Counting Calories: The Basic to Weight Loss

I have come to understanding that of all the dieting strategies out there, it is still boils down to calories. Well, you must be asking, "what the heck is calories?". Generally speaking, calories are fuel to your body. It is like petrol to keep a car moving, i.e.: to keep your body functioning.

Scientifically, calories are the energy in food. Human body has a constant needs for energy and uses calories from food to keep the body functioning and fuel our actions. The main sources for human body are carbohydrates, proteins and fats and these are the main sources of calories. The amount of energy in each varies: proteins and carbohydrates have about 4 calories per gram and fats have a massive of 9 calories per gram. Oh by the way, alcohol is a source of calories too, providing about a whopping of 7 calories per gram. So be cautious ladies, drink sparingly.

So now, how do we loss weights by counting calories? Well, there are few methods to do so. First is by cutting down calories intake. The equation is simple, if you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weights and vice versa. Based on some of the research done on the internet, a nasty of 3,850 calories equals to about 500g of fats. Thus, you will need to burn 3,850 calories more than you take in to lose 500g of fats.

Mathematically sounds, if you cut 550 calories from your typical diet each day, you will lose approximately 1/2kg a week i.e.: 550 calories x 7 days = 3,850 calories. In fact, cutting down calories doesn’t have to be difficult. It is as simple as ABC like foregoing an extra item a day, swapping food or trimming serving sizes. The calories you saved will likely translate to kg lost.

In summary, these are the general guidelines on how to reduce intake of calories:

1. Cut out high calories foods and drinks.

Think of the things that you eat and drink each day and identify items that you could cut.

2. Choose lower calories foods.

For example, drink fat free milk instead of full cream milk or plain water instead of soft drinks. Besides that, you can try to have an extra serving of vegetable instead of an extra serving of meat at dinner.

3. Reduce your portion sizes.

The sizes of your food portion determine the amount of calories you’re getting. Therefore, twice amount of food translate to twice amount of calories. Try the following tip to reduce how much you eat and therefore how much calories you consume:

· Take smaller portions;
· See what you eat;
· Check food labels; and
· Don’t feel obligated to clean your plate.