Watch the calories!
If you want to control your weight it is calories that count
We have all heard of ‘counting the calories’, but what does that actually mean? All energy, from food to battery power, is measured in calories. A calorie is a unit of energy that is defined by the amount of energy or heat it takes to increase the temperate of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
While an average woman needs 1800 to 2000 calories a day and the average man 2000 to 2200 depending on their level of activity, when you want to lose weight you need to eat less and move more.
The principle factor in weight control is controlling how much you eat so that the energy you consume is equal to or less than the energy you expend. While it is true that some types of food, such as those high in protein or fibre, will keep you feeling fuller for longer therefore reduce the risk of over eating, remember that if you want to control your weight it is calories that count.
The calories you eat each day need to provide the energy and nutrients to enable you to train and work. Ideally your daily diet should include and good mix of the following: carbohydrates for energy; fats, also for energy; minerals to power the cells and functions of our bodies; proteins, for muscle repair and growth; fibre to clean our digestive system; vitamins, for our bodies’ chemical processes; and water, to enable our body to work.
