Calorie Counting
How does calorie counting
work?
Calorie counting is just that! You count the number
of calories in everything that you eat and drink - if your daily
intake of calories is less than the amount your body needs, you'll
lose weight.
The chart to the right will give you an idea of the
amount of calories used by the average man and woman per day so if
you consume less than this, you'll start to see the pounds drop off.
Eat 500 calories a day less than those figures and
you should lose around a pound a week. As always, you should ensure
that you eat as balanced a diet as possible.
There are many books and websites which list the calories in
foods and drinks and of course take a look at the food packaging
which will show the amount of calories and other nutritional
information. As well as calorie counting, use this information to
make your diet healthier - avoid saturated fats and go for food with
low salt and low sugar options.
Once you've been on the diet for a week or two, it'll become
easier to follow as you'll get to know how many calories are in the
foods you like to eat. Many people find that
keeping a food diary helps
them with a calorie counting diet, at least in the initial stages.
What is a Calorie?
The calorie is the amount of energy required to heat 1gram of
water by 1degree centigrade. Just to confuse the matter however, in
diet terms what we refer to as calories are actually kilocalories or
the amount of energy required to heat a kilogram of water by one
degree (kcal).
Approx 3,500 kilocalories = 1 pound of body weight. When we refer
to calories on this site, we mean the food calorie or kcal.
The calorie works both ways so that the energy your body expends
doing everything from sleeping to jogging is also measured in
calories (kilocalories) for example sleeping will lose you 60-80
calories an hour while a jog for the same time will burn off 500-600
calories.
The amounts vary according to your bodyweight but the chart right
gives a rough idea for someone of 150 pounds (10 stone, 10lbs or 68
kg). If you're heavier than that, you'll burn more and less if
you're lighter.