During National Nutrition Month® 2005 and Beyond: Losing or Managing Weight Is All about Calories In, Calories Out
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Diet trends often focus on one food or one nutrient, promising it will be the magic bullet for losing weight and keeping it off forever. But when registered dietitians analyze a weight-loss plan, invariably it turns out that the key is reducing your intake of calories.

“There is no panacea for weight control,” says registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesperson Cathy Nonas. “It’s all about the calories you put into your body versus the calories you burn. Eat a balanced diet with mostly fruits, vegetables and whole grains as your base. Accompany this with daily physical activity to help your body burn those calories so you can maintain a healthier weight.”

Nonas adds: “Budget yourself, just like you would your finances. If you overspent in the calorie department one day, try to make up for it in the exercise department the next. Over time, if you save up calories, you are able to have that once-in-a-while splurge and not feel like you’ve blown your calorie budget.”
The American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide provides great calorie-burning activities to do per hour by body weight:
Activity
Calories for 120 pounds
Calories for 170 pounds
Basketball
330
460
Bicycling (10 mph)
220
310
Bowling
165
230
Hiking
330
460
Horseback riding
220
310
Jogging
385
540
Mowing lawn
300
425
Running (10 mph)
880
1,230
Swimming
330
460
Walking briskly
220
310
Weight training
165
230

With nearly 70,000 members, the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association is the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition and well-being.
National Nutrition Month®, created in 1973 and celebrated each March, helps promote healthful eating and provides consumers with practical nutrition guidance.