If you are counting calories to lose weight there are a few very important things you need to know. Many people approach calorie counting in the wrong way. The biggest mistake that people make is cutting too many calories from their diet.

When you don’t get enough calories for your body to function it goes into survival mode. In other words, your metabolism, which is the rate at which you burn food and energy, slows down. When the body thinks it is starving it will lower the amount of energy it burns and it also makes you crave food. This is the reason why you get those terrible food cravings when you diet. The lesson here is that cutting too many calories to lose weight doesn’t work.

So is counting calories the wrong way to lose weight? No, it is actually the best way but you have to do it the correct way.

The first step is to calculate how many calories your body needs to function. This is called your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. This is how many calories you would burn if you were to sit on the couch all day. Since obviously you don’t just sit all day, you need to adjust your BMR according to your activity level.

Here is the formula to calculate the total number of calories needed for your body to function.

NOTE: There is a link at the bottom of this article to a site that will calculate it for you if you don’t want to go through all of the calculations.

BMR For Women:
655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years).

BMR For Men:
66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

To factor in your activity level, multiply your BMR number from the above formula by your appropriate activity factor below:

Sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2

Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days per week) : BMR x 1.375

Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days per week) : BMR x 1.55

Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days per week) : BMR x 1.725

Extra Active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job) : BMR x 1.9

The resulting number is the amount of calories your body needs to function on a daily basis. While many people try to lose weight by cutting calories from this number, the better way is to eat this amount of calories each day and exercise to burn off calories.

You do not want your body to think you’re starving and slow your metabolism down. It is better to increase activity to speed up your metabolism and not cut your calorie intake. This will result in a slow and steady weight loss. You shouldn’t lose weight too fast. Losing one or two pounds a week is recommended.

To insure that you do not get hungry during the day, you should eat smaller and more frequent meals. Shoot for six small meals during the day. This will stop stomach bloating and give you a flatter stomach. This also keeps you from eating a large meal late in the day which you will not be able to burn off.

Your goal is to eat the amount of your BMR calories in six small meals and to end the day with a negative calorie balance by exercising. When you increase your exercise you will also be losing fat, increasing your metabolism and building muscle which will help you to lose even more weight.

So, in other words the key to successfully losing weight by counting calories is to reduce calories by exercising not by eating less than you should. Most people will find this easier to stick with than reducing calories and starving themselves.

For an easy way to lose weight by counting calories, visit Lose Weight Counting Calories

When you are counting calories to lose weight, there are two different types of exercises that you must include. This first is cardiovascular exercises and the second is strength training. Both are needed for weight loss and boosting your metabolism.

Many people say that they hate to exercise. But, if you do activities that you enjoy, it is not bad at all. You will also be surprised how many calories you can burn during the coarse of the day just doing small movements. Here are a few examples:

While sitting at your desk - march in place - with your feet remaining flat on the floor lift your leg up about four inches and then lower (just like you are marching) alternating legs.

While standing in the kitchen waiting for dinner to cook, do a few squats or calf raises.

While sitting on the couch watching tv, lift one leg straight out and up, lower it and do the same with the other leg. You can also exercise your arms by lifting them straight up towards the ceiling and then back down again.

When you go to the store, park as far away as possible.

Don’t go through drive up windows, park and walk in.

Always take the stairs instead of the elevator.

No one likes housework, but it does burn a lot of calories.

Don’t miss any small opportunity to do just a couple of exercises. Don't think that exercise is only confined to your workouts. Burning a few calories at a time during the day adds up.

My favorite cardio workout is done on a mini trampoline (rebounder). It is lots of fun and you can do it while watching tv or listening to music. Start out slowly - you will be working muscles you don’t normally work. It will give you a really good workout.

You will burn more calories and build more muscle with rebounding than with regular exercises. It is also easier on your joints. On the rebounder, you can jog, bounce, jump, dance, do jumping jacks and many other movements. There are many health benefits to using a rebounder including strengthening your immune system and cells, increasing lymphatic circulation, and improving your balance. I think that it also helps get rid of cellulite.

I recommend that you purchase a good rebounder rather than a cheap one. The cheap ones with an inferior mat can actually hurt your joints and the springs break easily which can cause you to fall through when bouncing. I use the Needak rebounder which has good quality mat and springs to ensure a safe and buoyant bounce.

Strength training is also needed to build muscles and boost your metabolism. You can perform these exercises with weights or resistance bands. Strength training should only be done every other day.

There are several online websites which will tell you how many calories each activity burns. There is a link at the bottom of the page to one of them.

If you follow this advice and eat the correct amount of calories that your body needs and add more activity into your life, you will easily lose weight, firm up and be healthier. You will be able to stick with this type of plan for life and stop yo-yo dieting. This is the best way to lose weight while counting calories.