Calorie Counting for Weight Loss
Weight loss can be challenging, particularly if you have a family history of obesity and are genetically predisposed to gain weight easily. How do you lose weight? When it comes to calories, it’s important to know the difference between weight loss calories and maintenance calories. For example, if you need 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight, then eating 1,500 calories will cause you to lose weight—but at the cost of making your body work harder in order to keep you alive and functioning normally. Take some time to understand how this process works with the tips below before starting your weight loss journey.
Calories In, Calories Out
What You Need to Know About Your Body Composition. When you are trying to lose weight, there are two important numbers you should know: 1) how many calories your body uses and 2) how many calories you need in order to maintain your current weight. You can find out these numbers through a variety of online calculators.
What is an Energy Balance?
Energy balance is based on a formula called 'Harris-Benedict'. In short, it's how many calories you burn versus how many calories you eat. If you're eating less than your body needs, it will start burning fat to make up for what you're not getting from food. However, if you eat more than your body needs, it stores these extra calories as fat. It's important to remember that energy balance isn't linear and doesn't apply to everyone - it's quite possible to overeat and still not gain weight if your activity levels don't increase in step with food intake. Energy balance is often referred to as caloric restriction.
What is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?
Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is essentially your body’s base level of metabolism. This is how many calories your body burns when it’s at rest: 8 hours of sleep + 8 hours of being awake and doing the work-related activity. About 30-35% of your daily calorie intake will be spent on these base activities. If you want to lose weight, you need to expend more calories than you take in. The fastest way to do that? Exercise!
How Many Calories Should I Burn Daily?
In order to lose weight safely and efficiently, you must burn more calories than you consume. There are a number of calculators available online that can help you estimate how many calories you burn each day; just type how many calories should I burn daily into Google and do some simple calculations based on your age, weight, gender, height, and activity level. A dietitian or nutritionist can also help calculate your ideal caloric intake.
How Can I Calculate My BMR?
Body mass index (BMI) is used to measure whether you’re a healthy weight for your height. You can use it to estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR)—the number of calories you burn in a day, resting. To calculate it, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms and multiply that by 3.5 for men and 3.3 for women—these figures represent an average from a variety of sources—to obtain calories burned per day at rest.
Nutritional Values
Food labels provide a wealth of information, but how do you make sense of it all? The following table breaks down some common foods and beverages to help you better evaluate what you're eating. Food labels provide a wealth of information, but how do you make sense of it all? The following table breaks down some common foods and beverages to help you better evaluate what you're eating.
Calories In, Calories Out
What You Need to Know About Your Body Composition. When you are trying to lose weight, there are two important numbers you should know: 1) how many calories your body uses and 2) how many calories you need in order to maintain your current weight. You can find out these numbers through a variety of online calculators.
What is an Energy Balance?
Energy balance is based on a formula called 'Harris-Benedict'. In short, it's how many calories you burn versus how many calories you eat. If you're eating less than your body needs, it will start burning fat to make up for what you're not getting from food. However, if you eat more than your body needs, it stores these extra calories as fat. It's important to remember that energy balance isn't linear and doesn't apply to everyone - it's quite possible to overeat and still not gain weight if your activity levels don't increase in step with food intake. Energy balance is often referred to as caloric restriction.
What is Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)?
Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is essentially your body’s base level of metabolism. This is how many calories your body burns when it’s at rest: 8 hours of sleep + 8 hours of being awake and doing the work-related activity. About 30-35% of your daily calorie intake will be spent on these base activities. If you want to lose weight, you need to expend more calories than you take in. The fastest way to do that? Exercise!
How Many Calories Should I Burn Daily?
In order to lose weight safely and efficiently, you must burn more calories than you consume. There are a number of calculators available online that can help you estimate how many calories you burn each day; just type how many calories should I burn daily into Google and do some simple calculations based on your age, weight, gender, height, and activity level. A dietitian or nutritionist can also help calculate your ideal caloric intake.
How Can I Calculate My BMR?
Body mass index (BMI) is used to measure whether you’re a healthy weight for your height. You can use it to estimate your basal metabolic rate (BMR)—the number of calories you burn in a day, resting. To calculate it, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get kilograms and multiply that by 3.5 for men and 3.3 for women—these figures represent an average from a variety of sources—to obtain calories burned per day at rest.
Nutritional Values
Food labels provide a wealth of information, but how do you make sense of it all? The following table breaks down some common foods and beverages to help you better evaluate what you're eating. Food labels provide a wealth of information, but how do you make sense of it all? The following table breaks down some common foods and beverages to help you better evaluate what you're eating.