Calories measure the amount of energy you put into your body through food, as well as the amount of energy expended by exercise, movement and autonomic body systems. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that calories eaten are used as fuel to run the body, while excess calories are stored as fat. Calories are present in three types of nutrients: protein, carbs and fats. There are about 4 calories in every gram of protein and carbohydrates, and approximately 9 calories in each gram of fat. Alcohol has about 7 calories per gram.
Step 1
Figure out what your ideal caloric intake should be to set up a guideline for calorie intake and output. Use an electronic calorie indicator like one provided by the Mayo Clinic to get an idea of how many calories you should take in to maintain your current weight, or lose or gain additional pounds.
Step 2
Devise a plan for how many calories you want to consume and expend prior to setting up your diet. If you need to lose weight, consider that about 3,500 calories is equal to one pound of fat. Cutting 500 calories from your diet each day will provide one pound of weight-loss per week. Add 500 calories per day to gain one pound per week.
Step 3
Set up a journal to record the number of calories you consume each day and what exercise you do. Use an online program that provides you with calorie counts for everyday foods and drinks, restaurant dishes and brand name products such as Fitwatch or A Calorie Counter. Write down the numbers in a paper journal if that is more your style.
Step 4
Prepare your menus for each day ahead of time. Many people make a plan for a week at a time, while others prefer to set up a meal plan at the start of each day. Use your calorie goal as a guide and devise a healthy menu that divides the calories into categories. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that healthy adult diets should include between 20 and 35 percent of the daily caloric intake from fat, 10 to 35 percent of the calories from protein sources, and 30 to 70 percent from carbohydrates, which includes both complex carbs and dietary fiber.
Step 5
Measure the amount of calories you burn from exercise. There are a calculators available online such as NutriStrategy that provide calorie counts for everything from one hour of shooting hoops to stationary cycling, cooking, ice fishing and golf.
Member Comments