How do I lose Weight?

To loose weight in theory is very easy but in practice perhaps a little more challenging. To conduct our daily activities our body requires energy which is measured in Calories and obtained from the food we eat or our body's fat stores.

Based on a variety of parameters we can determine the number of calories we require each day and if we consume this amount of calories and conduct our normal activities then we will maintain our current weight. If we consume more calories than required then the additional calories will be retained in the body's fat stores and we will gain weight.

Now if we consume less calories than required then the body will obtain the additional calories, to meet our needs, from the body's stores. Also, if we consume the required amount amount of calories but increase the amount of exercise we do then again the body will obtain the additional calories, to meet our needs, from the body's stores. As we are now utilising the body's stores to address the deficit in calories we will lose weight.

So to lose weight try to reduce, on a daily basis, the amount of calories you consume and / or increase the amount of exercise you do.

The body is intelligent and any sudden large reductions in calorie intake and / or increased exercise then the body will take action to increase the content of its body's stores. If we reduce our weight by approx. a ½ kilogram/week then the body may adapt more easily to the reduction of calorie intake and provide you with a better chance of maintaining the new weight. To reduce your weight by ½ kilogram/week means reducing you calorie intake by approx. 600 calories/day.

Ideal Weight

To obtain an estimate of your ideal weight range please enter your height and gender and then select the 'Calculate ' button.

Height

Gender

	From	To
Your Ideal weight range	st lb	st lb
Your Ideal weight range	kg	kg

Estimated Energy Requirements (EER)

To obtain the EER (calories/day) to maintain your weight please enter your gender, age, activity level, height, weight and then select the 'Calculate' button.

Gender		Age	years
Activity Level
Height	metres	Weight	kg's

Your EER is

calories/day

The official formulas for the calculation of your daily estimated energy requirements (EER) are provided by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (Trumbo et al. 2002)^[1]

Referenced Material

TRUMBO, P. et al. (2002) Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino Acids. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 102 (11), p. 1621-1630

Page Reference

The reference for this page is:

MACKENZIE, B. (2011) How do I lose Weight? [WWW] Available from: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/weightloss.htm [Accessed

Associated Pages

The following Sports Coach pages should be read in conjunction with this page: