Calories are simply a measurement of energy used to measure the energy in food. We have to get energy from food and drinks in order to function and survive. But, in modern, western society, we often eat and drink more than we burn off. This excess energy consequently gets stored in the body as fat, causing weight gain.

There’s a lot of information out in the community saying that calories don’t count and that focusing on them is time-wasting. But time and again, studies have proven that what you put in needs to be less than what you burn off to lose weight. To determine your energy needs Harvard Health Publishing offer an article on calorie counting made easy, to work out how much you need to reduce your caloric intake in order to lose weight.

How Many Calories Should You Eat?

Many factors influence the number of calories you need to maintain your weight. Gender, age, and activity level all play a part. People who lead a more active lifestyle will burn more energy and therefore require more calories in order to maintain their weight than an inactive person who weighs the same.

If you are trying to lose weight, you will need to create a calorie deficit. This is done by eating fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight.

In order to count your calories, you can try using calorie-counting books, or maybe a calorie-counting app such as My Fitness Pal.