Need some suggestions Please

sjm1027 · #1 (**permalink**) February 10th, 2008, 12:59 PM

Hi,

I thank everyone for the great posts I have been reading, lots of good
information here.

So I have been reading some books and posts and come up with a bunch
more questions, hope some of you can help me understand.
I would like to figure out how many calories I need each day. I found
this formula in a good book.
BMI = 66+(6.3 x Weight in pounds)+(12.9 x height in inches)-(6.8 x age
in years)

I did this and to sustain my current wait I need 3,504.72 calories per
day. So I want to lose weight and I need to know what I should choose
for the correct amount of calories. Is there a chart for this? Does it
go by age?

Next question, I have been reading it is better to have 6 small meals
per day for 2 reasons
1, to keep your blood sugar level
2, your metabolism will burn weight faster not allowing your body to
shut down and steal from muscle.
So does anyone know where I could get ideas on the way one would eat 6
times per day (what foods) to eat... I want to make sure I don't over
due it.
I can't seem to find this data on-line.

Thanks
Steve

maleficent · #2 (**permalink**) February 10th, 2008, 02:08 PM

where ever you got the 6 meal a day info from isn't entirely correct = there's no real science behind it -IF and only IF 6 meals a day works for you - then do it -otherwise it's total calories consumed in a day that m atter.

Read the stickied threads around the forum - you'll get some valuable information

maleficent · #3 (**permalink**) February 11th, 2008, 12:13 PM

http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weigh...tml#post395924

Quote:

Myth No. 2: Eating small, frequent meals boosts your metabolism.
The Theory: If you keep adding small amounts of food to your fire (the fire being your metabolism), you will keep it going strong and burn more calories overall.

The Reality: Food intake has a negligible effect on metabolism. Some foods, including those with caffeine, may slightly and temporarily increase metabolism, but the effect is too small to help you lose weight. What most affects your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the rate at which your body burns calories at rest, is body composition and size. More muscles and bigger bodies generally burn more calories overall.

The Best Advice: Build up your muscles. A pound of fat-free tissue burns about 14 calories a day, while a pound of fat burns just two to three calories. And while that difference may not sound like a lot, it will certainly help over time. Remember, too, that when you lose pounds, part of that weight is muscle, warns Liz Neporent, an exercise physiologist and the president of Wellness 360, a New York City–based corporate-wellness-consulting company. That’s why strength training is even more important if you’re on a weight-loss mission. Try the seven-exercise Muscle Maintenance Workout. And if you hate lifting weights, you can instead maintain your muscles by going to a Pilates, body-sculpting, or power-yoga class two to three times a week.

Quote:

Myth No. 8: To lose weight, you need to cut calories drastically.
The Theory: Eat much less; weigh much less.

The Reality: Sure, if you subsist on 1,200 calories a day, you’ll take off weight, but it won’t be for long. Consider an analysis of 31 studies of long-term diets, where the diets averaged 1,200 calories a day. The report, published last April in American Psychologist, found that within four to five years, the majority of dieters in these studies regained the weight they had lost. “Psychologically, it’s difficult for people to adhere to strict diets over a long period because they feel deprived and hungry,” says Traci Mann, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, and the lead author of the report. “Also, our bodies are brilliant at keeping us alive when we try to starve them.” Your body becomes more efficient at using the calories you consume, so you need fewer to survive. In addition, people who are put on a very-low-calorie diet (800 calories a day) have an increased risk of developing gallstones and digestive issues.

The Best Advice: Don’t starve yourself. “If you want to lose weight and keep it off forever, you need a modest calorie restriction that you simply continue and never stop,” says nutritionist Christopher Gardner. But what’s the right number of calories for you? Use this easy formula, a favorite of cardiologist Thomas Lee, editor in chief of the Harvard Heart Letter.

First find your activity level on the table below. Multiply your weight by the number indicated. (You may fall between two categories. If that’s the case, adjust the number by adding a point or so.) The result is the number of calories you need to maintain your weight. Let’s say you weigh 135 pounds and do light exercise one to three days a week. Multiply 135 by 13.5 to get, approximately, 1,800 calories. If you want to drop some pounds, try cutting out 250 calories a day, says Lee. In a year, if you make no other changes, you could be 26 pounds lighter. Exercise more and you could lose more, too.

And Your Number Is…
You Exercise: Almost never
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 12

You Exercise: Lightly, one to three days a week
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 13.5

You Exercise: Moderately, three to five days a week
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 15.5

You Exercise: Vigorously, six to seven days a week
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 17

You Exercise: Vigorously, daily, and you have a physical job
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 19