Calories

Calories are the units used to measure the amount of energy in the food and drink we consume. This energy comes from the nutrients carbohydrate, fat, protein and alcohol. Each of these nutrients contain their own amount of calories (kcal) per gram:

As you can see above, fat has the most calories per gram. This is why if you eat a lot of foods that are high in fat you will consume more calories and are likely to gain weight.

If you are trying to lose weight, it is useful to have an understanding of the amount of calories in the food and drink you consume. It is also useful to have a realistic expectation of the amount of calories to cut down upon and what weight loss you should expect. If you are currently gaining weight, it indicates that you are consuming more energy than your body requires. This is easily done; for example, if you consume just 100 calories per day more than you need for 1 year, this is equal to 36,500 excess calories. This could mean a weight gain of around 5kg (10lb).

The amount of calories a person should eat or drink depends on a number of different factors. These include age, gender, physical activity levels and whether you are trying to lose, maintain or gain weight. It is possible to get a more accurate idea of your calorie needs by speaking to a registered dietitian. The guideline daily amount (GDA) for calories for a female is 2000, and 2500 for men. Both the Carbs & Cals and the Carbs & Cals & Protein & Fat books list the calorie content of food, making it easy to keep track of your intake. The books provide a very simple way of seeing how you can reduce your calorie intake. For example, by swapping a steak pie and oven chips for chicken curry, you can save 324 calories:

Both books contain lots more useful information on recommended daily intakes. Carbs & Cals gives additional information about carbohydrate counting and diabetes, while Carbs & Cals & Protein & Fat focuses on healthy eating and weight loss guidelines, as well as some top tips on nutrition and weight control.