Calories in the form of protein, carbohydrate, fat, and alcohol
supply your body with energy. If you eat more calories than you
need, you gain weight. If you eat fewer calories than you need,
you burn fat and lose weight. Increasing exercise will shift the
energy balance toward weight loss. One pound of body fat equals
3,500 Reduce intake by 500 Calories per day to lose 1 pound per
week. Protein supplies the body with the building blocks called
amino acids to make muscles and other healthy tissue. Major food
sources are dairy products, eggs, meat, and grains. The amount
of energy from protein is 4 calories per gram. About 15% of a
2000-calorie diet comes from protein. This equals 300 calories
or 75 grams of protein. Carbohydrate supplies the body with
energy. This helps to keep the protein from being used for
energy. When losing weight, you want to lose fat and not protein
containing muscle. Major food sources are grains, fruits,
vegetables, and milk. The amount of energy from carbohydrate is
4 calories per g