Importance of Keeping Track of Food Intake for Weight Loss

Calories are an indication or a measure of the energy we get from food. Calorie requirement varies from person to person depending upon your body size and also the level of physical activity. Different foods provide different amount of calories.

Weight and calorie intake are closely related. To lose weight you need to consume less calories than what you burn in a day. This means that you have to create a calorie deficit. This can be done by decreasing your food intake, exercising or both. You can obtain greatest results when you alter your food consumption in case you are overeating and also exercise regularly.

Consider the math. One pound is equal to 3500 calories. For most people looking to lose weight the calorie consumption must be restricted between 1500 and 1700. Even if you cut down 200 calories per day then you can lose around 2 pounds in a month. You can easily cut down on these 200 calories by avoiding butter on toast, snacking and sugar laden sodas. The calorie intake should never fall below 1300 calories as it may affect nutritive value of the food. Your metabolism will also be affected adversely. In such cases your body may go into starvation mode. If you eat even a little more you tend to put on weight easily.

It is therefore essential that you keep track of your food intake. Self monitoring increases the awareness about your calorie consumption. This helps in losing weight. You can start by making a food chart and restricting calorie intake. It is better to eat five or six smaller meals rather than three heavy meals. When you eat larger meals you tend to consume more calories. It should have appropriate proportions of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats. Else you will lack on the nutrition front. The recommended calorie wise percentage is 50% carbs, 30% proteins and 20% fat.

Similarly if you want to increase your weight your weight you must eat more calories than what your body can burn off in a day. To maintain weight the calorie consumption must be equal to calorie burning.