The foods we consume are broken down in our digestive tracts into microscopic molecules that can then be absorbed and used for energy. This energy is measured by a unit known as a calorie. For our hearts to beat, our lungs to breathe, or for our muscles to allow us to move about, our bodies require energy, or calories. When you think of food, try not to think of it as a substance you consume solely to satisfy hunger. For the same reasons a vehicle needs fuel to power itself, we need food to obtain the energy necessary for carrying out our daily tasks.

To determine your body's required amount of energy, a good rule of thumb is to multiply your weight in pounds by 12 if you're a female and 14 if you're a male. For example, Mike is a 170 lb male; therefore, he should consume approximately 2,400 calories per day (170 X 14). This is Mike's estimated energy requirement (EER) for his average day.

Because our bodies are genetically programmed to assimilate and burn a certain amount of calories at a given time, anything in excess is converted to fat and stored up as fatty tissue. Naturally, for weight control, we want to avoid the accumulation a fatty tissue and promote the body's natural fat burning mechanisms. That is where portion control and meal timing come into play.

In order to give our bodies a chance to burn off the foods we eat without promoting fat storage, it's recommended that we consume smaller, more frequent meals. Ideally you should opt to consume 4-6 small meals every 3-4 hours. The larger the meal, the greater the amount of time between meals should be.

The simplest way to establish some guidelines for portion control and meal timing is to take your EER and divide it by your desired number of meals. This will breakdown your body's EER into an equal amount for each meal. As in the example of Mike, if he elects to consume 4 meals, it would average out to 600 calories per meal (2400/4).

No matter how healthy your food choices are, without exercising portion control, managing your weight can feel like a worthless effort. The most fundamental concept that can be taught for weight management is this: to avoid the accumulation of body fat, energy in should equal energy out.

I hope that this was not too confusing. If anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to ask them. I will always make time to help anyone understand what it takes to gain control over their weight.