Calories are the basic source of energy. All the food we consume is eventually broken down into calories. While Protein and Carbohydrates contain 4 calories each in 1 gram, Fat contains 9 calories in the same 1 gram.
3500 calories constitute 1 pound of weight in body. Counting calories and exercising are the only “secret” to lose all that excess flab and believe it or not, it is not a very difficult process at all. In this article, we describe the two important steps involved in how to count calories.
It is just that people are not equipped with right kind of information to do so. There are two steps to achieve the target of counting calories and cutting them:
1. Determine how many daily calorie count and requirement using Harris Benedict Equation
2. Count how many calories are consumed
Determine how many daily calories requirement using Harris Benedict Equation:
This we have discussed in earlier article here:
Determine the daily calorie requirement first. Now if you need to reduce one pound of weight, you need to cut (and burn) 500 calories from the given calories.
For example: My Daily Calorie Requirement is 2250. Assuming that I want to reduce my weight by one pound in one week, I need to cut 3500 calories in one week, i.e. 3500 / 7 = 500 less calories per day. This I can achieve by reducing my calories intake by 250 and burning 250 through exercising. So, I will eat about 2000 calories in one day and make sure to exercise and burn 250.
On a side note: While eating, 2000 calories a day looks quite a lot!!! But it practicality it is very less (considering the type of food we eat).
For example, a slice of bread is about 70 calories, so you can assume 2000 calories is not a big number. On the other hand, burning extra 250 calories through exercise seems to be a very small number but it is not, considering we burn 100 calories while walking 1 mile in 20 min. I am not saying this to discourage anyone but just to give an essence of the whole concept of counting and burning calories. It’s not that difficult once you get hold of it.
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Count how many calories are being consumed:
Although there are numerous apps and websites which provide information about the calorie count of the food we eat, but generally it is not the exact amount. This especially is in regard to the Indian dishes we eat.
I say this because ingredients and proportions of recipes made by two different individuals are rarely same. For example, I cook my lentils (daal) with half teaspoon olive oil and 1 large onion and 1.5 medium tomatoes in it. The calorie count per cup of my recipe will be way less than the recipe which includes 2 tablespoon of Ghee Tadka in it with less or no onion and tomatoes.
On a side note: I personally, evaluate the total calories in my recipe by measuring and finding calories per ingredient. I would really recommend using a proper measuring set of cups and spoons. It is always good to keep them handy so you know how much stuff we are actually using/ eating.
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Here is chart of Ingredients we use in daily consumption and their measurement and calorie count:
QuantityFood ItemCaloriesCalories From Fat1 copWheat Flour407201 copMaida*455111 copRice Flour578201 copRava / Semolina601171 copGram Flour /Besan356551 copPoha (uncooked)*300451 copWhite Rice, medium grain( uncooked)*702111 copBasmati Rice(uncooked)*600161 copToor Dal (uncooked)700281 copYellow Moong Dal (uncooked)678181 copChole/ Chickpeas (uncooked)7281091 copRajma/Kidney Beans ( uncooked)6074.51 copGreen Moong Dal (uncooked)71821.61 copMasoor Dal64916.21 copUrad Dal66225.21 copMurmure/Laiyya/ Puffed Rice*6091 copOats (plain,rooled,instant,uncooked,w/t flavor)360661Egg (White+ yellow)90631 tsp/4.2gmSugar*16–1 cupWhole Milk**150721 slice/25gmWhite Bread*6771 copWhite Pasta*(penne , uncooked)20091 tbspTomato Ketchup***15–1 tbspRefined oil1201201 tbspMustars oil1201201 tbspDesi Ghee120120* High is carbohydrate.
** Whole Milk has 12 gm of sugar.
*** Tomato ketchup has at least 4gm of sugar in 1 tablespoon.
These are few ingredients we use is day to day basis. To calculate the total calories in a recipe you have to calculate the calories for each ingredient according to its quantity used.
Calories in Fruits:
QuantityNameCalories1 medium/223gm Apple1161 medium/7”.8”1ongBanana1051 cup/117.0gCherries(with pits)741 cup/92gmGrapes621 medium/131 gmOrange621 medium/154 gmPomegranate1051 mediumKiwi461 medium/98 gmPeaches381 medium 166 gmPear961 cup/155 gmPineapple781 medium /66 gmPlum301 cup Custard apple2351 cup/152 gmStrawberries491 cup/ 123 gmRaspberries641 cup/154 gmWatermelon(diced)461 cup/80 gmCoconut (shredded)*283(241 from fat)1 cup/165 gmMango1071 cup/177 gmCantaloupe60Note: Fruits are a rich source of vitamin and minerals. These are rich in antioxidants but there are down side on eating lot of fruit too.
There is a negligible amount of fat present in fruits. Some fruits like grapes, Pineapple, custard apple, mango, and Cantaloupe etc., have high sugar content.
Sugars from fruits – fructose – can be cause of concern for people how are trying to lose weight. It’s always good to have fruits in moderation and choosing options wisely.
Calories in Vegetables:
QuantityNameCalories1 cup/180 gmTomato321 cup/82 gmBrinjal201 cup/89 gmCabbage221 cupBottle Gourd181 cup/124 gmBitter Gourd251 cup/110 gmBeans341 cup/85 gmBeets741 cup/154 gmCorn1241 cup/104 gmCucumber (with peel)161 cup/145 gmPeas(de-pod)1171 cup/113 gmSquash/pumpkin181 cup/88 gmBroccoli251 cup/100 gmCauliflower251 cup/30 gmSpinach71 cup/128 gmCarrots521 tsp/2.8 gmGarlic41 cup/115 gmOnion461 cup/133 gmSweet Potato1141 cup/75 gmPotato581 cup/116 gmRadish191 cup/130 gmTurnip361 cup/120 gmCelery191 cup/149 gmCapsicum (red/green/yellow)301 cup/100 gmLady finger (Okra)31Note: Vegetables are high in vitamin, minerals and antioxidants. These make excellent snacks. They have negligible amount of fat and sugar.
Now when we know how many calories are present in each food item, calculate the calorie count to utmost accuracy.