If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less than your body needs for cell regeneration and energy burns. If you eat more than the body needs, the extra food will be stored as a muscle, but it is mostly stored as fat. Counting calories makes it easier to lose weight on a diet. If you know the calorie content of food, you should avoid high-calorie foods and choose low-calorie foods that help you lose weight and satisfy your nutritional requirements. So, in this article, we will show you steps to count your calories.
What is a Calorie?
A calorie is the amount of energy used to increase the temperature by 1 gram of water to 1 degree Celsius. When we conclude that a carbohydrate like sugar has four calories per gram, we think it has 4 kilocalories per gram. This means that one gram of sugar has enough energy to raise the temperature of 1000 grams of water to 4 degrees Celsius. Calories in food are a measure of the energy content of the food.
Calorie Counting Basics
If you’re unsure how to count calories, the first place to start is your normal energy needs. That’s the number of calories you can eat every day. There are different ways to get a number. But many people choose to use an online calculator. If you don’t want to use BMR converters online, do the calculations yourself. This is how you measure your BMR. It’s different for both men and women:
- For women:
655 + (4.3 x Pound weight) + (4.2 x inch height)-(4.7 x age in years)
- For males:
66 + (6.3 x Pound weight) + (12.9 x inch height)-(5.8 x age in years)
You’re going to come up with a number. What does this number mean by that? This is the number of calories you’d burn if you lay in bed all day and didn’t do anything at all.
When you know how much calories you need to maintain your weight, you’re going to reduce the number to slim down. If you want to lose one pound a week, reduce your daily calorie requirements by 500 calories a day. If you’re going to lose two pounds a week, reduce your calorie needs by 1,000 calories a day.
Here are 10 simple steps to count your calories correctly
Are you trying to lose weight? But you are not sure how much calories your diet contains. By following these easy steps, you can easily keep track of your calories. This will greatly help in your weight loss process.
1. Check each food item’s calorie content before purchasing it:
If it’s bread, snacks, or processed frozen food, check the number of calories per serving and pick the one with the lowest reading.
- When you’re younger, go shopping with your parents. It’s going to be a bonding experience, and you’ll be able to choose healthy, balanced meals for yourself, with dietary knowledge that you can understand.
- Pay attention to the scale of the serving. If the nutrition label says that the whole package contains about 4 servings, divide the whole package into 4 even groups. One group is equal to one serving group.
2. Plan meals with the right amount of calories instead:
Resisting the urge to eat fast food, plan what you’re going to eat every day. To keep you on track, buy the food you need to get through a few days or a week.
- Only initially, this workout will be more challenging because you’re not going to be very good at estimating which foods have calories. After a few weeks of being strict with yourself, you should be a pro at calculating how caloric those foods are.
3. Choose healthy foods
- Lean, white protein (chicken breast, fish, tofu) instead of dark meat;
- Colorful, healthy fruit and vegetables instead of dry fruit and vegetables
- Whole grain wheat (brown rice, whole grain bread) instead of refined grain (white rice, white bread)
- Almonds, seeds, and grains instead of sweets and candy
4. Drink lots of water:
Especially before meals. Water is essential for the protection of the organs of your body. It also takes some space in your stomach, suppressing your appetite. If you’re serious about losing weight, drink water and stay away from sweetened beverages like “energy” drinks, sodas, or fruit juices.
5. Look up calories on nutritional pages:
Not all foods have packets that show the number of calories, but many websites tell you the calories of almost any food.
6. Get the measuring spoons and cups out to keep the serving sizes correct:
This way, you’ll know that you’re putting a tablespoon of creamer in the coffee or 1⁄4 cup of cheese in the scrambled eggs.
7. Write down all that you eat and drink and record the number of calories per item:
You should use a digital spreadsheet program to make it simpler. Record what you eat (even on a piece of paper) and attach the details to your spreadsheet at the end of the day. Then, add the calories together. Not only does writing down help you stay motivated and on track, but it’s also useful to look back and see the calories of those things you eat regularly.
8. Expect it to get easier:
At first, when you don’t know the number of calories in any food item, counting calories takes a bit of time and analysis that can be difficult. But if you automatically know that the apple is 70 calories or that the favorite granola bar is 90 calories, it’s much easier.
9. Get a tally counter:
You can find them on most auction sites for less than $1 apiece. Increase the count every time you eat something (it’s more useful to make one click per 10 calories consumed).
Alternatively, many smartphones have apps available that will look up caloric values for you and calculate how many calories you should consume per day if you want to lose weight.
10. Be patient:
Don’t expect the weight loss program to happen overnight. Too often, people with really good intentions are discouraged right before they start to see real results. Had they kept with it for a little longer, they would have begun to reap the rewards. So stick with your program, believe it, and be patient. You owe that to yourself.
A Word From Very-well
It doesn’t matter how you count calories, whether you’re using high-tech apps or a simple pen or paper method. Try to be as consistent as you can. An accurate number will help you achieve the health or weight loss results you want.
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