Calories: Know Your Numbers
Of all the diet plans out there to lose weight, they all come down to one thing: the calorie. Whether it’s calories from protein or carbohydrates or chocolate, at the end of the day it is the number of calories you take in and those you burn off that make a difference in terms of weight loss, weight gain or weight maintenance. Calories in, calories out is the key. But not all calories are treated equal, so you still want to make healthy choices. Read on….
Are All Calories the Same?
The energy you get from food is measured using calories. Your body requires this energy source to keep you functioning. Energy from calories fuels your every action, much as gasoline powers your car.
The main food energy sources are carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The amount of energy in each varies: Proteins and carbohydrates have about 4 calories per gram, and fats have about 9 calories per gram. Alcohol also has calories, about 7 calories per gram.
Regardless of where they come from, calories you eat are either converted to energy or, if they’re not used as energy, they’re stored in your body as fat. Unless you use these stored calories – either by eating less so that your body must draw on reserves for energy or by increasing physical activity so that you burn more calories – this fat remains stored within your body.
How Many Calories per Day?
Understanding your body's energy requirements can guide your nutritional choices. A number of web calculators can help you determine your daily caloric needs, as well as determine how many calories you are burning through daily activity. Your caloric needs are based on your age, weight, gender and level of physical activity. But be careful. Not all calculators are from reliable sources or use appropriate scientific formulas. A nutritionist or personal trainer can get you the most accurate calculation.
Adding up the Calories
There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat. To lose one pound, you need to burn 3500 calories. So, if each day you cut 250 calories from your typical diet and burn off 250 calories through exercise (a total of 500 calories a day), you can lose approximately one pound a week.
Cutting calories does not have to be difficult. It might be as simple as forgoing one extra item a day, swapping foods or trimming serving sizes. The number of calories you save is likely to translate into pounds lost.
Burning Calories
Any physical activity burns calories. An average person (155 pounds) burns about 100 to 105 calories every 2000 steps. To be more accurate, however, you need to know your walking speed and the incline at which you are walking. Even working burns calories. Our average 155-pound person burns:
| Job | Calories per hour |
| Childcare worker | 211 |
| Housekeeping | 246 |
| Administrative assistant | 106 |
| Store clerk | 162 |
| PE teacher | 282 |
To burn more calories on the job, walk to work or park farther away. Use a pedometer to motivate yourself to take more steps. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Instead of calling a co-worker or using an email, walk to their office; it burns more calories.
Want to know how many calories you burned cooking dinner? Walking the dog? Mowing the lawn? This fascinating interactive tool tells you how many calories are burned during common activities.
Ten Weight-loss Myths That Can Ruin Your Efforts
Madelyn Fernstrom, nutritionist and director of the weight management center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, reviews some popular myths that sabotage our good intentions.
- Myth #1: You don’t have to count calories.
Definitely not true. According to Fernstrom, people tend to overestimate their physical activity and underestimate their calories. Don’t rely on eyeballing your caloric intake. Instead, every day write down what you eat, the calories and your physical activity. To make it easier to estimate your physical activity, wear a step counter.
- Myth #2: Always eat breakfast.
This does not mean that you have to pack in a huge meal right after you get up in the morning. But you should eat at least a couple of hours after you start your day. This structures your day and prevents you from being so hungry when you do eat that you overeat.
- Myth #3: Eat three times a day – don’t snack.
You can eat three times a day or six times a day, as long as you have the same caloric intake.
- Myth #4: Carbohydrates make you fat.
Carbohydrates are necessary for a balanced diet. Carbohydrates don’t make you fat – calories make you fat. It is often the sugar and fat hidden in refined carbohydrates (desserts, baked goods) that cause you to gain weight. Eat whole, unrefined carbohydrates (100% wheat breads and pastas) loaded with fiber. Just be careful what you put on them.
- Myth #5: Avoid fats.
Fat is twice as fattening as carbohydrates and proteins, but you don’t want to avoid them. Studies show that fat gives you a sense of fullness and adds flavor to foods. Eliminating fats from food may increase your hunger. Additionally, fats are required for certain metabolic functions that could be jeopardized.
- Myth #6: Cut out desserts.
Don’t deprive yourself. Deprivation is the downfall of all diets. Portion control is the key.
- Myth #7: Don’t worry about dieting – just exercise.
Exercise alone is not enough. It does not burn enough calories. The most successful approach is cutting calories nutritionally and exercising.
- Myth #8: Don’t weigh yourself.
Get on the scale! You need to keep yourself in check, so weigh yourself at least once a week.
- Myth #9: Never eat at night.
The truth is, calories don’t know time. What is important is how many calories you consume, not when.
- Myth #10: No snacking between meals.
Calories are calories. Snacks are not the culprit of our weight gain, calories are. Your choice of snacks and how they add to your overall calorie intake for the day make the difference. Choosing an apple instead of a candy bar saves you calories and is a healthy snack that will keep you from feeling hungry.
Don’t look at counting calories and steps as another task you have to do. Instead, look at these changes you need to make for weight loss and management as lifestyle changes that will be with you for the rest of your life.
If you learn the proper skills that help you limit and burn off calories, you will soon be making healthier choices and be well on your way to a healthier, trimmer you!
AARP Resources
Eating Right
Is your diet healthy? The government's dietary guidelines will help you adjust your own diet.
Size Does Matter – Master Portion Control
Understanding portion size and portion control will help you manage your weight.
Diets Debunked
AARP compares the nation’s most popular diets and gives you tips on how to lose weight the healthy way.
Additional Resources
American Cancer Society
This reliable online calculator estimates your daily calorie needs.
Department of Health and Human Services: Obesity Education Initiative
A reliable online calculator that allows you to determine your body mass index (BMI) and determine suggested weight loss to reach healthier weight.
National Institutes of Health – Weight Control Information Network
This site provides basic information about obesity: What is it? How is it measured? What causes it? What are the health risks? What can you do about it?
Books
Find these books online at Barnes & Noble.
Nutrition Sense: Counting Calories, Figuring Fats and Eating Balanced Meals
Linda Bickerstaff, Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2005
Nutrition: An Applied Approach, My Pyramid Edition
Janice Thompson and Melinda Manore, Pearson Education, 2005
If Not Dieting, Then What?
Rick Kausman, Allen and Unwin Pty, Limited, 2005
