Calorie Monitoring: How to Lose Weight Based on Science

Overview

The number of calories you consume is crucial for determining your weight, as well as your overall shape. Combined with macronutrient tracking, calorie monitoring is an extremely important habit that every one of us should be doing.

By estimating the number of calories you consume per day and the number that gets burned, you can effectively come up with a plan to lose weight in a short period of time.

In this article, we will discuss the major macronutrients, as well as how to keep track of your caloric intake.

The primary macronutrients in the body

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates, or sugars, are the primary source of fuel to the body; these compounds get catabolized into simpler forms of carbs, such as fructose and glucose, which are then integrated into various metabolic cascades.

One gram of carbs equals 4 calories.

Lipids (i.e., fats)

Contrary to what most people believe, not all lipids are harmful to the body. In fact, some of these molecules are a vital part of our cellular composition.

One gram of fat equals 9 calories.

Protein

Proteins are part of numerous physiological functions, including the acceleration of biochemical reactions, energy production, and muscle growth.

The most important function of proteins is to mediate biochemical reactions by acting as enzymes.

One gram of protein equals 4 calories.

The benefits of tracking your caloric intake

There is one golden role that will help you lose weight:

To burn fat, you need to put yourself in a state of caloric deficit, where you consume fewer calories than you burn.

For this method to be effective, one must calculate the number of calories their body utilizes per day, using the method we discussed in the previous article (insert link of the previous article).

To make this process easier, you can use Fitbit devices that give you an approximate estimation of the daily burnt calories.

One study found that Fitbit devices are extremely accurate relative to other machines, with a marge of error that’s slightly above 25%, which is very high compared to other devices that reach 95% error rates.

The other important step to achieve your fitness goals is to keep track of the calories you’re consuming, which you can do by adding up the grams of carbs, fat, and protein you’re eating, then multiplying each macronutrient by 4 (carbs, protein) or 9 (fat).

Takeaway message

Weight loss is a complex process that requires a lot of effort and planning. Hopefully, the information cited in this article will help you become better at tracking your calories, which will inadvertently lead to weight loss.

If you still have any questions about caloric deficit and tracking, feel free to ask in the comment section below.