Help With Your Weight Loss Efforts

If you want to lose weight, you need to know how many calories you should be consuming on a daily basis. There is a precise formula to help you do this correctly. The formula is based on your weight, height, age and activity level.

To determine your "daily caloric need" in order to lose weight, do the following:

1. Determine your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).
   
2. Multiply your BMR by your "Activity Level Multiplier".
3. Subtract a certain number of calories based on your weekly weight loss goal.
   

BMR Formula = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Activity Level Multiplier:

1. Lightly Active Multiplier = 1.375
2. Moderately Active Multiplier = 1.55
3. Very Active Multiplier = 1.725

I'll use an example. I am 63 inches tall, 134.8 pounds, 40 years old and moderately active. My BMR = 655 + (586.38) + (296.1) - (188) = 1349.48 calories

My daily caloric need = BMR x Activity Level Multiplier = 1349.48 x 1.55 = 2,092 calories

So, I can consume 2,092 calories per day to maintain my current weight.

If I want to lose 1 pound of fat per week, I need to subtract 500 calories per day. Remember that 1 pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, so to lose 1 pound of fat per week, you need to eat 500 calories less than your daily caloric need every day for 7 days.

So, I am allowed 1,592 calories a day on average if I want to lose 1 pound of fat per week. Of course, if I increase my activity level to "very active", than I get to consume even more calories.

When I was 30 pounds heavier after my 2nd child, I used this formula along with a regular cardio and strength-training routine to lose all of my weight slowly and permanently. Of course, I used a calorie counter and a daily journal to track my calories because that's the only way to really control your weight loss on a weekly basis.

There are some great calorie counters and tracking systems available online. One great system is found at about.com. Here, you can set a weight goal for yourself based on your current weight and the system will do the calculations of daily caloric intake for you! There are a lot of other great and free tools available at about.com, such as a daily diet planning tool. So, check it out!

It may seem like a difficult task at first, but weight loss targets can only be achieved through the use of a proper tracking system. So, get started. I'm sure after a few weeks, you'll be an expert and well on your way to weight loss success! Not only that, once you reach your weight loss goal, you'll know the calorie counts of pretty much everything you put in your mouth. That makes you make wiser food choices, even while out for dinner at your favorite restaurant.

Have a great night and good luck with your weight loss efforts. I did it and so can you. You deserve to look and feel your best.

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International

Quick Weight Loss - Is it Possible?

Are you looking for a quick weight loss solution? Have you tried many of those fad diets, or those products advertised on TV that promise that you'll look like a model within a few short weeks? Have you taken dietary supplements expecting that you would lose weight quickly and permanently?

Well, unfortunately I'm here to tell you that quick weight loss is just not possible! A quick weight loss solution does not exist - certainly not one that is healthy or that burns fat. Those quick weight loss solutions that are advertised are "scams", especially the ones that tell you that you can just sit back and relax "while the pounds just fall off". Many of the so-called products offered on TV just don't work - certainly not in the way they are portrayed.

The truth is, without proper diet and exercise, along with regular strength-training to build lean tissue, permanent weight loss is not possible. Sure you can lose a lot of water with many of the supplements on the market today, or by drastically restricting your calories. Sometimes, you can drop as many as 8 pounds in one week, however those pounds consist of "water" as previously mentioned. Just eat a few good carbohydrates, and your back to storing water again. Before you know it, you've gained all of those 8 pounds back!

So, what do you do? First off, pick up this month's issue of FitnessRx (February 2008). The magazine's key headline is: "2008 Fat Loss Special!". Some other headlines include: "Burn Fat Fast!" and "Shed 20lbs in Two Months". To me, 20 lbs in two months is quick weight loss! However, it requires that you follow a regime of strength-training, cardio and dietary restriction, supplemented with quality weight loss supplements to compound your results.

I've read the February issue of FitnessRx and it's great. As I've mentioned previously, FitnessRx is my favorite women's health and fitness magazine. Read the February issue and you'll see why. In fact, order a copy online and receive it at home. It'll keep you motivated and informed and it will add a lot of variety to your normal exercise and fitness routine.

Don't want to get the issue of FitnessRx? Then follow some of the guidelines I've provided in previous posts. Unfortunately, quick weight loss is never permanent. You need to be vigilant and committed to changing the way you eat and live for life.

I'd love to hear some inspirational stories, so be sure to drop me a line. I would be happy to share your success stories with our daily readers.

Have a great night! Talk to you tomorrow.

Sandy Huard, President, Women's Health Supply International