Notes
0.45 kilogrammes = 1 pound (lbs) (kg)
Counting calories: Get back to the basics of weight loss
Calories are the most important factor in weight management. Check out what you can do to win the calorie war.
Regardless of the various diet plans available, weight control boils down to the number of calories consumed versus the number of calories expended.
Fad diets may claim that avoiding carbs or eating a mountain of grapefruit is the key to losing weight, but the truth is that if you want to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body uses.
So, how many calories do you require on a daily basis?
For adult women, the recommended calorie intake ranges from 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day. Men consume somewhat more calories, ranging from 2,200 to 3,200 calories per day.
Your calorie requirements are likely to be at the lower end of the spectrum if you are moderately sedentary or older. You may be closer to the top if you are physically active, pregnant, or breastfeeding.
Calories are the body’s fuel.
Calories are the amount of energy in a given amount of food. Your body is constantly in need of energy and relies on calories from food to keep running. Calories provide energy for everything you do, from fidgeting to marathon running.
Carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins are the three categories of nutrients that contain calories and provide your body with energy. Calories you consume are either turned into physical energy or stored as fat in your body, depending on where they originate from.
Unless you use up these stored calories, either by limiting calorie intake so that your body must rely on reserves for energy or by increasing physical activity so that you burn more calories, they will remain in your body as fat.
Tipping the Scale
Your weight is a delicate balancing act, but the formula is straightforward: eat more calories than you expend, and you will gain weight. You lose weight if you eat fewer calories and burn more calories through physical activity.
In general, cutting 500 to 1,000 calories from your daily diet will result in a weekly weight loss of roughly 1 pound (0.5 kilos).
It appears to be straightforward. It’s more complicated, though, since when you lose weight, you normally shed a mix of fat, muscle, and water. Additionally, due to changes in the body as a result of weight loss, you may need to reduce calories even more to maintain your weight loss.
Calorie restriction
Calorie reduction necessitates change, but it does not have to be difficult. These modifications can have a significant impact on how many calories you consume:
- avoiding high-calorie, low-nutrient foods
- Substituting lower-calorie foods for high-calorie foods
- Portion size-reduction
Reducing high-calorie, low-nutrition foods, you can save calories.
When it comes to calorie reduction, skipping one or two high-calorie items is an excellent place to start. You could, for example, forego your morning cappuccino, lunchtime drink, or that bowl of ice cream you typically eat after supper.
Consider what you eat and drink on a daily basis and see if there are any items you could eliminate. If you’re worried that foregoing your indulgence would leave you needing anything, try a low-calorie alternative.
Substituting lower-calorie foods for high-calorie foods
When it comes to calorie reduction, simple substitutions can make a tremendous difference. Drinking low-fat milk instead of full-fat milk, for example, saves roughly 60 calories per glass. Instead of a full dish of rice, opt for a piece of fresh fruit. Instead of chips, snack on nuts.
Reducing the size of your portions
The amount of calories you consume is determined by the size of your meals. When you eat twice as much food, you consume twice as many calories.
It’s natural to underestimate how much food you consume, especially when dining out. Portion control is a wonderful strategy to keep calories under control.
A serving is not the same as a portion. The amount of food you put on your plate is referred to as a portion.
To minimise calories and control portion sizes, try the following suggestions:
Begin small. Take somewhat less than you think you’ll eat at the start of a meal. If you’re still hungry, eat some more fruits or veggies.
Plates, not packages, should be used to eat from.
Use a smaller plate or bowl if possible. When you eat directly from a container, you have no idea how much you’re eating. You’re more conscious of how much you’re eating when you see food on a plate or in a bowl.
Look at the food labels. Make sure you double-check the serving size and calorie count on the Nutrition Facts tab. You might discover that the modest bag of chips you eat every day with lunch is actually two portions, not one, resulting in twice the calories you assumed.
Use a calorie counter to keep track of your intake.
Look for credible resources that provide calorie counting tools, such as websites or smartphone apps.
Putting everything together
Cutting calories and improving weight control can be as simple as replacing high-calorie items with lower-calorie options and reducing portion sizes. You must also boost your physical activity to achieve an effective — and long-term — weight-loss plan.
The best way to acquire and maintain a healthy weight is to combine regular exercise and a healthy diet.
Original article by MayoClinic.