Calories and grams of fat intake for weight loss is it more important to count grams of fat per day or is it just the amount the calories taken in per day that matters? for weight loss, how many grams of fat and calories should a sedentary woman take in p

Prior : Prior to answering your question, avvo's terms of use state, "such information should be used only as a starting point for addressing your medical issues. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should not disregard medical advice from your doctor, or avoid obtaining medical care, due to any health information you obtain on the site." this simple question is actually very complex. Overall, food intake in does not always equal food intake out. Your body is a complex machine that utilizes energy from food in order to function even at the cellular level. Many factors influence your weight including sodium and water intake, muscle and bone mass, height and of course calories consumed versus calories burned (exercise) just to name a few. If your food intake (calories eaten) and your energy expenditure (calories burned) are exactly equal, then your body will be at homeostasis (same weight) if all other factors are kept constant. This being said, this never happens in real life. We experience a variety of changes from a physiologic level on a daily basis and it is nearly impossible to calculate the calories burned on a daily basis because every individual has a different basal metabolic rate (BMR) which are the calories you would burn if you would do nothing all day (analogous to a bear hibernating). Calories are needed in order for your body and organs to continue to funcion. As we age, everyones BMR decreases so if you eat the same amount of food as you did 10 years ago and don't exercise, you will gain weight over time. Eating a well balance diet with carbohydrates, proteins and fat is crucial for your body to continue to function normally. 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories and 1 gram of fat = 9 calories, so by logic, if you eat more foods that contain fat, you are indeed consuming more calories for a similar food item with less fat and the same amount of protein and carbohydrates. This being said, the overall amount of calories you take in are important for weight loss, but it doesn't discount the fact that eating a meal high in fat but lower in calories than another meal is healthy (as your cholesterol and cardiovascular risk of atherosclerosis can increase). On average, every 3, 500 calories = 1 pound of fat so if you decrease your daily intake by just a 100 calories a day (example is to only drink half a can of soda instead of the whole can), you will have consumed 36, 500 calories less per year which translates to a 10 pound weight loss in 1 year, without really giving that much up. Of course, watching your calorie intake and getting regular exercise is the best way to loose weight and stay healthy. Robert rahimi, md, mscr.

See below: Carbohydrate and proteins = 4 calories/gm fat=9 calories / gram its how many calories less/day you eat that translates to weight loss eg: for every 100 calories less you eat each day , you'll lose ~ 1 lb/ month.