Category Archives: Diet

Do you ever wonder how many calories a day to lose weight? First you need to figure out how many calories you burn daily.

To figure this out, you need to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) then multiply your BMR based on your activity level to determine what your body burns as you go about your business each day.

This is the magic number you use to then add any extra calories burned and/or subtract the calories you eat that day.

So grab a calculator and lets walk through your calculation now.

BMR Formula for Women:
655 + (4.35 x weight in lbs) + (4.7 x height in inches) – (4.7 x age in yrs)

BMR Formula for Men:

66 + (6.23 x weight in lbs) + (12.7 x height in inches) – (6.8 x age in yrs)

After you get your BMR, then you need to take into account your activity level to determine your total daily calorie needs.

Multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

Sedentary (little or no exercise ): BMR x 1.2
Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk): BMR x 1.375
Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk): BMR x 1.55
Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk): BMR x 1.725
Extra active (very hard exercise/sports/physical job or 2x training): BMR x 1.9

Now you have the number of calories you burn each day based on your individual factors and activity level.

To lose weight, you want to eat less than that final number, HOWEVER, one tip for you — it is best to vary your calorie intake so your body doesn’t get used to the same amount everyday, even if you go over your BMR # on some days.

Ex. BMR = 1500, alternate between 1000-1900 something like this:
Day 1 eat 1200 calories
Day 2 eat 1700 calories
Day 3 eat 1000 calories
Day 4 eat 1900 calories
Day 5 eat 1100 calories

Psst…Weight Loss Strategy Secret
Try to stay in a range, but make a point of not doing too many low days in row because your body goes into storage mode – it thinks it is not going to get enough calories, this in turn lowers your metabolism, so you burn less fat. By mixing it up, and even having a high day thrown in here and there, you are keeping your body guessing so it does not get accustomed to the same exact amount each day.

If you are trying to lose weight by drastically cutting calories, your body will be working against you as it stores calories thinking it is not getting enough food. I know it sounds weird, but eating more can actually help you lose weight in some instances.

How Many Calories a Day to Lose Weight Examples

So how many caloires a day to lose weight? Well, 1 pound = 3600 calories.

If you take your BMR, then add any workout calories burned and subtract your food intake, you are left with either the excess calories you burned, the amount you went over, or if you get zero, then you burned exactly what you ate for the day.

Lost weight example:
BMR + Workout calories burned – Food intake
2000(BMR) + 300(Workout) – 1900(Food) = 400 calories under

Gained weight example:
BMR + Workout calories burned – Food intake
2000(BMR) + 200(Workout) – 2500(Food) = 300 caloires over

Maintained weight example:
BMR + Workout calories burned – Food intake
1800(BMR) + 300(Workout) – 2100(Food) = 0 calories

Once you have hit 3600, you have lost a pound. Now keep in mind, some days you may be under and others you may be over, so how long it takes and how many calories a day to lose weight will vary based on what you eat and what you do.

Water – Why Do I Need It?

Everyone knows that drinking water is recommended when trying to lose weight. So what’s the big deal with water and weight loss really?

We have all seen tons of different diet plans saying to drink at least 8 glasses a water a day or a gallon of water a day, etc. But why a specific amount? And what amount is the right amount?

The Why

First and foremost your body needs water. It keeps you hydrated and is the healthiest, purest way to prevent dehydration.

It also helps fill you up so you do not feel as hungry. Water has no calories.

Water is a natural cleanser. Water is essential for your body to thrive and function properly.

How Much

You should shoot for at least 64 ounces a day minimum. You can certainly drink more than that but you should not be drinking excessive amounts in an attempt to lose weight faster.

A good range is between 64 ounces to 1 gallon of water per day.

Water and Weight Loss – Tips & Tricks

Even though you know you should drink water, sometimes it is really hard to hit that magic number of ounces per day. Here are a few tips to get yourself to drink water:

• Keep water at your desk while at work
• Take water to meetings with you
• Drink water when you are really thirsty and/or right after you workout
• Bring a bottle of water with you in the car

By having water handy and with you throughout the day, you are more apt to sip it. Before you know it, you will have hit your daily water intake or at least be closer to it without feeling like you have to guzzle water towards the end of day, which is not preferable anyhow.

The goal is to drink the water throughout the day. If you workout, you should be drinking water during and/or right after your workout to replace what your body lost while exercising.

Water and Weight Loss – Cheat Methods

Sometimes drinking water feels like a chore. You know you have to drink it, but you just don’t want water, you want something else that has some flavor to it.

Although plain old water is the best, there are some ways to cheat a bit to make it easier.

Keep in mind these “cheat methods” are not as good as regular water but if you mix them in to hit your target some of the time, then it is better than either not drinking water or drinking diet soda or sugary juices to quench your thirst.

There are lots of low calorie options if you need some “help” getting your water intake. You want to check the nutrition label. For instance, some drinks which appear to be healthy actually have a lot of sugar and calories, so be sure to read the label.

Some low calorie products on the market now:

• Propel
• VitaminWater10 (which is their low calorie option)
• Powerade Zero
• Crystal Light mix (Tip: Keep some at your desk to mix into your water. There are tons of flavors to chose from to give you plenty of variety.)

These are a few examples to get you started. Keep in mind these substitutes are not as good as plain old water, but better than sugary juice or soda. Hopefully this has given you some insight into water and weight loss while also making it easier to drink more water during the day.

Eating healthy is easier said than done. And with that said, this article will reveal the secrets of when to diet cheat if you are having trouble sticking to your diet.

You may be all gung ho for a few days, maybe even for weeks, but at some point you are probably going to start craving something — chocolate, salty snacks, bacon, ice cream, pizza — whatever your temptation is, you will want it eventually.

First off, I do cheat. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to stick with any healthy eating plan.

The key is to let yourself have some treats, but don’t go crazy. Anything in moderation is okay, and in the long run you are doing yourself a favor.

How is that a favor do you ask? Well, by letting yourself have occasional treats prevents you from building up an unstoppable craving which could lead to completely pigging out and binging on those foods you denied yourself.

Best time to Diet Cheat

So here’s the trick – if you need to diet cheat, do it early in the day or after you have worked out.

By indulging in the morning or early afternoon, you have the rest of the day to work it off, opposed to eating a bowl of ice cream at night when you will be going to bed.

You burn less calories sleeping than you do going about your business during the day.

After a workout is also a good time. You may think this sounds counterproductive. The reason after a workout is a good time is because this is when your metabolism is the highest and you will burn more calories.

Combining the two, in the morning after a workout, is the best solution if it works out for you. This way you get the benefit of the higher metabolism working for you and won’t have to give into a craving later in the day to diet cheat with less time to work it off.

Don’t beat yourself up

Bottom line, don’t worry if you do find that you have a bad day once in awhile. It will not ruin what you have accomplished. Even if you ended up going beyond a small diet cheat, as long as you go back to your good eating habits and workout routine, your body will probably not even notice it.

The most important thing is not to fall into the mentality of “well, I’ve cheated so I might as well just keeping eating what I want”. Tomorrow is a new day and the perfect time to get back to your healthy eating habits.

Also, be sure you do eat after you have cheated. You do not want to starve yourself to “make up for it”. What you want to do is eat, but eat healthy, giving your body the fuel and nutrients it needs. Do not make it two bad days in a row by pigging out then starving yourself.