Calculate Your Daily Calorie Needs
Find the number of calories you should eat each day to maintain your current weight. If you're overweight, use the average healthy weight recommended for your height.
How to Sensibly Lose WeightTo take off one pound per week, you'll need to reduce calories by 500 per day. (One pound of body fat equals about 3,500 calories.) Try eating 250 calories less per day and exercising enough to burn 250 calories— like walking about 2.5 miles each day. The easiest way to cut back on calories is to watch your portion sizes.Science tells us that 1 pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories, so a daily calorie deficit of 500 should result in 1 pound per week fat loss. In reality things don't quite work that efficiently! The Weight Loss PlateauOver time our bodies adapt to the lowered calorie level. Our body becomes more efficient at using energy (lowered metabolism), and therefore burns less fat.This is why most of us reach a weight loss plateau. At this point, the only option is to boost metabolism; increased cardio, weight training, 'cheat' meals (i.e. high-calorie meals), cycling (or zig-zagging) calories, and even manipulating macro-nutrient ratios can all help to do this (don't forget adequate sleep and hydration). You often find that the nearer you get to your goal weight or body fat percentage - the harder things get! Continually dropping calories only serves to lower metabolism even further. The moment you return to 'normal' eating the weight comes back on. Minimum Daily Calorie IntakeIt is difficult to set absolute bottom calorie levels, because everyone has different body composition and activity levels. Health authorities do set some baselines - these are 1200 calories per day for women, and 1800 calories per day for men. This doesn't really make too much sense - are you are sedentary person with little muscle mass? Or someone who is tall, muscular, and exercises a lot? Absolute levels don't work, but do give us a starting point.Try not to lower your calorie intake by more than 1000 calories below maintenance. Doing so may invoke the bodies starvation response, which can lead to a yo-yo dieting effect. Try to gradually lower calories. A sudden drop (such as 500 calories or more) can cause your metabolism to slow. What happens when calories are too low? 1) Muscle mass is broken down for energy (catabolism). 2) Metabolism will begin to drop (typically) after 3 days of very low calories. 3) Loss of muscle mass will also lead to lowered metabolism. 4) With very low calories you risk sluggishness, nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, and often irritability. You are completely set-up for a regain in fat if you suddenly return to your previous eating patterns.  Home |
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