Staying healthy requires losing weight or taking measures to maintain weight. Calories play a large role in body weight, including the percentage of body fat. Eating fewer calories than you burn can help you lose excess weight; conversely, consuming more calories than you burn can lead to an increase in body fat. Calorie counters are useful tools that help you monitor the amount of calories you consume every day.
Calories
Calories are units of measurement that indicate the amount of energy in different foods. Your body uses calories from a variety of food components, including carbohydrates, fats and proteins, to provide fuel for energy. The National Diabetes Education Program recommends that adults who weight between 175 and 215 lbs. lose weight by restricting their daily caloric intake to 1,500 calories, while restricting daily fat consumption to about 42 g each day.
Calorie Counters
Calorie counters come in different forms, including electronic calculators and written lists in books. Calorie counters list the amount of calories in many varieties of foods. This type of tool provides valuable information for dieters monitoring caloric intake, supplying the calories, as well as the serving size, for foods. Electronic and online counters let you enter your food choice and serving size, and provide the amount of calories in your selection. Some calorie calculators allow you to enter your current weight, height and level of activity, providing the amount of calories you should consume each day to lose weight. Text-based --whether online or in books or periodicals -- calorie counters normally provide a list of foods that allow you to look up your choice and read over to the column that contains the calorie measurement.
Features
In addition to calories, some calorie counters provide measurements for a variety of nutrients as well, such as grams of fat, protein and carbohydrates in food sources. And while food calorie counters measure the calories in servings of food, exercise calorie counters provide valuable information regarding how many calories you may burn during various activities.
Benefits
Calorie counters can help you determine what to order when dining out, as well as help you determine which types of foods to include in your diet plan and shopping list. Using a calorie counter that provides the number of calories burned during exercise can help you balance your calorie consumption against your calorie expenditure.
Expert Insight
Use a calorie counter to help you choose nutritionally dense foods. These foods provide nutrients like vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and fiber, without adding excess calories to your diet. The National Diabetes Education Program recommends eating a variety of foods that include fruits, vegetables, dairy products and lean sources of protein.
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