Counting Calories

Those of you who are interested to lose weight fast may opt for one of the easiest solutions.  The solution is counting the calories.  The method is particularly effective when regular exercise and diet does not give you the desired results. However, do not think that this is some special method to be used by you.  It is just one of the supplements to your existing weight loss process.

Performing day to day activities mean energy consumption.  That is why your body needs energy on daily basis.  However, if you accumulated calories that go unburned during the day, they will be stored in your body causing weight gain.  For effective weight loss you require burning more calories than you consume.  The deficit will be matched by consumption of the fat stored in your body resulting in weight loss.

To make your diet effective and responsive to weight loss you must learn about the nutrient compositions of divergent food items and their calorie contents.  The top three components of any food are the proteins, carbohydrates and fat.  If you compose your diet with balanced amount of these items, it will be a healthy one.  One gram of protein, carbohydrate and fat produces 4, 4, and 9 calories respectively. Your diet should be balanced on the calculations using this information.

Preparation of healthy diet is largely dependent on the sources of energy.  The top three sources that provide highest calories are once again protein, fat, and carbohydrate.  They provide 15%, 25%, and 60% of calories and consequentially energies.  The ideal weight loss diet therefore should have low fat, low calorie, low sodium components and high in fiber components.

One of the major causes of weight gain is sodium rich foods.  They retain water and cause you gain weight.  Foods like fruits and vegetables that contain very low sodium component as well as low fat and calorie component do not retain water.  They are also rich in fiber.  Consumption of fiber reduces craving for food and detoxifies the body.  They also help remove the water in the body that is trapped in colon.