In the health and fitness world, concepts get confused and conflated on a regular basis. It’s the unfortunate reality of this industry that, when the opportunity arises to make a quick buck, many people will do so by selling false information or taking shortcuts.

A casualty of this phenomenon is the distinction between burning fat and burning calories. These two processes are often talked about as if they’re one and the same, but they’re certainly not. In fact, they’re quite different – and understanding the difference is critical if you want to achieve your fitness goals.

Ready? Let’s dive into the details. 

Before we get too far, it’s important to clear up a common misconception: calories and fat are not the same thing. 

A calorie is a unit of measurement that denotes the amount of energy in a given food. When you eat or drink something, your body expends this energy in order to digest and absorb the nutrients. The number of calories you need per day depends on factors like your age, gender, activity level, and more.

Fat, on the other hand, is one of the three macronutrients that make up the foods we eat. The other two are carbohydrates and protein. Fat is essential for human health – it’s involved in hormone production, cell growth, and vitamin absorption, among other things. Like calories, the amount of fat you need varies depending on your individual circumstances.

Most people need between 25-35% of their daily caloric intake to come from fat.

Did you know that we are burning calories every single minute of our lives – even if we’re doing absolutely nothing? Your common sense may protest against this fact, considering that you don’t feel like you’re “working” when you’re lying in bed or watching TV. 

Often, this misconception comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of what calories are and why we need them. Calories aren’t just things that you count in order to make sure you’re not eating too much; they’re units of energy that our bodies need in order to perform basic functions.

This process is known as basal metabolic rate, or BMR. It’s the number of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight and support vital functions like heart rate, respiration, and cell growth. 

For most people, BMR represents 60-70% of their daily caloric expenditure. The rest comes from physical activity, whether that’s intentional exercise or simply moving around throughout the day.

So, when we talk about “burning calories,” what we’re really talking about is using up energy. And this process happens all the time, even when we’re not aware of it.

Now that we understand a bit more about calorie burning, let’s talk about fat burning. 

Contrary to popular belief, your body does not preferentially burn fat over other energy sources. In other words, if you’re eating a balanced diet and getting enough exercise, your body will burn calories from all sources – fat, carbohydrates, protein, etc. – in order to meet its energy needs.

However, there are certain activities and lifestyles that can promote more fat burning than others. For example, interval training or short bursts of high-intensity activity followed by periods of rest has been shown to be more effective at burning fat than steady-state cardio.

The main rule of thumb to remember is that, for fat burning to occur, your body needs to be in a calorie deficit. This means that you’re expending more energy than you’re taking in through food and drink. 

Some health gurus will attempt to sell you on the idea of “fat-burning foods” or other miracle solutions, but the bottom line is that fat burning cannot occur without a calorie deficit.

When you enter caloric deficit, your body starts to break down stored fat for energy. This process is known as lipolysis, and it’s the reason why weight loss typically comes from a combination of both fat and muscle mass. 

Thanks to diet culture, we as a society are highly aware of the caloric content of the foods we eat. We count calories, we obsess over them, and we often equate “eating less” with “being healthier.” While it’s true that consuming fewer calories can lead to weight loss, it’s important to understand what happens to your body when you’re in a calorie deficit. 

First and foremost, your body is not stupid. It is very good at adapting to changes in its environment, and it will quickly adjust to a new calorie intake. This is why most “crash diets” or quick weight-loss schemes don’t work in the long run; your body simply adjusts to the new normal and stops burning extra calories.

With a gradual reduction in calorie intake, however, your body has time to adapt slowly. This is why sustainable weight loss is typically a slow and steady process.

So, what does it take to actually burn fat? Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there about the best way to do it. Let’s clear some things up.

Despite what overnight health experts will tell you, there’s no such thing as “spot reduction.” You cannot target specific areas of your body for fat loss; when you lose weight, it will come from all over. This isn’t to say that you can’t tone specific areas with targeted exercises, but those exercises won’t directly lead to fat loss in that area.

Exercise is certainly important for overall health and weight loss, but you don’t need to go all-out every time you hit the gym. In fact, there is little evidence to conclusively say that high-intensity workouts are more efficient at fat burning than medium-intensity exercises.

Your best bet is to take part in a variety of different types of exercise – both cardio and strength training – and to mix up your intensity levels.

It’s true that consuming too much fat can lead to weight gain, but that doesn’t mean you need to avoid all fat altogether. In fact, some types of fat are actually good for you! 

Healthy fats like Omega-3s help support cardiovascular health, joint function, and more. Just be sure to limit your overall caloric intake and focus on consuming healthy fats rather than unhealthy ones.

The theory behind this one is that eating small meals more often will keep your metabolism going and help you burn more fat. However, there’s no evidence to support this claim. As long as you’re getting the right mix of nutrients, it doesn’t matter how many times or how frequently you eat throughout the day.

As mentioned, entering a caloric deficit is crucial for weight loss. However, the quality of the calories you consume is also important. It’s important to focus on eating whole, nutritious foods most of the time and using moderation with less healthy choices.

The conflation of burning fat vs burning calories has led to a lot of myths and misconceptions about weight loss, which is why it’s important to understand the difference between the two. Hopefully, this article has helped clear some things up!

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