Counting calories can help you achieve your fitness goals and help raise awareness of what is in your foods. Losing weight is attained through proper diet and regular exercise. Creating a calorie deficit will help you to effectively lose weight.
What is a Calorie?
Calories are found in food and drinks and supply our body with the energy needed to carry out basic functions such as hair and nail growth. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines a calorie as a unit of energy required to raise the temperature of one liter of water by one degree.
Calorie Requirement
Your body requires a minimum amount of calories to complete basic daily tasks. This daily calorie requirement is known as your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. The BMR is unique to each person based on her height, weight, age and gender. Free BMR calculators can be found online to determine your calorie intake recommendation.
Calories Consumed
Weight loss is attained by creating a calorie deficit through diet, exercise or a combination of both. To create a calorie deficit with diet, you must consume fewer calories than your BMR recommends. For example, someone who requires 2,000 calories and eats 1,500 calories will create a 500 calorie deficit. If you repeat this for seven days, you will burn off 3,500 calories or 1 lb. of fat.
BMR Adjustment
You will need to adjust your BMR as your body changes. BMR will be affected by changes such as weight loss, weight gain and aging. Also, you will become more efficient at the exercises you perform regularly over time, notes CaloriesPerHour.com. You must add variety or raise intensity often to help you continue to see weight loss results.
Food Choices
Include whole, natural foods to your diet to boost your metabolism and aid in weight loss. Add lean meats, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables to your diet to supply your body with nutrients and increase metabolic functions. Avoid processed foods such as crackers, chips and other foods with little to no nutrition.
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