Salamatak – Fastest Way to Lose Weight

There is no doubt that we live in the era of obesity, the disease of the 21st Century. With the growing rates of obesity, many seek unhealthy methods to lose weight without realizing they’re doing more harm than good. Instead of obsessing over different diets, workout plans, and endless restrictive practices, it is vital we understand how to manage our weight through a useful tool called “Tracking Calories”.

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What are calories? #1
Are all calories the same? #2
Daily Caloric Needs #3
Understanding Food Labels #4
A Healthy Body is The Perfect Body #5

What are calories?

A calorie is a unit of measurement that allows us to understand the amount of energy we gain from eating foods. Put simply, our bodies need energy to do various physical and cognitive activities such as running, thinking, or even breathing. In order to do these activities at the most optimal state, our bodies must have a sufficient amount of energy, which it gets from food. Any energy our body does not burn gets stored as fat. This is why tracking calories can be an important tool that will help you reach your health goals.

Are all calories the same?

A common misconception in the diet world is that all calories are the same. Certain foods may have the same caloric value but differ in their nutritional value. For instance, a candy bar and 10 cups of cucumber both have 150 calories. But the nutritional value you gain from eating the cucumber exceeds the benefits of the candy bar, even if the energy generated by both are equal. This is what we call the difference between “Quality Calories”, and “Empty Calories”. Foods that contain little to no nutritional value but are high in calories are described as empty calories. By understanding the difference between the two, you will be able to reach your health goals faster.

The following table shows a more detailed distinction between types of foods we consume regularly varying from quality calories to empty calories:

Quality Calorie

Empty Calorie

A slice of whole wheat bread:

91 calories

4g of protein

1g of fat

1g of fiber

A slice of white bread:

79 calories

2.7g of protein

1g of fat

>1g of fiber

A cup of oats:

280 calories

16.9g of protein

10.6g of fiber

0g of sugar

A cup of sugar-coated corn flakes:

290 calories

7g of protein

5g of fiber

11g of sugar

Grilled Chicken Salad:

170 calories.

14.8g of protein

100mg of calcium

1.8mg of iron

Grilled Chicken Sandwich:

320 calories.

14.8g of protein

25mg of calcium

1.5mg of iron

Fresh Orange Juice:

46 calories

124mg of vitamin C

11mg of calcium

8g of sugar

Carbonated Beverages:

150 calories

0mg of vitamin C

0mg of calcium

69g of added sugar

Daily Caloric Needs

Calculating how many calories a person must consume within a day can vary drastically from one person to another. This calculation is based on various elements which include:

Age: As we age, the speed of our metabolism slows down naturally. This is why age is in important element that aids the process of calorie calculation. A teenager for instance will need more calories than a person in their late 50’s as teenagers burn more naturally.

Weight: Weight goals vary from people who wish to gain, lose or maintain their weight. This must be taken into account when calculating the daily caloric needs. Put simply, if the body burns more calories than the calories it takes in, it loses weight. If the body takes in more calories than it burns, it will gain weight. If the body burns the same amount of calorie it consumes it will maintain its weight.

Gender: Men and women consume and burn calories differently; therefore, caloric needs vary based on gender. For instance, women who wish to maintain their weight may need to consume 2000~ calories a day while a man may only need 2500~ calories to maintain his weight.

Physical Activity: Another important element that helps to calculate caloric needs properly is physical activity. People exert different amount of energy every day and this impacts the calories they burn daily. For instance, construction workers burn more calories working than most employees who sit on a desk all day.

Understanding Food Labels

In order to know the number of calories found in the food you consume; you must understand how to properly read the ‘Nutrition Facts’ label. This label is found on most food items and it consists of the following:

Calories: This number is shown in bold on top of the label and it indicates the number of calories found in a single serving.

Serving Size: A smaller number written above the calorie count and it shows the amount of each serving. For instance, the serving size on a bag of chips may be 27 chips, or 1/4 cup, or the whole bag. Therefore, it is important to know the serving size of each product in order to calculate the calories correctly.

Servings Per Container: This number indicates the number of servings found in a container. For example, a bag of popcorn may have 4 servings, or just 1.

Nutritional Value: This part helps you understand the quality of the calories you’re about to consume and how much far, protein, and carbohydrates it contains.

Ingredients: This shows a list of all the ingredients used to make this product. It is important to know that ingredients are typically arranged in order of concentration. For example, you might see that on a bottle of juice sugar is one of the first ingredients on the list, which means that this product has added sugars in it, and not naturally sweetened.

A Healthy Body is The Perfect Body

Many obsess over the idea of having the perfect body. Whether it involves losing weight, or gaining it, there is no doubt that dieting has become one of the world’s biggest health topics. But what most people fail to realize is the importance of maintaining a healthy body. Aside from the vanities, our bodies perform many physiological activities that sustain our life. Therefore, instead of obsessing over how we look, we should aspire to create a healthier body; by following these tips:

Ensure you consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods to give your body the nutrients it needs.
Do not restrict or deprive yourself from eating the foods you live. Instead, enjoy what you love in moderation.
Avoid low-calorie, diet foods that are heavily processed and contain little to no nutritional value.
Adopt healthier habits such as drinking water in place of sodas or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Try to be as active as possible, especially if you have a desk job or rarely exercise.
Avoid fad-diets that deprive you of nutrients that are vital to your body.
Refer to trusted websites and utilize the useful tools found on the Saudi MoH website such as the BMI and Calorie calculator.
Allow your body to adapt to changes, and make small, gradual changes until it becomes second nature.

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Salamatak is an awareness program with an authentic Arab spirit that provides health advice and guidance in line with the standards of international health awareness organizations. It aims to elevate society through health and safety awareness in a spontaneous way, and targets healthy people in particular and society in general.