All foods you eat and drink contain calories. Calories are units of energy used by the body to perform functions of daily living. Determining caloric requirements is necessary to stay within a healthy weight range.
Significance
You will need to determine your daily caloric intake to determine how much food you should eat to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your current weight.
Benefits
Consuming the correct amount of calories ensures that your metabolism operates optimally to maintain or lose weight.
Function
Calories provide the energy necessary to perform daily functions, even while you're resting. As energy requirements increase, the amount of calories needed daily also increases.
Types
The allotted number of daily calories can be obtained from a variety of food groups, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vegetables, fruits, alcohol and dairy products.
Warning
Consuming too few calories can be counterproductive to weight loss goals, as your body will change its metabolism.
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