Calories measure the energy in 1 gram of food. Fats provide 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and proteins each have 4 calories per gram of food. While some diet plans may instruct you to keep track of only one type of nutrient, the fact remains that your body takes in calories from all of the food you eat, whether you keep track or not.
Caloric Balance
Your body uses the food you eat in three ways: through exercise, normal daily activities and bodily functions such as breathing and digestion. If your weight is stable, you are taking in no more and no fewer calories than your body needs each day. If you want to lose weight, you must create a deficit of calories by consuming fewer calories than your body needs. To lose 1 lb. in a week, for example, you must create a deficit of 3,500 calories, or 500 calories per day by eating less, exercising more, or both, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Body Mass Index
Your BMI or body mass index, a calculation derived from your height and weight, helps to determine if you need to lose weight to improve your health. If your BMI is between 25 and 29, for example, you are considered overweight. If it is 30 or above, you are considered obese. Your health care provider or a nutritionist can help you to determine if you need to lose weight and, if so, how many calories you should consume each day to reach that goal.
Tracking Calories
Tracking your daily caloric intake helps with weight loss in several ways. Recording what you ate, the amount, and the calorie value after each meal gives you a more accurate picture of your intake than simply trying to estimate it. If you review your food journal each day, you can identify patterns that may make weight loss more difficult, such as snacking in the evening or over-eating at dinner after fasting all day. Self-monitoring, the habit of keeping track of calories and activity, may account for at least 25 percent of weight loss success, which is defined as losing at least 10 percent of weight and keeping it off for at least a year, says psychologist and weight-loss researcher Daniel Kirschenbaum, Ph.D.
Food Journals
To record your caloric intake, choose a system that works for you. A simple, downloadable form such as the food diary available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, or an automated tracker available at the My Pyramid website, may suit your needs. For the best results, record each meal and snack immediately after you finish, and total your caloric intake at the end of each day.
References
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Obesity
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Balancing Calories
- MayoClinic.com: Counting Calories: Get Back to Weight Loss Basics
- "Monitor on Psychology;" Bringing More Effective Tools to the Weight-Loss Table; Leigh E. Rich; January 2004
- USDA: MyPyramidTracker.gov
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