CampusFit

Interactive wellness education exclusively for Gallagher Student Health & Special Risk students

Manage Your Energy

Manage Your Energy

We Can Only Guess

On the Plus Side

Here's why you should probably always err on the plus side when you estimate how much energy (calories) you consume if you are trying to lose weight.

Serving sizes vary. They are almost always underestimated. Write it down. Note measurements on packages you consume in their entirety: 12 ounces of soda, 1.5 ounces of corn chips, 1/4 pound of fish. Make a mental note of what that quantity looks like and keep it in your real-time database (your head!) for future real-time estimating.
Food preparation varies. A dollop of mayonnaise or a generous pour of salad dressing can add hundreds of calories. Our database of food is derived from standard foods prepared in standard methods. Keep in mind that a piece of cornbread from a homemade recipe and a commercially prepared piece will have different nutrition characteristics.
It's easy to forget what you ate. Write it down--all of it: the orange juice you drank in the car, the peanut butter cup you took from the receptionist's desk, the banana you ate while you were on the phone.

Life Doesn't Happen in A Laboratory.

It is possible to be precise in measuring your energy input and output, but who would want to spend their lives measuring and weighing every bite and tabulating every moment of exercise? Your life is not a scientific experiment in a laboratory. It's your life, and you need to live it. By making a conscientious, initial investment in some basic knowledge of energy input and output, we believe that you can put together an energy management program that you can sustain for the rest of your life--a healthier life.

Although this web site's energy estimates are based on reliable sources and carefully calculated formulas, you can really only guesstimate your specific energy intake and output. When guesstimating, be conservative, for example, assume a large serving size. It's easy to fudge the numbers in your favor when you would rather eat than exercise.

And, evaluate your progress and tweak your energy management program to determine if it's working.