I didn't know what to do with calories.

When I learned that flour pound for pound has as many calories as sugar, and that when eating pasta you're basically eating cake, I was size 23, and my neck was restricting my breathing, and so I got on a microbiotic diet and got myself an exercise bike.

I have never been one to count calories. I have a lot of friends in the fitness industry and understand girls who do crack down on diets, but I am not like that.

These are big trade-offs for a simple piece of cake - add five hundred calories, subtract well-being, allure, and self-esteem - and the feelings behind them are anything but vain or shallow.

Don't compare yourself with someone else's version of happy or thin. Accepting yourself burns the most calories.

I didn't know what to do with calories.

I add a lot of citrus to my food and I think that flavors it. And, to me, that what makes it healthier, lower in fat, lower in calories. It adds lots of flavor. Spices, of course. But citrus is definitely kind of my go-to to season and really to really make those flavors, make that food come alive.

I use a lot of fresh citrus, garlic, and fresh herbs when cooking to cut down on fat and sodium but punch up flavor. Our cupboards and fridge are full of condiments - mustards, vinegars, etc. that also add tons of flavor but are low in fat, calories, or other processed additives.

I love doing Jazzercise! It's totally reinvented itself. It's upbeat, it's a great cardio class for an hour, and you burn lots of calories.

If you are looking to get lean, protein and veg is going to get you there. Starchy carbs should be timed around workouts only. Portion control is pivotal to keep calories in check.

If the poor overweight jogger only knew how far he had to run to work off the calories in a crust of bread he might find it better in terms of pound per mile to go to a massage parlor.

Dancing is a lot lower-impact than ultimate fighting, but it takes a lot longer, and I burn the same amount of calories.

When children are exposed to advertisements for unhealthy food, they will, in turn, consume significantly unhealthier rather than healthy calories as a result.

At my heaviest, I was 5'8" and 175 pounds. I ate well, but in too large quantities, and I rarely made a concerted effort to burn off the extra calories. I'd beat myself up about being overweight, even though I had the tools to be in shape. Then I'd resort to an unhealthy diet to lose the weight that was making me self-conscious.

It's been known since 1916 that cutting back calories is beneficial in every organism it's been tested on - from yeast to worms to mice to monkeys. I think it would be a surprise if we are an exception to that rule.

A boot-camp class that combines upper- and lower-body moves - like walking lunges and push-ups - gets the heart rate up quickly, burning fat and calories and toning muscles in a time-efficient way.

For me, the way I go about training all of my clients is by using short bursts of interval training - it's the most effective for burning calories as well as for cardiovascular health and making you stronger.

When I ran across America, for 75 days I ate 10,000 calories a day. I still lost about five pounds.

When you eat mindfully, by paying attention to what you eat, you get more pleasure with fewer calories.

If I eat mindlessly while watching television, reading, or talking with someone else, I can go through an entire meal without tasting the food, without even noticing that I've been eating. The plate is empty but I didn't enjoy the food - I had all of the calories and little of the pleasure.

How you eat is as important as what you eat. If I eat mindlessly while watching television, I get all of the calories and none of the pleasure. Instead, if I eat mindfully, paying attention and savoring what I'm eating, smaller portions of food can be exquisitely satisfying.

Life is just too short to count calories forever!

For me, it's all about healthy eating and working out. If I have to look slim for a bikini, then I will eat lots more salad and fruit, which are low in calories and don't make you look bloated.

I see more people taking charge of their well-being through the use of data and digital sensors, wearable health bands, and smartphone apps that can track and quantify everything from their heart rate, blood pressure, and sleep quality to steps walked and calories consumed.

For many years, I was obsessed about what I was eating, how many calories it had, and how much exercise I'd have to do.

There are some days where I'll eat 8,000 calories per day, on a day before a 12, 14, 18 hour swim. For a 61-year-old woman, that's a lot! And I try not to eat too much refined sugar - cookies, desserts, those sorts of things.

For most teenage runners, the right foods means a varied diet, decreasing the amount of fat found in the typical American diet and replacing those calories with carbohydrates. Avoid saturated fats, such as those found in fried foods, and eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Because fats are so calorie-dense - there are nine calories per gram of fat - at 400 grams of fat, you're getting a lot of calories in. It's so easy to digest fat, too. That was my fuel.

No actor has made a career of exerting determination to the extent that Matt Damon has. In the 'Bourne' movies, he burned himself down to a central nervous system - his focus fried away unnecessary calories.

Really, the scheme is not going to win you a possession or even a game. You have to burn some calories and make some things happen.

I sit at this really weird crossroads. My job requires me to take in calories. I take care of myself. I eat healthy. I exercise a lot. But then I have to go to events in cocktail dresses and look fancy, and people want to interview me about what I'm wearing, and then I'm compared to people who are wearing size 2 all the time.