Dieting, Calorie Intake and Losing Weight.

Many people have successfully used their calorie intake and dieting to lose weight, but it takes self discipline. Getting to know, and becoming intimate with your body plays key role.

The process of losing weight can be difficult even though the cause of the excess weight and the need to get rid of it is well understood. The culprit which causes weight gain is calories. Our body naturally produces its own calories but the problem of excess calories and the resulting weight gain occurs when we gain extra calories from the things we eat.

The body automatically stores the excess calorie for use at some other time but that other time seems to not come fast enough for many people. While some people’s metabolic rate is higher than that of others, aiding the body to burn calories through the regular activities such as exercise is very important. Persons who need to lose weight need to pay attention their diet as well as their exercise habits or lack thereof.

• The process of losing weight is not one of a quick fix nature. It is a science within itself which is best understood through diligent research and application.
• In order for someone to lose one pound of fat they will have to burn somewhere in the range of 3500 calories.
• Popping a pill or just downing some weight reducer product will not do the trick.
• When embarking on a weight loss program it is advisable to calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Your BMR will indicate the minimum number of calories your body uses to carry out basic functions such as breathing and digestion.
• A calorie calculator is a handy tool to have as you will need it to calculate the number of calories you use up while doing daily activities such as exercising, standing and even sitting etc.
• It is advisable that you tabulate your daily activities and number of calories burnt. Burning calorie and simply replacing them with foods you eat will only defeat the whole purpose of trying to lose weight. Pay attention to your calorie intake. Record how much calorie you ingest daily. It would be good for you to keep a food journal.
• Pay attention to the calorie content of the foods you eat. Read labels and conduct web searches and even inquire this information when eating out at restaurants.
• Use your BMR and your daily calorie intake to find out if you are burning more calories than you are ingesting. In order to arrive at as accurate a result as is possible you most ensure that your recordings of your BMI, calorie intake is as accurate as you can get it.

Here is a short example of how to accurately record and use the information for your BMR and calorie use/intake.

If your BMR is 1200 and you burn a total of 700 calories during your regular activities then you will need to consume 1900 calories per day to maintain your weight. If your journal shows that your daily calorie intake is 2100 your calculations would look like this:

BMR + Activity Calories - 1200 + 700 = 1900.

You then compare the total to your daily calorie intake. This will indicate whether or not you are taking in more calories than you are burning.

Daily Calorie Intake = 2100 so 2100 – 1900 = 200.

Excess Calorie Intake - 200

This means that you are ingesting an excess of 200 calories each day which the body does not use. This will only form extra fat. In order to correct this you will have to adjust your diet as well as increase your daily activities. It cannot be ignored that each person responds differently to diets and exercise programs. That is why it is even more important for you to become familiar with your eating habits, calorie intake and your BMI. For some persons weight loss is relatively easy while for others it has to be done almost from a scientific approach.