"Empty calories can provide some immediate energy, but they can't be used to build muscle, supply vitamins, promote a sense of fullness or provide any other nutritional benefits," says Ramirez. "And any empty calories not used for energy will be stored as fat."
What happens when we take in more energy-providing nutrients than we need? In other words, what happens to those excess calories when we over-eat? As we know from personal experience, the excess is stored as body fat.
Too many calories in your diet, especially empty ones, can lead to weight gain. "Empty calories can be found in things like your candies and sodas, so those things don't really add much to our life," says Bonsall.
By solely consuming empty-calorie foods, your body will lack the essential nutrients it needs to function optimally. Nutrient deficiencies can lead to serious health issues.
It's almost an oxymoron, as empty calories most definitely contain calories. Empty-calorie foods are often ultra-processed or packaged foods, with labels that might contain a lot of artificial flavours or additives.
“Sure, you can have treats and sweets, but it's a slippery slope, and it's possible to fall into the trap of eating more and more empty calories,” says Muhlstein. “If you're training for a marathon or doing lots of physical activity, you can burn off the sugars, fats, and calories from these foods.
Not only is popcorn high in fiber, it even delivers some protein. A 1-ounce serving (about 3½ cups) has 4 grams of fiber, almost 4 grams of protein and clocks in at 110 calories. This combination makes it a snack with staying power with very few calories, which can help with weight loss.
If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. And if you eat fewer calories and burn more calories through physical activity, you lose weight. In the past, research found about 3,500 calories of energy equaled about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat.
Empty calories can damage your body. Foods high in saturated fat and sugar are linked to many chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Some of this is because they cause weight gain. But even if you don't gain weight, these foods cause problems like inflammation and insulin resistance.
Adults typically require between 1,600–3,000 calories per day. However, how many calories a person should eat in a day varies depending on a person's sex, age, height, and lifestyle. The definition of a calorie is the amount of energy necessary to raise the temperature of 1 gram (g) of water through 1° Celsius.
Skipping meals can also slow down your metabolism, which can lead to weight gain or make it harder to lose weight. “When you skip a meal or go a long time without eating, your body goes into survival mode,” Robinson says. “This causes your cells and body to crave food, which causes you to eat a lot.
A 2012 study at Oxford University found that the fat in your food ends up on your waistline in less than four hours.
"Empty calories can provide some immediate energy, but they can't be used to build muscle, supply vitamins, promote a sense of fullness or provide any other nutritional benefits," says Ramirez. "And any empty calories not used for energy will be stored as fat."
We know that overeating and cutting healthy foods out of our diets can be an issue for weight loss, but undereating is less commonly addressed. One of the signs of undereating is finding that you're not only not losing body fat, but you may actually be seeing some weight gain.
While factors such as age, gender, and activity level can cause caloric needs to vary, a 1,500-calorie intake is typically less than the average person requires.
Your Metabolism Will Slow Down to Store Fat
It kicks in to preserve and store fat for future energy. Research shows that this happens because the human body has evolved to value storing fat and energy and to interpret a shortage of calories as sign of distress.
Because of popcorn's high fiber content, its low calorie count and its low energy density, popcorn is considered to be a food that can aid in weight loss. For example, popcorn has been shown to make people feel fuller than a similar calorie amount of potato chips.
Sugar may even have an addictive effect. Studies suggest that it negatively impacts the same pathways in your brain that are hijacked by opioid drugs. All of this put together shows that sugar is not just another calorie source. It may be the single greatest metabolic insult that lies in your control!
Empty Calorie Foods
If our diet consisted solely on soda, white bread and candy, we would constantly feel hungry. Highly processed foods are often overeaten because they have no fiber and satiety.
Tips to cut back on added sugar: Toss the table sugar. Cut back on the amount of sugar you add regularly to beverages and foods including cereal, pancakes, coffee or tea. Try cutting the usual amount of sugar you add by half.
In fact, most zero-calorie foods are vegetables that are high in fibre, including Brussels sprouts, crunchy root vegetables, iceberg lettuce, and capsicum. As well as being important for a balanced diet, their fibre content can also promote feelings of satiety and help you feel full for longer.