I am really struggling with my eating. I have always been an incredibly unhealthy eater and I just have no idea how much I need to eat to function.

I have been working out about an hour a day. I have decided to switch to doing the Jillian Michaels DVD's though. I am starting with 30 day shred and then doing an additional 30 minutes on the treadmill. I also move pretty much non stop at work so I am always moving.

I have decided the best way to really get healthy is too plan out my meals for the week right down to snacks. The problem is, how much do I need?

So, how do I find out how many calories my body needs? If you need my height/weight to help me out, I am willing to PM you it if that is allowed.

Have you tried using Sparkpeople.com? It tracks your weight loss goals and your amount of activity per day and can let you know what your calorie count should be. When I used it over the summer I discovered that I actually needed MORE calories, and bumped up my calorie count and felt a big difference in my workouts.

You can calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) with this calculator www.bmi-calculator.net . . . . Your BMR is what your body needs to just maintain it's daily functions. If you are doing frequent exercise and have an active life style you add the calories you burn to your BMR if you want to maintain your current weight. If you are trying to lose weight then subtract the calories. If you are trying to gain weight add calories.

There are quite a few methods to calculate BMR (basically the amount of calories needed to sustain your body if you were comatose). I would not rely on so-called "BMR Calculators" or other sites where it is generated for you, mainly because these sites rely on the Harris-Benedict formula which is very inaccurate (it was derived from studies on lean, young, active males in 1919). The formula below is much more accurate, however it does require an estimate of your bf%.

Katch-McArdle:
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM) Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

You then multiply this by an 'activity variable'. This Activity Factor includes work/lifestyle in addition to any other exercise you do.

1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise + desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)

So to convert BMR to a TOTAL requirement: multiply the result of your BMR by the variable you fall into.


Just as an example, assume I am a relatively lean male with a desk job who works out 3x a week and weighs 200lbs.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x 78.26) = 2060
2060 * 1.4 = 2884 calories per day.


And even though this formula is technically the most accurate, as with anything it can best only provide you with an estimate since most of the variables (bf%, weight, activity) are self-reported. Imo the BEST way to find out how many calories you need is to start with this number as a base number and make adjustments over time based on how you feel and what the scale says.

I just read in one of my Biggest Loser books that you take your current weight, and times it by 7, and that's the amount of calories you need for weight loss. That also requires that you readjust constantly as the numbers go down.

I've gotten myself into some weird maintaining rhythm. I don't care, I'm happy I'm not gaining, but I'd love to be maintaining in about 6 pounds from now. I was hoping to drop 6 pounds by my birthday, I got a month to do it in. :/

I'm actually planning to request a referral to a dietician, assuming my insurance will pay for it, because I'm not so much interested in losing weight for the sake of it now, as I am in dropping my body fat percentage. And I feel like that might not be something I can do by doing Weight Watchers, or whatever. I feel like that's a little too fine tuned of a want for an all over program.

I'm also working on getting better food into my family (it's so much easier when everyone is on board!), I'm cooking my way through my Biggest Loser book, all the recipes I like are going to become part of our regular rotation. I tried a chili recipe last week, it was a little too spicy for my fussy eater, and I didn't bother attempting to give it to my kindergartner, because he doesn't like spicy food at all, so I couldn't even let him try it! So that one will only get made again if I'm going to make chili just for me.