your body will turn to any fat stored in tissues. If that becomes depleted, it will begin to break down muscle tissue, including cardiac muscle.
Your scales are the best indicator of whether you are eating too much or just enough. Weight gain or loss depends on how many calories are in the total diet, not necessarily on the particular foods you eat. It may be worth cutting down on some foods high in refined sugar, however, since the bulk of their calories are ‘empty’ (calories without nutritional value).
DO YOU NEED THREE MEALS A DAY?
How many meals you have each day depends on your activity level and personal preference. Some people feel and work best on four or five small meals.
Obtaining a carbohydrate boost mid morning and afternoon by eating a piece of fruit, for example, can help to maintain blood sugar levels and stop you feeling tired. It is thought that eating a big breakfast, less lunch and a very small supper will aid digestion. In other words, you should breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper. This allows the digestive system to break down food during the active part of the day and give you a steady supply of nutrients. If you eat a heavy meal during the evening, it may not be digested properly and may cause indigestion.
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