Energy balance - what you need to know

To lose weight, your body needs to burn more calories than it consumes. You can think of this as a scale. If you put more calories in, you need to burn more calories. You can increase “calories out” by increasing physical activity to burn more calories immediately (see Exercise) and increasing your metabolic rate so that you burn more calories throughout the day.

What is a “calorie”? Calories are a unit of measure for the amount of energy in food. Some foods, especially those rich in fats and sugars, are dense in calories. This means they have more energy contained in a given weight of food. All foods have calories, but you can choose foods that are not calorie-rich. By choosing low-calorie foods, you can eat more while maintaining your energy balance.

Energy balance is crucial to losing weight. However, it is important to remember that the “calories in” must include healthy foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables (see Diet). Your body cannot function properly without these necessary diet items.