Calorie Counting 101: Understanding Energy Balance

What is a Calorie?

A calorie is a unit of energy. Your body needs energy to function—breathing, digesting, thinking, and moving all burn calories. The balance between what you consume and what you burn determines weight change.

Key Concepts

• BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): Calories burned at complete rest.
• TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure): BMR plus activity calories.
• Calorie Deficit: Eating less than TDEE = weight loss.
• Calorie Surplus: Eating more than TDEE = weight gain.

Factors Affecting TDEE

• Age: Metabolism slows with age.
• Sex: Males typically have higher BMR.
• Weight: Larger bodies burn more calories.
• Activity Level: The biggest variable you can control.

Practical Tips

1. A 500 calorie daily deficit ≈ 1 pound lost per week.
2. Don't go below 1200 (women) or 1500 (men) calories without medical supervision.
3. Consistency matters more than perfection.

Calculate your daily needs with our Calorie Calculator.