C IS FOR CALORIE

A unit of energy in food, enough to heat 1kg of water by 1°C. But that’s where the consistency ends. You absorb more calories from overcooked or processed food (including smoothies), and fewer if it’s raw or natural. And you burn 25% of the calories from protein just by digesting it, compared with 10% for carbs and fat. All of which means that calorie counts on food packaging and cardio machines don’t give the full picture. Weight loss is more complex than basic maths. Still, calories count

– as should you to work out your basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is essentially how many calories your body’s various processes use in a day without you moving. With this, you can determine the amount you need to consume – and burn – to achieve your goals, whatever those might look like.

THE FORMULA