Balance Your Calorie Needs

August 2, 2007

Controlling your weight isn’t a magic trick. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise:

To maintain weight in a healthy range, balance calories from foods and beverages with calories expended.

Think of the calories you consume and the calories you burn as your calorie budget. How do you want to “spend” those calories?

• To lose weight: Consume fewer calories than you burn each day. Either cut back on the calories you consume or exercise more.
• To gain weight: Tip the balance the other way. Take in more calories than your body uses. Still keep moving though!

Why focus on calorie balance? Your body stores most excess calories consumed as fat. Just 100 calories a day adds up to 10 pounds in a year.

Visit a registered dietitian to make sure your calories are in balance. Visit the Find a Nutrition Professional page to locate an RD near you.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team