calories

Have you ever wondered how many calories are in a pound of fat? While this generalization is reasonable, it is not very precise. So, how many calories does a pound (of body fat or muscle mass) really contain? Does a static model make sense for projecting calorie intake to lose weight? Let's...

The ketogenic diet is one of the hottest diet trends at the moment. Not fat-adapted yet? Not putting sticks of butter in your coffee? Welp, you can't sit with us! (A sarcastic reference to Mean Girls, in case you missed it.) I don't know what's more disturbing – putting sticks of butter in...

ARE YOU DIET FLUID? I'm a "dietary agnostic." Or, if I were to use more current social parlance, you could call it "diet fluid." In other words, I don't believe any one type of eating is inherently better – from a health perspective – than another. Further, as a student of human physiology and...

If you're trying to reach a certain physique goal and you're not paying much attention to what you're eating, you're essentially playing ping pong in the dark. You might occasionally score, but mostly you'll just be swinging wildly. To save yourself years of frustration, sub-optimal gains, and...

The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy expenditure above the body's resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for use and storage. Basically, your body has to burn calories to break food down. Your system has to work much harder to assimilate nutrients that aren't...

Gaining weight is a full-time job – NOT a hobby. At IFAST, we've got a slew of high-school football players whose goal is to get bigger and stronger for the upcoming season. Some are moving from defensive back to linebacker while others are moving from linebacker to the defensive line. The...

"CALORIES DON'T MATTER ON KETO!" Wrong. Caloric intake above maintenance will still cause fat gain. One of the most misleading statements about keto diets is that calories don't matter as long as you're not consuming carbs. This stems from the insulin-to-obesity theory. It goes something like...

It's that time of year, when even the most anti-cosmetic guy thinks a little bit less about his lifting totals and a little bit more about how he looks in his spandex lifting suit. If that just made you throw up in your mouth, or made you want to punch me in the face, you don't have to keep...

LAST TO BURN, FIRST TO COME BACK Most people have body fat trouble spots, even bodybuilders and fit people. You know what I'm talking about: the annoying pouch of fat just below your belly. Or that fold of flab protruding above your jeans like one of those oversized muffins you see at gas...

When it comes to losing weight, there are a lot of myths out there. Do you struggle to lose weight even after cutting calories? What about unable to maintain that weight loss? Have you gained some weight back after each diet? Many may say metabolic damage is the culprit, and that you are...

Cardio is important for all health and fitness goals, but not all types of cardio are equal. While there are a dizzying array of cardio options — from walking to rowing to sprinting and more — for you to choose from, the best form of cardio for you depends on your current fitness status, any...

Although steady state cardio can be great for your overall health, it probably isn't the most effective way to lose weight. Here are four reasons why you should start your weight loss journey through diet and lifting weights instead of slaving away on a treadmill. Reason #1: Doing Cardio...

How to gain weight for bodybuilding If you want to get big and grow muscle, you really need to EAT. And we’re not talking protein shakes and snacks between meals – we’re talking 5+ meals a day, six eggs for breakfast, shakes containing 1200+ kcals apiece. If you’re a hard gainer looking to bulk...

by K. Aleisha Fetters, C.S.C.S. Nutrition experts used to debate whether you should eat three big meals or five little ones per day. (Okay, maybe they’re still debating it…) But another foodie fight has recently stolen the spotlight: fasting. As in eating just one meal per day on some days—if...

by Lauren Del Turco, CPT For plenty of people, calories are king. We watch, count, and talk about calories an awful lot—but is there a difference between a PopTart calorie and a broccoli calorie? And do we really need to whip out our calculators every time we sit down for a meal? First things...

by Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N. Poor potatoes—they’re so misunderstood. People think that because taters are white in color and contain carbs that they’re an unhealthy food. But that just ain’t true! First, let’s talk about this ‘avoiding white foods’ myth that seems to be everywhere. We always hear...

by Lauren Del Turco, CPT We all strive to eat a balanced diet—but figuring out what that ‘balance’ actually looks like? Not so simple. That’s where the ‘80/20 rule’ comes in. The popular eating philosophy brings some much-needed structure to healthy eating, which can so often be hard enough to...

by Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N. As much as we may love them, carbs get a bad rap. And that’s probably because they’re a little confusing. Carbs are our body’s primary energy source, and whole-food sources of carbs (like whole grains, fruit, veggies, yogurt, and legumes) also provide a variety of...

by Isadora Baum Some nights you just really need a comforting, hearty bowl of pasta. We’re talking about that good sauce, fresh basil, and a hefty grating of Parmesan. But when you’re cutting back on carbs or watching your weight, those heavenly noodles can really add up. A two-ounce serving of...

by Kelsey Butler Though our kitchens haven’t quite gone full Jetsons on us, we can thank technology for the slew of meal and food delivery services helping us make our trips to the grocery store a thing of the past. The meal kit business is now a $2.2 billion industry, and people across the...