Tip the Scales in Your Favor. . .

To tip the energy balance in your favor, start by determining how many calories you need each day to maintain your current weight. Doing this requires a few simple calculations.

First, multiply your current weight by 15. That’s roughly the number of calories per day needed to maintain your current weight if you are moderately active. Moderately active means getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day (walking at a brisk pace, climbing stairs, or active, physical gardening). If you are less active, you’ll need to increase your activity to that level or reduce your calories further, or you will gain weight.

Weight X 15 = Daily calories to maintain weight
Daily calories - 500 = Weight loss

Let’s say you’re a moderately active woman who is 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds. If you multiply 150 by 15, you will get 2,250, which is the number of calories per day that you need to maintain your current 150-pound weight. To lose weight, you will need to eat below that total each day.

If your BMI shows that you are overweight, you can set a goal of losing one to two pounds a week — a rate that experts consider safe. To lose weight, your daily food consumption should provide 500–1,000 calories less than your total weight-maintenance calories. So in the example of the 150-pound woman, reducing calories to 1,250–1,750 a day will produce the desired weight loss.

If you are sedentary, you will also need to build more activity into your day. In order to lose at least a pound a week, try to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days, and reduce your daily calorie intake by at least 500 calories. However, calorie intake should not fall below 1,200 a day in women or 1,500 a day in men, except under the supervision of a health professional. Eating too few calories can endanger your health by depriving you of needed nutrients.