Believe it or not, being successful at weight loss is all about calories!
When someone consumes 3500 Calories more than they burn, they gain 1 pound of fat. When someone uses up 3500 Calories more than taken in, they lose about 1 pound of fat. (1 pound FAT TISSUE = 3500 Calories). If you burn 3,500 kcal more than you eat, you will lose about 1 pound of fat. This assumes that all the weight gained and lost is in the form of fat. In reality, muscle and organ mass will change as well.
So what exactly is a calorie?
One food Calorie (1 kcal or 1,000 calories) is the amount of digestively available food energy (heat) that will raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree Celsius. A calorie is a measure of energy available to the body. With food, we talk about the amount of calories something contains. With exercise, we talk about how many calories we burn. To lose weight, we need to have a calorie deficit, which means you burn more calories than you take in.
Each food item has a specific metabolizable energy intake (MEI). For a normal human this value is obtained by multiplying the number of kilocalories or kilojoules contained in a food item by 85%, which is the amount of energy actually obtained by a human after the digestive processes have been completed.

The following table represents optimal weight for fitness, health, and uniform appearance for most people. A good, healthy body fat percentage for males is 14 - 16 percent, and for females is 24 - 26 percent. Height should be measured in stocking feet, preferably standing against a wall with a horizontal bar or rectangular block of wood lowered to rest flat on the top of the head (selfreported heights are frequently inaccurate since adults begin losing height after age 40).

Target Weight

The exchange system

Originally designed for diabetics, the exchange system is a widely used method of meal planning. Foods are divided into six groups or "exchanges" on the basis of their carbohydrate, protein, and fat content. Similar foods are placed in the same group. Many commercial weight loss programs use exchanges.

The six exchange groups are:

STARCH GROUP
MEAT GROUP
VEGETABLE GROUP
FRUIT GROUP
MILK GROUP
FAT GROUP

Starch group - each exchange = 80 calories
1/2 cup Pasta or barley
1/3 cup cooked Rice, beans or peas
1 small Potato (or 1/2 cup mashed)
1/2 cup starchy Vegetables (corn, peas, lima beans, winter squash)
1 slice Bread
1/2 English muffin, bagel, or hamburger/hot dog bun
1/2 cup cooked Cereal (oatmeal, grits)
3/4 cup dry Cereal, unsweetened
6 Crackers, saltine-type
3/4 oz Pretzels
8 Animal crackers
3 cups Popcorn, butter less (popped, no fat added)

Starch foods prepared with fat (add 1 fat exchange)
1 Biscuit, 2 1/2 inch across
1/2 cup Chow mein noodles
1 (2 oz) Corn bread, 2 inch cube
6 Cracker, round butter type
10 French fried potatoes, 2 inch to 3 1/2 inch long
1 Muffin, small, plain
2 Pancake, 4 inch across
1/4 cup Stuffing, bread (prepared)
2 Taco shell, 6 inch across
1 Waffle, 4 1/2 inch square
4-6 Whole-wheat crackers with fat added

Meat group

(Meat and meat substitutes include a wide variety of choices ranging from very lean or high-fat. The protein content per ounce is approximately the same for all categories at 7 grams of protein, but it is the fat content that is different)
    * indicates a high sodium food

Very lean meat (contains 0-1 grams fat, 35 calories)

1 oz Chicken or turkey, white meat, no skin
1 oz Cornish hen, no skin
1 oz Fresh or frozen cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, trout; tuna fresh or canned in
water
1 oz Clams, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp, imitation shellfish
1 oz Duck or pheasant (no skin), venison, buffalo, ostrich
1 oz Processed sandwich meats with 1 gram or less fat per ounce, such as deli thin,
shaved meats, * chipped beef, turkey ham
2 Egg whites
1/4 cup Egg substitutes, plain
* 1 oz Hot dogs with 1 gram or less fat per ounce
1 oz Kidney (high in cholesterol)
1 oz Sausage with 1 gram or less fat per ounce
(counts as one very lean meat and one starch exchange)
1/2 cup Dried beans, peas, lentils (cooked)

Lean meat (contains 3 grams fat, 55 calories)

1 oz Beef: USDA Select or Choice grades of lean beef trimmed of fat, such as round,
sirloin, and flank steak; tenderloin; roast (rib, chuck, or rump), steak (Tbone,
porterhouse, cubed, ground round
1 oz Pork: Lean pork, such as fresh ham; canned, cured, or boiled ham;
* Canadian bacon; tenderloin, center, loin chop
1 oz Veal, lean chop, roast
1 oz Lamb, roast, chop, leg
1 oz Poultry: Chicken, turkey (dark meat, no skin), chicken white meat (with skin),
domestic duck or goose (well-drained of fat, no skin)
6 medium Oysters
1 oz Salmon, fresh or canned; catfish
1 oz Tuna, canned in oil, drained
1 oz Goose, no skin; rabbit
1/4 cup 4.5 percent fat cottage cheese
2 Tbs Grated Parmesan
1 oz Cheeses with 3 grams of less fat per ounce
* 1 1/2 oz Hot dogs with 3 grams or less fat per ounce
1 oz Processed sandwich meat with 3 grams or less fat per ounce, such as turkey
pastrami or kielbasa
1 oz Liver, heart (high in cholesterol)

Medium-fat meat (contains 5 grams fat, 75 calories)

1 oz Beef: Most beef products fall into this category (ground beef, meatloaf, corned beef,
short ribs, Prime grades of meat trimmed of fat, such as prime rib
1 oz Pork: Top loin, chop, Boston butt, cutlet
1 oz Veal: cutlet, ground or cubed, unbreaded
1 oz Poultry: Chicken dark meat (with skin), ground turkey or ground chicken, fried
chicken (with skin)
1 oz Fish: Any fried fish product
1 oz Feta or mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Ricotta cheese
1 Egg (high in cholesterol, limit to 3 per week)
1 oz Sausage with 5 grams of less fat per ounce
1 cup Soy milk
4 oz or 1/2 cup Tofu

High-fat meat (contains 8 grams of fat, 100 calories)

1 oz pork spareribs, ground pork, or pork sausage
* 1 oz regular cheese such as American, cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Swiss
1 oz processed sandwich meats with 8 grams or less fat per ounce, such as bologna,
pimento loaf, or salami
1 oz sausage, such as bratwurst, Italian, knockwurst, Polish, or smoked
* 1 Hot dog, turkey or chicken
3 slices bacon

Count as one high-fat meat plus one fat exchange:

1 hot dog, beef, pork, or combination
2 Tbs peanut butter (contains unsaturated fat)

Vegetable group - each exchange = 25 calories

1/2 cup cooked vegetables
1 cup raw vegetables
* 1/2 cup tomato/vegetable juice

Fruit group - each exchange = 60 calories

1 fresh medium fruit
1 cup berries or melon
1/2 cup canned fruit in juice or without sugar
1/2 fruit juice
1/4 cup dried fruit
1/2 banana

Milk group - each exchange = 90 calories

1 cup skim milk
1 cup 1% milk
8 ounce carton non-fat or 1% yogurt
             (add 1 fat exchange if: 1 cup 2% milk 8 ounce carton low-fat yogurt)

Fat group - each exchange = 45 calories

1 tsp margarine, butter, oil, or mayonnaise
2 tsp diet margarine or diet mayonnaise
1 Tbs salad dressing
* 2 Tbs reduced-calorie salad dressing

Free foods -- foods that contain less than 20 calories per serving can be eaten without counting into daily total.

Fat-free or Reduced-fat foods

1 Tbs cream cheese, fat free
1 Tbs creamers, nondairy, liquid
2 tsp creamers, nondairy, powdered
1 Tbs mayonnaise, fat-free
1 tsp mayonnaise, reduced-fat
4 Tbs margarine, fat-free
1 tsp margarine, reduced-fat
nonstick cooking spray
1 Tbs salad dressing, fat-free
2 Tbs salad dressing, fat-free, Italian
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbs sour cream, fat-free, reduced-fat
2 Tbs shipped topping, regular or light

Sugar-free or Low-sugar foods

1 candy, hard, sugar-free
gelatin dessert, sugar-free
gelatin, unflavored
gum, sugar-free
2 tsp jam or jelly, low-sugar or light
2 Tbs syrup, sugar-free
sugar substitutes

Sugar substitutes, alternative, or replacements that are approved by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) are safe to use.
Common brand names include:

Equal (aspartame)
Sprinkle Sweet (saccharin)
Sweet One (acesulfame K)
Sweet-10 (saccharin)
Sugar Twin (saccharin)
Sweet 'n Low (saccharin)

Drinks

*1 Tbs bouillon, broth, consomme'
1 Tbs bouillon, broth, low-sodium
1 Tbs cocoa powder, unsweetened
coffee
club soda
diet soft drinks, sugar-free
drink mixes, sugar-free
tea
tonic water, sugar-free

Condiments

1 Tbs catsup
horseradish
lemon juice
lime juice
mustard
* 1 1/2 large pickles, dill
* soy sauce, regular or light
1 Tbs taco sauce
vinegar

Seasonings

flavoring extracts
garlic
herbs, fresh or dried
pimento
spices
hot pepper sauce
wine, used in cooking
worcestershire sauce
(seasonings containing high amounts of sodium, but are calorie-free include garlic salt,
celery salt, and lemon pepper)

Combination foods - (do not fit into any one exchange group)

casseroles, homemade          1 cup = 2 starch, 2 meat, 1 fat
cheese pizza                              2 slices = 2 starch, 1 meat, 1 fat
tuna noodle casserole,
macaroni and cheese,
chili with beans                         1 cup = 2 starch, 2 medium-fat meats
pot pie                                         1 (7 oz) = 2 starch, 1 medium-fat meat, 4 fats
bean soup                                  1 cup = 1 starch, 1 very-lean meat
cream soup                                1 cup = 1 starch, 1 fat
split pea soup                            1/2 cup = 1 starch
tomato soup                               1 cup = 1 starch
vegetable soup                          1 cup = 1 starch

Some people may find the concept of exchanges too confusing. If this sounds like you, you may want to try using the food guide pyramid to plan your meals. This still incorporates the concept of exchanges (portion control), but is more visual and emphasizes what foods to increase in your diet and what foods to limit.

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