Death and taxes are inevitable, and when you’re trying to lose weight, there’s another inescapable fact of life – calories count. That’s why calorie counters are so widely available on health and fitness websites, and why they should be fully utilized as an invaluable tool in your own weight-loss program.

Many counters are accompanied by charts that show the approximate number of calories burned each hour by particular activities, such as walking, bicycling, jogging or swimming. These counters are further broken down, since people of different weights (100, 150 or 200 pounds, for example) will burn a different number of calories doing the same activity for the same amount of time. Namely, a 100-pound person will burn 500 calories in an hour of jumping rope. A 150-pound person doing the same activity for the same length of time would burn 750 calories, while a 200-pound person would burn a whopping 1,000 calories.

Some sites, such as www.caloriescount.org, offer enhanced calorie counters that allow you to search a database for all the foods you’ve eaten throughout the day and the number of servings of each. Once you’ve completed your list for the day, or for the first part of the day, the calculator will provide you with a running total of the calories you’ve consumed so far. For motivated individuals, consistent use of tools like this will make you an expert at managing your food intake within a very short period of time.

Calorie calculators are available specifically for men, women, children and seniors and let you know exactly how many calories you should be consuming to maintain your current weight. These distinctions are important, since calorie counters by their very nature are at best an estimate. The actual number of calories an individual is burning is based upon his or her own unique combination of muscle mass, activity level, age, gender and weight. Other factors also affect your body’s calorie-burning rate, such as illness, pregnancy and certain medications.

 Most experts agree that a slow, steady weight loss of a half-pound to 1 pound per week is the safest and most effective route, since you’ll be losing body fat, not just water weight. In order to lose 1 pound, your body must burn 3,500 calories more than you take in each week. That’s an average of 500 calories per day. You can use your calorie counter and activities charts to reduce your daily calorie intake by, say, 300 calories, and then boost your daily activity level to burn off an additional 200 calories, allowing you to reach your short-term and long-term goals.

One final note -- calorie counters are also useful for those who are trying to maintain a healthy weight, whether or not they’ve previously lost pounds. They’re especially helpful when you’re transitioning from a weight-loss to a weight-maintenance eating program. If you prefer face-to-face advice, rather than online, you can also check with your doctor, a fitness expert or a registered dietitian.