How to Figure out Your Daily Caloric Needs

How many of you struggle with finding out just how many calories you will need to consume in order to get the proper nutrition you need each day and still lose weight?  Well that seems to be a popular question these days.  Therefore, I put together a wonderful post about the amazing tools that beachbody has to offer its customers.  It's a no brainer way to figure out some key statics that help you determine your weight loss goals along with your daily food intake.  I highly recommend that if you haven't created your free beachbody account that you do so now so you can utilize this feature!   

Log in to your team beachbody account and click on the Eat Smart tab across the top, then click on the nutrition tools link. This will take you to the page in which you can input your current goals such as losing weight, gaining muscle, maintaining current weight or losing those last few pounds. Then, you input your current fitness program, height, weight and age and it will give you your recommended caloric needs to meet your goal. Then it will recommend a meal plan for you and you can customize the plan, print out the meal plan and a grocery list! It seriously can't be any easier than this to lose weight!

Wondering just how many calories you should consume per day in order to lose weight? It is know that consuming 500 less calories per day will lead to a one pound weight loss per week. But, what's the correct amount of calories for you to consume daily in order to create that deficit? Here's how to figure it out.

1. Weigh yourself on an accurate scale in the morning. You will need to know your weight (in pounds) to calculate calories needed for weight loss.
2. Multiply the number on the scale by a range of 10-12 calories per pound. I often give my clients a range. This allows for a little more flexibility in eating plans. Example: If you weight 200 pounds, your calorie range would be 2000-2400 calories per day.
3. Cross check these numbers at www.mypyramid.gov. This site will also give you excellent information on appropriate food portions as well.

5 foods never to eat to lose weight.

1. Diet soda or pop.
2. Artificial sweeteners such as splenda, sweet n low, equal and stevia.
3. Juice
4. Butter
5. White bread

Another great tool to aid you in your weight loss is the healthy weight calculator (BMI)!

This tool will allow you to instantly calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI), a number used by overnment agencies to help determine how far you are from a healthy weight. Calculating your own BMI requires a complex equation, but we make it simple: Just plug in your height and current weight. Then use our guide to see if you're overweight, underweight, or normal. Go to the Eat Smart tab and click Healthy Weight. You enter your height and weight and it will tell you your BMI.
Another helpful tool in the Eat Smart category is the Body Fat Calculator.
Knowing your body-fat percentage is a vital part of setting diet and fitness goals, as well as for tracking the success of your workout program. As you become more fit, you may gain lean muscle while you lose fat, so a lower body-fat reading can be a more important measure of progress than your weight on the scale. Use this tool (along with a body-fat tester for more accurate results), and you'll see how far you need to go to reach an ideal percentage for your age and gender.
Need a body fat tester? Snag one here!

 When thinking about your health and fitness goals, you probably focus on your scale weight. A better indicator of overall fitness is the percentage of body fat you have in relation to lean muscle mass. You need to have some fat to help your body function properly, but too much fat is also bad for you.

For men under 40, the healthy body-fat range is 8%-19%; for women under 40, it's 21%-33%. (When you get older, it usually goes up a few points.) Above the top of this range, you're considered overweight, and you definitely need to work on losing excess fat. Extremely fit people may measure below the bottom of the range and be just fine, but in that case it's a good idea to consult a doctor and make sure you aren't compromising your health.

In planning your long-term diet and fitness program, your goal should be losing fat, rather than bringing down your overall weight. You can estimate your current body fat percentage by using the body fat calculator to plug in your height, weight, and waist measurements, or you can test it with a body fat caliper. Local gyms and hospitals often have body-fat testing facilities as well. You should use the same testing method every time you check your body fat to be sure you're getting the most accurate results.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me at mmitro@hotmail.com and together we can work through these tools and help you develop the most effective weight loss plan!

Sincerely,