211/365 Negative Calories?

Friends and Fitness Enthusiasts,

As I munched on my celery stalks today, I thought about the term "negative calories" which is often associated with them. What are negative calories and do they even exist?

The calories we use throughout the day can be broken down into three categories: basal metabolic rate (heart rate, breathing, and staying warm), digesting food, and physical activity. BMR accounts for 60-70% of the calories you use; the latter two make up the remaining percentage depending on what you do.

The so called "negative calories" are found in foods that have such little caloric value that digesting them leaves you with a minimal amount of consumed calories. A negative calorie is not something that will make you burn more calories just by eating it. So, if you have some cucumbers, you're not suddenly going to burn calories and putting you at some sort of deficit. Exercise however could be thought of as a negative calorie, something that uses your energy.

I don't think that negative calories exist and that it should be stricken from our memory so as to avoid any confusion or misdirection.

In case you are curious about your BMR, here's a formula I found:

Males: 66 + (13.7 x Weight*) + (5 x Height**) – (6.8 x Age)

Females: 655 + (9.6 x Weight*) + (1.7 x Height**) – (4.7 x Age)

*Weight in kg = weight in lbs/2.2
**Height in cm = height in inches x 2.54
Age in years

In health,

Lauren