Calorie Intake Calculator

Losing weight can be done in many different ways but it is important to lose weight in a healthy and sustained manner. Today diet pills, fad diets, gadgets and innumerable “new” techniques are available that produce so-called fast and affective results. Losing weight in such a wayward manner, if at all you manage it, is not safe. The body should not be subjected to any sudden changes as this can be dangerous. The best way to judge is to consider if the method sounds too good to be true.

Calorie Intake for Men, Women

There are numerous different calorie intake calculators freely available on the internet which can help you to calculate your daily calorie intake. Such calories intake calculators can be used for weight gain and weight loss as well. A calorie intake calculator for men is different from a calorie intake calculator for women. In order to provide an accurate result, the calculator needs other vital information as well. After selecting the appropriate sex, you need to input your weight, height, age and level of activity into the calculator. Entering these criteria into the calculator is how you can calculate calorie intake. Some calorie intake calculators are more flexible than others. They give you the option to choose the units of the data that you are providing. In such a user friendly calorie intake calculator you can provide your weight in kilograms or in pounds and your height in feet and inches or in centimeters as per your convenience. Such a well planned calorie intake calculator will also give you a quick guide which can help you to select your level of activity. In case the calculator you are using does not provide such a guide here are some helpful tips that can help you determine your current level of activity:

• Low level of Activity: If you do not do any exercise at all or your physical exercise is negligible.
• Light level of Activity: If you do have some casual exercise about twice a week.
• Moderate Level of Activity: If you get an average workout about 4 or 5 times a week.
• High Level of Activity: If you exercise daily and diligently.
• Very High Level of Activity: If you exercise strenuously, twice a day or more.

After you have entered all the required data and you hit calculate, the calorie calculator will provide your results. Your Body Mass Index, BMI, is one of the first outputs of the calorie intake calculator. Your BMI is obtained by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. The BMI is accepted internationally as the first indication of a person’s obesity. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal and healthy.

If your BMI is within this range, you do not need to lose or gain weight. If it is not, you need to lose or gain weight in order to bring your BMI in this range. A BMI of less than 18.5 is makes you underweight while a BMI of 25 to 29.9 will make you overweight. If your BMI is above 30, then you are considered to be obese. You need to take immediate action to reduce your weight. The next output you will generally receive is your Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR. Your BMR is the approximate calculation of the number of calories that you will normally expend in a day, without taking into account any activity at all – as if you were resting. A more realistic number is achieved after taking into account your current activity level. Each activity level has a corresponding factor which is used to determine the number of calories burned per day. This is the magic number.

If you consume these many calories every day and maintain your current level of activity, then your weight will remain steady and neither increase or decrease. However, you should check this calculation periodically as age is also an important criterion and as you age, your daily calorie requirements will also change. If you need to gain weight, then you simply take in more calories than the number of calories you burn everyday and maintain your current level of activity. Similarly in order to lose weight, you should create a deficit of calories you take in. Keep your daily calorie count below the number of calories you burn each day, while continuing with your activity level. Do not be over zealous, though. It is very dangerous to indiscriminately reduce your daily calorie intake. Your body will not be able to adjust to any drastic changes and this can lead to unwanted and serious health complications. A total calorie intake calculator will provide you with more details than just the number of calories you burn everyday. It will also give you the number of calories you should consume every day to lose 1 pound every week and how many to consume in order to lose 2 pounds every week. Remember that it is a daily calorie count while the weight is weekly. A weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week is considered to be the healthiest and safest way to lose weight and also to sustain the weight loss. One pound of fat loss corresponds to approximately 3500 calories. Therefore you need to create a deficit of 3500 calories every week or 500 calories every day in order to lose 1 pound per week. It is best to seek advice from your doctor before commencing a weight loss plan.