How to Create a Calorie-Controlled Diet

You're not alone if you feel frustrated by the sheer amount of nutritional information out there when you seek to to control your diet and lose weight. Your eating patterns are important to your health. Eating unhealthy foods that are processed, full of sugars and fats and high in calories can quickly add inches to the waistline. Obesity contributes to many health problems, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer. You can take control of your measurements and health by creating a calorie-controlled diet.

Things You'll Need

• food diary

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine your average caloric intake per day to establish a foundation for your program. Women normally average around 2,000 calories daily while men typically take in around 2,500 calories a day. Heavier or obese people will have a higher daily intake of calories than those of average weight.

• 2

  Determine your basal metabolic rate, which is more accurate than calculating calorie needs based on body weight itself.

  Women should use the formula: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years ).

  Men should use the formula: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in years ).

• 3

  Use the Harris Benedict Equation to determine your calorie intake. Multiply the BMR answer by your activity factor using the following equations:

  Sedentary people (little to no exercise): BMR x 1.2

  Lightly active (light exercise or sports 1 to 3 days a week): BMR x 1.375

  Moderately active (moderate exercise or sports 3 to 5 days a week): BMR x 1.55

  Very active (hard exercise or sports 6 to 7 days a week): BMR x 1.725

  Extremely active (very hard exercise or sports and a physical job or twice-daily training) BMR x 1.9

  The resulting number is the total number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.

• 4

  Begin your diet around your current total number of calories. Start by reducing your calories by 500 a day. It takes 3,500 calories to lose or create one pound of fat. You can lose one pound a week simply by trimming off 500 calories from your daily food intake. Slowly decrease your calories per week by 50 to 100 until you to your appropriate calorie range.

• 5

  Count your calories everyday and attempt to hit your calorie level. Do not go over or drastically under the calorie range. Use your food diary to make notes of the calories in your ingredients or foods so you are aware of what and how much energy you are putting into your body. Review the food diary each night to determine your positive behaviors and the obstacles you are confronting.