Typical Calorie and Nutrition Label
If you are planning to lose weight then you should know how many calories per day you need to maintain a healthy weight. Studies have shown that calorie restrictive diets work extremely well, but only when they are followed! The problem with implementing a calorie restrictive diet is twofold;
- People often overestimate the amount of food that they require
- People underestimate the amount of restriction that is required, and healthy
In weight loss studies carried out by health scientists, women that ate 1000 calories less than their daily requirement lost around 2 pounds per week. This is considered a healthy and sustainable level of weight loss. The same rule applies to men. So, how many calories should you be eating?
The following two tables show the average calories requirements for men and women at various stages throughout adulthood for varying levels of activity, i.e. sedentary (no exercise, rarely active), low activity (walking, housework, some play) and high activity (regular exercise, generally more active in work and life).
Remember that these are just average figures so you may require more or less than the calories stated here. Also, you only need the higher figure on the days that you are most active. Doing 2 intensive workouts each week does not mean you need maximum calories on the other 5 days.
(advertisement)
Calorie Needs (Energy Requirements) of Boys and Men
|
Calorie Needs (Energy Requirements) of Girls and Women
|
Exercise does not require many more calories
What often strikes people who are new to dieting and exercise is that the high activity group do not require many more calories than the low activity group. Being very active adds 300 calories for men and 250 calories for women (compared to low activity), although during the teenage years the difference is higher.
This is the equivalent of a sandwich or a large white coffee in terms of food energy. This is why, when trying to lose weight, do not eat more food just because you are exercising! The exercise creates a calorie deficit but if you eat more to compensate you will fail to lose weight.
Calorie Requirements for Teenagers
We have highlighted the calories needs of teenagers as this is a very important time during a persons development, and also a time when many people start to become more aware of their bodies.
Few teenagers are aware that their calorie needs are higher than that of any other age group, and for very active teens, such as those that play sports or are practicing martial arts of learn dance, they need around 500-600 more calories a day than their sedentary peers.
Also during this time the quality of energy consumed must be high as there are many nutritional requirements for healthy growth and development. What is very worrying is the trend for many teens to skip meals to keep their weight down. They could be setting themselves up for long term health problems as well as stunted growth.
Calorie needs as we get older
For a woman in her 30′s that is not exercising, 2000 calories a day is enough to maintain weight. To lose 2 pounds per week she needs to reduce her daily calories by 1000, which means consuming 1000 calories a day. If she is exercising 3-4 times a week then she can eat 1250 calories per day.
(advertisement)
This may seem low, but it is how our bodies work. To lose weight you need to restrict calories, this is what is meant by a calorie deficit. Eating healthier foods help too. Lean proteins will be used to build new muscle tissue. Fresh fruits and vegetables will contain fiber that aids digestion and are full of essential vitamins and minerals. However, bread is full of energy (around 100 calories per slice) and has little of nutritional value.
Losing weight is certainly not just about counting calories, it is about eating a balanced diet and exercising too. Remember, that diet without exercise almost always leads to eventual weight loss failure.
How Many Calories in Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat?
If you are counting calories to aid weight loss, then knowing how many calories are in carbohydrates, proteins and fats can help you to calculate how much you need of each of the main food groups (macronutrients).
- Protein has 4 Calories per gram
- Carbohydrates has 4 Calories per gram
- Fat has 9 Calories per gram
- Alcohol has 7 Calories per gram
At first glance you may think that the best way to create an energy deficit is to eat more carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are equal. To lose weight while eating carbs you need to eat low GI carbohydrates (effectively they contain less sugar) which tend to have higher fiber content, which means that you do not absorb so much of the energy.
All food that you consume is either used immediately as energy by the body or it is stored as fat for the future. So, you put on weight when you eat more than you burn, you maintain your weight when you eat as much as you burn, and you lose weight when you eat less than you burn. Understanding this is the key to losing belly fat and losing weight.
If you look at the calories in fat, it quickly becomes obvious why there has been such an emphasis on eating low fat foods in recent decades. Fat has more that twice as many calories per gram than carbohydrate or protein. A healthy and well balanced diet will have adequate macro-nutrients and still allow weight loss to occur.
So swapping fatty food for carbohydrate or proteins means that you can eat the same weight in food and take in less calories. Unfortunately the health food industry has taken advantage of this basic fact and produced many foods that are low in fat but far higher in sugars than traditional home cooked meals ever were.
What to do if you are 100 Pounds Overweight
Most people that want to lose weight only have 20 or 30 pounds to lose. However, as obesity rates continue to rise, more and more people need to lose up to, and often over, 100 pounds of body fat to reach their ideal, healthy weight.
(advertisement)
100 pounds (or 45kg, just over 7 stone) is a huge amount of weight to shift. But it is certainly not impossible. In fact, Anthony Hopkins lost 80 pounds over a 2 year period just by walking and eating a low calorie but healthy diet. Sir Anthony only lost 2/3 of a pound a week, so following his 1800 calorie a day diet could take up to 3 years to lose 100 pounds.
To lose 100 pounds within a 2 year period requires you to average 1 pound a week. This is possible by consuming approximately 500 calories a day less than your daily requirement.
When you are so overweight, losing weight is actually easy, in theory. All you need to do is consume less calories than the average person of your age requires to sustain their current weight. However, as you carry so much excess weight, you should actually lose weight quicker than normal to start with. The secret to successful weight loss is to stick to the plan.
For example, an average 50 year old woman that is sedentary (never exercises, hardly walks) requires around 1800 calories a day. If you are 100 pounds overweight you are probably eating at least double this every day. So the first step is to reduce your diet down to 1800 calories a day, but make sure those 1800 calories are all healthy foods – fresh fruits, vegetables, salads, lean meats, fish and dairy.
As soon as you start doing some moderate exercise, say walking everyday plus some structured exercise 3 times a week, your daily needs increase to 2000 calories. Anthony Hopkins consumed 1800 calories a day, which is certainly not a very restrictive diet.
1500 Calories a Day With Exercise
So if your aim is to lose 1 pound a week until you reach your 100 pound weight loss, then you should eat around 1500 calories a day and exercise on a regular basis.
Your diet should be healthy and balanced. That means you should avoid sugar and saturated fats, and instead eat mostly low GI vegetables, fresh fruits, lean meat, fish and drink mostly water, tea and coffee.
For exercise you should aim to walk for a minimum of 15 minutes every single day. Plus also perform a 30 minute workout 3 times a week, or as you get fitter you can do a shorter but more intensive workout 5-6 times a week. This helps you to maintain a higher metabolism and so burn more fat.
It is important to see your doctor before you start a weight loss plan that will see you losing so much weight. If you have not done any exercise for many years then it is wise to get some professional medical advice. Generally a walking program is suitable for most people that are very overweight.
Structure Your Weight Loss Plan
To lose weight you need to start to structure your life. You need to plan what you are going to eat each day so that you do not end up snacking on junk food when your fridge gets empty. You need to plan each exercise session in advance so that you never put off exercising because you cannot think what to do.
Ideally you should have a list of 5 or so workouts that you enjoy following, whether they be bodyweight exercises, circuit training workouts, weight training workouts or just sessions on the elliptical trainer. This ensures that you can get variety in your new lifestyle and this helps you to stay interested.
If you plan your weight loss well, and understand the role of calorie restriction and exercise in losing weight, then there is no reason why you cannot lose 100 pounds in 2 years. It will not be an easy task, but it will be extremely rewarding, and possibly the best thing you ever do.
2 years may seem like a long time to wait, but this is really the only healthy way to lose 100 pounds, and it will fly by. You will also start to get fit and reduce your risk of many serious illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Create An Energy Deficit To Lose Weight
If there is one rule that applies to every single overweight person it is this:
- To lose weight you must create an energy deficit
It is really that simple! Although as we all know, implementing a theory is never as easy as writing it down.
The amount of energy you consume is entirely related to what you eat and drink. So the first step in losing weight is to determine how much you are eating and make a guesstimate at how much you need.
Simply Eating Less Does Not Work
OK, simply eating less will work, but not as effectively as eating less and exercising. When you consistently eat less food than you need you are in an energy deficit and you will lose weight, but your metabolism with slow down, i.e. your resting metabolism rate will reduce.
This means that you will burn less energy throughout the day, which reduces your requirements even more, so you stop losing weight. Then you have to eat even less, and the cycle continues until a point where you are not receiving enough nutrients and vitamins to maintain a healthy body.
By exercising while dieting you keep your metabolism high and you build new muscle tissue which requires energy. By keeping your metabolism high you can more easily adjust your diet slightly to make changes to your daily energy deficit.
How Many Calories Do You Need to Reduce By?
This is a general guide to the amount of calories you need to be in deficit to lose a specific amount of weight:
- If you are in a deficit of 500 calories per day you will lose approximately 1 pound per week
- A calorie deficit of 750 calories will help you lose about 1.5 pounds per week
- A carlorie deficit of 1000 calories will help you lose about 2 pounds per week (about 1 kg weight loss per week)
- To lose 20 pounds in a year you will need to eat 200 calories less per day than you were eating when your weight was stable
- To lose 20 pounds in 1 month you would need to eat 2400 calories less per day. This is why very overweight people who have been eating around 4000 calories per day can lose weight quicker than lighter people, as they can reduce their intake by 2400 calories per day and still eat enough to sustain themselves.
Recommended Weight Loss
It is recommended that you make permanent lifestyle changes that will help you lose weight at a steady rate. Generally it is advisable to aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week (0.5-1kg per week).
Do not forget that there are a lot of calories in alcohol, especially beer. Just a few beers a week can put you over your daily energy requirements and stop you from losing weight. For example, drinking one glass of wine per day is enough to add 14 pounds of weight over a year. One bottle of wine has as many calories as a large meal. So if you are serious about losing weight you need to ensure that you are losing weight every day of the week. This is why diets such as the Dukan Diet are so successful, because they encourage you to give up alcohol completely.
Can You Count Calories? Most People Get It Wrong!
The order in which food is presented to you can determine how many calories that you think it contains. If you are shown a low calorie fruit salad and then a burger you are likely to think that the meal contains more calories than if you see a burger followed by a high calorie cheesecake.
Research published in the Journal of Consumer Research explains that simply changing the order in which 2 meals were shown to a person would significantly alter their perception of how many calories were in that meal.
This discovery could explain why so many people eat too much food and put on weight, especially those that love desserts.
For example, when people were shown a cheeseburger they estimated that it contained 570 calories, whereas when shown a salad first and then a cheeseburger thought that the cheeseburger contained 787 calories. Just by looking at another meal they thought that the cheeseburger contained more energy than it actually did.
“The sequence in which items are considered often influences our evaluations of these items” – Alexander Chernev, Northwestern University.
Just by changing the order in which the meals were viewed changed the perceived calories from 757 to 1,097 calories.
Self Regulation of Consumption
This research suggests that understanding this principal can help people to self regulate their food consumption which should reduce overeating. If you are trying to lose weight then eating main courses and then desserts will probably result in you underestimating how much food you are eating, and you will fail to lose weight.
Diet is the main cause of obesity and weight problems but many people do not realise that this is the case. Also, many people really think that they are not overeating even though their weight problem is clear evidence that they are.
So next time you are shopping or ordering a meal, look at the starters first and then the main meal and think about how many calories they contain. Maybe this will help you to determine how much you should be eating.
This could also explain why people that love desserts are more likely to be overweight. They simply underestimate the amount of food that they are eating.
How To Count Calories – Using Calorie Counters
Counting calories is now easier than ever. Not so long ago the only way to record how many calories you had consumed was to use calorie tables in books and then manually calculate how many calories you had taken in. Today there are many computerized calorie counters. While there are many tools on the Internet, there also seems to be a new smartphone application each week, with tools for iPhone, Android and tablets.
The wonderful thing about modern calorie counters is that all you need to do is input the amount of food you have eaten and the computer will take care of the rest. Some will provide an estimation of nutrient intake too.
iPhone Apps
- MyFitnessPal - claimed to be the easiest app to use on the iPhone to track your diet and fitness. It has a huge database of over a million foods and a user friendly food and exercise log to help you keep track of what you are eating and doing.
- Calorie Tracker – this is a free app which calculates fat, protein and carbohydrate intake as well as calories.
- 40·30·30 – this is a clever app as it will display the proportion of fats, proteins and carbohydrates that you are eating so that you can attempt to stay within the idea zone for each. It supports both scientific and standard values.
Android Apps
- Fast Food Calorie Counter – this specifically records calories from fast food meals.
- Calorie Counter by FatSecret - this app displays full nutritional facts for a huge range of foods and meals.
- Absolute Fitness – a simple user interface provides easy diet logging and management. You can export the data too.
Website Calorie Counters
Many websites have calorie counters on them, these are the ones that we trust the most:
- Everydayhealth.com – a free online calorie counter. You need to set up a journal to start counting.
- Myfoodapedia.gov - just enter the food you eat and it returns nutritional information.
Charts and Tables
If you prefer to look up the foods on a table or in a book, then these are for you;
- Fat and Calorie Counter – National Diabetes Education Program (.pdf) – over 1500 foods listed
- USDA National Nutrient Database (.pdf) – 26 pages of calorie information.
References
“Semantic Anchoring in Sequential Evaluations of Vices and Virtues.” by Alexander Chernev. Journal of Consumer Research: February 2011. A preprint of this article can be found at http://journals.uchicago.edu/jcr.
Thank you. and i really appriciate it. i will do what u said, but is it okay if i check in every week with a representative with email and get encouragement and to be true to what i am starting? thank u again!
Hi Maggie, we currently do not offer one-to-one support, although this is something we hope to do in the future if there is enough demand. For now it is best to update us on progress here. This page is designed to allow people to ask diet related questions, so you could check in here each week: Diet Questions and Answer Forum.
It doesnt show for teens
Hi there,
I eat between 900-1600 calories a day on average, and I’m gaining weight. I’m 23, I weigh 124lbs, and I’m female. I feel like eating 2,000 calories seems like a ridiculous proposition. Is that really what is recommended for an average young woman?!
Hi Cimarron, yes that is the recommended calorie intake for an average woman. If you are a smaller build than average then you may require less. Your weight seems good at the moment, although without knowing how tall you are it is impossible to say for sure. If you are only gaining a little weight then get more active and that should stop that. Counting calories is very hard to do accurately and many people under estimate how many calories they have each day, so it really is likely that you are getting a little more on average than you think – especially if you are gaining weight.
Is it true that metabolism slows down around age 30 for women? I am 31 years old, apple shaped and my height is 4’11. I’m overweight and having the hardest time losing weight. I have been walking and jogging and weight loss is slow.
Hi Denise. Metabolism does slow down as we all age, more so for women. Metabolism is largely governed by total muscle mass, so as people become less active muscle wastage occurs, lowering metabolism. Men have an advantage because they produce testosterone which aids muscle development.
Weight loss is often slow, just focus on getting yourself fitter and stronger. Consider some bodyweight exercises too as these will activate more muscles and increase total muscle mass.
Diet is also very important. Remember that a lower metabolism does not cause you to gain weight – it is continuing to eat the same number of calories after your metabolism has reduced that leads to weight gain. Reducing total calories will help too, and eating the right types of food will help you to manage your appetite.
According to this, since I’m 36, I only need 1800 calories to maintain my weight. So, to lose 2 lbs a week I only need 800 calories per day? I am sedentary due to a physical disability.
That is correct, although consuming such a small amount may leave you malnourished as it could be hard to have a balanced diet on only 800 calories a day. Generally the minimum recommended daily intake is 1200 Calories a day.
Great article. What most interests me is the calories intake for a woman in her 30s. I like the fact that you said diet without exercise won’t help to stave off the weight in the long-run. I tell people this too.
Also, diet without exercise will make you lose skin firmness. Women hate saggy flesh, but this is exactly what they’ll get if they diet and do no exercise whatsoever.
I just wanted a little more accurate count for the calories I need. I am 15, 5’2 and female. I am not very active due to lack of time in the day. How many calories do I need per day? The chart says I need 1750, but I eat less than that and I’m still gaining weight. Thank you!!
Hi Dani, the table is just a guide. Also, what do you mean by “gaining weight”? You are at an age where you are going to be growing and developing fast. Weight gain is natural and expected. However, you really should make the time to exercise. Nobody is too busy to exercise. If Barack Obama can find time, so can you!
OK, I am 34 but cannot decide when I am doing low activity and when high. I have started an fitness class in town, it is 45 minutes of lightish cardio. So do I need 2000 or 2250 calories? I was thinking of just trying to limit to 1500 calories a day but is that too little? Also, what about the other days? I guess I am sedentary on those other days?
That is a fair point Olga, and it is hard to know the difference. I classify light activity as anything that does not lead to sweating and heavy breathing, so walking, gardening, light aerobics, yoga etc. Anything that results in heavy sweating and being out of breath is high activity level.
Mind you, a workout can involve both, so another question is, how long do you need to sweat for before a workout moves from low activity to high? Unfortunately I do not have an answer for that.
Hi I’m a 30 year old female and weigh 10 stone 9 at the moment I am 5ft 8 but am out of shape and have a lot of fat around my belly I need to loose a stone or near to that I have ten weeks to do this please can you advise me how many calories can I eat per day to do this x
Hi Robs, to lose 14 pounds (1 stone) you need to create a calorie deficit of 49,000 Calories (3500 * 14). So over 70 days (10 weeks) that is a daily calorie deficit of 700 Calories.
If you exercise well everyday (high activity) then you will need to consume 2300 Calories a day (3000 Calories – 700 Calories). On low activity days this will drop to 2000 Calories, and on days when you do nothing, 1800 Calories.
Remember, these figures are all averages based on your age only (not your height or current fitness levels) and the assumption that there are 3500 Calories in 1 pound of body fat.
I am 19yrs old girl and of 66kilo weight…
i want to know dat how much calories should have to burn in one day for reducing my weight in one week?? And what all food have to avoid..???
A good target is 500 Calories per day deficit, which is generally split between exercise (a few hundred calories in an hour) and diet. Foods to avoid is all junk food, processed food, candy, soda and ideally all high GI foods.
im using orbitrack and trying to reduce 1000 calories per day…this was started recently…and i want to reduce 5kg per week…is dat possible???
No, it is not possible.
I weigh at around 8 stone 5 and am really trying to lose weight as though it doesn’t sound much my stomach is really showing and I need to lose stomach fat QUICKLY… how is the best way to do this, because when I’m at college I often can’t pick what food is on and sometimes things like fish are all gone when I’m in for lunch!
HELP?
Hi Demi, just start doing more exercise. Join a sports and fitness club at college and exercise a few times a week. Try to make some healthier diet choices whenever you can and cut out as much junk food and soda as possible.
I am a 29 year old male, im 5 foot 4 and I weigh 202 pounds. Ive been working out for two weeks now with weights and cardio. I now eat about 1700 calories a day ( I eat a lot of protein, egg whites, fish, protein bar, chicken etc etc). I work out six days a week. Every other day I do weights (40 minutes) and finish off with 15 minutes on the treadmill. The days in between I do just cardio on the treadmill. I do 30 minutes and burn approx 325 calories jogging at approx 4.0 mph. I feel like im getting enough food..so is this a safe and sufficient amount of calories that Im taking in?
Hi Shawn, it is probably safe yes. It is over a 1000 Calories fewer than what you officially need. If you cannot sustain this for a long time you know that you can increase calories and still be running a deficit. You should be losing weight quickly on this regime.
Hi,
I used to be in great shape and the last four years have been up and down for me, i am at my heaviest again. I enjoy working out, i have a treadmill and weights at my house, plus a member at the ymca. It seems like the minute i take one week off from working out, i am quick to gain 7- 8 pounds in that week alone and i am only 32 years old a female 5’7..I am 30 lbs over weight. I dont understand why i can gain weight so fast, how can i get my metabolism moving again? There has to be some natural way, i am able to run (2- 3) ten minute miles a day, plus lift three days a week. I just don’t understand why i can gain weight so fast and its noticeable and embarrassing for me
Hi Renae, the only real reason why you will gain weight quickly when you stop exercising is because you are eating too much. Maintain the exercise, work on getting fitter, but also reduce your portion sizes and cut back on snacking.
Hi, I’m wondering how to shed my body fat down in the next two weeks so then the two weeks after tht I can build muscle and get lean, I’m not sure how much weight I have to loose, I’m 5’6 128 pounds and a few more weeks until I’m 17. Please help!
Daily cardio and a lean diet. If you exercise for 2 hours a day and eat really lean, no bread etc. all vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry, nuts, eggs etc. then you should lose as much as is possible.
I’ve always been around 20-30 pounds from my ideal weight. I definitely want to reach my goal weight this year. My problem has always been belly fat. I’m really scared that if I just cut back on calories, I’m going to be left with extra flabby skin in the end. Are there any ways I can prevent this from happening? Thank you so much for your help!!
Hi Mae, there is no way to be sure that will not happen. A very healthy diet and regular, daily exercise will help. Exercise will help develop the muscles that tighten the skin. Lots of vegetables, fruits and lean proteins will also be essential.
Just one of my meals alone each day is 3100 calories. I eat all day long. People watch like I’m a side show. So on average I consume way more than the average person in calories. I’m 5’2″ and weigh 121 pounds. Oh by the way if anyone thinks this is great, no it’s not. Very sedintary life style. Any thoughts? Been this way whole life. No thyroid problems ever detected.
how many calories need for any person on a day?
I need and want form you to send me list of all kind vegetables and all kind of food and all kind of dry fruit and dry milk.
Hi P. Flory, strange, but not completely unusual. I trust you have consulted a doctor recently?
Hi Dr. Khan, the average calories requirements are listed on this page. Age, gender and mass affect actual requirements. All kinds of vegetables, fruits and food? That would be a big list!
im 17 stone (238 lbs) and 19 years of age. about 5’6” tall and i’ve recently started dieting and exercise. im eating all low fat healthy things and my average calorie intake is between 500-1000 a day. i was just wondering if this was safe as some friends have warned me that my body will go into ‘starvation mode’ and i’ll actually put weight back on.
Hi Holly, 500-1000 is a very low calorie diet. It cannot give you enough nutrients. Really the you should not drop below 1200 Calories a day. Exercise is vital though – you must exercise every single day.
Hi there..6I am 48 years of age, but am not defined by a number. I am 5’7″ in height, and weigh in at a lovely 164 lbs…Yuck…I use to workout 5 years ago, and weighed 135, I went back to college for four of those years and found I gained a little more each year. As of two weeks I began a modest diet, I tend to not count calories, as I don’t like junk food, and I do not drink alcohol, but love red meat, which I gave up, LOVE my coffee with it’s cream and sugar, but had a few bad days over that when I tossed it out. I have not experienced any hypotension, so I pretty much know my calories are okay….I stationary bike for usually 20 to 25 k a day, for 6 days a week, and alternate with lower and upper body workout every two days. I drink anywhere from 60 to 80 oz of H20 per day…Now for my questions….Is it possible to get my little 135 lb body back and toned with ample amount of time, or am I just kidding myself? Also, my genetics are great, and so is my frame of mind, so when do these radical changes occur? Don’t get me wrong, I’m loving the workout and the bike, and am in it for the long haul, but will I see a difference in a few months on this road I’m on…..This nurse needs her break in the South, on a beach, with a bikini on her person and not in her hands….
Thanking you in advance for your reply
Diane
Hi Diane, sounds to me that you are on the right track. Healthy diet, 20 km a day cycling, resistance exercises – it is just a matter of time. You will get your body back, so long as you stick to the plan. You should be able to lose a pound a week, you may lose more – impossible to say. Just keep working on it!
I am 58 years old, very active,weigh 165 lbs. For 6 weeks I have been taking in 1500-1700 calories daily,have been 45 minute workout with kettlebell (started with 5lbs., now doing 8lbs. The problem is I have not lost any weight,I do feel that I am more firm but am getting tired of getting on the scales and seeing no weight loss. Could it be my age? Is there any hope. I don’t want to give up, do you know anything I might do differently?
Hello, I’m headed to Jamaica in 2 months and recently had a baby id really love to loose 25lbs by then but I’m a little lost with how many calories i should be eating to get to my goal weight of 135. I’m 25 currently weight is approx 160 not really active since I work in an office setting sitting all day is there a certain # of calories I should be eating daily to reach my goal weight in 8 weeks?
Hi Sharon, give it time. It is frustrating when change does not happen immediately, or even after 6 weeks. But you have got fitter and stronger and this is the first step towards losing a few pounds an getting slimmer too. What sort of foods are making up your 1700 Calories? If too much easily digested carbohydrate then you may still be flooding your body with glucose which will keep the fat reserves topped up.
Hi Lauren, to lose 25 pounds in 8 weeks you need to lose over 3 pounds a week which is going to be extremely difficult. The general rule for fat loss is a 500 Calorie deficit leads to 1 pound fat loss per week. So you need to run a daily calorie deficit of 1500 Calories, which is a big task. If you can exercise intensively for 2 hours a day (2 one hour sessions) and burn 1000 Calories with exercise, every single day, and then only consume around 1400 Calories you may be able to do it (i.e. 1900 Calorie requirement, net Calories per day will be 400, so 1400 food – 1000 exercise).
This is only an average and not a guarantee. It also means doing this every day, not just 4 or 5 days a week, but 7 days a week. One day of eating too much will stop weight loss. It is possible, but you have to be totally dedicated and determined.
Hi there. I’m a 23 year old female, approx 170 lbs. I’m eating between 1,300 – 1,600 calories per day (rarely any junk food at all). I work out at the gym for 45 mins, 5 days per week, and do light walking/ gardening at the weekend.
Can I lose approx 40 lbs within 6 months?
Thank you! :-)
Hi Debz, possibly. You may be doing enough to lose 1.5 pounds a week which will allow you to achieve your target. Just monitor your progress. Also ensure that you are getting fitter – each week you should be able to work harder in those 45 minute sessions.
Thanks for your speedy response and great advice. What can I do to lose 2 lbs per week? Less calorie intake or more time working out (or both)?
Thanks again. Your advice really helps. :-)
I have been counting calories on a website here, for the last two weeks, the first week I lost 1.8, now this week I am up about a 1lb. This is so discouraging. I am 51 years old female, struggling with weight all my life. since I turned 40 the weight does just not want to move. I am enrolled in a booty camp for two days a week, and an hour long Zumba class once a week. I walk my dog everyday for up to an hour. I consider myself to be close to highly active. This calorie count recommends around 1300 calories a day, with a weekly reduction of calories by about 10 cal a day, per week. Reading this article, I can eat a great deal more calories, am I not eating enough calories for the amount of exercise? Do you believe that fat turns into muscle therefore you weigh more? I find this hard to believe when a person has 30lbs or more to lose. They must lose lbs also don’t you think. So I am confused as to how many calories I need can you help
Hi Debz, both is best. Exercise for 60 minutes each day and eat fewer calories and you will lose weight.
Hi Linda. Highly active is a little ambiguous, but your daily regime is really not going to be classes as highly active. The best advice is really that you keep a good journal of everything you eat and drink and all the exercise / activities you do. Then monitor progress and if you are not losing weight make changes in your diet and increase exercise.
Hello, im a 16 year old girl and ive pretty much been eating lots and lots of candy, chips, cookies etc since when i was like 8 or 9 and i have never really had a exercise routine. the problem is, i am not overweight and have never been at all, which im happy for. i have never had any health problems either. i am 161 cm and i weigh 56 kg. i do have a little bit of stomach fat, but i guess im not the only teenager with that problem. id like to loose it now to look a bit more fit and feel a little more good looking. i still dont really have a exercise routine but i do run sometimes when i feel like it, i sometimes do pushups, situps or leg exercises as well. simply when i feel like it. now my question is, about how long would it take for me to get in really good shape? with a decent muscle tone and less body fat.. ? i still dont eat perfect but i try to avoid sugary stuff, chips and all that. sometimes i find it really hard to not eat candy, i guess its somethin to do with comfort eating i dont know.. anyway.. do u have any tips to get in a good routine , both for diet and exercise? i think my problem is motivation , thx advance.. / Madde.. btw sorry my english isnt the best, i am from Sweden :)
Hi Madde, it sounds like regular exercise (every day) and a healthier diet will get you in shape pretty quick. With such a bad diet in the past you have done well not to gain too much weight. Exercise will tone you up. Running and some bodyweight exercises is a good combination. I would suggest that you start by alternating these exercises each day and see how that goes. How long? Depends on how much effort you put in. You do not need to lose much weight, just get fitter and healthier. At 16 you really need to improve your diet too, as your body needs good nutrition to develop properly – that means less junk and more vegetables, fruits and lean proteins.
Hello! I had a baby 14 months ago and lost 70 pounds since then. I’m proud of myself, but I still have 20 more that I would like to lose. I’m still seen as obese on the BMI chart, which is also frustrating since I’ve been working so hard. I’ve been eating right and exercising; I’m actually training for a 5k in March right now. I’m frustrated because I can’t seem to lose these last twenty pounds. I’m 5’7, weigh 200 pounds, and I’m large boned. I workout 4-5 times a week (usually 5). How can I lose these last few pounds? Am I eating enough? Two boiled eggs and an apple for breakfast, apple for snack #1, tuna, a salad and carrots for lunch, carrots for snack #2, yogurt snack #3, grilled chucked and veggies for dinner, and yogurt for snack #4. Please help…
Hi Cherie, well done for losing 70 pounds, great effort indeed! So, have you lost any weight in recent weeks and how long have you been on your current diet? How far are you running each day at the moment? Ideally you should be exercising daily for around 45 minutes and also maintain your diet 7 days a week. Are you doing this?
Cherie, I would say that you should stick to one fruit per day and change the carrots to another veggie. Fruit and carrots have sugar, although natural, and can inhibit fat burning. Good luck!
It is not just the type of fruit / vegetable but how it is prepared. Carrots when raw are low GI (low sugar), but when boiled they are high GI. The cooking of many vegetables helps to breakdown the carbs, it is a type of pre-digestion. This means that when you eat them you can digest them quicker, and this leads to a more rapid increase in insulin. This is why raw vegetables can be good at controlling weight. Same goes for pasta – al dente is actually not bad, boil it until soggy (as most people do) and it becomes high GI.
Ok so I am trying to loose weight, but nothing seems to be working for me! Or maybe I am being too impatient? I started eating healthier and exercising Jan 6th this year I weighed 219 at that time, I am 5’10″, female and 33 y/o. I use my fitness pal on my ipod. It says that I should eat 1500 calories a day at times I eat less then that. The first two weeks I lost 13lbs……….but have lost nothing since, so please tell me what I am doing wrong?
Frustrated!
Hi Jami, you have lost 13 pounds in 23 days – sounds like you are doing well. Maintain the diet and keep exercising – increase your workouts too. You will not have the same results each week, but so long as you are getting fitter and eat healthy you will eventually get in shape.
Hi there, I’m just wondering if you have an opinion on the Hot Yoga craze and my diet plan. I enjoy taking the class (an hour/day) because I am aiming to get back my flexibility and range of motion…plus a little focused me time. I’m just unsure of the calorie burning potential as my chosen exercise for the day. I have only been back at this and “on my diet” for a few days. I highly doubt it’s upwards of 900 calories as the Hot Yoga enthusiasts boast, but I do find that my breath becomes heavy and my muscles quiver from lack of strength so I must be burning something. I am 32, 5’8 and currently 143lbs. My goal weight is 130-132 lbs and I am consuming a very calculated 1293 calories/day on the Zone Diet. I would like to achieve my goal weight by mid March. What do you think of this plan? and what about the Hot Yoga?
Thanks for any input!!
I have not actually done hot yoga, or even seen it in action. If the exercises are working your muscles well and you work up a sweat in normal conditions, then it should be sufficient. My wife did Ashtanga for a while and the many sun salutations really helped to burn the fat.
Hi, i am 16 year old male, but a late bloomer . i have never been fat, but in the last few years i have got a little chubby. I am 6 foot one, and weigh 76 kg. recently i have started to only eat between 4:39 pm and 10:00 pm, and in that time eat around 1500 calories. i lost half a stone in the first week, as i used to eat around 5000 calories a day. I have also started to do a 5km run 5 times a week, and do weight training. bench press, situps, bicep curls. i was just wondering how long it will take for me to get to a low enough body fat to see my abs? And start going from a pear shape to a v shape? Please don’t tell me this is unhealthy as i need to have a good body before my summer holiday with my friends. thanks Hugo.
Hi Hugo, hard to say how long it will take, rather than worry about this just focus on getting fitter, getting stronger and eating healthy. Monitor your weight, your muscle growth and your diet so that you can make an informed decision when it is time to change something. 5000 Calories is a lot, so no surprise you put on some weight.
hi m raj my current weight is 127 kg and height is 6 ft . and i want to reduce 45 kg in 1 year tell me how many calories i’ll need to achieve my goal with exercise
Hi Raj, if you are looking to lose around 1 kg a week (2 pounds a week) you need to restrict calories by around 1000 Calories a day. Depends partly on your age, but on days you are exercising hard then you need to have around 2000 Calories. See the charts above.
Hey, I’m 13 weighing 47 kg and around 155 cm. I have read your article several times, although I still don’t understand this: You have said cut away 1000 calories. I am sedentary for 2 more days, until I start the new school year, where I will be (probably) lightly active. According to your chart, to lose weight, I have to consume 700-1000 calories per day. I also read that people should not consume less than 1200 calories, but I assume that statistic changes for people below 18. And yes, I did read the category on teenager weight loss. I admit, I don’t know very much about this, which is exactly why I have started getting into it.
So, if you ended up paying attention to my post, could you please give me some feedback? Would be greatly appreciated. ;)
Hi Michelle, a daily calorie deficit of 1000 Calories should result in a 2 pound a week weight loss. However, if you are sedentary most of the time this will not be a healthy way to lose weight. Also, as a teenager you do need more food and better nutrition to aid your growth and development. Focus on getting fitter and eating healthier and the rest will follow in time.
hello i am 115 punds in weigh and 22 yrs old . i lost 14 pounds through workout . and now due to being busy i could not do my workout . and i want to maintain this weight of mine.what should i do to maintain it .
kindla help… plzzzzzzzzz. i dont want to be fat again .
Hi Shalini, you need to make your diet very healthy and not eat too much.
how many calories do I need to maintain 115 pounds? I don’t have time for workouts. plzzzzz tell calorie intake of each day? what should I avoid?
Hi Shalini, it really is not as straight forward as that unfortunately. What you need to do is to maintain a healthy diet and control your own eating. See out diet and nutrition section for some articles on healthy eating. Unless you have a very efficient and accurate way to counting the calories in all the food you consume you will actually miscalculate. Also, all calorie figures are approximate.
The best way for you is to simple monitor your weight often and if you increase above 115 pounds then you modify your diet.
As for workouts – you really should make the time to do some exercise. Everyone has time to exercise, although you may have to make some little sacrifices.
Hey, ok so im 16, 17 in a month, i weight 220 im 6ft tall,im trying to lose weight to about 190.
I Work out at the gym about 4-5 times a week for 1 hour
According to this artice becasue of my age i should consume 2700 or 3100?
Started the gym about 2 weeks ago, before that i didn’t do exercise
Usually would eat out at least 3 times a week
Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated
Hi Christian, the most important thing for you at the moment is to focus on eating a healthy and balanced diet. If eating out means eating junk food you may want to change this habit. Those 2700-3100 Calories need to be all healthy with fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.
Hi, I’m 30 year old, weighted 102 kg and 163 tall. Based on your table so I need to consume 800 calories a day. It’s too hard to do.
I plan to loose 50 kg (around 100 lbs) by eating 1500 calories a day and workout (walk) twice a day each 20-30 minutes. After 3-4 weeks I want to make it 45-60 minutes.
Is it possible for me to get my normal weight (53 kg) by doing my plan? Thank you.
Hi Mimi, the table is just a guide, it is generally not recommended to go below 1200 Calories a day. Your plan can work, it is wise to make long term plans that are manageable. Just keep walking daily and keep the diet healthy. As you lose weight and get fitter start to consider more intensive activities.
this is so so so so wrong girls could work the same amount of accitivitys
a day as boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Victoria, this is not saying that girls cannot do as much exercise as boys, it is a guide to how many calories are needed. Girls / women are on average smaller than boys / men, and therefore require fewer calories each day.
Hi There,
I am eating really clean and healthy…workout very hard 5days a week. 3 days weight training, 2 days intense intevals cardio for an hour or more and on Sundays I hike some pretty good terrain. I m 32yrs, 5’6 and 147lbs. I have noticed my clothes fit better and friends say I look fitter. Question is my measurments are the same as when I started 2 months ago and weight only changed by 3 lbs. How many calories should I be eating to lose 10 lbs in 8 weeks? Also why is there not more results so far?
Hi Aylish, it sounds like you are making good progress. If people have noticed that you look better and your clothes are fitting better then this would suggest that you are fitter and healthier, regardless of those stubborn measurements. At 147 pounds you are not overweight, so really your focus should be on improving fitness and maintaining a healthy diet. In time your body will adjust.
As a rule of thumb, you need a daily calorie deficit of around 500 Calories to lose 1 pound per week. So to lose 10 pounds in 8 weeks you need to really be eating around 1500 – 1750 Calories a day, depending on how active you are on any given day.
Hi, I am an extremely active 37 year old female (5’2″ tall) and weigh 91k . I train 6 days a week, currently bodybuilding, and cardio on my none training day. I have already shed 70lbs over 2.5 years, but i need to lose around 19k. I am consuming around 1200 cals a day, with a diet of lean meats, vegetables, fruit and no bread.(i record everything i consume) Do you have any suggestions other than what i am already doing, to reduce the remaining weight i am looking to lose? Thanks
Hi Claud, well, you have two options: 1. Do more exercise. 2. Eat less. OK, option 3 would be do a little more exercise and eat a little less!
As you are already down to 1200 Kcal a day I would suggest adding some additional cardio to your weekly routine, maybe 2-3 sessions a week. It will mean exercising twice some days, but sometimes this is what has to be done.
Please help! For the last six weeks I have used My Fitness Pal faithfully. Reduced my calorie intake to 1200 per day and I do aerobics every single day for at least 50 minutes. I do not use the extra calories that MFP gives as rewards for exercise, only occasionally. I am 50 years old, 5 feet tall and weigh 195…..I cannot tell you how discouraged I am to have not lost a single pound in these six weeks! I am beside myself this morning after getting on the scales again expecting a loss and only staying the same. I actually had a tiny loss last week of two pounds, my first loss at all, and then this morning I gained it back for no reason! Help!
Hi Candacejo, how are you feeling though? 6 weeks of exercising and healthy eating must be having some positive benefits on your body. Just stick to the plan, it is certainly doing you good, assuming that you diet is healthy and that you have not just reduced the amount of food without improve quality too.
Hi, I am 30 year old female. I am 5’4 and weigh around 120lbs. I would like to lose between 5 and 8 pounds. I have been doing 45 minutes of intense cardio(running, stair master, elliptical) 5 days a week and yoga or pilates 2 days a week for the past month. I have been using myfitnesspal to log my calorie intake and exercise. I feel like I am doing everything right, but gaining weight! I am trying to lose my extra stomach fat. I am on a 1200 calorie plan plus extra for exercise, I usually burn about 200-300 calories per cardio session). I am always within my calorie limit for the day. What else can I do? Why am I gaining weight?
Hi Nicole, please explain what you mean by “a 1200 calorie plan plus extra for exercise”. How much extra? If you are gaining weight, and that weight is fat and not muscle, then you are eating too much food. There is no other possible explanation.
Just turned 51. 4’11″ 145. What is the recommendation for weight and calory. Plus sedentary.
Hi
I am so glad I found this site, it has given me so much inspiration. I am 55 and have type 2 diabetes and am about 4 stones overweight, I am only 5ft 2 and so it looks much worse! I also have an umbilicle hernia which I am terrified of having corrected because of being so big. I am a single mother to four children and do a part time job and although I walk and try to do some exercise it is very hard as most people would know when being so busy but, reading your informative pages and all of the comments and questions by others has given me a real boost. Thanks so much for this. I will now begin a proper diet and walk every day and hope that I can lose my 56lbs of unwanted fat within the next year. Once again, thanks so very much. Joyce.
Hi Cindy, according to the table. approx. 1650 Calories a day. For your height your weight should be between 92 lbs / 41.7 kg and 123 lbs / 55.7 kg, so maintain a healthy BMI.
We wish you the best of luck Joyce, just maintain the extra activity and exercise and keep eating healthy. More exercise and a healthier diet will also help you to control blood sugar levels better and this should improve your long term health.
hello,
i really enjoyed this article! im a 26 year old female who should be 145 pounds for my height but alas, i weigh 195. i recently reduced my calorie intake to 1200, and i do about 2 hours of cardio each morning,(im going to get my endurance up before incorperating strength training) burning about 600 to 650 calories per session. is this an apropriate plan to stick to? im just learning about health n fitness so any etra pointers are welcome
Hi Melissa, this is a good plan. As you get fitter you should be able to work more intensively and more economically. For now just keep doing it.
I am 5’5, 124 pounds and a 19 year old female. I weighed the same amount in high school when I ran cross country and danced and was happy with my body and never gave too much thought about what I was eating, but since graduating I have found myself increasingly frustrated and unhappy with my weight/exercising/eating habits. Granted, I haven’t officially gained or lost any weight, but I am really worried that I am doing something wrong. Should I be trying to lose weight or start counting calories at age 19 and am at “healthy” weight, or is this just going to put me in a bad mental state about food for the rest of my life?
Hi Kate, you are a healthy weight now, so well done you! Do not worry. Just make sure that you remain active. As we move from teenage years to the 20′s we generally become less active. Maybe now is a good time to look to take up some active hobbies again, such as running or dance. Eating healthy is vital, it really does not take too many extra calories to start slowly gaining weight. Few overweight or obese people now in their 30′s got that way overnight. A pound a month over 10 years adds up (to 120 pounds!).
Hi, I’m 5’5″ and weigh 184 pounds. I have lost 30 pounds on and off over the last year and a half, and am now seriously wanting to lose 30 pounds in the next 4 or 5 months as I am sick of not being able to buy nice clothes. For the last 2 weeks I have been counting calories and am eating roughly 1650 calories per day (sometimes hungry at that) and working out in the gym 5/6 times a week burning 900+ calories. I weighed myself today and I have PUT ON 2 pounds!!!!
I’m so annoyed and I just don’t understand what is happening… :-(
Hi Sarah, do not worry, stick to the plan. 2 pounds is not a lot. Did you weigh yourself the same time of day as normal? Remember, 1 litre of water weighs about 2 pounds, maybe you had a drink or two earlier and had not been to the loo yet? Or were still digesting some food? Do not worry – of you are eating healthy and exercising you will get there in the end.
I have a question. I started eating better and excercising January 2nd. I a 5 feet, 5 inches tall and my starting weight was 269 lbs. I count calories and have stayed at 1500 calories per day. I walk 5 days a week for 90 minutes, go to the gym 4 days a week and do the eliptical for 20 minutes, the bike for 20 minutes and either walk the track for 10 minutes or lift weights for 10 minutes. I also do Just Dance 2 or Zumba on the wii 3 nights a week for about 30 minutes. I am drinking atleast 64oz of water each day, usually more. I have lost 12 lbs but I am wondering why I haven’t lost more. It has been 10 weeks and I was hoping to lose atleast 2 lbs a week. I am trying to lose 100 lbs in 14 months. Thanks
Hi Ambrea, hard to say to be honest, but if you are very active then you may possibly be mis-counting the calories. Studies show that people under-estimate calories very often. Take a look at all your meals for a day and look for places where you can cut back a little more.
Hi, I’m trying to understand how to create an energy deficient . So if I consume 2,000 calories and burn 200 calories through exercise, will this create and energy deficient and allow me to lose weight?
Hi Judy, these really are just guidelines. Basically, that is right though. All an energy deficit is is when you consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current muscle and fat mass. Consume fewer and your body has to break down energy reserves.
These charts take into account activity, so the high activity column indicates the amount you need to eat when exercising. You probably need to use the Low Activity column if you are burning 200 calories a day in exercise. So to lose weight, you actually need to consume fewer calories, say 1500 Calories a day.
I am glad I found this website I am 48 yr old female, weighing 214 lbs. Two weeks ago,I started 45 mins intense workout( its group excercise at the gym which is getting very popular in the neighborhood) 6 days a week( sunday closed). i have been going yoga 4 times a week and walking 3 miles for an hour 7 days a week.( thats the best I can go becuase of my Osteo) I keep my calorie log through myfitnesspal and keeping 1200 calories. But in 2 weeks I have lost only 2 lbs. Where I am doing wrong?
According to you, how many calories I should eat to lose 20 in 6 weeks.
.
I am in the same exact situation as Candacejo and feel her pain. I’m 54 years old and 5′ tall. I quit smoking, I know congratulations…blah blah blah, and gained 30 pounds. In the last year and a half I’ve managed to lose 10 pounds but then became stuck, no matter how good I tried to eat, so I also enlisted in myfitnesspal and cut my calories to 800 per day. Like Candecejo I did not eat more for my exercise rewards either and have not lost a pound! Telling her that she must feel better was a slap in the face. Nobody feels better when they can’t eat, have to exercise every waking moment and never sees results. At our age our BMR is only 1200 calories a day. How in the world can people our age and height lose any weight!!?
Hi Anop. You have lost at a rate of a pound a week already – that is good. To lose 20 pounds in 6 weeks you need to lose 3 1/3 pounds a week. This is going to be much more difficult. The only way though is to eat less and do more exercise. Sounds like you are doing a fair amount of exercise already though, so look again at diet. Not just total calories, but the type of food you are eating.
Hi April, stick to the plan. I have not used Myfitnesspal so cannot suggest why you are not losing weight. But, if you are really only eating 800 Calories a day and also exercising, then you must lose fat. It would be impossible not to. This suggests that your method of calculating calories may be wrong.
Thanks for your reply! But how many calories was my question. Yes, I am eating healthy: Omelette with mushroom or spinach for breakfast, smoothies loaded with low GI fruits, protien pd shake given by trainer and home made soups( one bowl…differnt types…today i will be making Asparagus) with 5 sour dough crackers for dinner…this is a sample menu.
Hi Anop, how many calories in the protein shake your trainer gives? Your diet certainly looks healthy, and soup is a great way to ward off hunger. If you are having omelettes every day I am not sure that you need a protein shake too. Maybe reduce this if you are not losing much weight. Generally people take extra protein to grow muscle after doing a lot of weight training. If your goal is to lose fat then reducing calories may be more important, especially as you are getting an excellent source of protein from eggs. Also, how many smoothies? Low Gi fruits are good, but you can have too much of a good thing. These are the areas where we have to be careful. One extra glass could be the difference between losing more weight and remaining steady.
Hi there.
26, female and 5ft 10…71 kg. size 10/12. I generally do not watch what I eat, and I have put on 6kg in the last 3 yrs (2kg per year).
I am just worried that I will be 80kg by the time im 31.
I do not want to lose any weight as I still want a bit of fat on me, seeing as I am tall so I do not look too skinny.
My question is, what can you recommend to maintain one’s weight without losing any.
My fitness level is basic, I do situps 30mins 3 times a week, and I walk to and from work (10mins each way). I take the 4 flights of stairs as often as I can. Im just concerned that if I work out: cardio etc I will lose weight.
Pls reply.
Thanks :)
125 cal, per scoop and I am taking one scoop only.Yesterday and today I had one 100 cal toast with Almond butter for breakfast. Only one smoothie for lunch, which has low GI fruits and one green vegetable( either Kale or Spinach). To experiment I didn’t had smoothie today to see what happens tomorrow.
I printed chart from your website and shared with my colleague at the gym. According to her, thinking I have sedantary life, i should have 1800 cal and then I should minus my exercise to lose weight. my roughly calorie burn is 300+ 280( exersise and walking). So please advise what is correct calorie intake for me? I will appreciate it!
hi, i am 27 years old. I am 5’8″ hight and 90 kilogram(198 pound)weight.
I want to loss my weight 20 kilograms(45 pound). What should i do for this?
Please reply
Hi Lara, perform weight training or bodyweight workouts and eat healthy and you will get leaner, fitter and healthier. 2 kg a year is not a lot, a little extra exercise should stop that dead.
Hi Anop, I would go with 1800 Calories and focus on the exercise.
Hi Harshad, to lose 20 kilos you are going to have to make some big changes. You need to radically change your diet – cut out all junk and reduce calories. Cut out most if not all bread too. Then get exercising, every day. And get more active in general, walk more etc. Do not spend any time sitting in front of the television or the computer – find things to do.
Hi, I’d love some advice please. I’m a 27yr old female, 5ft4in and I weigh around 12.5stone. 3 years ago I was tipping the scales at 18stone and followed a very low calorie plan(vlcd) and shed 8 stone in as many months. I managed to keep the weight off for 2 years but this last year I’ve started to gain and struggle again. I’ve started to eat 600 cals a day, I know this isn’t a lot but following the vlcd I was only eating 500cals. I can keep up the good will for so long but after 3-4weeks I’m craving food and I end up having a huge binge. Please help, how can I stop this happening?!
Hi Laura, you really need to plan your meals more. If you plan your meals and stick to them you cannot have additional food. Most people binge on whatever food is available in the house at the time. Also you should be taking regular exercise to help manage your appetite better. I am not a fan of VLCD in the long term, really you should stick to around 1200 calories and exercise often.
Hello. I’m having some problems. I’m a 214 pound female, 5’7″.. I’ve been eating 1500 calories and exercising 3x a week. When I was eating 1500 calories I was losing about .5 pounds a week, then when I started exercising my weight loss stopped. Can you help me figure out how many calories I need to be eating? In 3 months I only lost 6 pounds so I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Other than my 3 workouts a week I’m very sedentary. Working out long periods of time uninterupted is impossible with my 1 year old. Please help!
Hi Amber, what I think you are doing wrong is this – you are eating too much. Few people accurately count calories. One or two small snacks stop weight loss dead. What is your neighbourhood like? Can you go for walks in the day with your child? If not, why not do a fitness DVD in the evening when they go to bed? Ultimately, food is the key, or specifically, eating less of it.
hi im 39yrs old, housewife and weigh 280lb how many calories do i need please
Hello. I hope you can help. I am getting married in 3 months and at the moment I weight 12 stone 4 and am 5ft 6 and am 39. I have tried every kind of diet all my life, lose and then put on, lose and then put on. I am now trying to change my eating habits and not do a very low calorie diet, but do something I can maintain forever. I am eating 1200 – 1500 calories a day, and exercising for an hour 3 or 4 times a week, but the weight isn’t shifting. I wonder if I have messed up my metabolism by yo yo dieting and now I need far less calories to begin with, therefore to have a 1000 calorie a day deficit and lose 2lb a week, I need to be eating only 800 calories on the days I don’t exercise and 1000 calories on the days I do? 2lbs a week, would give me a weight loss of about 24lbs which I would be happy with, but I’m staying the same with my current plan? Please help!
Hi. I recently started a diet. I weigh 294lbs which is around 21stone, as you can tell I am morbidly obese. I joined the gym, and have been doing 40 minutes 4 times a week, and also walking to the shops the rest of the week. I am eating a low calorie diet and have restricted myself to 1000 calories, which has been fine as I haven’t been feeling hungry much anyway. However, 8 days after starting my diet, I got weighed and have only lost 2lb. I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong and would appreciate any advice? Thanks.
According to the table you need only 1800 Calories a day. Remember that this is an average and the calories you need to maintain your weight as a sedentary person.
Hi Joanne, firstly, if through dieting you lost weight in the past, the diet did work. The only reason people gain weight afterwards is because they go back to the bad way of eating. Permanent lifestyle change is required. There are no quick fixes. You need to focus on getting fitter and eating healthier. I suspect that you are actually eating more than 1200-1500 Calories a day. It is very hard to count calories (I never do) and most people do get it wrong, and often by a long way. So focus on eating smaller, healthier meals and taking regular exercise. You will also need to increase your exercise intensity each week to force the body to get fitter too. This will help burn calories and tone muscles.
Hi Christine, although it may be disappointing to lose only 2 pounds, do not be disheartened. Stick to your plan. The weather is improving, so now is a good time to do more walking and more outdoor activities – and maintain the gym workouts.
Just struggling here. I am eating between 1400 and 1600 calories most days and exercise between 1800 and 2200 and the weight is not coming off..ANy suggestions?
Hi Tanya, just stick to the plan. If you are burning more calories than you are eating, you will lose weight. If you are not losing weight then you are mostly likely miscalculating how much you are eating – a very common problem. What are you eating each day?
hi im 19 years old, female, and my height is 5’7. i weigh 180 pounds and trying to have a goal to lose at least 1.5 pounds a week. im not sure if what im doing right now will help me reach that goal.i count my calories and try to keep it at 1400 a day with as much healthy food as i can. i also workout at the gym for an hour and a half 3-4 times a week. i do about 50 minutes of cardio and the rest weight training. would this be enough to lose 1.5 pounds a week?
Hello, I just started my weight plan, and i wiegh 100kg :( and my hight is 6.8. how many calories am I to consume per day? as I am confused please needing your help
Hi Michelle, that may be enough, although you may want to consider exercising 6 days a week. Maybe not the gym, but a walk, some callisthenics at home or dance routines – just to keep active and keep burning the fat.
Hi Sonia, hard to put a figure on it, but if you are serious about losing weight then maybe dive in and eat 1500 Calories a day and exercise each day too. Make sure you are still getting healthy food.
Hi!
So I’ve just started dieting and exercising. I’m 5’9″, 159 pounds, and 20 years old. I’ve been limiting my caloric intake to about 1300 calories per day, and I’ve been working out 60-120 minutes 6 days a week for the past few weeks. The first week, I went down four pounds (I was 162 originally.) The next week I went up a pound, and now I’ve been stable. I don’t understand why I’m not losing any more weight- I have been eating healthy food as well as exercising! What do you think is up?!
Hi my name is renisha and i’m 31 5’7 and weigh 170 pounds i exercise 4 times a week I do 60 min of cardio. What do I need to cut my calorie intake by to lose 2 pounds a week? My doctor says for health reasons I need to drop 40 lbs. Please let me know on my non active days as well thank you
Hi Kailene, you have lost 4 pounds in the first week which is a good sign. I suspect that in your second week your diet slipped a little. You cannot gain weight without eating more than you need. Just stick to the plan and keep a diary of everything you eat, no cheating. If you are not losing weight examine your diet for the last week and look for items that can be replaced or removed.
Hi Renisha, to lose 2 pounds a week you need to consume no more than 1600 Calories on the days you exercise and 1350 Calories on the days you do not.
Well, This was very interesting! I am going to be 44 in May. I have 4 children oldest being 19 and the youngest being 4. I am 100 lbs over weight, and losing energy, knees starting to ache I see myself going down hill and fast! I am going to commit to walking 15 minutes a day and working with the Wii fit 3 times a week for 30 minutes a day. I am also going to cut my intake to 1800 calories a day.
I would like to post my progress on here if that is okay?
Well here is to a healthy me!!!!
Hi,im hoping to lose 10lbs in three weeks as i have a friends wedding to attend,i usually go to the gym 3-4 times per week but its easter holidays and my kids are at home so no gym although i do own a fitness dvd!as of yesterday i have reduced my calories to 800 per day,i am 5ft2 and currently weigh 8st10lbs,i know its not recommended to eat such low calories but its just for a special occasion,is it possible to lose 10lbs in three weeks eating just 800 cals per day?
Hi Shannon, you are welcome to post updates here. If you wish to write a blog then you can do so here (it is free): Motleyhealth Community Blogs
Hi Kelly, with exercise it may be possible, without exercise it will be harder. Try to do some exercise everyday. 45 minutes of the fitness DVD once the kids have gone to bed should help a lot.
Hi,
I am 28 years old female and 5’4″ tall. Two weeks ago I started to eat healthier foods and use myfitness to track my calorie intake. I’ve been eating around 1200 calories a day. I have also been using my eliptical for 20 minutes 4-5 times a week. The first week I lost 4 lbs. In the middle of the 2nd week I weighed myself and I had lost another 4 lbs! I was excited and didn’t change anything but at the end of week 2 (my offical weigh in day) I had gained back 2 lbs! How? Why? What am I doing wrong? My official weigh in day is on Mondays…today is Friday but I weighed myself again today and the scale is up another 2 lbs today…How can my weight be so up and down and what am I doing wrong?
Hi Kari, you would have gained weight back either because the diet slipped a little, or it is just food / water that has not passed through yet. Stick to the plan, focus on getting fitter and do not worry so much about little fluctuations.
I’m a 42 year old woman, 5’3″ tall, I had a “pear shaped” figure, most of my weight is in my thighs, hips and butt! I’ve been fat since i was a child. Currently i weigh at 360lbs. I’m working out daily at the gym (cardio/weights), eating healthy around 2000 calories. The problem is that my weight loss is going V E R Y S L O W and it’s frustrating me! My body seems to retain alot of water, i feel stronger and lighter but the scale isn’t changing! What am i doing wrong? I NEED HELP!
Hi Savanna, how long have you been doing this? If you are feeling fitter and lighter then that is a very good sign. Weight loss can take a while, but if you stick to your plan you will be successful. You really need to be strict with the diet. Do you keep a diet diary? This will help you to eliminate snacks and other problem foods that may be slowing you down – you have to record everything you eat and drink.
hello,
I have one question. I am 24 years old. My weight is 66kg and height 165cm.
Please, can you tell me how much calorie do I need per day to lose weight ?
I need to lose 10 kg:(
many thanks,
best
Meri
Hi Meri, if you limit yourself to around 1600 Calories a day and exercise every day then you should be able to lose 1 kg a week. However, as you are not all that overweight, in fact according to your BMI you are a normal weight, this may be harder. Your focus needs to be on fitness – exercise often, always work up a good sweat and push yourself harder each session for fitness improvements.
I am 5’2″ 33 years old and use myfitnesspal to track cals and exercise. It gives me a net of 1350 and I workout 6 to 7 days a week burning between 300 to 500 an hour. 3 days of weights and cardio and the rest of the days cardio and abs. Now myfitnesspal gives me back my workout cals to eat. If I don’t eat these back I fall under 1200 net. Should I be making sure I net 1200 cals after exercise which means I would be eating like around 1700 or 1800 to lose weight? So should I always make sure my net doesn’t fall under 1200 cals?
That sounds about right. Always hard to be sure, even when tracking carefully. The best method is to your monitor progress – take measurements, weigh yourself, check that you are losing weight as planned. If not, then you need to adjust workouts, review diet etc.
Hi, I am a 5’7 46 year old female and weigh 176 lbs. I am looking to lose 40lbs by the end of August = 2lb a week due to healthy eating, 5 days of 4 mile running and 2 days of 1 hour gym workouts. The question I have is I have type 1 diabetes plus just been told I have a very underactive Thyroid, will this prevent me reaching my goal?
Many Thanks
Jennie
Hi,
I’m 23 year old female.
I use my fitness pal and it gives me a calorie allowance of 1270 per day.
I weigh 200 pounds and walk/jog 6 days a week with usually 3-4 30 minute aerobic classes per week as well.
I eat almost entirely vegetarian diet with fish 2-3 times a week and red meat only once a week.
I have been on this fitness and diet regime for 3 weeks and although my body feels tighter and fitter I haven’t lost any weight on the scales..
Is there something wrong with me?
Hi, I’m 5.4 foot tall and weigh 1201bs- I’m also 41 yrs old. I look slim other than a massive flabby tummy that people comment on. I follow a healthy low fat diet of lean meat and fish and lots of vegetables and have a small handful of nuts a day, I eat just over 1200 calories a day as I’m stuck at my desk for 8 hrs without exercise. I don’t exercise much on an evening other than 15 mins on a ex bike- any more than this and I feel unwell and run down all the time. If I reduce my calories I can lose weight but not from belly – it seems to come off my chest instead making me look flat chested with a big belly – help !!
Hi Jennie, this is a tricky one. I think that it will certainly make things harder for you, but it should not stop you reaching your goal. So long as you are monitoring your diabetes carefully (taking blood sugar readings before exercising and ensuring that you have enough insulin) then you should be OK. An underactive thyroid slows down your metabolism, but exercise does increase metabolism, so in theory exercising will certainly help you to maintain your weight. Have you been given medication for your thyroid? There are certainly some athletes with the condition who manage to train hard and stay fit.
Hi Lex, give it time. If your diet log is accurate and you are doing all that exercise you will start to get fitter and lose weight. Be patient, just keep going!
Hi Bella, it is possible that you are not getting adequate nutrition to exercise properly. Try to do more exercise and if you still continue to feel unwell after 15 minutes then maybe speak to a doctor for some advice, there may be other underlying problems. Do you have a stressful job? This could be making the problem worse too.
Hi I recently started counting calories and i eat about 1200 a day sometimes 1500. I exercise a bit each week. BUT I spend most of my days in bed with my laptop. I have a mental illness so it’s harder for me to get out or be active. I am about 5.2 and i weigh about 180 pounds. But it’s freaking me out that 1200 may be what my body needs just to stay alive and because I’m so lazy I won’t lose weight. Can you recommend how much time I have to walk each day at normal speeed and how many times I have to exeercize a week to keep losing weight? When I exercize I play badminton and ride my exercize bike for 45 min on low setting
Hi Ann, I would suggest that you start with a daily 45 minute walk. Walking is a great way to not only stay active, but you get to see your local neighbourhood, find out what is going on and get some fresh air too. If you have shops nearby you can stop off there on the way home too. So, start by walking every day for 45 minutes. Carry on doing you exercise bike sessions and badminton too.
hello
I’ve been on a diet now for about 6 Weeks, started out at 150 pounds because I had a baby and i’m 5’2 and now weigh 137 my goal is 125 but i’m having problems with the loose baby tummy. I have the biggest loser Mac cardio workout DVD and I have an ab roller but its not getting that extra loose skin, any advice on what exercise too do (I watch the doctors and have been eating a 850 calorie a day diet mostly berries because the doctors say berrys are belly burning foods)
Im 36 years old and weigh 217 pounds. I just started really trying to lose weight. I burn around 700 calories a day by exercising. The rest of my day Im pretty busy I dont just sit around. I am eating around 1300 calories. will i be able to lose weight pretty quick?
Hi Amanda, total body workouts are the way really, with cardio, bodyweight exercises and some weight training. Give it time, eat healthy with plenty of different fruits, vegetables and lean meats, fish etc. Give your body the nutrients to repair. This is all you can do for loose skin really, hope that in time it tightens up.
Hi Tina, this will work yes. Just stick to the plan and do not give yourself any cheat days / treats until you reach your target weight.
I’m 32 y/o female and 208 lbs. I’m trying to get my weight down to at least 145 in a year. I’ve been eating about 1500 calories a day for the past 6 weeks and I’ve lost 5 lbs during that time. I exercise about 3 times per week for an hour each time and walk during my break at work for 30 minutes, but by night fall I’m still hungry…Is 1500 too little? Or do I just have to train myself to make due with 1500 calories per day?
1500 is not too little so long as you are getting a nutritious diet from it. So, what are you eating? More exercise is always good, do as much as you can each day and maintain a more normal diet.
I really liked reading the article, but I guess I want to absolutely clear for my own individual situation. I am a 25yr old female and I weigh 175lbs at 5’6”. I actually downloaded the myfitnesspal app on my phone and have been using it for about a week now. It suggests that I consume 1200 calories a day. I will be working out everyday using my Turbo Fire videos with at least an hour of cardio each day and 2 sets of 8 minute abs. Today was the first day i worked out and when I added my info, it jumped to consuming about 2300 calories total for the day. I would like to lose 30lbs as quick as possible while remaining healthy. Can you tell me how many calories I should be consuming a day at this level of excersise?
Hi Nicole, if you goal is to lose fat then reducing calories is vital. It is of course important to remember that all of these charts and apps are just guidelines based on averages, they do not take into account your activity levels outside of exercising either.
According to the table here, an average 25 year old female will require 3000 is highly active (lots of exercise etc.). So a 1000 Calorie a day deficit will see you eating around 2000 Calories. More than the 1200, and less than Myfitnesspal.
Of course, nobody ever accurately calculates their calorie intake any! So just aim to get somewhere in the region of 1500 Calories and you will probably go over (almost everyone does) and hopefully hit the target.
What is really important is that you monitor your diet and your weight so that if you do not lose weight you can easily analyse your diet. But you have to write down everything you eat, not just the things that you think are important at the time.
Hi! I’m 31 years old, female, at 140 lbs and 5’5″. My body has the tendency of storing fat around the belly. I consume 1650 calories with a balanced diet and have been exercising 5 times a week for 2 hours each day for the past 3 months. The calories burned per day range between 650-1000, depending on the type of exercise (spinning, kickboxing and treadmill combined with weight training). Eventhough I appear to be fit, I have not seen real improvements on my stomach. What can I do?
Hi Helly, you need to adjust your diet. 2 hours of exercise a day should be enough to see some fat loss. I suspect that you are actually consuming a little more than 1650 Calories. Also, ensure that you are eating the right foods, i.e. low GI carbohydrates, lean proteins, no junk etc.
I am 17 years old 5′ 3.5″ and weigh about 118. I know i am not overweight but i want to get a tighter, leaner look. my goal is 110 lbs. i do interval training on tuesdays (spinning) and thursdays (sprints) and due mostly strength training on mondays wednesdays and fridays and sometimes take a 4 mile run on sundays. is it realistic for me to lose these 8 lbs in 6 weeks at a rate of about 1.3 lbs a week and if so how much calories should i consume daily?
Hi Isabella, you should take about 1800 Calories on the days that you are exercising and 1250 on the days you are not. This should lead to about a pound a week weight loss. The exercise plan sounds good. Work on your fitness though. If you are still doing the same amount of work in 6 weeks then you will not be losing fat at the desired rate.
Im 19, female, 5-5 at 150 pounds. I am trying lose weight, I eat around 1300 calories per day and work out 5 times per week lossing 750 calories per day. Is this a good plan?
Hi Liz, yes, that plan will work. You may lose weight too quickly or find that you are feeling very tired. Make sure those calories are of the highest quality – fruits, vegetables, pulses, lean meats, dairy, eggs etc. No junk.
I am 168.5 cm in height and weigh 45-46 kgs and I am struck on my weight loss despite eating 800 calories maximum and burning more calories than I eat.what am I doing wrong?how to overcome this problem?
Hi Bali. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 16.3 – you are very underweight. If you are consuming 800 kcal a day and burning more than 800 kcal a day with exercise, you will be losing a lot of fat, very quickly. You need to start eating more – eat more fruit, vegetables, dairy and lean proteins.
I’m a 23-year-old male, 178cm 78kg (BMI 24.62) and mostly inactive apart from few minutes of push-ups, sit-ups and squats maybe 100 each daily. I’ve been consuming around 4 MJ (1000 kcal) a day and have lost weight quite successfully. However, I’ve read that this might not be healthy and I should probably eat more, but I’d like to keep up the current rate of weight loss. What are the indicators for deteriorating health due to energy insufficiency and how long will it take for symptoms to appear?
Hi Sebastian, good question. Really it could be a number of conditions, from suffering tiredness, low immune system (catching colds easily), developing brittle nails, dry skin etc. If you are not receiving adequate nutrition in terms of macro-nutrients (fats, proteins and carbohydrate) as well as micro-nutrients (vitamins, minerals). However, being overweight has its own health issues. Take a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement and make sure that you are eating some eggs each day (they provide protein, healthy fats and vitamins) and you should be OK.
Increasing food intake and exercise would be a better solution though. In the long term you need to be able to maintain a healthy weight without having to go on restrictive diets whenever you gain a few pounds, so a balance of diet and exercise is vital.
Hi! I am 24years old, am 5’4″ and I currently weigh around 265. I come from a low income household so I cannot afford the luxuries of getting all the healthy foods that I need. I was diagnosed with PCOS in January of 2010 and Ive had weight issues all my life. I hit my biggest when my husband and I became OTR truckdrivers (coast to coast). We have been home for about 3 years now and I am at my whits end trying to lose this weight. My husband has added more pressure as he has decided that he is ready for a child (we currently have none and I have never been pregnant before). I need to lose (I think) around 70lbs as soon as I can. Can you help me and just give me advice? I feel like Ive hit a road block and I dont know what to do anymore. My OBGYN actually put me on metformin to try to help with the weight lose but after being on it for 2 months I only lost a half a pound…….PLEASE HELP ME LOSE THIS WEIGHT!!!! LOL…….Thank you for your time!!
Hi Ann, well, for a start, you can afford healthy food. Healthy food is generally cheaper than junk food. What you need to do is change your attitude to eating. Start cooking your own meals – this will be a vital skill when you have children – so that you only use fresh ingredients. Stop buying all ready meals, junk food, soda, chips, etc.
Buy carrots, potatoes, broccoli, peas, beans and some lean poultry and fish. Buying food this way really can be cheap. Do you have any farm shops or independent grocers in your area? If so, get down there and see what they have.
Most important is to reduce portion sizes and get active. Do you exercise at all now? If not, start by walking for 45 minutes, every day.
Hi my name is Amanda and I am 16 years of age and am 5’4 and weight about 140 pounds. I look okay in clothes, but i dont feel good about my body when i have to wear a swimsuit. Im going to a different country for the summer in the very beginning of July and maybe middle if im lucky. I really want to lose weight in that time period. I just started restricting my calories more than ever, and i now go to the gym every day except for fridays. I eat less than 1000 calories for sure each day, but that doesnt matter because i just really want to lose weight. I am on the treadmill for an hour 6 days a week and am burning 600-700 calories. If i keep on going at this rate, would it seem possible to you for me to lose around 20-30 pounds before Mid-JUly?
Hi! I really need your help. I am 60 5′ female 169lbs. I eat very healthy. Fruit veggies no white flour lean meat mostly chicken and tuna. I have started to walk 3-4 miles daily on treadmill at 3.0. I also do some light weights for upper body strength. I was 179 when I started. I am eating 1200 daily and when I exercise which is at least 6 days a week I eat 1250. Any suggestions the weight is very hard. I keep going up 1-2 lbs can’t get on the road to lose steadily without going back and forth.
Hi Amanda, you really need to focus on exercise and getting fitter, rather than reducing calories. Your body needs more energy and nutrition to develop in a healthy way. 1000 calories a day is not going to provide adequate nutrition. Daily exercise is good though and running each day will help you to lose fat and tone up. Losing 20-30 pounds in the 12 weeks to mid-July is going to be a challenge, in fact, it will be very hard to achieve. Just focus on getting fitter and your body will look better.
Hi Carmella, how long have you been doing this? 10 pound weight loss is a good start, and daily exercise with 1200 Calories a day should result in fat reduction. Review your diet, recalculate how much you are eating and stick to the plan.
Hi, I recently was diagnosed with PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome). Apparently it causes issues with insulin and the body’s ability to use fat. I am 30, 5’2″ and 164. I am do high impact aerobics 4 times a week and have just started some resistance training. I have been trying to loose atleast 30 lbs for two years with no luck in calorie counting. I stayed at 1400 calories forever and ended up with some serious vitamin deficencies. My doc recommended a very low carb higher Protein diet with no other suggestions or numbers to follow. So for the last two weeks I have been following a plan that only allows 20gs of net carbs. Can you help ? It is hard to encoorperate fruits on such a low number. Please any suggestions to my email would be great! Love this site! Thank you!
Hi Muphigh. Rather than go for low carb you may want to try a low GI diet. This allows plenty of carbs but you only eat carbohydrate which is digested slowly. This releases the sugars into the blood slower which means your insulin has more time to work. Ideally your doctor should advise more on this though. It may be wise to take a multivitamin to prevent deficiencies. Also eat eggs – the yolks are full of vitamins and the white is almost pure protein.
Thank you for the advice. I would like to know how many calories I should eat when I exercise and the amount when I do not. The program I do on the treadmill at home is the weight loss program and I go as high as 3.5. When I go to the gym I do a 3.0 walk. This gives me 1 hr of intervals at home and 3 regular at the gym. Is it ok to eat lean cuisine meals for supper? I am very serious about this and I want to see results and reach my goal. Thank you
Hi Carmella, this is a bit harder to answer to be honest. According to the table, if you are in the “low activity” group you need 1850 Calories to maintain weight, and if you are in the high activity group you need 2100 Calories for weight maintenance. So the big question is, is the exercise you are doing plus your other activities enough to push you into the “high activity” group.
I think that you should probably stick to your current plan of 1200 Calories a day really. In time you should get fitter to be able to do more. As for eating lean cuisine meals – so long as they do not give you too many calories, they should be OK. Although they are a type of processed food and may contain more easily digestible sugar and more salt / fat than freshly prepared veges and a lean protein.
Hello, I’m 20, 5’4″ and weigh about 157 pounds(63% of that being muscle) and my body burns 1,500 calories naturally. i drink 12 8ounce glasses of water per day, workout 5 days a week with a two day resting interval, one on friday and then again on monday , twice per day with varying exercises from running on the treadmill to yoga and body weight training along with pilates. I eat about 1,200+ calories per day as I fear eating anymore could make me gain weight. I’m still losing the healthy amount of weight per week but as of late I feel as though my body isn’t getting enough calorie wise but i’m not sure what’s causing that. I know my fear may be causing me to restrict myself to less than i need but if i eat above 1,220 calories i tend to hop on the treadmill for about half an hour at 5.0 speed to kill another 350+calories but then i notice that even after my extremely intensive workout i’ve maintained the same weight as the last time i weighed in. what are some things i can do to increase my weight loss and make sure i dont plateau?
Hi Lynne, how long have you been doing this? If you are doing exactly as you say then you should be losing weight at a steady pace, it is not possible to maintain weight if you are eating less than your body needs. Of course, nobody ever accurately calculates how many calories they are eating without the aid of a health scientist and some clever testing apparatus!
It may be wise to take a fresh look at your plan. Look at all the food you are eating and check that everything is healthy and that the diet is well balanced with mostly low GI carbohydrates. Also be careful with drinks – anything other than water has energy / calories.
If your body is not getting enough nutrition then you will suffer some muscle wastage and this will slow down your fitness improvements. Do you have a carby snack before the workout or a protein snack after weight training? Good nutrition is vital, as it exercise and rest.
I am male 41 and weigh 186 pound I have dropped to 1200 calories per day, I excersise with cardio and strength training, running, walking and weights. Everyday I am doing excersise will I be ok at this level and will I lose much weight, I am not fat I just have fatty stores in horrible places.
Hi Allan, it should work, yes. If you are getting fitter, stronger and eating healthy but limited calories, you should burn off that fat. Any problems come straight back. Feel free to drop by and let us know how you are getting on.
Hi – I’m writing on behalf of my daughter. She’s 17 (will be 18 in July) and 5’3″. When she was 15, already naturally petite, she became semi-anorexic, consuming 1100 cal/day and exercising vigorously every day, bringing her down to 96 lbs (though I don’t remember what she weighed in the first place. This year and last, she developed a binge-eating disorder, which – though she was restricting calories during the day and binging at night – brought her to 124 lbs. She is frantic to lose the weight, now that the binge problem is petering out, but we are unclear as to what she should weigh at her age. We think maybe 105-110 lbs would be about right? Similarly, we are unclear on what her caloric intake should be, both to lose the excess weight (however much that is) and then, how many calories she should eat to maintain a healthy weight once she reaches it. She jogs 30 minutes about 6 times/week. Thank you.
Hi Sara, this is difficult. It may be wise to try to move away from the calorie counting completely and instead focus on eating 3 well balanced and healthy meals every day and getting regular exercise. Do you have a good eating routine at home, with meals together? Maybe family activities also?
For someone at 5’3″ a healthy weight will be 104 – 141 lbs (47.1 kg – 63.9 kg). So she is a healthy weight now at 124 pounds. There is no need to encourage her to lose weight. Focus on being healthy – eating proper meals and being active.
Nadine on 28th April 2012
Hi, I am 70, presently weigh 150lbs. 5ft 4inch. Small build and can see I carry too much body fat around stomach and hips. Sedentary. Doing only house
and a lot of garden work. House with stairs. Big garden with lots to do. Really bodily tired at night. Over the past 4.5 yrs, working in a store, added 25lbs to my weight and now seem unable to reduce my weight. How many calories should I have to bring down my weight to 130lbs?
Hi Nadine, according to the table you will need in the region of 1850 Calories to maintain weight, so to lose a pound a week, about 1350 Calories a day (on the days you are gardening etc.). About 1200 Calories on the lazy days. Focus on making your diet healthier, avoid sugary foods like biscuits, cakes, white bread etc. Get your carbohydrates from vegetables and fruits. Eat some protein with all meals to prevent / slow muscle wastage.
Hi – Sara again. Thank you very much for your thoughtful response. Unfortunately, my daughter has refused to participate in family meals for several years now, insisting on making her own food, as she does not trust me to be as careful about counting calories as she is, and as she was first a strict vegetarian and now a strict vegan. I do not count calories and never have. At this point, I am just trying to avoid her eating too few calories as she tries to lose the excess binging weight of this year and to help her understand a healthy – versus an anorexically-thin-model – weight for her height. A nutritionist with whom we consulted said that one can tell whether one has a petite build by wrapping thumb and middle finger around one’s wrist to see whether they overlap. My daughter seems to be of a petite build. But I still do not feel that she should weigh less than about 105 lbs. Do you agree? Also, I worry that – as a stubborn vegan (unlike the rest of the family – she is not eating enough protein as she tries to lose weight. She only listens to nuts and bolts calorie and weight and gram numbers, feeling she knows what she is doing from her own research, so I am trying to glean those numbers from you in terms of appropriate weight and appropriate number of calories per day to get to – and then to maintain – that weight so that she does not hurt herself. Thank you so much. – Sara
Hi Sara, this is obviously a very delicate subject and I really feel that you should consult with a dietician of family doctor. While I can suggest that your daughter consumes an amount in line with the tables on this page, it would be wise to get advice from someone more qualified.
Hi, I am 35.6 years old.155cms height and weigh 62kgs. I have started going for 30 mins walk every morning but i realised i gain more weight and developed hunger pangs after my walks.I would snack on an apple or cucumber but feel hungry right after. I would like to lose 10 kgs weight. Please help how to shed this weight. I also delivered a baby a year ago and my belly fat has not come down at all.
Hi Lynda. First you need to tackle your whole diet. Reduce portions, eat healthier. It is great that you are snacking on fruits, but ensure that you are a balanced diet also. A 30 minute walk is great for improving fitness and health, but do consider increasing your exercise, start jogging or going to a fitness class or gym to get a better workout – or do some home workouts.
Thank you so much for quick response, Could you please suggest a diet that is suitable for me to lose weight.Do i need to cut out eating rice/bread completely. I normally have wholemeal bread.I have two small kids and is almost impossible to go to the Gym in the evening as i need to attend to the house chores after coming from work. for my morning walks i take my younger one in a stroller till 6am then i have to go to work. What exercises do you recommend to lose weight.Could you help briefly about a balance diet you mentioned. Im grateful for your advice.
Hi Lynda, read our information on a balanced diet and our 20 minute home workout.
I’m been eating healthier and drop 27lb in 4 months, currently my calorie intake its 1500, really active, doing a 1/2 marathon on may 20th (first time ever)still over weigth 224lb 5’6. Schedule excersie 4x a week, upper body, lower body and cardio; want to drop at least 40lb aprox. 5 month but I hit the platao mark!!! Use calorie traker, I do not use the calories expense! How can I go over the platao, Do I need to drop the calorie intake to 1200, During the marathon which foods are best to eat? Thanks this web its awesome!
Hi Sandy, for now I suggest you carry on as you are, do not reduce calories while preparing for a 1/2 marathon. Healthy carbs are best for long distance running, pasta, rice, vegetables, pulses. After the race you can consider cutting back to 1200 Calories. If you do it before you may become malnourished and weakened. Just stick to your plan of doing a lot of exercise and eating healthy.
hi, im 18 years old and although am in the recommended bmi have alot of extra body fat to shed. I am 5’6 and weigh 8 stone 13.8 pounds (so basically 9 stone). If i go to the gym 4-6 times a week and loose on average 400 hundred calories on cardio machines and eat around 2000 calories i wont be loosing weight? How many should i reduce my intake to to loose 2lbs a week and what particular exercises would you suggest i do to get a flat stomach and thinner inner thighs.
Hi Harlyhops, just work on your fitness. Do not stick to one exercise, keep it varied. Do some pure cardio sessions, so bodyweight workouts, some weight training, plus other activities to work different muscles. Get more active in general too, make an effort to walk more. For flatter stomach and thinner thighs you really do just need to work on losing overall body fat with more exercise and healthy eating.
Hi -
I am a 21 year old female, 5 foot 7, weighing 138 pounds. I am recovering from bulimia (have been good for over a month now) – but I am struggling with the fact that since getting properly healthy – I have put on quite a bit of weight ( water weight I assumed) and am struggling for my body to regulate back to my normal pre-bulimia weight of around 129 pounds. I am very active, exercise for between 45-55 minutes a day – with pretty high intensity, and I am using the MyFitnessPal ap to track my food intake which is roughly 1600-1800cal a day. I am going on holiday in 6 weeks and really wish to be a little slimmer, I am frustrated that I have not gotten any results since being so healthy – and it’s really getting me down. Any information about how long it takes a body to re-regulate and start to recover (and maybe lose a bit of weight will be great). I feel like no matter what I do, I am getting no where, and there is honestly not much more I can do. If I eat any less I will be struggling with low energy, I would just like to know when the weightless may kick in – and if I’m doing to right thing?? Thanks!
Summer…
Hi I’m 37yo. Trying to lose 15lbs im 5’6″ tall. I do workout w/ my mini stepper 5xady for 60 min. And recently joined MFP and calculated my calorie into 1200 per day with a daily deficit of 530cal. I’m confused w/ this daily calorie deficit, what this mean??? What do i have to do w/ this 530 cal deficit. And one more ? Do I have to eat all the 1200cal per day to lose weight and what about the calories I burned. I hope you can helped me. Thanks…
Hi Summer, 138 pounds is a very healthy weight for your height. If you are eating healthy and exercising often then your body will be healthier for it. Try not to look at the scales, focus on being fitter and healthier. Your BMI is 21.6 at the moment, that is a good number to be at.
Hi Chryz. First, remember that this is just a guide. The average 37 year old woman who follows a low activity lifestyle (a little light exercise, walking etc) needs 2000 Calories a day to maintain weight. To lose weight at 1 pound a week you need to experience a daily calorie deficit of 500 Calories. So that would be like eating 1500 Calories a day if you are following a low activity lifestyle (which is possibly what you are following). The exercise you do is actually factored into these guidelines (sedentary = no exercise, low activity = some exercise, high activity = lots of exercise).
Another way to look at it is that if you are eating 1200 Calories a day and burning an additional 500 Calories, your daily calorie balance is actually only 700 Calories. A sedentary 37 year old woman (on average) needs 1800 Calories, so you will be 1100 Calories under what you need. This should equate to about 2 pounds fat loss per week – if you do this 7 days a week.
In short – keep eating healthy, keeping portions smaller and exercising daily.
Thanks for a quick response.
Hi there. I found this article really eye opening. I’m 30 and weigh 308lbs. I have no idea how many calories I eat per day – it must be close to or over 3000. One of my friends has lost 140lb following Lighterlife. I would like to do the same, but prove to the world that it can be achieved by diet and exercise, not restriction of real foods! I’m aiming for a weekly gym session and walking each day until i get fitter. My diet plan averages around 1200 cals per day. I begin tomorrow – wish me luck! How much weight would you envisage I could lose in the next 6 weeks? (I go on holiday on June 11th!) Many thanks, Jenny x
Hi Jenny, a realistic weight loss goal is really about 2 pounds a week, so 12 pounds. You need to plan and think long term really, the moment people start trying to lose weight with quick fixes there is a real risk of yo-yo dieting. Take your time, stick to the plan. As you get fitter increase your exercise too, ideally do at least 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise. Walking is good to start with but do keep pushing yourself.
Hi am creamy,pesently i weigh 98kg,173cm,27 yrs old,have not exercised in a long while,and have decided 2 go on fruits,veges n lean protein(egg,beans) 4 d next one month,before i start counting my cals,pls advise me on which fruit 2 use on dis exercise,thx
Thanks for the quick response! I was just wondering whether you could give me any indication of how long you’d think it will take for my body to re-regulate and stop gaining – no matter how much I eat? I know that I am in the healthy range – my doctors and I are watching that closely – but I more just wish to know whether there is any way I can make the recovery faster? The hardest part is knowing that I am doing to right thing by my body by eating healthy, but I feel like I’m being punished and it’s very hard. I don’t wish to lose weight – I just want to know how long itll take to stop gaining if I keep eating well/ exercising?! Thanks!
Summer
Hi Creamy, eat whatever fruits are available that you like. Variety is the key.
Hi Summer11, I think that you misunderstand how eating works. Nobody can ever eat as mich food as they like without gaining weight. THere will always be a point where you take in more food than your body needs and you accumulate fat. Just follow the diet and exercise plan that you have worked out with your doctor and try to stop worry about what may happen – just enjoy your exercise and your new healthy lifestyle.
Hi tnx for your quick response pls can i eat egg white everyday as breakfast?then fruits for lunch n dinner?
Yes you can. Eggs are very healthy. Unless you are eating a lot, eat the yolks too. Egg yolk is full of vitamins and minerals and also provide essential fats.
Hi, I am Sami. I am 23, 5’2″, and weigh about 120 pounds. I work out around 3/4 times a week. I try and fit two days of cardio in (usually a 30min interval run) and do weight training or circuit training. I try and consume around 1200-1300 calories a day… I eat mostly fruit, and meats such as grilled chicken, and grilled salmon. Or sometimes I will skip dinner and just have a protien shake after my work out. I have been following this routine since October 2011, and I am not seeing any results, in fact I weigh more now than I ever have, and I know that some of the weight increase has been to increases in muscles… I know that muscle weighs more than fat. The only area i have noticed change is in my biceps and my shoulders. I have noticed no change in the problem areas… tummy,thighs, and butt. I also cannot defeat the small amount of cellulite that I have noticed. I was extremely active growing up. Cheerleading, swimming, diving, gymnastics, softball… and my body was always very toned. I know that our bodies change over time, but I am just making sure that I am doing everything I can to make sure I am healthy and toned. Should I be doing anything else?
Hi Samantha. This good news is that with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 21.9 you are a healthy weight. A first change would be to start pushing the fitness a little more, maybe do another weight training session each week to start with. To see no results in 7 months on a 1200 Calorie a day diet and exercise seems a little strange though. Maybe there are some snacks, drinks, alcohol etc. that you are not counting in the calculations? Worth reviewing the diet again to be sure.
Hi,
I am 24 years of age. My height is 169m and I weigh 79kg (I was 85kg 2months ago-the biggest I have ever gotten). I have a medium hourglass shape. I gained over 10kg in a year and I honestly don’t know how it happened. I think it may have something to do with my job (I’m at my desk for 8 hours a day). I have lost some weight by eating healthy but it has come to a point where it just wont budge. My fat % is 36,3. I rarely exercise, just go on walks 2-3 times a week. I have also tried Herbalife but that had little effect. How many calories do you suggest I eat a day (i eat 1000-1100 calories). And how much should I exercise in order to get quicker results? Should I not eat after a certain time?
Hi Leah. Firstly, if you are eating just 1000 Calories a day you will be losing fat. But you must be eating more. Review your diet, write down everything that you consume (including all drinks, all fruits, all healthy snacks etc.).
You need to exercise more than 3 times a week to make a big difference. While walking is good, you must push yourself harder to do more. Do some circuit training exercises, attend a fitness class, do some dance workouts etc. Just get more active, more often.
Things like Herbalife only work if you are only having their products. The moment you start adding extra calories (even in terms of fruits, coffee with milk, juices etc.) you risk consuming too many calories to allow for fat loss.
It really does not matter much what time you eat. The main reason why not eating in the evening can work is that it ensures that you do not snack. If you are going to stick to 1100 Calories a day you would be hard pressed to be able to eat after 6pm as your quota will run out pretty quick!
This is a very informative web site, which explains in a straight forward way how the calorie intake/output works. I started to control my calorie intake based on info given for each age group and started an excel spreadsheet, entering everything I ate with the calorie count. I was amazed at the calorie count by 5.00 pm – even though I eat an absolutely healthy diet – boiled eggs/ 1% milk or proten shake for breakfast; snacks – banana or apple (with some humus) or handful of almonds); cottage cheese/ or soup for lunch, with greek yogurt & carrots/cucumbers…and my calorie count is already around 700-850 before I leave work not including dinner!! I don’t count the exercise even though I work out at least 4 times a week ( I am in my 50′s). I lost 5 pounds within 2 months but I am stuck there….not sure what else I can do to keep reducing the weight.
Hi Uma, maybe the first step is to up the activity levels. Maybe more walking or swimming.
Hello, my name is Lance reymond and I am 18 years old and weigh 247 pounds. this whole week i’ve been eating only turkey and ham pita bread sandwich, string beans, having soy milk with my cereal, waffles with no syrup, whey tech powder chocolate milk, etc. But i need more advice on what else I should do about my weight and what can I do to atleast lose 20 pounds by the end of the summer
Hi Lance. Why are you drinking whey tech powder chocolate milk? Are you lifting weights every day? If you are not lifting weights, stop drinking this. Waffles are high calories, low nutrition. Ham is full of saturated fat. Eat some fruit. Exercise every day.
Hello, I am a 25 y/o male, 6’2 and 205lbs. Ive gained almost 20lbs in the last year, but started exercising and eating better (cut out alcohol too) about two weeks ago. I generally exercise an hour a day 5 days a week, and 30 minutes the other two. This time I spend about half jogging, and half doing weights or body weight exercises. I consume 2000-2500 calories a day, sometimes less though I have a hard time being consistent. If I keep up the exercise, will I begin to lose weight, or do I need to consume less calories? My main concern is belly fat, as the rest of me seems pretty fit. I also want to gain muscle, which I have, but have not lost any weight yet. Ive been afraid if I eat too little while lifting weights, I wont gain the muscle properly. Is this true?
Hi Mat, that is true. For muscles to grow they need energy and nutritions – protein. To lose fat the whole body needs to be getting less energy than it actually needs. However, if you really focus on the fitness side of things and ensure that your diet continues to be healthy ypu will get there and you will be stronger and fitter for it. Better to get athletic slowly than waste away quickly IMO.
I am a 37 y/o female, I weigh 65 kg and am 163cm tall and want to lose 10kg in 12 to 14 weeks, how many calories should I eat if I’m exercising and burning 500 calories per day?
Hi. I am a female and my weight is 62 kg and height is 5 ft. I need to reduce approximately 10 kgs over 3 months. Is that feasible? I am doing gym exercise daily for half an hour. What extra thing I need to do in order to burn calories and loose weight? What should I add to my daily diet? I am purely vegeterian.
Hi Manu, 10 kg is 3 months is possible, but it will be hard work. You will need to do more exercise than 30 minutes a day. And the question should not be “what should I add to my daily diet?” but what to take away from it. To lose 10 kg in 12 weeks you need to be losing over 1 kg a week, that requires a daily calorie deficit of around 1000 Calories. Possible, but it will require a lot of work on your part.
Remove as much saturated fat and bread from your diet as possible (many vegetarians tend to over do the cheese and bread!) and focus on low GI vegetables and fruits with plenty of protein from pulses, nuts and eggs.
I have been on the weight watchers program since Oct. 20 2011. They have a point system and trying to find out the exact number of calories for a point seems to be a big secret. But on the on line forum other members say it averages from 38-50 cal. per point. After reviewing my tracking sheets, I estimate that I average about 1200 cal per day. My problem is that I have adhered to the system religiously, weighing everything, eating all the required foods and exercising every day. I have been given 26 days points and they also give you weekly points to use. But I never use these points. In addition, you get extra points for exercising which I dont use either. They say to use these points so that you dont feel deprived. I weighed 191 pounds on Oct 20 and now I weight 178 pounds. THat is less than one half pound a week. WW believes that losing between 1/2 to 2 pounds per week is what the program recommends. Clearly I am not doing that.The group leader really doesn’t know what to recommend and she suggests seeing my MD.I had an annual exam in Dec and all the blood work is fine as well as my thyroid. My question to you is is it possible that I am not eating enough with all of the exercising I am doing. I walk on the thread mill for 2 miles each day and some days more. It takes me about 50 minutes. I am 73 years old and have no physical disabilities. Is it possible that my metabolism has slowed down because of not getting enough calories? For four weeks in a row I did not either lose or gain. This week I finally lost 1/2 pound. I am so discourage when I hear other members at the meeting report that they are losing consistently 1-2 pounds a week. I am at a lost as to what I am doing wrong and what corrections I need to make. I would appreciate any recommendation you might have. Sorry this is so long.
Thank you.
Hello I weigh 198lbs and my weight goal is 160 lbs. I just turned 33 and I have 3 kids. I have never been this size I’ve always been a slim person but am now concerned about the weight I’m gaining. I recently started working out at the YMCA and attending zumba class on sat but still haven’t gotten down the calorie reduction side of things. According to your article I should be eating 2000 on non workout days and 2250 on days that I workout which is 3days a week 30 minutes of cardio plus 2 reps of 40 arms and legs aside from the zumba class. Is this right or should I cut the calorie intake by half? Please help, I’m new to all of this.
Hi Jean. Age does play a big role. Unless you have been really active in recent years you have probably suffered quite a bit of muscle wastage – this is what slows metabolism. What is important to remember is that you have lost some weight (albeit only a little) and you must be getting fitter by doing the exercise, and I trust that the point counting also means healthier food choices in general too.
So overall, you must be fitter, stronger and healthier. Just stick to the plan. If you can do more exercise, do a little more. Make sure the diet is healthy – not too much bread, cakes and other baked goods etc. Get some good proteins inside you (eggs and fish etc.).
Hi Mishia, remember that the table shows how many calories you need (on average) to maintain your weight. If you set a target weight loss of 1 pound a week then you need to take 500 Calories from that figure, and for 2 pounds a week, 1000 Calories. So, consuming 1250 Calories on workout days and 1000 Calories on non workout days should (in theory!) help you to lose 2 pounds a week.
Thanks for replying. Would you suggest eating mostly fruits and veggies with some protein to get maximum results? I struggle with what foods to eat to help boost my metabolism. I’m not a big fruit person but I have a sweet tooth and I know fruit would be the way to go. Any advice?
Hi, I’m 22 years old, approximately 5′ 8″, and 108 lbs. I recently lost about 50 lbs. through diet and some exercise (4-5 days a week at first but then just walking to class lately). I try to never eat more than 800 calories a day and I don’t really exercise. So, my question is, am I healthy and what must I do exercise-wise (even though I dislike exercising) to build back my muscle tone?
Hi Kristin. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 16.4. This means your weight is within the Underweight range. The best way to build muscle is to start weight training (either free weights or resistance machines) and get more protein in your diet. Start eating more food and make sure you are eating a balanced diet.
A balanced diet is best – fruits, vegetables, pules, dairy, meat, poultry, eggs, fish etc. as well as some grains.
I just started the Grey sheet for Overeaters. I have a sponsor and I’ve been following orders, but when I enter my food into my log it says i only eat 900-1000 calories per day. I am 258 lbs is this healthy for me to eat this little? I work out about2-3 times a week light work out though because i am scared to do what i normally would do for a couple hours 4 times a week. Will I be able to lose weight and stay healthy? I am 25 years old.
Hi Andrea, we are not familiar with the Grey sheet for Overeaters approach. However, 900-1000 Calories is below the recommended minium, but many people follow stricter VLCD (very low calorie diets) and successfully lose weight with them. At 258 pounds you focus must be on losing weight at the moment, carrying that amount of weight will have more serious long term health problems that a relatively short-term low calorie diet. So stick with it. Make sure that the calories you are eating are nutritious – limit all baked foods, bread, pasta etc. and eat fruits, oats, vegetables, lean meats, eggs, fish etc. Improved nutrition will reduce risk of following a low calorie diet. Consider taking a daily multi-vitamin too.