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Thursday, August 31, 2006

Calorie Counting for Weight Loss

Starting to Calorie Count

According to the British Nutrition Foundation* "For weight loss, the energy intake from food must be less than the energy output".

This is why calorie counting is the most effective weight loss method. It goes straight to the heart of the problem - no fad diets, pills or special eating plans are necessary.Losing weight through calorie counting is relatively easy.

You won't have to put normal life on hold while calorie counting. Added benefits are that calorie counting raises your awareness of what your body needs; educates you about what's in what you eat, and helps you learn how to eat healthily for life.

First you'll need to work out how many calories you need each day to maintain your current weight, and how many to lose weight at a rate of 1-2lbs a week.

One pound of body weight is equivalent to 3500 calories. So in order to lose one pound of weight, we need to create a calorie-deficit of 3500 calories.

We can do this by increasing our calorie expenditure, by reducing our calorie intake, or (best) by a combination of both.

Example
  • Suppose you need 2000 calories a day, in order to maintain your present weight.
  • To lose one pound a week, you need to cut your daily calorie intake to 1500 calories.
    Over 7 days, this adds up to 3500 calories.
  • The same result can be achieved by increasing your exercise by 200 calories/day, and reducing your calorie-intake by 300 calories/day.
  • That said, a combination of calorie-reduction and increased exercise makes weight loss easier to sustain.

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