MEETING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS GOALS HOW TO CALCULATE A CALORIE DEFICIT

Losing weight entails eating fewer calories than your body burns each day, but calculating how many calories you are taking in, isn’t easy.

Perhaps the simplest way to ensure that you are eating fewer calories than you burn, is to eat very little. This isn’t the ideal solution however, as it leaves you ravenous and weary, with your energy levels at an all time low. So, if someone suggests you eat an apple for breakfast, a small salad for lunch and a piece of toast for dinner, with nothing in between, you need to stop and question if this is ideal for you.

The optimal caloriedeficit, experts say, is large enough to stimulate steady fat loss, but not so large that you’re always hungry and lethargic. If you’re an athlete, you particularly need to avoid large calorie deficits. Consult a qualified trainer to discuss the required calorie intake in your particular case.

To gauge how many calories you need to eat in order to meet your weight loss goals, while simultaneously ensuring you are not hungry or tired all the time, you need to : No. 1, figure out how many calories you burn each day, and No.2 subtract your target deficit of 300 to 500 calories from that number.There are two components to your total calories burned daily: calories burned at rest and calories burned during workouts.

Begin this way – add up the total number of hours you train/work out in a week and divide that number by seven, in order to arrive at the average number of hours you work out daily. You then have to multiply this number by your body weight in pounds and the average number of calories you burn per pound of body weight per hour of training/workout. The average number of calories you burn per hour of training is influenced by your speed as follows:

•    Slower (run 11:00/mile): 4 calories per pound per hour

•    Average (9:30/mile): 5 calories per pound per hour

•    Faster (7:00/mile): 6 calories per pound per hour

To calculate calories burned at rest you will need to consult a professional and discuss your lifestyle outside of your workouts/training. You might be categorised as ‘Lightly Active’ or ‘Sedentary’. You will then be able to estimate the number of calories you burn in 24 hours, outside of your exercise time.

To arrive at the total number of calories you burn daily, add together your average daily exercise calories burned and your calories burned at rest.

The total number of calories you should aim to consume is equal to the number of calories you would need to eat daily to maintain your current weight minus your chosen calorie deficit. Do remember that the appropriate deficit range is 300 to 500.

It’s the peak of summer and you need to be careful to choose cooler times of day to work out. Also remember to stay hydrated and to report the first signs of heat stroke to your doctor. Don’t overdo it. Stay healthy. Always consult a weight loss expert before embarking on a diet or weight loss workout routine.