By now there’s a good chance that you know 3,500 calories is equal to about one pound of body weight. In other words, you will lose a pound for every 3,500 calories you get rid of, and you will gain one pound for every 3,500 calories you add on. If you are serious about losing weight, then a calories burned counter is a tool you should make regular use of.

You will notice that 3,500 calories works out nicely to an even 500 calories per day for a week. Furthermore, there are only two real ways that you can have direct control over those calories: what you eat and the exercise you do. Yes, your metabolism plays a role, but that isn’t quite as easy to control directly. So, diet and exercise it is.

A calories burned counter will let you know how many calories you burn during any activities you participate in. This is critical information if you are trying to get rid of some extra pounds. Knowing how many calories you’re expending will help you to stay on track, and can also serve as motivation. After all, you don’t always see results in the mirror right away, but if you know you’re burning calories then you can assure yourself that noticeable results are just around the corner.

To get the full picture, you will also want to get a regular calorie counter which tells you how many calories are in the foods you eat. This way you will be able to know not only how many calories you’re burning, but how many you’re taking in as well.

Health experts typically recommend that losing one to two pounds per week is safe, and has the added benefit of being a more sustainable form of weight loss–you take it off and keep it off. Now that you have your calorie counters you can aim for a loss of 500 to 1,000 calories per day. Don’t worry, there’s no need to starve yourself or wear yourself out by exercising. In fact, it’s not a good idea at all.

The best way to lose weight is a combination of diet and exercise. Therefore, if you take in 250 calories less per day and burn off an extra 250 per day, you will lose one pound per week. If you want to lose two pounds per week, then eat 500 fewer calories and burn off an extra 500.

There is one catch that you should be aware of: a calories burned counter only works when you use it. If you never check it, then it won’t do you any good at all. However, when you do use it, you will have another powerful tool to help you lose weight. So, what are you waiting for? You can do it! All it takes is knowing how many calories you’re taking in and how many you’re burning.

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If you are trying to lose weight then you might benefit from using a good weight loss calorie counter. It is best to use a dual featured weight loss calorie counter as these will list both the calorie content of foods and ways you burn the fat off.

If you are overweight then there is a good chance that you aren’t all that good at knowing how much impact food and exercise has on your body’s shape. Whether this is the first time you have tried dieting or whether you have been a yo-yo dieter for years, you need to learn to have some idea of how many calories are in foods and also how many calories you are burning off.

Guessing what foods have more or less calories will often give you the wrong answer and it isn’t always a matter of common sense. If I asked you which had the fewest calories out of a fast food meal or a meal at a restaurant you would probably say the meal at the restaurant would be lower in calories. The fact is though that quite often fast foods contain fewer calories than a meal at a sit down restaurant. It all depends on the type of meal you order and this is why a weight loss calorie counter can help.

To lose weight it is vital that you burn more calories than you consume. Most people however don’t realize just how many calories they actually eat and usually think they eat less than they actually do. Many people have no idea how many calories they burn off either so a weight loss calorie counter is very important in your weight loss journey.

Let’s take a look at some of the features of a good weight loss calorie counter:

A good weight loss calorie counter should include a wide range of foods including apples, potatoes and lean beef. It should also include some combinations of foods and some common recipes. Processed foods such as cookies and chips should also be included. And lastly it should include some of the common restaurant and fast food items too.

The exercise software on a calorie counter should also include a wide range of exercise activities. The counter should include exercises such as cardio exercises, strength training such as lifting weights and swimming. It should also include leisure activities that are physically active such as table tennis, volleyball, cycling and walking.

It isn’t as simple as saying ‘I’ve run a mile so I’ve burned 98 calories’ because there are different factors that determine how many calories you burn off. For example a 120 pound woman will burn around 78 calories by running a mile while a 180 pound man will burn around 117 calories. The body mass will have an impact on how many calories are burned. So a good weight loss calorie counter will take your weight into consideration.

When you are looking for a good weight loss calorie counter just keep these points in mind. You want one that includes a wide range of foods, a wide range of physical exercises and one that will consider your current weight.

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Maybe you are already at an ideal weight and feel really good on a regular basis. If so, you may think there is no need to concern yourself with a healthy eating plan. Who knows, maybe you’re one of those fortunate souls who naturally eats the best foods, and you don’t have to spend any time worrying about what you eat. Perhaps you seem to be able to eat anything you want and have nothing but perfect health to show for it.

Or…

You may be like the vast majority of us and have to actually give some consideration to the foods you eat. While most of us don’t really give all that much thought to a healthy eating plan, we really should. To be fair, you probably do think about the food you eat from time to time. For instance, it’s quite common to eat a lot of junk food and then try to compensate by eating healthier for the rest of the day. It’s good that you’re trying, but this type of behavior doesn’t quite qualify as an eating plan. What you need is a diet that looks at the bigger picture.

The majority of us don’t really know how much sugar we’re taking in, for example. We also tend to eat a lot more fat than we’re aware of. Furthermore, we tend to not think of being on a healthy eating plan at all, unless there is a good reason. Needing to lose weight for an upcoming event (wedding, beach season, class reunion, etc.), or health concerns (diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure) are common reasons.

We only start to think about eating healthier when stuff like this happens. The problem is that it can be too little, too late. It may be possible to repair ill health through proper diet, but once the damage is done, there is no guarantee that it can be fixed. It will also take more effort to make it work. But had we been eating well from the start, there is a very good chance that these ill effects would never have happened. Therefore, it makes a lot more sense to start a healthy eating plan as soon as possible.

If you are in good health now, you could still be at risk if you don’t get your diet in check. There could be environmental factors that contribute to bad health over the long term. A family history of certain diseases could also increase your risk. The funny thing is that some people use these risk factors as an excuse to eat nothing but garbage. They figure they’re going to get these diseases anyway, so that gives them a free ticket to eat whatever they want. That’s sad. The truth is that there are no guarantees that a healthy eating plan will be enough to overcome these risk factors, but it will decrease your risk substantially. So, it only makes sense to eat well. Plus, it is never too late to start.

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It used to be that almost all meals were eaten at home. The only exceptions were if you happened to travel for business, were a truck driver, or happened to be on vacation. People simply cooked and ate at home. But over the years that has changed, and now it is estimated that people in the United States may eat more than half of all their meals outside the home. One of the big problems with this is that you don’t have control over what goes into the food you’re eating. This adds up to big trouble if you’re trying to lose weight.

However, there are some things you can do to eat healthier when eating out. Here are some tips to help you eat better, and keep your weight under control at the same time.

Skip the bread and butter. Sure, it’s nice to have something to nibble on while waiting for your food to arrive, but a slice of bread, with butter can add up to 300 calories. Have two slices and you’re already up to 600 calories, and none of your food is even at the table yet.

Choose your appetizers wisely. It’s a good idea to get an appetizer because it will keep you from overeating when the main dish arrives. Don’t order anything deep fried or that’s has cheese on it. Anything made with fresh vegetables is a good choice, as is a clear soup or seafood cocktail.

If you get a salad, have them put the dressing on the side. Otherwise there is a good chance the kitchen will pour too much dressing on the salad, and that adds up. You control how much you add when you have it on the side. (This goes for all sauces whenever possible)

Generally speaking, chicken and fish are better choices than pork and beef. However, you also have to pay attention to how it’s prepared. Fried chicken and fish, covered with cheese or a heavy sauce will have more calories than a lean cut of beef that is prepared the right way. Better methods of preparation include roasted, baked or grilled.

Share the entree. One thing most restaurants are known for are their large portion sizes, and they keep getting bigger. So, see if you can split the entree with someone at your table (some restaurants will charge a nominal fee for this, but it’s worth it). If no one wants to share, then eat half and take the other half home. You can always ask for a container before you start eating to make sure you’re not tempted to eat everything on your plate.

Fruit for dessert. If you still have room for dessert, then opt for one that contains fresh fruit. Remember, you can always split a dessert, too.

The main thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to put your diet on hold just because you’re eating out. Learning to make better choices is all it takes to dine out without having to worry about an expanding waistline.

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