One of the most important weight loss tips is this: Calories count — whether they come from ice cream, fat-free cookies, or celery.

Losing weight is largely about math. If you eat more calories than you burn off, you won’t lose weight. So be sure to read food labels and learn the calorie content of the foods you normally eat, and then figure out a calorie budget in accordance with a well-balanced diet. Need help with calorie counts and balance? Many online tools are available with weight loss tips and calorie values of many common foods.

Some other calorie-counting weight loss tips:

• Alcohol isn’t calorie-free. If you drink alcohol, remember that a five ounce glass of wine has about 100 calories. A 12-ounce can of beer contains about 150 calories, and 1.5 ounces (about a shot glass) of distilled spirits contains 100 calories.

• Fat-free is not calorie-free. Many fat-free foods have the same number of calories (or more) as their full-fat counterparts and they often taste less satisfying.