There seems to be some kind of calorie obsession when it comes to fitness apps. Your Apple Watch will tell you how many calories were burned when you went for your run. If you want to know about the amount of calories the food you are planning to eat has, the MyFitnessPal will let you know once you scan the barcode of what you wish to eat. So why is calorie counting so important if you have a fitness goal to achieve?

First let us understand that calories or Kilo calories is a unit or term that is used to measure energy, this is the technical kind and not the spiritual ones. As described by Scientist, this is the energy that your body needs to work. There are also other units that are used for the measurement of energy like joule (a joule unit would be around .25 calories) as well as the Nike Fuel which is used to tap the movements of the person. Around 2‐3 Nike Fuel is equivalent to one kilo calorie.

So how the MyFitnessPal does knows how much of food a person has to intake?The BMR or basal metabolic rate is the minimum energy that your body needs to stay alive. This is got with the help of the food that you eat, and it is this energy that helps your brain to think, lungs to breath and heart to beat and all other functions that the body does. The BMR is like the fuel for your body, just like how petrol is needed to run the car.

Fitness apps help you to understand what your body needs by making an estimate BMR which helps you to understand how much of calories your body would need on a daily basis. The formula is used based on the person’s height, weight, gender and even the age. This is not 100% accurate; however it is something that gives you an average guide. The various factors that contribute to your actual BMR would include body fat, fitness, health and even the genetic makeup.