Friday, December 01, 2006

Know Your Calories And Juggle Them Around

If you have decided to lose weight and lose weight fast,
before you start on a diet or exercise routine, you need to
know more about calories. If you approach your weight loss
program or diet without packing yourself with information
about calories, your diet plans will come to naught.

In layman's terms, a calorie is a unit of measurement of
energy you obtain from food. Foods may contain
carbohydrates, proteins, fats or a combination of all of
them. So, it's obvious that you will derive your calories
from carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Hence, you have to understand these three sources of
calories a little better before you formulate your diet
plans and begin your weight loss program:

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates - a mixture of carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen - are ranked as the top energy source
for our bodies. They are generally classified as "refined"
or "unrefined" depending on how much they have been
processed by food manufacturers.

As far as diets go, carbohydrates are an essential part of
any diet because they are nutritious and contain vitamins,
minerals, etc.

Proteins: Proteins are a group of organic molecules that
are essential in our diet for the growth and repair of
tissues. Proteins are the basic building blocks of all
living cells.

Our body requires around 22 amino acids (amino acids
constitute proteins), 13 of which are manufactured by our
body. The remaining 9 come from food and along with them
come the calories.

Proteins primarily come from meat and animal products such
as beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk
and milk products. Proteins also come from other sources
such as grains, beans, fruits and vegetables, but the
quantum of proteins from these sources is quite low.

Fats: Fats are the third of the three main classes of foods
that impart calories to the body. They are a source of
energy and help the body use some vitamins and keep the
skin healthy. Fats can be saturated or unsaturated.

Well, by now it is clear that you derive your calories from
proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The trick is now to
juggle these in such a way that their intake contributes to
your diet or weight loss program.

In many weight-training programs, you have to mainly focus
on juggling your intake of proteins and carbohydrates,
leaving the fats aside and it is important how you plan
your meals if you want to establish a healthy diet.

Remember, that calories are fuel or energy for the body and
you need to plan your calorie intake if you want to succeed
in your weight loss program. Think of yourself as a vehicle
that needs fuel to run - if you don't have fuel, you can't
move. If you have too much, that would be worse because it
will settle in your body and getting rid of it will be an
issue!

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Tips" at:
http://www.theweightlossguide.info/Gift/SpecialReport.pdf