COUNTING CALORIES 101

What are calories?

A calorie, which is a unit of heat, is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water through 1 °C (equal to 4.1868 joules in metric units).

It is generally accepted that if you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories to force your body to make up this energy deficit by burning body fat – body fat being stored energy.

But does that mean you need to weigh and measure your food, calculating the number of calories you are eating, and track your daily activities to see how many calories you have burned?

Calories counting advantages:

Increases nutritional awareness – for someone who never really thinks about food, counting calories can teach food awareness which is the first step in making better food choices. Many calorie-counting neophytes are often surprised to discover just how many calories are in their favorite foods and drinks.

Provides nutritional targets – counting calories provides a means to restricting food intake that is tangible and trackable. Rather than simply “eating less”, a dieter can restrict food intake to a specific number of calories per day. This figure can then be adjusted to suit the individual’s needs.

Helps to quantify exercise – most people are aware that exercise is beneficial for weight loss but knowing approximately how many calories are used during a workout can be a useful motivator. Many people are surprised, however, how few calories an hour of exercise really uses. This helps to reinforce the idea that you “cannot outrun a bad diet” and that eating less is often easier than trying to exercise more.

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