CALORIES & PROTEIN 
We are going back to the basics of calories and protein!!!
What is a Calorie?!
A calorie is simply a unit of measurement
It is a unit of energy
It is measured by the amount of energy we get from the amount of food we eat and the amount of energy we expend on a daily basis
Calories dictate whether our weight goes up, down or stays the same 
Calorie deficit – Expending more calories than you are consuming on a daily basis
– If protein intake is enough, losing weight will mainly come from stored body fat
– To prioritize fat loss, protein intake MUST be adequate
Calorie Maintenance – Expending and consuming an equal amount of calories every day
– Keeps weight the same. While consuming maintenance calories, variations in scale weight would be typical water weight or inflammation
– Protein intake is still crucial in order to maintain an ideal body composition due to its role of maintenance and recovery of lean muscle tissue
Calorie Surplus – Consuming more calories per day than expended for overall energy output.
– protein is crucial because we want to minimize fat gain as much as possible!
3 Ways we burn calories in a day
RMR or Resting metabolic rate – calories our body burns just to survive while it is at rest
– This is roughly about 10 calories per pound of body weight
– Majority of calories we burn on a daily basis come from RMR
Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) – The amount of calories we burn just digesting food
– About 10% of total caloric burn
Exercise Activity
– Intentional Exercise
– The workouts or intentional exercise you do on a daily basis (walking, resistance training, Cross training, Etc.)
– Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT)
– unintentional movements that we do every day that burns calories
– It could be as simple as tapping your feet or getting up to walk over to the restroom or lunch room or talk to a coworker
– This is about 20% of your daily caloric expenditure
What is protein?!
Protein is one of the three macronutrients that makes up the food that we consume. It contains 4 calories per gram! Protein is the primary structural component of our body and it makes up hormones, enzymes, tissues, and our muscle tissue. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient and will help curb hunger!
Where do we get protein from?
Some awesome sources of protein:
Chicken
Beef
Greek yogurt
Eggs and egg whites
Level-1 Protein and Bars
Ham
Turkey
Fish and so many others!
Protein is so essential to help with:
Maintain and build lean muscle
Body composition
Immune system
Performance
Hair, Skin, Nails
Mobility
Protein controls your overall physique when you arrive at your goal weight by supporting your lean muscle tissue and allowing you to achieve the body composition you are after!
Make protein and calories your number one priority starting this journey!! Aim to hit 1g of protein per pound of goal body weight!
If you guys have questions or need any help with calories or protein please complete a consult request!