All the talk and discussion around weight loss and muscle building niche are centered around body fat and calories. You find people looking up to the calorie count on every food carton and sometimes they even ask if the product is made for fat loss. However, if you happen ask that person to explain it then most of them give you a blank expression as if it is the most naive question that could be asked. Just try asking some very simple questions like how are calories stored in your body, what exactly does the term calories mean, what is the relationship between fat and calories, do you need body fat, what is the best way to maintain a good fat level. These questions are quite simple but will leave many of them in a troubled state of mind.

To clarify the above questions, here is a technical definition of calorie taken from a reputed bodybuilding course -'truth about building muscle'. According to it, "The technical definition of a food calorie (kilocalorie) is the amount of heat required to raise 1 kilogram (1 liter) of water 1 degree Centigrade. A calorie is simply a measure of heat energy. When food is burned, it releases certain amount of heat (energy). The more calories that are in a food, the more energy is be released when it is burned." This is a definition coming from a book that you can rely on.

Calorie is the word that is commonly used to quantify amount of energy stored in the food. Calorie also represents the how much energy is stored as body fat or adipose tissue and glycogen (stored carbohydrates). This should clarify in your mind that body fat and calories are very closely related. You can think of body fat as a reserve of calories maintained by the body for its various needs. Calories are burnt and used like a fuel by your body every time you need to do some activity. They are used as the energy source for your various muscle movements. When we say burn the fat, we mean doing an activity that accelerates that consumption process. However, this is also the reason why not all is bad and why your body needs fat to perform its essential functions. Without it your body is like a car without gasoline, and excess fat makes it like a tanker that neither looks good nor is of much use.

You need to understand the body fat balance equation. When you are idle and not working, your body's consumption of fat goes down and hence as a result you start accumulating it. If you do that for too long then get ready for becoming a fat tanker. On contrast, activity reduces that storage and keeps you in a better shape. The equation in itself is quite simple. The fat stored in body is equivalent to calorie intake by calorie spend subtracted.