Tip #3
Calories Do Count!
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Calories do count! If you consume more calories than you burn in a day, the extra calories are stored as fat.
What you observe in life may not seem to fit the concept of energy input equaling energy output for weight maintenance. Some people seem to eat all they want and not gain weight, whereas others eat very little and have difficulty just maintaining. What you have observed is correct! But there is good news. There are some choices you can make to influence the number of calories you need and thereby tilt the balance in favor of a higher calorie intake without weight gain (or provide you more ease in burning calories).
Your calorie needs are dependent on your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) plus your activity level. BMR is a measure of the number of calories your body needs when at rest. Even when lying still your body is at work pumping blood, removing toxins in your liver, breathing, etc. If you are a sedentary person most of your caloric needs are for BMR.
There are ways to increase your Basal Metabolic Rate and your energy expenditure otherwise. The best way to get started is to be more active. Simply put–get up and move (start with whatever you can do). Activity burns calories.
To lose a pound of fat in a week from activity, whether by formal exercise, work, or play, you will need to burn an additional 500 calories a day beyond your caloric needs for basal metabolism. Resistance training (weight lifting) can improve muscle performance and may increase your potential to burn extra calories even when at rest (increase basal metabolism).
Determine Your Caloric Needs for Weight Loss and Maintenance
Some of the most accurate and revealing calculators for determining your caloric needs and expenditure that I have found online are at the Global Health and Fitness website. (http://www.global-fitness.com/at.cgi?a=424649&e=bmr.php) Go to this site to complete the action steps.
ACTION STEPS
1. Determine the calories you need to maintain YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT with your current activity level entered accurately–be honest! (BMR + Calories for current physical activity level)
2. Determine the calories you would need at different activity levels for YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT. Notice the caloric differences as you move from very light activity to very heavy activity (sedentary to very active).
This is all you need to do for this for this lesson if your goal is to maintain your weight. If your goal is to lose weight continue on with the next steps:
3. Now determine the calories needed at YOUR GOAL WEIGHT (what you hope to weigh). Choose a realistic goal. See Tip #2 to determine a healthy weight. Remember, if you are significantly overweight, ANY HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS–meaning mostly fat, not lean body mass (muscle, organ tissue, bone, or water) is good.
4. The calorie count from ACTION STEP 3 will likely be less than what you need to maintain your current weight (ACTION STEP 1). Let me know if it is not. The difference in the number of calories needed at your current weight and the number you will need at your goal weight represents the minimum number of calories you must cut back on (or burn with additional activity) each day.
The easiest way to lose weight and in many ways the most effective way is to set your weight loss calorie intake at the level needed for maintenance at your goal weight or at most only 200-300 calories less than what is needed for maintenance. It may take longer to lose weight but the loss will be steady. You may not be as likely to hit plateaus. And you will already be accustomed to the calorie intake you need to maintain and thus be less likely to overeat and regain the lost weight when you reach your goal.
You must log in to post a comment.
{ 1 trackback }