Calories -- knowing how to find them, how to count them and how to cut them, are key to lose weight on your own. Calorie counting is easy and effective. This article will help you understand what you need to know about calories.

The first step to losing weight by counting calories is to understand what a calorie is and how it applies to your weight. A calorie is a unit of measurement that measures the amount of energy contained in a food or beverage.

Your body uses caloric energy to perform everything from basic biological functions to typing on your keyboard or jogging around the block. We all have a certain caloric requirement needed to maintain our current weight; if you eat fewer -- or burn more -- calories than that, you will eventually lose weight. This is called a caloric deficit. A good rule of thumb is that a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories leads to a weight loss of approximately one pound. here is something called the Harris-Benedict formula that uses a mathematical formula to determine your caloric needs based on your sex, weight, and activity level; the result is known as your Basal Metabolic Rate. The U.S. government provides a chart of suggested daily caloric needs as part of the My Pyramid.gov Web site. Additionally, Calorie Count Plus allows you to type in your weight, activity level and weight loss goals and receive caloric intake recommendations when you sign up for a free account.

Once you know the number of calories you need in order to maintain your weight, you can create your own caloric goals for losing weight. It's up to you how many calories you cut from your daily diet. Remember, it takes a calorie deficit of 3,500 calories for you to lose a pound. Most people find it easiest and most effective to cut between 250 and 500 calories a day. Beware of cutting calories too low (below 1,200) as doing so can put your health at risk. Portion control is the most important step of calorie counting. You must begin measuring your food based on serving sizes in order to successfully count calories. For example, if a potato chip brand has 120 calories per serving, but you eat straight from the bag, how can you possibly know how many calories you have consumed? Adhering to the listed serving size is the key to tracking your caloric intake.

The simplest way to begin to track your portions is to buy and use a simple measuring cup. Many foods such as cereal and pasta are measured by the 1/2 cup or cup. Fluid ounces, such as a beverages, can also be measured with a measuring cup. Some foods such as peanut butter, pancake syrup, or jam are measured by the tablespoon. A few foods, such as stick margarine, can be difficult to measure with a spoon; a serving of margarine, for example, can be measured by using the "ruler" provided on the the product's packaging.

Other foods will list a serving as "x number of slices" or "x pieces" such a deli meat or candy, where you can simply count out the number of pieces that make a serving.

Some foods list a weight, such as an ounce, as a serving, which requires the use of a kitchen scale. However, if you search for that same food on a caloric database such as Calorie Count Plus, you may find an alternative form of measurement is provided, such as
alternative form of measurement a cups or "portion of package."


Lastly, many foods are available in "single serving" size packages. This means that you can eat all of the food in the package for the listed number of calories. It's important that you don't assume a package is a single serving. Look on the package's nutrition label and find the "servings per package" or "servings per container" section. If it says "1" then you do not need to measure or count the food to know your caloric intake. You can easily track your caloric intake online at Calorie Count Plus by searching for and saving the foods and beverages you eat and trackig your caloric intake with a feature called your "eat meter". Calorie Count Plus also helps you track the calories you burn with physical activity with the "burn meter".

If you don't have access to a computer at all times, buying a simple notebook and a book that lists calorie counts for many types of foods will work. (Simply write your calorie goal at the top and subtract the calorie content of each food or beverage you consume as the day progresses.) You may also want to consider starting a food diary to assess problem areas or emotional eating issues.

Review your daily diet as often as possible to identify ways to cut calories. It will probably be easy to find many "painless" ways to reduce your caloric intake. For example, if you are consistently going over your calorie goal by 100 calories, cutting out just one can of soda will eliminate that overage.

It's important that you identify foods to eliminate (or cut back on) with good nutrition in mind. A healthy diet is comprised of protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and some fat. Simply avoiding high-calorie foods such as sodas, candies, cookies, chips, and fried foods, will help you avoid many extra calories. Before you decide to eliminate or choose a particular food, consider its nutritional value.(In other words, don't cut out a glass of orange juice in favor of using those calories for a cookie!)

To ensure you are eating a healthy diet, you can use the dietary guidelines offered by the U.S. goverment MyPyramid.gov Web site or the American Diabetes Association exchange diet if you are diabetic. You may also find the About.com Nutrition site to be helpful.