How to Calculate Your Caloric Needs and Lose Weight

Question:
How many calories should I eat if I want to lose weight?

Answer:
It's Relative
Technically, there is no magic number of calories we should all eat each day to lose weight. While most people can lose weight eating around 1,500 calories, you can assess your own personal caloric needs with a little math.

Why Estimate Your Caloric Needs?
To estimate how many calories you should consume in order to maintain your weight, you'll need to do a little math. By using a simple formula called the Harris-Benedict principle, you can assess your basal metabolic rate -- also known as your BMR.

(Then, to lose weight, you'll need to cut calories or burn extra calories and shoot for a level lower than the results you get with this formula.)

Calculate Your BMR
Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function. We use about 60% of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions such as breathing.

Other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex.

Step one is to calculate your BMR with the following formula:

Women:
655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men:
66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Please note that this formula applies only to adults.

Calculate Activity
Step two: In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:

* If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent

* If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent

* If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent

* If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent

* If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent

Add this number to your BMR.

The result of this formula will be the number of calories you can eat every day and maintain your current weightt. In order to lose weight, you'll need to take in fewer calories than this result.

As you lose weight, you can re-calculate the formula to assess your new BMR.

To learn more about counting calories and search for the caloric content of many foods, as well as keep an online food diary, visit About.com's Calorie Count!

Create a Calorie Deficit
In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier and healthier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time. Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to one pound.

So, if you cut back 500 calories a day, you should lose about one pound per week. That said, If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you should lose approximately one pound per week. Do both, and ... you get the picture. Ideally, you should do a combination of both, (such as cut back 250 calories; burn an extra 250 calories).

Your weight loss will vary from week to week and at times you may even gain a little weight -- if you're working out you could be developing muscle, which weighs more than fat.

The long-term results are what matters.

Create a Calorie Deficit
In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier and healthier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time. Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to one pound.

So, if you cut back 500 calories a day, you should lose about one pound per week. That said, If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you should lose approximately one pound per week. Do both, and ... you get the picture. Ideally, you should do a combination of both, (such as cut back 250 calories; burn an extra 250 calories).

Your weight loss will vary from week to week and at times you may even gain a little weight -- if you're working out you could be developing muscle, which weighs more than fat.

The long-term results are what matters.

Lose at a Healthy Rate
A healthy weight loss goal is to lose .5 to 2 pounds per week. Losing more than 2 pounds per week will mean the weight is less likely to stay off permanently. Never cut back to fewer than 1,200 daily calories without medical supervision.

To find out how you are spending your current calorie intake, keep a detailed food diary for at least one week. (You can check the calorie content of most foods at About.com's Calorie Count.)

Make the Cut(s)
With careful review, you will find ways to cut back those 250 calories a day: the milk in your cereal ... the can of soda you drink daily ... the butter on your toast.

Making little changes like these will really add up in the long run.

Check the calorie content of the foods you recorded in your food diary on paper or keep your actual food diary online with About.com's Calorie Count. Pay attention to serving sizes -- if your portion consisted of two servings, be sure to double the calories. Use a measuring cup or scale to measure your portions until you learn to "eyeball" them.

Next, find foods you can do without altogether, reduce portions of, or switch for lower-calorie alternatives.

And guess what? It's easier than you think. Take it one meal at a time. Or even one food at a time. And then, one day at a time.

Tomorrow, trade whole milk for reduced-fat milk The next day, try diet soda instead of regular. Three days in, switch to light wheat bread instead of white. All the calorie-reductions you make (and stick to) will add up in the long run.

Burn it Off!
Becoming more active will knock the remaining 250 calories out. For example, a 180-pound person who walks at a brisk 3 mph will burn just over 250 calories in 45 minutes.

Experts agree that it's easier to exercise than to cut the same number of calories that exercise shaves off. In other words, it's just plain easier for us to be a little more active than to do without more food to achieve the same calorie reduction.

Please check with your doctor before significantly changing your diet or starting a new exercise
A healthy weight loss goal is to lose .5 to 2 pounds per week. Losing more than 2 pounds per week will mean the weight is less likely to stay off permanently. Never cut back to fewer than 1,200 daily calories without medical supervision.

To find out how you are spending your current calorie intake, keep a detailed food diary for at least one week. (You can check the calorie content of most foods at About.com's Calorie Count.)

Make the Cut(s)
With careful review, you will find ways to cut back those 250 calories a day: the milk in your cereal ... the can of soda you drink daily ... the butter on your toast.

Making little changes like these will really add up in the long run.

Check the calorie content of the foods you recorded in your food diary on paper or keep your actual food diary online with About.com's Calorie Count. Pay attention to serving sizes -- if your portion consisted of two servings, be sure to double the calories. Use a measuring cup or scale to measure your portions until you learn to "eyeball" them.

Next, find foods you can do without altogether, reduce portions of, or switch for lower-calorie alternatives.

And guess what? It's easier than you think. Take it one meal at a time. Or even one food at a time. And then, one day at a time.

Tomorrow, trade whole milk for reduced-fat milk The next day, try diet soda instead of regular. Three days in, switch to light wheat bread instead of white. All the calorie-reductions you make (and stick to) will add up in the long run.

Burn it Off!
Becoming more active will knock the remaining 250 calories out. For example, a 180-pound person who walks at a brisk 3 mph will burn just over 250 calories in 45 minutes.

Experts agree that it's easier to exercise than to cut the same number of calories that exercise shaves off. In other words, it's just plain easier for us to be a little more active than to do without more food to achieve the same calorie reduction.

Please check with your doctor before significantly changing your diet or starting a new exercise

Restaurant Quick Guides - Fast Food

Find Healthy Choices at Fast Food Restaurants

Healthy fast food choices aren't as tough to find as you may think. You don't have to swear off the convenience of fast food just because you're trying to lose weight -- with a little planning, you can identify healthy choices at almost any eatery. Here are our guides to healthy choices at fast food restaurants.

Arby's
Arby's may be known as the place to get a roast beef sandwich, but the restaurant actually offers a wide variety of choices, including salads and sandwiches that are quite reasonably low in calories as compared to some of the more traditional offerings.

Atlanta Bread Company
Assuming you can ignore the fresh pastries and the like, Atlanta Bread Company is actually quite a diet-friendly choice. A number of salads, sandwiches and soups are nutritious and low in calories.

Panda Express
Panda Express offers Americanized versions of Chinese dishes. There are a number of calorie-smart main dishes. To make your meal healthier, you can choose steamed mixed vegetables as a side instead of rice.

Quiznos Subs
A number of Quizno's most popular sandwiches are super high in calories, but with a little planning you can easily stay around 300 to 400 calories and enjoy a hearty sandwich or salad.

Sonic Drive-In
Sonic seems to specialize in burgers and sundaes, but that doesn't make it off-limits. You can find a few treats such as an order of fries or a small dish of ice cream for less than 200 calories.

Taco Bell
There are some calorie-smart choices at Taco Bell, but you have to be careful. Even healthy-sounding choices, such as a taco salad, will set you back around 800 calories.

Wendy's
Beware those fat-laden specialty burgers -- some pack in close to a thousand calories! This quick guide will help you identify the most healthy fast food choices at Wendy's.

35 Fast Food Choices for 500 Calories or Less

Calorie-Smart Fast Food Snacks and Meals



Fast food every now and again doesn't have to spell diet disaster. It's all about fitting it in to your calorie budget. Whether you want a snack or a meal, we've got suggestions. Check out these 35 choices for 500-calorie or less fast food.

McDonald's

* Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal (4 piece chicken McNuggets, small fries, and 12-oz. beverage) - 500 calories
* One regular hamburger - 250 calories
* Hamburger Happy Meal with Apple Dippers and 1% milk as side choices - 460 calories
* McChicken sandwich - 360 calories
* Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait - 160 calories

Burger King

* BK Veggie Burger - 420 calories
* BK Veggie Burger (no mayo) (340 calories) and small fries (230 calories) - 570 calories
* 4-piece chicken tenders - 170 calories
* Whopper Jr. Sandwich (no mayo) - 310 calories
* Garden salad with Ken's Border Ranch Dressing - 125 calories

Arby's

* Martha's Vineyard Market Fresh Salad (no dressing) - 277 calories
* Martha's Vineyard Market Fresh Salad with Light Buttermilk Ranch dressing - 389 calories
* Market Fresh Mini Turkey & Cheese Sandwich - 235 calories

More: Arby's Quick Guide

Wendy's
# Small chili (220 calories) and a plain baked potato (270 calories) - 490 calories
# Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich - 370 calories
# Mandarin Chicken Salad and small soda - 310 calories
# Roasted Turkey and Basil Frescata - 420 calories
# Roasted Turkey and Basil Frescata without pesto - 350 calories
# Kids' size fries - 280 calories
# Jr. cheeseburger - 240 calories

Subway
Tip: Stick with 6-inch subs to keep portions in check. Hold the oil and mayo!

# 6" Oven Roasted Chicken Breast with swiss cheese and light mayo - 410 calories
# Veggie Delite Salad - 60 calories
# 6" Veggie Delite - 230 calories
# 6" turkey breast sub - 280 calories
# 6" Bourbon chicken sub - 350 calories
# Grilled chicken breast and baby spinach salad - 140 calories
# 6" roast beef sub - 290 calories

Taco Bell
Tip: You can order regular menu items "Fresco Style" and save a lot of calories and get some extra veggies too (salsa is substituted for cheese and sauce).

# Two "Fresco Style" Ranchero chicken soft tacos - 340 calories
# One spicy chicken soft taco - 190 calories
# Taco salad (no shell) - 420 calories

KFC
Tip: Avoid "crispy" recipe chicken as it is higher in fat. The Snacker sandwich line is good for portion control. There are some healthy vegetable sides here too.

# One original recipe drumstick - 140 calories
# Honey BBQ KFC Snacker (220 calories) and corn on the cob (70 calories) - 290 calories
# Baked beans - 230 calories
# Tender Roast Chicken Sandwich (no sauce) - 390 calories
# Original Recipe Chicken Sandwich (no sauce) - 320 calories

If your favorite eatery is not included or you want to learn the calorie content of other foods, including many other fast foods, be sure to check out Calorie Count Plus.

Quick Guide: Healthy Food Court Snacks

* Au Bon Pain: fruit cup, 6 oz. - 70 calories

* Auntie Anne's Pretzels: original pretzel without butter, half - 170 calories

* Chick-fil-A: Hearty Breast of Chicken Soup, small - 140 calories

* Haagen-Dazs: mango sorbet, half cup - 120 calories

* McDonald's
o Kiddie Cone - 45 calories
o Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, snack size (no granola) - 130 calories
o vanilla reduced-fat ice cream cone - 150 calories
* Starbucks Coffee
o Caffe Mocha, tall (nonfat milk, no whip) - 174 calories
o cappuccino, tall (nonfat milk) - 75 calories
* TCBY: Kid's Favorites Hand-Dipped - 150 calories

* Au Bon Pain: fruit cup, 6 oz. - 70 calories

* Auntie Anne's Pretzels: original pretzel without butter, half - 170 calories

* Chick-fil-A: Hearty Breast of Chicken Soup, small - 140 calories

* Haagen-Dazs: mango sorbet, half cup - 120 calories

* McDonald's
o Kiddie Cone - 45 calories
o Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait, snack size (no granola) - 130 calories
o vanilla reduced-fat ice cream cone - 150 calories
* Starbucks Coffee
o Caffe Mocha, tall (nonfat milk, no whip) - 174 calories
o cappuccino, tall (nonfat milk) - 75 calories
* TCBY: Kid's Favorites Hand-Dipped - 150 calories

* Taco Bell: Pintos 'n Cheese - 180 calories

Choices to Avoid:

* Au Bon Pain: blueberry muffin - 510 calories

* Auntie Anne's Pretzels: parmesan herb pretzel - 440 calories

* Dunkin' Donuts: coffee cake muffin - 580 calories

* Haagen-Dazs - Mocha Almond Fudge, half cup - 340 calories

* McDonald's: Chocolate Triple Thick Shake, 32 oz. - 1,160 calories

* Mrs. Fields: white chunk macadamia cookie - 310 calories

* Taco Bell: Nachos Supreme - 460 calories
Pintos 'n Cheese - 180 calories

Calorie-Smart and Healthy Food Court Meals

Healthy food court meals are on the menu! Don't let shopping-inspired hunger cause your diet to fall by the wayside. Mix and match choices from this list to create calorie-smart and healthy food court meals.

The only thing better than a shopping bargain is a calorie bargain!
# Arby's
* Junior roast beef - 273 calories
* Martha's Vineyard Salad (no dressing) - 276 calories

# Atlanta Bread Company

* Greek salad - 200 calories
* Garden vegetable soup - 100 calories
* Black bean and ham soup - 250 calories

# Au Bon Pain

* Tomato Florentine low fat soup - 80 calories
* Mediterranean chicken salad - 350 calories
* Thai chicken salad - 140 calories

# Baja Fresh Mexican Grill

* Baja Ensalada with chicken - 310 calories
* Side salad with Salsa Verde - 85 calories

# Boston Market

* Asian grilled chicken salad (no dressing/hold the noodles) - 300 calories
* Tortilla soup (no toppings) - 80 calories

# Burger King

* Fire-grilled chicken garden salad (no dressing or toast) - 310 calories
* Whopper Jr. - 370 calories

# Chik-fil-A

* Hearty Breast of Chicken Soup - 140 calories
* Chargrilled chicken garden salad (no dressing) - 180 calories
* Chargrilled chicken sandwich (no sauce) - 270 calories

# Dairy Queen

* Grilled chicken salad (no dressing) - 240 calories
* Grilled chicken sandwich - 340 calories
* DQ Homestyle burger - 290 calories

# El Pollo Loco

* Chicken soft taco - 237 calories
* Corn cobbette - 90 calories
* Pinto beans - 138 calories

# Panda Express

* Beef with broccoli - 150 calories
* Black pepper chicken - 200 calories
* Mandarin chicken - 250 calories

# Panera Bread

* Low-fat vegetarian black bean soup - 160 calories
* Low-fat vegetarian garden vegetable soup - 90 calories
* Smoked turkey breast sandwich on sour dough - 230 calories
* Classic Café Salad - 170 calories

# Subway

* Turkey breast 6" sandwich - 280 calories
* Veggie Delite salad - 60 calories
* Grilled chicken breast strips salad - 140 calories
* Sweet onion chicken Teriyaki 6" sandwich - 370 calories

# Taco Bell

* Soft taco, Fresco style - 190 calories
* Ranchero chicken soft taco, Fresco style - 140 calories
* Pintos 'n Cheese - 180 calories