If you've ever tried to lose weight you're in good company (present company included). The biggest mistake most people make is not knowing their "numbers" or understanding the why, when and what behind the amount of calories their body needs. The following are basically two standard methods you can take in determining how many calories you need to consume for weight loss. But remember….it's not just about the calories…..it's about wellness.
USDA recommendation – The standard daily caloric intake the USDA recommends is 1500 (never below 1200, especially for women). While this is an across the board approach and (really) does work, it sometimes can be too drastic of a caloric reduction for someone who is in the stage 3 or above obesity range. If you choose this approach, then you can easily calculate the approximate number of calories per meal as 350 (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with a healthy snack between meals (breakfast/lunch, lunch/dinner) of 225 calories each snack. The USDA website (http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx) also provides a step by step approach for determining the number of calories you need daily based upon your age, gender, weight/height and current activity level. This site provides you with an actual guideline of the food groups (grains, fruits, vegetables, meats) for determining what you need, along with the food pyramid chart to help you visually understand which foods are included.
Metabolic approach – This approach is much more in depth and depends on you re-calculating your "caloric intake" regularly. To determine your calories for weight loss using your current statistics (height, weight, gender), you can visit a number of reliable websites including Lance Armstrong's www.livestrong.com or www.caloriesperhour.com along with many others. These sites will lead you through calculating your current stats while producing the number of calories you will need for weight loss. The basic theory is this: Your "resting" metabolism is evaluated by your current stats (height/weight/age) to produce what your body needs just to survive/function. Then, your level of activity plays part in your overall metabolism (what your body is burning when it's active). In order to lose weight, our caloric intake uses the activity level less (about) 15-20% of our calories to determine what our body needs for weight loss. For this reason, I recommend the USDA method (much easier and less complicated for daily use). Again, never fall below 1200 calories (regardless of what the calculation produces).
While the above approaches are both very trustworthy (in my opinion) I always recommend you see a doctor (preferably a nutritionist or clinical dietician) before implementing any weight loss program. What I teach in my monthly seminars is basically the USDA caloric and nutrition approach, but I always acquiesce to those who are licensed as the authority in all matters including weight loss for wellness.
Quick tip: A calorie is more than just a calorie…..knowing how much, why, when and what not only helps you lose weight it helps you stay balanced.
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