Calorie Counting 101
Nutritionists, dieticians, and healthcare professionals agree that healthy eating includes counting calories and sticking to a low-fat diet. These basics are essential for long-term healthy weight loss.
Losing weight by counting calories helps to build your knowledge and awareness of how many calories your body needs to function and what is in the foods you consume. Counting calories does not take a lot of time or effort; it's flexible enough to fit into most lifestyles and can accommodate personal preferences. Dieting by counting calories means there are no forbidden foods.
How Many Calories Does It Take?
A calorie is a unit of energy associated with food and dieting. A calorie is defined as the amount of energy, or heat, required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1°C. It is in effect the amount of potential energy that a food contains. The body uses this energy to live and breathe.
To lose weight, the amount of calories you consume must be less than the amount of calories you burn off during the day. Any calories your body does not burn are converted to fat. The amount of calories your body needs varies depending on your body type and size and the amount of energy you spend in a given day.
For weight loss, consuming 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day is recommended for most people, but if you're very physically active you may need a few hundred more calories to fuel your system. The general rule is to eat 300 to 500 calories less than you need each day to lose weight. This may translate into losing one to two pounds per week.
Losing weight and keeping it off is about making a change in lifestyle; it is better to lose slowly than to drop large amounts quickly that you can't keep off.
It is crucial to check with your doctor before beginning any weight-loss regimen, especially if it includes physical activity your body is not used to. Your doctor may have suggestions for how to proceed with your plan and can help you establish your goals.
The Food Pyramid
In 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled a new model of its decade-old food pyramid. The model, available at MyPyramid.gov, allows you to personalize your own pyramid based on age, gender, height, weight, and activity level. A related tool, the MyPyramid Tracker, provides an in-depth analysis of your diet and exercise routine and allows you to record your daily activities and food intake.
You can use the new pyramid to balance your diet. Figure out what foods you should have most of and incorporate them into your diet. Physical activity is also an important part of losing weight and keeping it off.
What Is a Healthy Diet?
A healthy diet is a well-balanced diet, and a well-balanced diet is important because it has a direct effect on your health. You want the right carbohydrates, high in fiber, water, vitamins, and minerals.
Fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes should make up the bulk of the calories you consume. They are high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. The rest of your calories should come from low-fat dairy products, lean meat and poultry, and fish.
Read nutrition labels. New labels require food companies to list trans fats on the labels to allow consumers to track how much they eat. Trans fats are a form of hydrogenated oil that has been linked to increased risk of heart disease. Some restaurants include nutrition information on their menus; this makes it simple for you to find healthy options when you eat out.
Desserts and Snacks
The more active you are, the more you can treat yourself to sweets. As long as your overall diet is low in fat and rich in complex carbohydrates, there is nothing wrong with an occasional cheeseburger or some ice cream. Just be sure to limit the frequency and the portion size.
View healthy eating as an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods — especially vegetables, grains, or fruits — that you don't normally eat. A healthy diet doesn't have to mean eating bland or unappealing foods.
