Calories

Much has been made about carbohydrate grams or fat grams and how they fit into weight loss diets. While both types of diets can be safe and can lead to successful weight loss, the real key to losing and maintaining weight is to watch those calories.

A calorie is a measure of energy. We use calories to measure the amount of energy available in the foods we eat and the amount of energy we burn with our activities of daily living and with extra physical exertion.

Why are calories important? The less food you eat the few calories you take in and the more active you are, the more calories you burn. When the number of calories you take in is less than the number of calories you burn, you will lose weight. When you consume more calories than you burn, then the energy from those extra calories is stored as fat.

Learn more about calories with these articles.

Poll: Which type of diet do you think is the healthiest?

• Low fat diet
• Low carb diet
• Low calorie diet

• View Poll Results

Related Resources:

• Calorie and Nutrient Guide
• Body Mass Index Calculator
• How Healthy Is Your Diet?