Average Weight For Women

Ever wondered what a calorie is? The definition of a calorie is “the amount of energy, or heat it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water to1 degree Celsius”.

A calorie is a unit of energy that is associated with food and drink and is a measure of the energy, or heat, that food produces as your body uses it as fuel.

The first step in counting calories for your personal weight loss is to calculate how many calories you burn in a day (your total daily energy expenditure), this is the total number of calories that your body expends in 24 hours, including all activities.

This is known as your maintenance level and will be the reference point (number of calories) from which to start your dieting.

The average calorie maintenance level for women in the United States is approx 2000 per day and the average for men is approx 2500 per day. These are only basic averages and are usually much higher for athletes or active individuals.

A quick and easy method to find out how many calories you require per day for weight loss and maintenance is to calculate a calorie value with a multiplier as set out below.

Fat loss = multiply your bodyweight in pounds with 12 calories (12 x lb).

Maintenance = multiply your bodyweight in pounds with 15 calories (15 x lb).

This is a very easy method to estimate your daily caloric requirements, but it has its drawbacks as it doesn’t take into account your particular activity levels or body fat levels. Despite this it will give you a good estimated figure that you can work with.

The maintenance figure that you get is the amount of calories that you need to consume to stay at your current weight. To lose weight your calorie intake must be lower than the calories you burn.

In order to lose one pound of fat per week, you must reduce your weekly calorie intake by 3,500 calories, which works out at five hundred calories per day. This can be done by reducing your calories by 500 or combining a diet with physical activity.

The bottom line is to balance your caloric intake with the amount of calories that you are burning, that’s the secret to successful dieting and weight maintenance.

Becoming more conscious of counting calories in your everyday eating regime is imperative if you are trying to lose weight. Studies have shown that men and women “underestimate” their daily calorie consumption by 500 to almost 1000 calories.

You can get a truer picture by keeping a seven-day eating plan of what you typically eat and drink during the day.

At the end of each days eating, add up the total amount of calories consumed and write them down on to the eating plan. At the end of the seven days, add the total calories for the whole week and then divide by seven, you now have your daily calorie intake.

Using a calorie calculator can make counting calories easier – you can total how many calories you will need for your daily activities to give you more control over how many calories you should include in your daily diet.

Another technique for low calorie eating is to watch your fat intake as this has the most calories.

Moderation is always important when you are counting calories, severely restricting calories, causes the body to lower its metabolic rate, which reduces its ability to burn fat.

At the same time, hunger signals increase and you quickly start to crave high-energy foods loaded with fats and sugar, the same foods you are trying to do without.

This is because when you return to normal eating habits, the drop in metabolic rate caused by the restriction in calories means that your old eating habits actually represent excess in calories.

Not only do you regain the fat stores just lost, but also you may even gain a bit extra.

“Dieting by counting calories means that all foods are allowed, nothing is forbidden as long as the calories consumed don’t go over your daily calorie allowance”

Counting calories can also be flexible enough to accommodate most busy lifestyles.

Some food for thought isn’t it; health professionals agree that healthy eating which includes counting calories and a low fat diet are essential for long-term healthy weight loss.

The way to lose body fat and maintain muscle is to have a food program for life. Quality food and more energy output are the basics you’ll need to go for.

After working with and getting to know top models over the course of a year in New York City and abroad, there are definite patterns in meal habits and exercise. Genetics can only go so far in keeping up lean, healthy bodies.

Of all the girls observed, the leanest and healthiest were not the ones that trimmed calories down to an unhealthy level, but instead carefully balanced nutrient intake and meal timing. The following are examples of actual meals throughout the day:

Breakfast, eaten anytime between 8am-11am:

1 cup raisin bran or similar whole-grain fiber cereal in 1% milk

or

1 cup of oats in 1% milk, cooked

and

1 small cup of low sugar yogurt

1 cup coffee

Small glass of water or orange juice

~500 calories

Breakfast, of any meal, is the time to eat either fatty or sugary foods. Your metabolism and daily plans can and will burn off this food throughout the day. Additionally, a hearty breakfast will satisfy you well into the lunch hours. This will leave you with focus to complete your daily responsibilities, unlike some diet plans that advocate only eating a morsel in the morning.

Lunch, eaten anytime between 12:00 noon-4:00pm

Turkey, chicken, or similar lean cold-cut with your choice of cheese, veggie toppings, as a sandwich between whole wheat bread slices. Be weary of dressings high in saturated fat or sugar. Olive oil and vinegar is a great substitute.

A complex carbohydrate in addition (such as quality, baked chips) will also help squash your appetite. A sugar-free carbonated beverage on top will leave you filling full. Now is also a good time of day to pop a daily multi-vitamin.

~500 calories

Dinner, eaten anytime between 6:00pm-9:00pm

Many sources stress dinner not being eaten approaching bedtime, but this is just silly. Most people’s evening activities are incredibly relaxed, blurring the line between resting rate burned calories while awake, and asleep.

When dinner time rolls around, it is best to avoid any sort of carbohydrate. Now is the time to pack on the protein and a small amount of unsaturated fat to kill your appetite. Options such as chicken breast, turkey, lean red meats, cooked with olive oil are great. Even a slice of cheese melted over is acceptable – The only truly treacherous thing is carbs. A small portion of vegetables such as broccoli or carrots is acceptable. Stay away from any overly-starchy veggie. Chase the meal with plenty of water to leave you fulfilled prior to bed.

~400 calories

The meals provided are just a small excerpt, but you can mix up the variety to suit your taste. There are a few key guidelines that need to be followed, at all costs:

AVOID SUGAR. It is never beneficial to eat sugar. If you’re going to do it, do it during breakfast. Even fruit juice is just as bad as soda as far as dieting is concerned. Check the label, if there’s a lot of sugar, head for the hills. Splenda should be your best friend when it comes to sweetening things. ALSO: Many fad diets advocate eating lots of fruits and vegetables. These nature-borne things seem to be so innocent and infallible for a diet, but in reality, fruits contain a boatload of sugar, and vegetables such as potatoes contain lots of starches that are similar to sugar. Oddly enough, fad diets and juice diets don’t work and are an unhealthy way to lose weight.

Scale your meal like a triangle, starting your earliest meal with a lot of calories, and decreasing as it grows later in the day. As mentioned, you’ll burn off the earlier calories by being active during the day.

Get Cosmo Free for a Year

As far as working out is concerned – Don’t make the mistake so many women make. Instead of doing nothing but treadmills and jogging, try actually lifting weights. As the fat comes off, you’ll actually have muscle tone underneath, for a healthier look, as opposed to loose skin on bone. Also, muscle mass burns more calories per pound than other tissue. If you build muscle, you’ll burn more calories just sitting around after your workout. And compared to running, lifting weights burns a greater amount of calories.