Lose Weight by Counting Calories!

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Yes, this is the best "diet" program to go on if you are looking to lose weight and keep it off. But let me stress to you that this is also, like all the others, a life style that you need to adapt yourself to.

Counting calories is not the only thing that should be taken into consideration, you should also find out how many calories is right for you, your age, your current weight, and your sex and even your height.

The General Calculation: For every pound of body weight you carry, your body burns about 10 calories each day.

Therefore, a person weighing 130 pounds would need to take in at least 1,300 calories (130 x 10 = 1,300) every day, just to meet their body's basic needs.

After you figure out your most basic caloric need, you can factor in your activity level and digestion needs.

This will get you even closer to the real number of calories that your body uses every day to support your regular activities.

To find out your basic BMR, take your body weight in pounds and multiply this by 10. Let's use an example of a person weighing 130 pounds:

Example: 130 pounds x 10 calories/pounds = 1,300 calories.

Second, to factor in the amount of activity you do in a regular day, take the number you just calculated and multiply it by your Activity level.

Sedentary = 20% {do you sit most of the day}

Lightly Active = 30% {do you walk here and there, do daily chores?}

Moderately Active = 40% {do you constantly move around?}

Very Active = 50% {do exercise heavily for long periods of time, 1 hour or more a day?}

Example: 1,300 calories x 0.30 (lightly active) = 390

Then add together your BMR and calories burned by your activity level:

Example: 1,300 calories + 390 calories = 1,690 calories

Here is an example on how to calculate your calorie intake using the Harris-Benedict Equation:

W (weight in kg) 1 kg = 2.2 lbs A person weighing 130 lbs is: 130 lbs / 2.2 = 59.09 kg H (height in cm) 1 inch = 2.54 cm A 5’6” tall person is: 66 inch x 2.54 = 167.64 cm Men = 66 + (13.7 x W) + (5 x H) - (6.8 x A)

Women = 655 + (9.6 x W) + (1.7 x H) - (4.7 x A)

So, for a 30-year-old woman weighing 130 pounds (59.09 kg) and standing 5’6” tall (167.64 cm), her BMR, using the Harris-Benedict Equation, would be: 655 + (9.6 x 59.09) + (1.7 x 167.64) - (4.7 x 30) = 1,366 calories (pretty close to the "Americanized" calculation I did above.)

Sound Complicated? Once you have done it once or twice it is pretty easy.

Remember, in order for you to burn just 1 pound of fat, you need to have burned off 3500 calories!

Can you lose weight using this method? Absolutely! It will also put into perspective just how many calories you were eating every day. This is another example of a life style change, which as you will see, all weight loss programs are, if you are to be successful.

Frustrated yet? Don't be, your answer will come to you when you see it, just keep reading and researching this site!

counting calories to complicated,, click here to go back to diets that work.....