Each person is different when it comes to the amount of calories he or she needs each day. The amount of calories a person needs for fuel varies according to age, height, gender, amount of physical activity and other factors.

So, how do we count calories?

calorie >noun (pl. calories) 1 (also large calorie) a unit of energy, often used in specifying the energy value of foods, equal to the energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water through 1 °C (4.1868 kilojoules). 2 (also small calorie) a unit of energy equal to one-thousandth of a large calorie. -ORIGIN from Latin calor 'heat'

Excuse me? What does this have to do with why my pants won't fit?

A calorie is also the unit of measurement of energy produced by food when it is oxidized, or used, in the body. Calories are like fuel for our bodies. We need them for our bodies to run. Much like your automoible needs gasoline to run.

If more calories are eaten than are needed for organ function or muscle work, the body efficiently (too efficiently in my book) stores up the excess as fat. Because excesses were rare in nature, our ancestors became very efficient at storing fat.

Today, the muscular work of day-to-day living has steadily declined and the energy needs of the average person have, in turn, declined. Combined with easy access to tasty food and drink, most Americans consume more calories than they need for survival.

You need to maintain a balance between the amount of calories you take in (food) and the amount of calories you use (exercise). You "burn" your body's fuel - calories - when you perform physical activities, and you also burn calories just by sitting still, breathing and living each day.

Each person is different when it comes to the amount of calories he or she needs each day. The amount of calories a person needs for fuel varies according to age, height, gender, amount of physical activity and other factors.

So, how do we count calories? C

Excuse me? What does this have to do with why my pants won't fit?

A calorie is also the unit of measurement of energy produced by food when it is oxidized, or used, in the body. Calories are like fuel for our bodies. We need them for our bodies to run. Much like your automoible needs gasoline to run.

If more calories are eaten than are needed for organ function or muscle work, the body efficiently (too efficiently in my book) stores up the excess as fat. Because excesses were rare in nature, our ancestors became very efficient at storing fat.

Today, the muscular work of day-to-day living has steadily declined and the energy needs of the average person have, in turn, declined. Combined with easy access to tasty food and drink, most Americans consume more calories than they need for survival.

You need to maintain a balance between the amount of calories you take in (food) and the amount of calories you use (exercise). You "burn" your body's fuel - calories - when you perform physical activities, and you also burn calories just by sitting still, breathing and living each day.

Each person is different when it comes to the amount of calories he or she needs each day. The amount of calories a person needs for fuel varies according to age, height, gender, amount of physical activity and other factors.

So, how do we count calories?

If more calories are eaten than are needed for organ function or muscle work, the body efficiently (too efficiently in my book) stores up the excess as fat. Because excesses were rare in nature, our ancestors became very efficient at storing fat.

Today, the muscular work of day-to-day living has steadily declined and the energy needs of the average person have, in turn, declined. Combined with easy access to tasty food and drink, most Americans consume more calories than they need for survival.

You need to maintain a balance between the amount of calories you take in (food) and the amount of calories you use (exercise). You "burn" your body's fuel - calories - when you perform physical activities, and you also burn calories just by sitting still, breathing and living each day.

Each person is different when it comes to the amount of calories he or she needs each day. The amount of calories a person needs for fuel varies according to age, height, gender, amount of physical activity and other factors.

So, how do we count calories?

You need to maintain a balance between the amount of calories you take in (food) and the amount of calories you use (exercise). You "burn" your body's fuel - calories - when you perform physical activities, and you also burn calories just by sitting still, breathing and living each day.

Each person is different when it comes to the amount of calories he or she needs each day. The amount of calories a person needs for fuel varies according to age, height, gender, amount of physical activity and other factors.

So, how do we count calories?

Each person is different when it comes to the amount of calories he or she needs each day. The amount of calories a person needs for fuel varies according to age, height, gender, amount of physical activity and other factors.

So, how do we count calories? Carbohydrates contain 4 calories/gram of food; protein also contains 4 calories/gram; but fat contains 9 calories/gram. Therefore, it is easy to see how quickly one can exceed his or her daily needs when fat content is high. Fat is also very tasty and dense (non-bulky), so it is difficult to "tell" when to stop eating. Most people stop eating only when the discomfort of a tense stomach is worse than the reward of the food.

Fat is used for energy if a deficiency in carbohydrate occurs (e.g., when we diet). It can be used straight from the diet or stored in fat cells for future use. Fat is broken down from fat cells, which are taken to the liver and converted to carbohydrates before the fat is used for energy. Fats can be found in plants or animal foods. Nuts, olives, corn, and avocados are examples of high-fat vegetables. These are unsaturated fats, which have the same calories as saturated fat. Unsaturated fat may not be as harmful as saturated fat to the arteries, unless it is taken in excess.

Alcohol, by the way, goes directly to fat. It does not pass "Go" nor does it collect $100.

Protein can also be converted to fat if too much of it is found in the diet for basic needs. Individual differences in the ability to feel full and to stop eating are known as satiety, and vary greatly from person to person. Protein seems to be the most satiety-inducing food, followed by fat, and then by carbohydrates. Most prote