Counting calories can be difficult for first-timers, but once you get into the habit it will be second nature to you. To help you start it off, here is a list of common foods, the calories they contain, and how much activity or exercise you need to do to burn it off.
Please note that our list here is only a general guide. The amount of calories you burn from a particular activity varies from person to person. It depends on your weight and how hard you work at the activity (eg speed of running), among other things.
English breakfast
(Two eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, tinned tomatoes, mushroom, two toast)
Calories: 800
Activity: 3.5 hours of leisure cycling, 2 hours of slow rope-skipping, 2 hours of swimming the breast stroke
Chocolate bar
Calories: 240
Activity: half an hour of aerobics, an hour of yoga, twenty minutes of rugby or 45 minutes of gardening
Sausage roll
Calories: 260
Activity: half an hour of a basketball game, an hour and a half pushing a stroller with a child, 45 minutes skateboarding or 20 minutes running at about 7 miles per hour
Beef stew
Calories: 220
Activity: an hour of walking, 20 minutes casual football, 45 minutes playing the drum, 20 minutes slow rope-skipping
Medium apple or orange
Calories: 70 to 80
Activity: 10 minutes of aerobics, 25 minutes slow walking, 15 minutes skateboarding, 15 minutes gardening, 15 minutes sweeping
Raw carrots - one cup
Calories: 30
Activity: three minutes of running, eight minutes gardening, eight minutes slow rop-skipping or 25 minutes pushing stroller with child
Iceberg lettuce - one cup
Calories: 7
Activity: 5 minutes pushing stroller with child or 3 minutes slow walking