How Many Calories Do You Burn Daily
How to figure out how many calories you burn each day
Now that we realize that calories are an important component in any weight loss or even in maintaining a healthy weight it’s important to know how to calculate what you need in terms of caloric content each day in your diet. There are several ways to do this, one is figuring your BMR and activity level and using a formula. Another is just using charts and guidelines put out by the government or given to you by your doctor.
How many calories you need is a function of your body type, age, height, weight (or desired weight) activity level and gender. The BMR is a good indicator but it doesn’t take into consideration those who are super athletic and have a high muscle mass. But, if you don’t fit into that category likely you can do the BMR and activity level formula and come up with your caloric needs so that you can either lose weight to become your desired weight, or maintain your current weight.
The important thing is to be honest about your activity level, and realize that the numbers can be shocking. Most people eat far too many calories and if you’ve not gained a lot of weight yet, but you’re regularly ingesting too many calories, you will soon. We can be tempted to blame outside factors and health issues on weight gain but it’s really quite rare for most people. Unless you’re entering perimenopause, it’s likely you can lose weight just fine by sticking to a high nutrition, low calorie plan based on the BMR formulas. Of course, it’s important to get your overall health status confirmed by a doctor before embarking on any weight lose regime.
First write down your age, the weight you want to be,(lbs) and your height in inches. Now determine your activity level. If you don’t do any type of intentional exercise then you are considered to be sedentary or not active. If you walk at least 1.5 miles per day at a brisk pace, in addition to your job, this is considered to be moderately active. Be honest about your activity level and realize that if you’re not you’ll only have yourself to blame if you don’t reach your weight loss goals.
Now look at the BMR charts and equations on this page. Using the formula let’s figure the calorie requirements for a 5.5 inch woman who is 140 lbs and wishes to maintain that current weight. She is moderately active. From the charts we have the following formula.
BMR for women — BMR = (65.5 + (4.35 x weight in lbs) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in years)) x 1.55 (activity quotient)
This woman, when figuring out the formula in its entirely, should eat no more than 1272 calories per day if she wishes to maintain her current weight. She can up her exercise levels, in order to increase her calorie intake, but for the most part, this is what she can eat each day to maintain her current weight.
To make it easier to stick to it is important to eat high water content and high fiber foods to stay full, get all the nutrients needed, and to not feel deprived.
The First Step Of Any Weight Loss Program
Do you know the first step before starting any weight loss program?
So, you’ve found the perfect weight loss program for yourself and you’re ready to get started! Congratulations! Assuming you’ve chosen a realistic and healthy way to get control of your weight and your health the process should be successful. However, there are a few things you should always do before embarking on any new regime, especially if you already have underlying health issues.
Ask your doctor — Let your doctor know that you’re going to start a new lifestyle. Do this to inform the doctor but also to ensure that your choice is a good one for you. Everyone is different and has different nutritional requirements. This is especially true if you are using any medications such as diabetes meds or blood pressure meds. If you’ve picked a healthy way to lose weight such as adding in more fruits and veggies, eliminating processed foods and counting calories you’ll find that your doctor will be very supportive.
Set Goals — Now that you have your doctor’s approval it’s time to set some reasonable goals. Remember that when you set a goal it needs to be challenging but possible. It’s also important to write down your goals in a substantial way. Don’t just write, “I want to lose weight.” Instead, write down exactly how much weight you want to lose in total, then move backwards on the calendar to figure out how much you’ll need to lose monthly and weekly to reach your goal. Then also write down how you’ll reach that goal. By filling in your calendar with exactly what you’ll do you’re automatically creating a step by step guide to get you to your goal!
Assess Yourself — You can’t set good goals without knowing where you stand today. Much like setting your monthly financial budget you’re going to need to find out where you stand right now compared to where you want to be. It’s a good idea to write down the numbers so that you can periodically check to see that you’re being successful. You don’t need to do anything too fancy, just write down in a notebook (or use your computer) to track your current measurements and weight. Then once a month or so check your progress and write it down so that you can track what is happening. It’s a good idea to also take a picture of yourself so that you can see for yourself how it’s all working for you. Oftentimes our minds don’t catch up to the change in our body without seeing it.
Plan for Success — Don’t forget to plan each week’s meals in advance. Have plans in place for parties, socializing, and guests. The thing is, you’re doing this for life, not for a certain time until you lose weight. Instead, this is your new life so plan in “cheats” that fit into your new healthy lifestyle instead of depriving yourself. If you know your best friend is getting married in a couple of months, save up calories and plan for enjoying that day, otherwise you’ll fall off the wagon and punish yourself with more bad choices.
Obesity Versus Overweight- What Is The Difference
Obesity versus overweight, what is the difference.
A lot of us are closer than we’d like to admit to being medically obese. You might think that you need to be 100 lbs or more overweight to be considered obese but actually someone can be obese and at risk for all the illnesses associated with obesity by just being 40 lbs over eight. Take a look at this BMI Chart:
Now let’s use an average height woman at 5 foot 5 inches as our guide. According to this chart a 5 foot 5 inch woman who is 140 lbs is within a normal BMI range, with a BMI of 23.3. So, how much weight does she have to gain to be 30.0 or above? Surprisingly, only 40 lbs.! At 180 lbs, the 5 foot 5 inch female, will have a calculated BMI of 30.0. That’s quite scary when you think about it.
There are different classes of obesity, with the morbidly obese woman having a BMI of 40 or greater. So, how much weight does our 5 foot 5 inch woman need to gain to become morbidly obese? She’d have to weigh 247 lbs to be classified as morbidly obese. However, even before she gets to that level she’s in danger of many illnesses associated with obesity such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Once a woman gets to the level of morbid obesity she likely has one or more conditions present and unfortunately, without drastic intervention most morbidly obese people don’t lose weight and keep it off.
This is not to say they cannot, it’s just to say that statistically, it’s unlikely. But, the fact is if you remain morbidly obese you’re not going to live a long and happy life. You will die early from a whole range of painful and deadly diseases. While statistics put the obese person as unlikely to lose weight and keep it off, the truth is, you can stick to a diet that considers your nutritional needs, caloric needs, and mobility so that you can give yourself a chance at a long, healthy, and happy life.
You don’t have to resort to surgery, although for some this may be an answer, though a dangerous one. Sticking to a whole food diet, rich in veggies and fruits, and low in processed GMO (genetically modified organisms), low in processed foods, will improve your health and lead to a slow and healthy weight loss.
However, it has to be an entire lifestyle change, and not just a diet that has a finish line.
There is no weight loss race in spite of the diet industry and reality TV’s portrayal of weight loss.
The best way to permanent weight loss is through a permanent change in what you eat. Even if you do resort to surgery, the truth is, you’ll be also making a huge change in what you eat, if you made those same changes without surgery the result would be the same. Weight loss.
Jump Starting Your Weight Loss When You Hit A Plateau
Jump starting your weight loss when you hit a plateau.
There are quite a few diets out there that claim to do just the trick when it comes to quick and easy weight loss. However, when it comes to your body, going the natural route is always far superior than questionable shakes and pills if you want to shed a few pounds fast. In fact, juicing is an interesting, unique and even clever way to shed unwanted pounds while still being able to enjoy a variety of delicious tastes.
If the idea of juicing conjures up images of hours and days of food deprived agony, relax. You don’t need thirty days to dedicate to juicing, and in fact might want to start with just two, and then move it up to five as your body acclimates. If you have never juice fasted before, it is best to start slow and then build up to longer fasts.
One of the great benefits of juicing is that it gives your digestion a rest, allowing your body to rid itself of unwanted toxic waste. By no longer filling it with sugary, processed and toxic foods but instead filling it with raw delicious fruits and vegetables, it can focus on healing instead of surviving. This, in turn, will help you to release weight, and you will start to feel lighter and cleaner.
When you begin your juicing program, start at a time when you have the least demanding schedule, perhaps on the weekend. This way, you have the time necessary to make the amount of juice you need, and you may also rest if you find yourself lacking in energy. If you are giving yourself a proper variety of fruit and vegetable juices, though, your energy level should not be an issue.
As you are juicing, you are flooding your body with the vitamins and nutrients it so desperately needs. While this is a good thing, watch out for juicing recipes that contain too much sugar. This will cause your blood sugar levels to spike and then you will have a crash to contend with. Instead of straight fruit and even fruit and carrots, look for recipes that are a nice blend of vegetables and fruits. For example, try pear, parsley and spinach. Or, maybe even carrots and spinach. Mix it up, and don’t let the juice be too heavy on either end of the fruit or vegetable spectrum.
If you follow juicing recipes correctly, you will be able to enjoy the full sensation of a meal and the same nutrient intake as well. Make sure that you follow recipes correctly and supplement where necessary, and you should not have any problems with maintaining sustained energy levels.
Adding herbs to your juices can boost your metabolism in subtle ways. Parsley and cilantro are known for their fat-burning potential. However, those new to juicing may want to hold off on cilantro and opt for parsley instead. Cilantro is not tolerated by everybody, so you will have to experiment and see if it is right for you.
Juicing strengthens your metabolism overall, with or without herbs. This is because sipping on proper juice combinations throughout the day provides you with moderated blood sugar levels. This prevents dangerous dips in blood sugar levels, and prevents overeating at mealtimes.
Juicing fruits and vegetables also provides other benefits. Your immune system will enjoy a boost from the added vitamins and minerals in your diet, and you may find you are susceptible to fewer colds than you once were.
Juicing can be a great way to jump-start a weight loss routine, particularly for short-term gains. It can also be an excellent supplementation to a diet that is balanced otherwise. Don’t let fear of hunger stop you from flooding your body with much-needed nutrients and giving your digestion a rest. Not only will you feel better after, but you will look superb.
Blogging And Journaling To Keep Your Weight Loss On Track
Blogging and journaling to keep your weight loss on track.
Losing weight is a long-term process that can seem never-ending. By journaling your weight loss experience, you can help break up the monotony of waiting for each pound to drop off. Keeping a good journal can also enhance your weight-loss program and make you more likely to succeed. Here are some tips to help you journal the right way.
To start your journaling process, you first need a journal. Fortunately it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. In fact, you can find an inexpensive journal at any department store. All that you really need is an empty book full of lined paper just waiting to be written on. After choosing your journal, keep it with you at all times, and soon it will become more than an empty book; it will also be your weight loss friend.
To begin, you can use your journal to track your workout program. Start by writing down your beginning statistics: weight, measurements, and your short-term exercise goals. Keep a daily summary of your physical activity. Day by day, try to increase your exercise level and keep a written record of it.
Use a page each week for your personal goals. Whether it’s a weight loss goal, an exercise goal or both – keep track of those small victories and each time you meet one, give yourself a small reward. Rewards can be small, but they are a reminder that you are working toward a bigger goal: a healthier, physically fit you!
Keep a menu page to journal your food intake throughout the day. You can make a list of what you plan to eat and then write down what you actually did eat. By keeping track of your daily food intake, you will be able to see what you are consuming and notice the little things you may forget that can slow down your weight loss.
An important part of weight loss is keeping yourself motivated and not letting yourself get down when you have a bad day. Sometimes it helps to record your feelings and any events that have triggered temptation or caused you to backslide. Writing it down can somehow make you feel better and more able to resist the next time temptation shows its ugly face.
While we already mentioned making a note of your starting weight, you can also keep a weight record in your journal. Begin with your starting weight and then decide how often you will weigh yourself. It’s best not to weigh every day, as hormonal fluid retention or too much sodium can cause temporary fluctuations in weight, and this can cause you to feel like you aren’t losing. Weekly or bi-weekly weigh-ins are a good way to see your progress, so resist the temptation to jump on the scale every day.
Finally, your journal is a great place to record recipes and tips you learn throughout your weight loss journey. Check online, in magazines and ask other dieters for their weight loss tips, or even start a recipe exchange. By writing them down, you will always know where to find some quick advice or a new dish to try.
Journaling can be a real motivation when you keep it up and do it right. You can record your weight-loss journey and refer back to it if you find yourself slipping into old eating habits. Get your journal started today, and find other innovative ways to track your progress in writing. When you reach your goals you’ll be amazed at what you have done and have learned, and will have a treasure to share with others who may need some encouragement on their weight-loss journey