What is calorie counting
Every food and beverage item we consume, contains calories. The energy a food item/beverage provides is measured in calories and the amount of calories in each food item is available in today”s time which helps us to keep a track on how much calories we are consuming.
How much calories should i consume?
The answer to this question depends on the following points
- Your lifestyle ( sedentary, moderately active, highly active)
- Your goal ( lose weight, maintain weight, gain weight)
- Gender ( generally men require more calories than women
Active people burn more calories than those who lead a sedentary lifestyle and need to consume more calories.
An average woman needs to eat about 2000 calories per day to maintain, and 1500 calories to lose one pound of weight per week. An average man needs 2500 calories to maintain, and 2000 to lose one pound of weight per week.
Calorie tracking and weight loss
Tracking your caloric intake can play an important role during your weight loss journey. Weight loss depends on 1 simple rule i.e. caloric deficit.
Caloric deficit
A caloric deficit is any shortage in the amount of calories consumed relative to the amount of calories required for maintenance of current body weight. A deficit can be created by reducing input/calories consumed. A deficit can also be created by increasing output without a corresponding increase in input.
When you create a caloric deficit your body is forced to meet this energy shortfall using stored energy from body fat (stored fat), muscle protein (stored protein) or glycogen (stored carbs). So creating and maintaining a calorie deficit is the key challenge of weight loss.
Creating a caloric deficit
There are 3 ways to create a caloric deficit
1- By eating less. When you eat less calories than what you are supposed to then automatically you become in a caloric deficit.
2- Being active/ working out- When you exercise, your body burns calories and if you keep your eating habits constant then because of exercise you burn more calories which helps you to stay in caloric deficit.
3- Mix of 1 and 2 i.e. combine diet and exercise- this is the secret of most successful dieters. When you combine diet with exercise, becoming in caloric deficit becomes easier and you can reach your weight loss goals faster.
All calories are not the same!
Consuming calories from healthy foods or junk foods is not the same. Healthy foods contain fiber, protein and healthy carbs which keep you full for longer, do not spike insulin levels and help you to build muscle mass. Whole foods like oats, whole wheat chapatti, multigrain bread, eggs, paneer, chicken, fish, tofu, fruits, vegetables are examples of foods through which you should be consuming your calories.
On the other hand, consuming empty calories from junk foods provide you with a lot of calories without the benefits like keeping full for longer and spike your insulin levels. Since they do not contain any nutrients, you start feeling hungry again and tend to eat more.
How to count calories?
Counting calories is just a click away these days. All of us have smartphones and there are numerous apps in which we can enter name and quantity of food items and calculate the calories we are consuming.
Initially, calorie tracking can prove difficult and a big task. But once you get used to it, you will yourself get a rough idea and would be able to estimate the number of calories in various food items.
Tips for successful calories counting
Do not forget to include your snacks or nibbles during the day.
Make a habit of writing down everything. If a food item goes in your mouth, it needs to be recorded.
Do not spend huge amounts of money for calorie tracking tools. There is no need to buy the most expensive calorie tracker as there are a lot of decent apps available free of cost which would work just fine.
Buy a kitchen weighing scale. Since you need to know the correct quantity of food items you are consuming, investing in a kitchen weighing scale is a good idea to know the exact quantities and hence, being more accurate at calorie counting.
Health and fitness 