People are more and more concerned about their weight and most have tried everything out there. One program that has always been tried and true is calorie counting. Picking up on how to reduce weight by calorie counting is simple but for some there is a learning curve. Once started it is quite a valuable tool for loosing and maintaining weight.
Every food out there has calories in it. Healthy food and junk foods alike. With a plan like this it is about controlling the amount of calories and looking at how many are in each type of food. Junk foods are naturally going to have higher amounts of calories. Healthier foods and fresh foods have less calories. One needs to remember that regardless of what they eat everything has calories and those calories need to be counted as “calories in”.
When people say “calories out” they are talking about any activity that burns calories. These activities can range from a full workout to just tying your shoes. Whether it is high impact or low impact, everything you do burns some amount of calories. Burning energy is what you want to be doing.
Balance becomes the key in daily counting. Keeping the balance between intake and output is essential. When these two things are in sync numbers will stay the same. When these two things become out of sync numbers differ. If intake is more than the output then numbers go up. If the reverse is true then numbers will go down.
Dietitians recommend that changes regarding any type of intake are made slowly. Anything above one or two pounds per week in the beginning is going to be too fast. Weekly weigh ins first thing in the morning will give accurate numbers if done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Progress may be slow in the beginning, but don’t be discouraged. If the pounds are not coming off activity may need to be increased to burn more calories. Another option is to decrease the number of calories that are being eaten. Once a balance is found that works, the end result should show a number of free calories. This number represents a reward of sorts when you have burned more than you have consumed.
About the author: Ken Smith will help you pick the best weight loss strategy. For weight loss advice; get his free tips on how to reduce weight.