If you want to lose weight, you must start by knowing how to count calories. Everything we eat gives us some energy, and amount of this energy is measured in calories. For instance, a gram of carbohydrate or protein gives us 4 calories, but that of fat gives us 9. The food we eat is digested and stored in our body. Whenever we require energy, it is oxidized and energy is produced. If we eat more and burn less, eventually it will be stored in places like abdomen, thighs etc. To avoid this, one must check the amount he/she consumes and burns. In the following article, you will find out ways to count calories.

Calculating amount of calories:

For finding out how much calories you consume daily, you can search the internet for the caloric value of each food you consume and add them up. You can also carry a watch like device, which can tell you the exact amount of calories you eat. Repeat this for several days and take the average. This would be your average daily consumption.

Now, calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). It is the amount of calories your body needs to carry out internal processes, without taking any physical activities into account.

For male,

BMR= 660 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in years)

For female,

BMR= 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)

After that, on the basis of your Activity Level and BMR calculate your Active Metabolic Rate (AMR). It is the total amount of calories that your body burns daily, taking into account the physical work.

Activity level can be found out on the basis of nature of your work:

• Sedentary work- 1.2
• Light exercising- 1.375
• Moderate exercising- 1.55
• Heavy exercising- 1.725
• Very heavy exercising- 1.9

Using this information and your BMR, AMR is calculated using the formula:

AMR= BMR * Activity Level

So AMR gives the number of calories you should eat to maintain your weight. If you eat more than AMR, that means you consume more calories and burn less which would lead to storage of extra calories and hence gain in weight. To lose weight, you must try to increase AMR by enhancing your Activity Level and lower the daily intake by limiting the amount of calories you take.

For increasing Activity Level, do more fat burning activities and workouts. Find a list of calories burnt during each activity like swimming, jogging, walking etc on the internet. Take advice of a trainer and find out activities which are most effective in burning calories rapidly. You can also increase your metabolic rate by having meals more frequently. Instead of having three large sized meals daily, consume small ones but at a regular interval.

For lowering the amount of calories you intake, adopt healthy eating practices. Leave fast food and junk alone, and go for fresh fruits and veggies.

Learning how to count calories can be very beneficial

In this way, you can figure what exactly your body needs and thus what all you should do in order to lose weight successfully. For many, all the dieting and exercising goes in vain because they don’t realize the flaws in their plans. Keeping in mind above ways on how to count calories, you can make a flawless and sure shot plan for yourself.