How Many Calories to Eat to Maintain a Current Weight

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that maintaining a healthy current weight is important. Losing and gaining weight too frequently can lead to high cholesterol, muscle deficiency and heart problems. Maintaining weight is tough, but with the right tools, a solid eating plan and a little willpower, it can be easier than you think.

Discover Your BMI and Calorie Need

• The first thing people need to do is calculate their BMI or Body Mass Index. Knowing your body's daily calorie needs is an important first step in creating and implementing a diet and exercise plan that is right for you. All you'll need to input is your current weight, your height, your age and how much exercise you get per day. Visit "Calorie Needs" in the Resources section for an easy readout of your BMI and calorie needs to maintain your current weight:

Reduce Your Calories

• The BBC reported in 2005 that 64.5% of Americans (almost two-thirds!) of Americans were over the ideal weight. If you are in the Overweight or Obese category of the BMI Index, find out what your ideal weight is for your age and height, and then remember that calorie need. That way, you'll be maintaining a calorie count for the weight you want to get to, not the one you're at. The first step to reducing your weight is reducing the number of calories your body takes in. It's always easier to say no to a 900-calorie cheeseburger when you know you only have 1,600 calories for the entire day.

  Some foods that are incredibly filling but low in calories include the following:

  Apples, Oranges and Melons -- All these fruits have a substantial amount of water in them and are high in fiber and necessary vitamins to tackle exercise if you so choose to do it.

  Nuts -- Protein builds muscle and nuts (especially almonds!) are incredibly high in it while also giving your body much-needed antioxidants that other high-protein foods such as red meat don't.

  Spinach -- High in iron. Will keep your circulation running optimally so that you will have the energy to exercise if you so desire.

Speed Up That Metabolism!

• Another way to reduce how many calories your body has in the day is by taking some away through exercise. Aerobic exercises, such as jogging, speed walking and bicycling, use the most calories and are great exercises to do with others.

  Also, exercise speeds up the body's metabolism which is what processes all the stuff your body takes in. By speeding up your metabolism you actually increase the number of calories your body can take in a day. This means you'll be losing weight exponentially faster than if you simply went on a dietary eating plan.