Calorie Care
Everything You Need to Know About Calories
A calorie is the energy value of food.
When you read a packaged food label, you will see how many calories are in a serving.
You consume calories through eating and drinking and burn calories through physical activity and being alive.
Your body burns a small number of calories to keep itself functioning correctly.
You burn more calories through physical activity, like working out at TFT.
You will likely gain weight if you consume more calories than you burn. You will likely lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume.
But not all calories are created equal. Different foods (and the calories they provide) have varying effects on your body. 1500 calories from candy will not give you the same weight loss results as 1500 calories of chicken and broccoli. Chicken and broccoli will make you much fuller and provide more nutrients than candy. Your body will burn more calories digesting the chicken and broccoli as well. The moral of the story here is that most of your calories should come from quality foods.
During this program, we want you to keep track of your calorie intake.
Tracking calories has never been easier. Apps, like myfitnesspal, will do all of the counting for you.
You will be given calorie targets every week. Stay close to your targets as best you can.
Your calorie targets will change on a week to week basis, so please fill out the weekly check-ins.
It’s up to you whether you track your calories or not. Your body transformation will be faster if you stick to the calorie targets. But if you choose not to track, please ensure you are following the 5 food rules and the sample plate portions shown in the Eating System.
Pro Tips:
Pay attention to serving sizes as labels can trick you into consuming more calories than you think.
If you’re not sure about your serving size, make your best guess.
Don’t drink your calories; save them for food.
Note the oils in your foods. They can add a lot more calories.
Most restaurants underreport their calorie counts….beware!
You don’t have to be perfect.